My kitchen needs some updating. We have been putting this off for a long time b/c we thought we might totally gut it and start from scratch w/new cabs, appliances, etc, but we just can't afford to do it and we're not sure we'll stay in the house long enough to enjoy a major reno.

So here is what I'm planning. I will try to divide this up with the pictures and descriptions to make it easier to understand so bear with me as I will probably have 5-6 pics w/posts. I'm planning to paint the kitchen BM Stem Green (sample on wall in pics) and the beadboard, which is only primed in these pics will be BM White Chocolate. We will be adding beadboard to the peninsula as well as the tiny wall space where it is missing, just to the right of the peninsula (in b/w the doorway and peninsula).

Eventually, we will be getting new countertops in either quartz or granite (hopefully soon). I'm looking for suggestions on a color that will go with the cabs and floor. We will also add a tile backsplash. I want to add hardware to the cabs, but not sure what finish to go with these cabinets. We will also be adding crown moulding to the top of the cabinets to give them a more finished look. Both light fixtures need to be replaced - the boxed flourescent light as well as the ceiling fan over the kitchen table. I'm not really sure what type of lighting to do to replace the boxed light? I also thought we might do some pendants over the peninsula but need some suggestions there.

We will be getting rid of that bakers' rack and my plan is that have the wall behind it removed (back to where that small closet to the left is) and have something built in by a carpenter that will serve as a desk/computer/kids' school stuff/art supplies, etc. It's a decent size closet but totally disorganized. Whether to remove the wall will be determined on design suggestions as well as whether there is anything in the wall (load bearing, etc).

I want to replace the rug under the table and love this rug from Pottery Barn. Originally I was drawn to the green one, but decided that maybe I should go with the beige one as it's more neutral and there won't be so much *green* in the kitchen with that and the walls. I’m open to other ideas for rugs – I just want something that can withstand spills and stains which is what drew me to the Pottery Barn rug – polypropylene material as well as a nice pattern.

Can someone do a mockup with the Stem Green paint color on the walls, the White Chocolate on the beadboard and maybe insert a rug under the table (Pottery Barn one if possible)?

Oops, here is the Pottery Barn rug. I will try to get a better picture of it but have to run to get my son from preschool.

I also should add that I will be making some modifications to the family room as well to coordinate with the kitchen reno (adding window treatments, new pillows and painting the walls a new color among other things).

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Forgot to mention that there used to be a border on the walls which is why the paint looks funny at the top.

Also, what should I do about painting the wall with the window where the stairs are? I'm confused about that wall b/c it goes all the way upstairs - I don't want to paint the upstairs hallway the same green. I'll try to take some pictures of that later to see how to solve that dilemma!

Meralla - your kitchen looks great! You do not need to gut and do a total renovation.

Once you paint your walls, put some hardware on your cabinets and add your backsplash your kitchen would look even more beautiful!

I would put a rug in front of the sink and two bar stools in front of your counter.

Far as the two rugs that you posted, I like the green one.

Let me know if you can view the mock ups. I am lazy and didn't feel like making these neat looking so sorry they are messy.

Your mock ups

p.s. I forgot to mention I love the color green in the room off of the kitchen I wouldn't repaint it I think it's really pretty.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: beantown2008,

quote:

Originally posted by RondaNJ:
Meralla - your kitchen looks great! You do not need to gut and do a total renovation.

Once you paint your walls, put some hardware on your cabinets and add your backsplash your kitchen would look even more beautiful!

I would put a rug in front of the sink and two bar stools in front of your counter.

Far as the two rugs that you posted, I like the green one.

Ronda, thanks for the comments! The reason we were thinking of gutting is b/c we wanted to make the space more functional. It does work well now, but there are things I wanted to change. We have a large pantry behind the bifold doors. I hate having those doors so we would have gotten rid of the doors, opened that space up and had more cabinets (floor to ceiling kind) to use for a pantry instead. We can't open up the freezer door all the way and have to pull the bifold door out of the track which is a PITA. We also considered taking out the peninsula, doing an island that had two heights. We do plan to add stools to the peninsula when we get new counters, but right now, the counter overhang is not deep enough so you can't put stools there and sit comfortably.

