I really wanted a blue and white kitchen with a sort of shabby farmhouse look, but it didn't take me long to realize that wasn't going to work. I even wrote a Blue Monday post about it, called Kitchen Blues. The kitchen is wide open to the family room, which has cranberry colored wallpaper, rich brown leather furniture, and a casually elegant look designed to make The Smith Men happy. Cottage-y blue and white wasn't going to work in the adjacent space, so I dug deeper in my clippings and photo files.
Here are some white kitchens that really spoke to me:
Crisp and classic, with a touch of romance. Love the beadboard and the double sinks. Not sure if this is a marble countertop or a marbelized Corian, but it's gorgeous.
Open shelves and glass doors look great. The metal band in front of the glasses is perfect for earthquake-prone California. I like the towel bar on the front of the sink cabinet. Don't like the stainless countertops, at least not for my own kitchen.
Romantic and gorgeous! More marble countertops, an ultra-deep marble farmhouse sink, and a subway-tile-sized marble backsplash. With creamy or light beige cabinets, this would work with my family room, but it still feels too light and not-quite-anchored-enough for our space.
And then I found Layla's kitchen-in-progress at The Lettered Cottage, and I knew I wanted to paint my cabinets black.
Layla's kitchen with plain white walls
Still in progress ... Layla's kitchen with beadboard and blue walls
Black cabinets can go so many ways ... chippy country, authentically aged, sleek modern, French country, townhouse sophisticated, or any combination of the above. I told Ray I was going to paint the cabinets black, and sand the edges to give them a touch of a country look. Once I started painting the cabinet doors, I decided against distressing the edges.
Here are a few more black cabinet pics I found inspiring:
Marble countertops, again.
Sophisticated two-tone look.
Love the gold letters! I wish I could remember whose kitchen this is, to give them credit. If anyone knows, please leave a comment :o)
This is Gwyneth Paltrow's kitchen. It's huge, it's black, and it's beautifully designed, but I honestly don't like it. The colors are too muted and too cool for me. I like warm tones, not grays. When you're planning a project, it's important to keep photos of what you don't like, even if you don't yet know why you don't like it. That's an investment of time that can save you lots of money and frustration. IMO, this kitchen looks like no one ever cooks in it, and -- to me -- it doesn't look like a fun or stimulating place to cook and entertain.
Compare this kitchen to Paltrow's: it's warm, friendly, and casually sophisticated, and looks like a lovely place to cook and entertain family and friends.
Coming up ... How To Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets
