Yes

Too much white

Just a word of warning: Any color you paint the beadboard is going to make the cabinet to the left of it stand out and I'm not sure that will look good. I really like the stools, but I also think that they are a missed opportunity for some color and some patina, if you are going for more of the cottage look. I like the photos Liza Jane Interiors posted, and I agree with her and with others: paint the walls a color as well as the ceiling (darker on the walls, a bit lighter on the ceiling - same color). You need contrast even more than you need color.

Add contrast in your backsplash and articles in the soffit over the cabinets.

Whoops, caught me before the second cup of Joe... no open soffit, so put drama/color in your lighting..

Sorry about the lack of extra pix... here's the b-fst nook -- it is holding the fridge and microwave right now (until the plumber and electrician finish up). I only have pictures of the breakfast table in my before photos, but the original U shape of the kitchen was much deeper in the before, which gave less room in the breakfast nook. The new design makes the U more cozy (54" deep at the deepest point, 48" at the fridge), but still large enough for 2.

Note - the gap above the cabinets is there for the crown molding

And...the ideabook shows the table http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/12262627/thumbs/Mysliwiec-Kitchen-Remodel---July-2013

Hijacking the thread for a second, Rosemary, where are you? I am in Orleans, grew up in Harwich.

Judyg, have friends in Harwich, no sorry, they moved to Chatham. Currently, residing in Wareham at White Island Pond. Lynne, it's looking great. I'd like to see a bold geometric print drapery at the window in a soft color. What is Quiet Moments color, is it a gray or a green, hard to tell on site; I might have to hijack it for my own kitchen.

Hi Rosemary - Benjamin Moore describes Quiet Moments very lyrically "Tranquility seems to ooze from this light, blue-gray that inspires moments of quiet meditation. This soothing shade creates a look of elegance and simplicity." It is equal parts grey and aqua, so in some lights it appears grey, some blue, and some green.

In my next life, I want to be a color-namer.

I wonder if they write for Hallmark too, guess that color won't work for me.

If you are going for a cottage look white is probably right. I think some rustic wood stools would be nice. I would do oil rubbed bronze handles on the cabinets, some lighting with oil rubbed bronze as well. White subway tile with a grey grout would be nice. If you keep the it mainly neutral you can change your accessories if you want to change your colours. I would pick stainless appliances. I would wait before painting the beadboard on the island. Have you thought about using the beadboard for your backsplash as well? It would look good painted a soft blue green for a backsplash, then if you got sick of the color you could just repaint instead of retiling.

I would definitely paint the beadboard--but as others have suggested--wait until other elements are in place.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I have not yet done anything about the bead board...waiting for everything to be in place, first... Wanted to update the thread with the newly installed back splash. Note that the final upper cupboard was placed and the half-wall constructed (there is a photo before back splash, wall, and cupboard). The subway tile does not wrap onto the half wall -- it ends at the corner. The half-wall will be painted quiet moments on all sides.

Looking great Lynne

Updated photos -- still a list of items for the contractor to complete before I can bring everything in and make the final decision about painting under the peninsula.

Can't wait to see final photos, you've done a great job.

No I would leave it. Do a color in back splash.

Lol travisinteriors...am afraid that the white subway tile back splash is already installed, but is very difficult to detect in the attached photos.

I would paint it a dark grape-ish navy in matte, I think it would stand out more and showcase the steel stools. They become lost in the white. I love the inspiration in your idea book. The room is looking great.

Looks great! Love the floor, and the cat on the counter! I live in Sandwich, love the cape.

My mom already gave me crap for not shooing the cat off the counter. :-)
The floor tile is Artistic Tile 12 x 24 "Ironworks Gold." They also have a copper finish and a patinaed steel finish & it's porcelain and tough as nails. Comes in 24x24 and 24x48, too, if you can believe it.

I LOVE your kitchen! Congrats on a great design job. And I love the wall color.