Funny thing - I used to have a rug in front of the sink but it was always full of dirt, crumbs, etc and a pain to clean all the time - much easier to just sweep, vacuum the floor with no obstructions! However, if I find another that looks good with the colors, I'll try again. It actually was there to protect the wood floor from water spillage, so I should have one there.

Any thoughts on what color/finish hardware I should use with those cabinets?

Thanks again for your comments!

quote:

Originally posted by beantown2008:
Let me know if you can view the mock ups. I am lazy and didn't feel like making these neat looking so sorry they are messy.

Your mock ups

p.s. I forgot to mention I love the color green in the room off of the kitchen I wouldn't repaint it I think it's really pretty.

Beantown, thanks for the mockups! It really helps to see the colors actually on the wall. I don't think I like the white chocolate though. It seems to clash with the white appliances. What do you think? All of my trim right now is a true white anyway - perhaps I should go with that color?

As for the green in the other room, do you mean the dark green room? I like the green too (BM Great Barrington Green) but I'm getting a little tired of it. I'm planning to paint that a creamy vanilla eventually, but for now, it will stay. However, the room I actually was talking about when I said "family room" is the one with the couch and red chair - that room has kind of khaki color walls. I liked it originally but now I don't like the way it just kind of blends in - I want something a little brighter.

Thanks for the mock ups. It really is helpful! I also like how the green rug looks with it. I was hoping not to have to spend that much so maybe someone will have some other suggestions for me that aren't Pottery Barn prices!

~Merella

Here are the mockups from beantown.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

quote:

Originally posted by merella:
We will be getting rid of that bakers' rack and my plan is that have the wall behind it removed (back to where that small closet to the left is) and have something built in by a carpenter that will serve as a desk/computer/kids' school stuff/art supplies, etc. It's a decent size closet but totally disorganized. Whether to remove the wall will be determined on design suggestions as well as whether there is anything in the wall (load bearing, etc).

Don't get discouraged if the wall is load bearing, sometimes adding headers and maybe a column or two takes care of that problem. (Get professional recommendations.) Same goes for electrical wiring.

But, if there are too many obstacles to removing the wall, can you consider taking the doors off of the pantry closet and putting your frig there and adding pantry to where the frig was. That would get your freezer side open and also have some space left for other storage.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tammy in VA,

quote:

Originally posted by Tammy in VA:

quote:

Originally posted by merella:
We will be getting rid of that bakers' rack and my plan is that have the wall behind it removed (back to where that small closet to the left is) and have something built in by a carpenter that will serve as a desk/computer/kids' school stuff/art supplies, etc. It's a decent size closet but totally disorganized. Whether to remove the wall will be determined on design suggestions as well as whether there is anything in the wall (load bearing, etc).

Don't get discouraged if the wall is load bearing, sometimes adding headers and maybe a column or two takes care of that problem. (Get professional recommendations.) Same goes for electrical wiring.

But, if there are too many obstacles to removing the wall, can you consider taking the doors off of the pantry closet and putting your frig there and adding pantry to where the frig was. That would get your freezer side open and also have some space left for other storage.

Tammy, that's an interesting suggestion about moving the fridge into that space! It's a pretty big pantry though, so even replacing the current fridge space with cabinetry, I'd still have room in that closet for more cabinets. I think I'm going to have to explore that some more. I really just detest those doors - I'm constantly going in and out of the pantry all day (as are my kids) and it's just a PITA to keep opening and closing those doors. It would be much easier to have a cabinet-style pantry. My neighbors just did that in their renovated kitchen and I love it.

So, hmmmmm. I'm going to have to research that. As long as it wouldn't be too costly, dh might actually consider it! Thanks again for that suggestion!

Now, does anyone have any thoughts on countertop color and hardware color/finish that will go well with my cabinets?

