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sanjordan

Please help my blah and drab kitchen with some color!

14 years ago
I just bought my first house and I am so excited! :) But... It is sooo blah and drab right now...whitewashed cabinets, white appliances, cream colored laminate countertops, white/beige paint throughout the entire house AND white/ vertical blinds which I don't care for, but can live with for awhile. I have a round glass bistro table with 4 chairs that will go in front of the windows.Oh yes, and let's not forget the lovely gold hanging light fixture that is going to be donated to Habitat for Humanity.There is also a large square opening in front of the sink that looks into the huge family room. Right now about all I can afford to do is paint, get a new light fixture, and add a tile (I love the glass tile) backsplash under the cabinets for some color. I love blues and greens.I also have a lot of vintage Fiesta (cobalt blue,yellow,turquoise, green,& ivory) that might help with thinking of color. Please give me some advice because I am feeling pretty overwhelmed right now.Thanks!!

P.S. The furniture in there belonged to the previous owner. Nothing is in there now.

Comments (31)

  • 13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    You pretty much have a blank slate right now. Paint, backsplash, and a few nice accents on your counters and you should feel great about your new space! If you are leaving the white blinds up you might want to choose a darker color for the walls on that side of the room. I would also put an area rug under your glass table to ground the space. ... It could be a little 'floaty' with the light floor and a glass topped table.
  • 13 years ago
    looks like u have some great natural light in the space which would definitely support a saturated wall color like one of your fiesta items. Tourquoise or green would put some life into the room. If u go with glass tile back splash, pick one of the colors from the tile to paint the walls. Add a rug, pretty towels and a pretty center piece for your new table with the wall color and tile color included. You really have a very nice kitchen and eating area to work with!
  • 13 years ago
    I agree paint and your backsplash will make this an amazing kitchen! Sometimes having a blank slate makes it even harder to find a direction to go in. Think about which color you want to go with and spend plenty of time looking at backsplash tiles. I made lots of trips to the tile shop and found that I consistently liked the same ones. A soft, muted turquoise with subway tiles would be pretty. I also love the silvery sage green that I have with stone and gray/green glasses tiles for the backsplash. A sophisticated blue/gray paint would be pretty too. And yes, a beautiful area rug with those colors would be nice.
  • 13 years ago
    I like your cabinets! And you sure have a lot of them. I think you need to live in the home at least a month before you decide on changes and colors. I would put my money into replacing the vinyl vertical blinds, first and foremost.

    Then after you've lived there a month or two, with your accessories placed (and probably re-placed, if you're like me) you will have a better feel for the colors you're looking for.

