We have been trying to renovate our kitchen on a grad student budget for the past year-and-a-half while trying to raise our rambunctious toddler. I'm ready to be DONE with the kitchen but I can't make decisions! So I need your help.
Here's a little recap of what we've done so far.
Our kitchen has gone from this:
To this:
Then to this:
And then to this:
And this:
And then my son started sleeping (mostly) through the night and I realized my kitchen was still ugly (and stuck in Scandinavia in the 90s.) So, inspired by this:
And this:
I did this:
And this:
But something still didn't feel right. I felt like the raw butcher block was clashing with the dark floor. So last Saturday I stained the beech butcher block on the island a dark walnut:
(Please excuse the mess.)
Now I'm freaking out about it. I think the stain is too dark and I'm not sure about the black and brown combo. But I don't know what to do next.
Do I:
1. Sand the island top back down to raw beech and change the paint color on the kitchen walls to tie in with the island??? (Maybe a creamy yellow???)
2. Sand the island top and stain it a lighter color; similar to the floor but not as dark???
3. Leave the island the way it is???
4. Demolish the kitchen and take out a loan to start over???
Also, do you think I should paint the upper cabinets black too?
Please help me!!! Thanks!!!
16 comments:
Ok, I can't tell what the difference is b/w the last and second to last pictures. But in any case, I think it look fabulous but I would add more black to the upper cabinets. But leave some white trim or something. Hope that helps, good luck!
Oh, sorry. I guess it is kinda tough to tell in that pic. I stained the island a walnut color (similar to the floor.) Maybe it's not as dramatic as I thought...
Whoa, Leah! I love it! I want to see it in real life.
I think it looks awesome! I'd leave it!
I don't know anything about this kind of stuff, but I like the look of your last inspiration picture with back doors with glass on the top cabinets. Maybe you should do that.
It looks amazing Leah! I like the white cabinets on the top..keeps it kinda bright and cheery:) It looks awesome, great job!
That kitchen has undergone quite the metamorphosis! I agree with the first post about painting the upper cabinets black. I think it would tie the room together well. And if you leave the walls a light color, it wouldn't be too dark/somber. Also, I think the color of the island doesn't look bad at all, but if you wanted to lighten it a bit while keeping it in the same color family as the floor, I'm sure that would look great, too. (Maybe that's already what you've done. If that's the case, disregard that last comment.) : )
I'd leave the island as is. It looks great!
And if you want to add more black to the uppers, I don't think it would look bad.
Leah... I LOVE LOVE LOVE the black on the cabinets! I think you have done a GREAT job! I wish I was so bold to do the black. I actually think I would if Nate would let me.. :-)
I love it! It looks great just the way it is. Keep the island black-looks fabulous! Start saving your money and time for something else.
Keep the island matching the floor, it's good to have all your wood matching.
However with dark wook and vlack cabinets, you might darken the room a lot. It mightbe good in person, that's your call.
If you do paint all the cabinets black, go with a bright wall color that will tie in the brown wood and the black cabinets. I loved your original blue, but yellow would look good too. Use your wall color as your accent/accessory color for things like counter topdecor, appliances (where possible) and hand towels.
Maybe a backsplash of tile around your sink area with black and the new color? I think backsplashes are always clean looking, and they are so fun to have!
Something your two inspirations have in common is a lot of light, so maybe some new lighting is in order. Recessed lighting over the butcher block, some track lighting over the sink, that kind of thing.
Go with a fun bright color. Kitchens are really the only rooms that are small enough to get away with being incredibly bright, plus it would help to lighten it up a bit.
Deffinitely keep up updated!
you are a riot! i need to come see it in person! invite me! it looks adorable the way it is. maybe a small paint job on the walls would be nice...i love the black and brown. you are too funny. but i think it looks amazing.
I'm not good at things like this--however I liked it best before staining the top of the island (sand back down to plain and not shiny)---and I LOVED the idea of putting glass doors on the top cabinets (once black maybe?!!)
I am so jelous--what a wonderful kitchen!
Leave everything just paint the other cabinets black. It looks funky when they are two colors. Then buy Audra a plane ticket to Utah and you will be all set! :-D
Wow! You are ambitious! It looks great! I think it looks great how it is. If you want more of a look like your inspiration pics then I would add some more black. How fun though. Oh yeah, Maggie Moos is on Main st. 1760 North. Come by an visit in April. That would be way fun!
Okay, Leah!
Here's my two cents. I love what you've done so far. I agree with you- painting the upper cabinets black would unify the room. And the wall color ideas are great- blue OR yellow. I would just add in some kind of accent color to tie it all together more. You could do that in your window treatments, dish towels, etc. What I think would REALLY tie it all together is kind of a kicker- I would get new countertops to match the island top!
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