Don't like the proposed green wall color. Sorry.

quote:

Originally posted by merella:
Tammy, that's an interesting suggestion about moving the fridge into that space! It's a pretty big pantry though, so even replacing the current fridge space with cabinetry, I'd still have room in that closet for more cabinets. I think I'm going to have to explore that some more.So, hmmmmm. I'm going to have to research that. As long as it wouldn't be too costly, dh might actually consider it! Thanks again for that suggestion!

Let us know what you end up doing. I'm pretty sure what I suggested would be less costly than the more involved choice. Tearing out the wall back to the closet would surely require replacing and matching a lot of flooring.

FWIW, I agree with Jerry's thoughts on the green wall color. Not sure what he would suggest, but I like your original color better. Maybe using the green as a accent here and there if you love that color. Not sure why, but I feel like the green overpowers everything else rather than complement it.

Jmo, but if I were planning to replace the countertops I would pick them out first...then pick the paint. It's easier to find paint to go w/ the countertop than a countertop to go w/ the paint...at least it is for me...just seems more logical because it's not that big a deal to change out paint but...if you get expensive countertops to coordinate with a certain paint colour then...what happens when you are tired of this colour?

Now...having said all that...I have deep red tile countertops in my kitchen that were installed 20 odd years ago. I loved them then & I love them now...and was fully aware it would be years, if ever, before we could afford to change them to something else. So, that part of me says if you want to paint your kitchen green, go for it with no reservations! Do I wish I had gotten neutral countertops so I could paint any colour I felt like...not on your life! So there you have it...

But the items that go into the room that will be there for a while...that are not so easily switched out...I would put a lot of time into thinking through what you really want in there and would not choose these based upon a colour of paint.

I do like that "green view" I see out of the window & I like the green rug. I don't personally care for that particular green on the walls but then...you might not care for my red countertops...it's all dependent upon what YOU like & what makes YOU happy.

I notice you say you are tired of one of the paint colours and the other one you liked originally but don't like now...I would ask what led you to those colours originally & what makes you dislike them now? Are you sure it is the colours that are bothering you or could it be other elements in the room? Maybe it is as simple as you are a person who likes to change things around often...nothing wrong with that!

Didn't mean to go on so long but I'm always interested in why ppl like the colours and designs that they do...and why they are drawn to them.

(Lawdy, I ramble late at night, somebody stop me!)

I love the veiws you have. I did a quick mu with a color I had on file SW Hearts of Palm. I think green is a good choice to frame all that natural green you have going on in the outdoor views. Maybe a more natural green would work.

Perky (or anyone who can do mockups), if you have some time, would you mind doing a mockup using that same picture in your post, with BM Woodland Hills Green and Duron Peapod (4693M)? I think the Stem Green color might just be a little too yellow (neonish). In person, it doesn't quite look that way on my walls, but I'm afraid it might be once it's on all the walls.

A friend of mine who has a great eye for color suggested the Duron Peapod after seeing the look I was going for, but it seemed a little too brown on the sample. Maybe she was right though. I was going to have BM color match it if I chose that color.

Below is the inspiration for choosing a bright green. This room is Woodland Hills Green - I forgot to bring the name with me when I went to Ben Moore and couldn't remember it, so I ended up with Stem Green, which was one of the spring colors from the Pottery Barn catalog. But I'm thinking I might agree with the few comments here about not liking it.

Here is another view of that room.

quote:

Originally posted by PeriParker:
Jmo, but if I were planning to replace the countertops I would pick them out first...then pick the paint. It's easier to find paint to go w/ the countertop than a countertop to go w/ the paint...at least it is for me...just seems more logical because it's not that big a deal to change out paint but...if you get expensive countertops to coordinate with a certain paint colour then...what happens when you are tired of this colour?

I notice you say you are tired of one of the paint colours and the other one you liked originally but don't like now...I would ask what led you to those colours originally & what makes you dislike them now?

Peri, I can't