I agree, wait until it is completed. As for the beadboard, I think it matters what you are doing in your nook. Are you keeping the same table and chairs? Fabrics? Or, do you have some design ideas for that? The nook is right next to the bar and stools, so the colors in the table/fabrics/curtains should go with the white and that lovely paint color.

I'd consider fabrics that have a light pastel blue/green similar to the paint, and some yellow & light greens thrown in. If you are handy and can sew (or know someone who can), go to a fabric store and pick some prints (plaids or damask) and stripes that complement each other. I'd also make seat covers out of the fabric for the metal stools, with some light padding. You can mix & match several prints, stripes and solids in pastel beachy tones.

Ultimately, I think I might paint the beadboard a shade darker than the Quiet Moments, something in the same color family, but a shade darker. The comment above about "kicking" the facing when sitting on the stools makes me say this. I'd also consider (to make it appear more cottagey or beachy) distressing it a bit. You don't have to have distressed finishes in a beach environment, but nothing in the room has this look, and it might provide a different "vibe".

The other colors on the quiet moments color strip are (darkest to lightest)

1568 Quarry Rock (see fireplace surround color) [houzz=]

1567 Night Train (dining room walls) [houzz=]

1566 Stonybrook (the color of the bedroom walls) [houzz=]

All three are deeper grey-blue colors with (I believe) a hint of green

I like the Living on the Lake. If you have any of the Quiet Moments, you could also do a mix and make it lighter.

Sorry that I didn't answer the other questions. The table is going to remain maple, although I may change out the fabric/reupholster the chairs to get rid of brown/multicolor geometric print. I like the idea of cushions for the stools - haven't tried to figure out how to do them. I called the manufacturers of my table & they told me the secret of reupholstering the chairs -- they rock. I've seen some fabric in the Robert Allen clearance site that's at a steep discount, but haven't pulled the trigger, yet. I've been shopping all over for drapery fabric -- I already have ivory drapes for that room, but they need dry cleaning (which costs an arm and a leg, for some unknown reason!).

I think you should paint it. What's the worse that can happen, you repaint it back to white? I'd suggest either a darker shade of your wall color or a totally different complimenting color. Buttery Yellow??

I vote to paint it the wall color, or one shade darker. It is not a focal point, like an island would be, and an accent color there would be too random.

Based on the before and after pictures in your nook area, I would probably not go with full drapes. The feeling in the room before the remodel was more formal in tone. It currently has a more New England Cottage feel and I think full length drapes with the stools, table and chair will make the area more crowded looking. Just my opinion.

Based on what I can see outside the windows, doesn't appear privacy is an issue. Which direction does the bay window face? If sun is not an issue, I'd recommend doing half window cafe style curtains on the bottom that end at the bottom sill. The rod should be placed at the half way point in between the 4 panes top to bottom. If the window surround isn't deep enough to allow for spring rods, you can get cafe curtain rods that are expandable, but attach to the wood with small nails. That would also allow the wonderful white molding around the windows to show. I did a similar look in my kitchen window, using these cafe curtain clips from Sears:

http://www.sears.com/essential-home-1inch-round-cafe-curtain-clips-nickel/p-070W286810110001P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

Seat cushions for stools are easy. If you don't sew, ask someone who does. I've made more formal ones with trim, or ones that simply have a hem around the outside round, with elastic or fabric ties molding them to fit under the seat. You'd have padding cut to fit the round shape inside.

The stools spin so any cushion cannot get in the way of that -- kids big and little would lose fun. :-) I will have to figure out a way, but I am a pretty good seamstress.

The windows face west and the woods around the house create a lot of privacy on 3 sides of the house. I had not considered cafe curtains. They seem more Michigan cottage (I am originally from Michigan) than Nantucket. In google searches I see a lot of roman shades, naked windows, and valances, but no cafe curtains on Nantucket...maybe because everyone needs to see the water, unimpeded.

