Kitchen update … before and after

Way back in October 2011, I commiserated with you about trying to choose paint for our kitchen. Originally, I was leaning towards the blues and greys.

But y’all screamed, NO, don’t do it! You commented, e-mailed and called me warning me not to go so dark. In the comments Kim Fasching (I would link to her, but the link no longer works) suggested, “Pull something pinkish from the granite and cut it by half with white.”

I looked at the counter tops again.

Hmmm. Mauve? Really? I dunno. I’m not really a mauve kinda girl. 1980s color schemes screamed in my mind.

But then I thought about it some more and hauled myself back to the store for more paint samples. Gee, if that many people thought I should go pinkish then I needed to give it some serious consideration.

I finally narrowed it down to two shades of mauve and then left it up to Jack to choose the final color while I took off for Vietnam. (I’m so helpful that way.) And when I came home it was all painted and done. My sweetheart rocks!

Here’s what it looks like today.

Hell hath no fury like trying to choose paint

There’s a tiny room in the front of our house that has been the home to my mom’s former aesthetician business. She’s in her 70s and doesn’t work anymore, but the business holds a powerful meaning for her. I get that. I used to own a business, too. It’s tough letting go. However, after much emotional struggle she decided to finally sell her business once and for all.

This means that in two weeks that room will be empty and it will return to the warm and embracing fold of the house. This also means that we can repaint it. (Yay!) And replace the carpet, which is this really OLD crazy dingy commercial grade blue stuff. And since we’re going to repaint that room we can also take advantage of the opportunity and go ahead and repaint our office and kitchen, two projects we have been talking about for ages.

Jack’s standing in our office (checking out paint swatches painted all over the walls (you can see more swatches on the wall over the computer monitor behind him) and there’s our kitchen through the doorway.

It’s an interesting process trying to choose color with a fella that’s color blind.

A new color, a new me

Source: Southern Living magazine
Photography: Laura Moss, Styling: Natasha Louise King , Article: Sandra S. Soria

I get Southern Living magazine thanks to my mother-in-law, Jeanne. (Thank you, Jeanne!) In the March issue was a story on a Charleston home re-do and this dining room stopped me in my tracks. I was arrested by the wall color. It’s grey, it’s blue, it’s neutral and yet not neutral. I loved it!

I dissected the design looking for the keys to its success. I kept staring at the photo, taking in the details, the color scheme, textures, mix of woods, the contrast of ivory crown moldings.

Hmmmm.

I actually had some of this already going on in my bedroom. And coincidentally this color is an accent color in the navy rug that used to belong to my mother-in-law, but now lies at the foot of our bed. I really like that rug and knew that it was going to somehow be a launching point for whatever color scheme I chose.

This color was it!

With the magazine still clutched in my craws I excitedly said to Jack, “I’m repainting the bedroom!” I flipped the magazine over to show him the picture and motioned with Vanna White swan like hand movements the beauty and grace of this awesome color.

He didn’t even look up, “Sure. Sounds good.”

God love this dude.