I have been contemplating some home projects for awhile; there are so many things that I want to do that I get a bit overwhelmed and don’t do any of them. The only room in my house that really reflects my taste is my home office; I want the whole house to I think I’m going to begin with the kitchen. Last summer I began by updating the window over the sink, but haven’t done anything since. My kitchen has great bones, the previous homeowners updated it; the problem is, it’s not really my style. The cabinets are from a swanky cabinet store in Nichols Hills but aren’t a finish I would have chosen. I would have preferred white marble (or something similar in look ) to the dark granite counter-tops. I absolutely abhor the tumbled limestone floors. They were never sealed and are impossible to keep clean, plus they have several slowly growing holes. I’ve decided that maybe the best way to find direction and get started is to create a design board to help visualize what I want to do.
Backsplash
My dream for the kitchen hasn’t changed much since I wrote this post. My original plan included a Moroccan tile backsplash. Since I used the Moroccan pattern on the window and changing the backsplash would cost more than I want to spend, I think I will leave the backsplash as it is and see how it looks like once the cabinets are paint. I suspect that changing the cabinet and wall color will change the appearance of the backsplash. If I still don’t like it, I have thought about painting it white.
Flooring
I’m leaning towards covering the floor with this faux marble vinyl tile from Armstrong. It looks great in Caitlin’s kitchen. It’s inexpensive, easy to lay and can go over the current floors. It’s not a permanent solution but I think it will give some new life to my tired floors. I still might do something like the Skylar’s Lace with a rug.
Lighting
I’ve spent a lot of time considering lighting for the kitchen. There are three fixtures in my very small kitchen. Two of the fixtures are chandeliers with lights that look like real candles (when I first moved in I had a lot of people ask me about burning the candles). They are okay but they are pretty large for the space; the one over the sink has three lights, the other, in the center of the room, has five and hangs low enough that anyone of height has to duck to avoid hitting his or her head. They are also not something I would have chosen. With it being such a small space, I think it might look best if at least two of the three lights are the same. I love the lighting in this kitchen. I would LOVE to have a Hicks pendant but it will be many years before I can justify spending the money on one. I am considering this more affordable Globe Electric Pendant and using a simple flush-mount fixture for the other two.
Painting
I thought about painting the walls a fun color, either coral or yellow, but have decided I will probably paint them gray and bring in the coral or yellow, probably yellow, in other ways. I’m going to paint the fridge with chalkboard paint. I went back and forth between black and green. Since the countertops are a dark green granite and I have several green accessories, I’m going to go with green. I plan to paint the cabinets white.
Accessories
I currently have a pretty large coat rack next to the fridge in my kitchen. I’m thinking about replacing it with some hooks on the wall like this elephant hook. I think that will open up the space a little bit. I have some ideas for making my own art for the kitchen. I also love this herb print. I am planning to design my own fabric for the window treatments using the gray, green, and yellow, using this and Josef Frank as my inspiration.
I’m a little nervous, but excited, about making the changes. I’ve lived with the kitchen in it’s current state for eleven years. It will be great to have a space that reflects my style.
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