LOL, well I'm in Michigan, so go figure! And I lived in Massachusetts for 6 years long ago, but never paid attention to the window curtains :)

I honestly meant that I LOVE the cat on the counter, that's what cats do. I would defiantly paint the breadboard, but would wait until your finished with the room, give it time, it will come to ou.

Well, Lynne Mysliwiec and motownmom, I am in Michigan, too lol. I agree with motownmom that it depends on what the curtains are meant to do: provide privacy, provide sun screen, provide decorative appeal? If you only need them drawn at certain times of day and can have the windows completely open other than that, I would consider bamboo/woven shades of some kind. If you need more coverage, you could check out top down/bottom up types (although you see the strings, which I think is kind of distracting).



If you still like the softness and print possibility for draperies, just do dummy panels on each side with the blinds, kind of like this.

I have a West Elm silver rod right now have been searching for grommet top drapes, but there really isn't anything out there that I like at the moment. There's no rush, I guess, since there's lots of privacy to be had in the woods, but done is Good. :D

Once you reupholster the dining room chairs, the drapery will fall into place.

use colour change leds to light it then you can change the colour to sit your mood

Lynne, I think a pattern similar to the last photo I posted (Living-Dining Room Reno) would go well with the look you are going for. A suzani, trellis or other "soft" geometric would work well. For a simpler, more farmhouse look you could go with a buffalo plaid, too. If you want to bring an accent color into the room, you could edge your draperies with an accent color and upholster your chair seats in the same color.

A neutral approach: http://www.ballarddesigns.com/firenze-embroidered-panel/panels-draperies/window-treatments/13960?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=20

Black and white checked cafe curtains for the Michigan girls lol!
http://www.ballarddesigns.com/cafe-panel/panels-draperies/window-treatments/13875?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=23

http://www.countrycurtains.com/product/01015p166+buffalo+check+rod+pocket+curtains.do?sortby=ourPicks

These are subtle:
http://www.countrycurtains.com/product/010850860+sheer+check+grommet-top+curtains.do?sortby=ourPicks

The always affordable Ikea:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80173916/

Here is another idea: if you made your draperies, or found a solid pair, you could add a patterned section to the bottom for added interest. This could even be the plaid or suzani or whatever, which would be a more subtle use of pattern yet. Think maybe a medium gray solid with a gray-on-white pattern at the bottom.

This is changing the subject,but, what is a good WHITE to use for an all over house color, using accents of soft blue/green cushions, white wicker and white woodwork that is linen white? I like the look of the white walls in the above picture. Thanks.

Also, when painting walls white, what finish?

@thinkwhite - the finish depends on the amount of wear the paint is expected to experience. Trim and doors get a lot of wear, so Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo (latex). Bathroom walls - eggshell or semigloss. Kitchen walls -- I lived with flat/matte, but it was relatively hard to clean, so the new paint is eggshell. Living room and all other rooms, flat/matte.

Wanted to post an update. Coming very close -- the contractor still has some tiny details left and I need some curtains. The question remains open - to paint the bead board or not. Now it's also -- do I recover the chairs to match the walls better? :-)

Definitely recover the chairs to something lighter and brighter to go with your new lighter and brighter kitchen! You might find a "soft" color in the fabric to paint the beadboard. It's looking great Lynne.

Have been looking at the fabrics in the Robert Allen Outlet online. Not a lot of options. May have to go to my local design store with my paint chips and some pix.

Here are some final pix ... I chose not to paint the bead board, but I DID have the chairs recovered.

Congratulations it is Beautiful! The chairs look so nice with the new fabric!

I don't think you should do it until everything is in either. Is there going to be an edge with a countertop or is that the countertop right now? If there isn't a change, keep it as it is... If there's an edge the natural shade will do the trick..

I like what you have so far :)

Never mind! I love it I didn't see the final product... Looks great

What kind of countertop is it? I really like it :)

It is Mont Blanc Silestone (quartz composite). It reads as white but has tiny specks of other colors. It is tough stuff and easy to care for.