    I love glass tiles also! If you go that route it's tempting to add color that way; I wouldn't do that, because then you're committed to those colors and you may change your tastes down the road. Use color in easily changeable things, like paint.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Congratulations on your first home!!! Blank canvas, I'm salivating already!!!
  • 13 years ago
    love to hear some of your ideas Divine Interiors!
  • 13 years ago
    Rust red would be awesome in the kitchen! :) it may sound weird with the red, but you could also do a tile backsplash in those cobalt/yellow/green/ivory colors and believe it or not, I actually saw a light fixture at Lowe's that would match! You're definitely going to need some under-cabinet lighting too though. Those puppies are too shadowy for you to have fun over there! And kitchens are all about fun, right?! :D
  • 13 years ago
    yellowcalilili, yes! Red ocher, beautiful color: [houzz=
    Spicy Hue SW6342 Paint · More Info
    ]
  • 13 years ago
    colors like flawless grey,with blue accents or chocolate brown, lime green or any green colors would be nice.
  • 13 years ago
    What a "homey" kitchen. Going by the photos, looks like you might like the color blue? I agree that the white and very light cabinets don't give the space much pzazz by themselves, but they are a great canvas to start out with, and even the few things you have added warm the space up, IMO, and that is usually the bottom line, in the final analysis. You just need to decide what colors you want in the space, and I agree that you should take some time and shop around. That way you can become familiar with the space itself as you live in the environment and also really learn what your options are, and which ones really appeal to you. Be sure and post more photos as your new space develops into your own personal vision of a kitchen.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Adding color to the walls will definitely help. I suggest starting with a backsplash tile that you love. There are many great glass mosaic tiles that have multiple colors, some strong, some muted. Pull out one of the colors for the walls. I'd consider using some soft (not pastel) greens or even lavender. These will help your cobalt accents to pop. Congratulations on your new home!
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    you have a great backdrop that can work with many colors...try a chocolate brown, medium blue. or a deep eggplant color. its a good idea to choose the glass tiles for backsplash first and work of that... good luck!
  • 13 years ago
    so much about color choice depends on how you want the space to feel - light and airy, or spicy and warm. Your own color preferences and how you want it to feel. You like the same colors I do - and I've learned to spice things up with accessories in bright or richer colors.
  • 13 years ago
    Since your kitchen is so visible (from the opening over the sink) and appears open to the family room (from the eat-in area), I think it's important to consider the flow of colors from one room to the next when making your color selections.
  • 13 years ago
    i would paint walls ablue and do brown accents
  • 13 years ago
    Csimeon had good points. Since you have lots of light, you can go with a deep color if you like. My kitchen was very similar-I opted for a deep teal, my favorite color. Check out your clothes for a clue as to what colors you really like... I hung my platters and colorful serveware on my back splash. That might be an option for you to add some color until you settle on tile. You can always change the paint---it is a hassle if you don't like to paint, but being able to change it so easily and relatively cheaply is the fun of paint. Enjoy!
  • 13 years ago
    I think the space might be painted a light sand color with the living area a deeper sand to add visual flow between the rooms. I would paint the cabinets an antique white or ivory with a tan or light chocolate overglaze (which is wiped off of course, leaving the color in moulding edges only). Finish with a low-luster clear varnish. Add nice pulls on the cabinetry. Glass tiles in MUTED hues of green, blue, tan, and off white would work well on backsplash. A few fiesta pieces could accent the countertops and a large fiesta pitcher could hold an arrangement on your table. A few years down the road, an island could be added if space allows. Good luck and many blessings on your re-do!
  • 13 years ago
    I see beachy colors...could be a great refreshing space
  • 13 years ago
    I agree with Bobbi above, the worst thing in the room are those terrible blinds. They hide the pretty windows. First find something you love like a beautiful back splash tile or the rug that works with the color of the cabinets, then pick wall colors. Lay all your samples and plates out before you install anything. Paint choice should always be last as there are so many choices. Have fun and Congrats!!
  • 13 years ago
    You have all of that gorgeous space above the cabinets and I'm jealous! My MIL has this space and it has her birdhouses on it. My cousin's has her whimsical items on it. My aunt's her pottery and "ugly jars". My brother has his cookie jars and corporate memorabilia from the company he works for on his. If I had this space, I have a lovely set of fruit plates that my aunts, friends, and former teachers painted all waiting. You will be surprised at how much a few colorful accessories will add to your space!
  • 13 years ago
    I would stay neutral with the backsplash since you have to live with it for a long time. That way you can easily change your accent color(s). I think a white subway or a mini mosaic that includes predominately white would tie in with the appliances & a fresh pure white does nicely against the light cabinets.. Paint the walls around the window a deep color to set off your blue & white pieces, perhaps a teal color. Contrasting usually works better than matching. If that doesn't work with adjoining areas or you would rather keep it light use a sunshine yellow as your paint for wall. Yellow & blue play well together. Good luck.
  • 13 years ago
    i agree with nanainatl. white subway will keep it bright and neutral. how bout pale grey walls. it would be light airy and beachy.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Your kitchen is a blank slate, so you really have many possibilities! If you want to feature your fiesta ware and display it, I would choose a color from that and use it as an accent in either the walls or backsplash, but choose one as the focal point, don't overdo it.

    Attached is an image of a simple white subway tile, which would be classic and go with whatever you paint the walls and make your fiesta ware pop. There's also a white tile with a mother of pearl sheen, which will bounce a little more light. But it seems you are kind of bored with white, so you could try a bright colored tile such as this lime subway. You could also pull colors from the fiesta ware to use as accent tiles in an otherwise white backsplash. The white tile with yellow and blue accents below is an example I created in our mosaic designer. If you chose something like this you could paint the walls yellow or cobalt and the cabinets a brighter white.

    You have many options! If you need help narrowing down the style you're going for or matching colors you can contact one of our designers, or play with our mosaic designer and custom make your own backsplash!
    http://www.susanjablon.com/designer/mosaic-designer.html
  • 13 years ago
    I like it! and congrats to ya!..First off the cabinets look great so lets go with color.I'm think green or coca to match those cream cabinets along with a glass backslash.
  • 13 years ago
    Rustic oranges and earth tones would be awesome against those cabinets. A little color goes a long way, so maybe go bold on an accent wall or the eating area and lesser in the main area and adjacent rooms. Keep the bold color as accent pieces in other rooms to tie it all together. Shop for an area rug with your favorite color theme and use that as a starting point for color choices.
  • 13 years ago
    Wjmars, you did a very nice job in your kitchen. I am sure you are enjoying it.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    I'd would say a nice sink and faucet would be a nice idea! http://www.poshhaus.com/
  • 13 years ago
    Thanks to ALL of you for your great comments!!!! Obviously, I have not been back on my computer in awhile. :) I did paint the walls a light gray (Benjamin Moore "Thunder") and it looks sooo much better. And I took down those HORRID vertical blinds and just have a lace valance up right now. I'm liking the idea of subway tiles for a backsplash now. Thank you Susan Jablon for that mosaic designer link...I will definitely play with that.
  • 13 years ago
    Thanks, sanjordan, for the update!
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Since you like blues and greens, have you considered purchasing an area rug for under your kitchen table?

    http://deciture.com/shop/rugs/7/cheshire-rug/ (comes in navy and gray)

    http://www.deciture.com/shop/rugs/7/feather-area-rug/ (a little more contemporary)
    http://www.deciture.com/shop/rugs/9/blue-mosaic-tufted-wool-rug/ (more beach-colored)
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