I'd love to pull out that bank of glass door cupboards and possibly the counter and cabinets underneath, for more flow into the living area, and replace them with a big island with storage and stools. This is just not my thing. I want a professional to come do it all, but that's not going to happen, so I'm relying on you all. Make it pretty, please.
And what about this living room? It faces east and south. What's a good color in that sort of lighting? I'm thinking something neutral but warmish, and NOT yellow-to-gold. There's enough of that in the church building. Window coverings? Do we paint all the trim white (what a job)? Or leave it? This area will have the dark flooring, too, and we will need a way to break up the crazy visual length of the house. Area rug?
So there you have it. Please submit your ideas in the comments. Lots of them, please. If I use your idea, I'll take you to Caribou and buy you a coffee. :)
How fun! When we moved into our parsonage we totally redid it with new paint and light fixtures. Tans are such a warm and inviting color and you can then accent with another color. I always paint the trim the same color as the walls as I personally don't like trim standing out. Definitely paint the wall above the kitchen cupboards a different color, a color you love! Look into wooden roman shades for window coverings, very beautiful and allows you to control how much light comes in. So excited for you as you make this house a home! Have fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Amy-Marie, thanks for dropping by (again?) It's been so long since I blogged regularly that I have forgotten lots of blogger friends. And I am going to have to relearn how to use a blog feed so I can keep track of you. I, too, like a neutral color throughout. Because in the ministry, you need walls that go with everything. :) Thanks for the suggestion to do Roman shades. Somewhere I saw instructions for using hardware from horizontal mini-blinds to make Roman shades, I think from fabric. Hmm. I need to look that up again... Looks like you had a good building crew in January. Can we borrow them? God bless you in his work!
DeleteWhen I painted my dining room I googled what paint color looked good with wood - really I did. I ended up painting the walls with "Olive Twist" - which I thought a hilarious name. I wasn't too sure about green because it had never been my favorite color - but the results were really elegant - and it melts into the background well.
ReplyDeleteThat's my only helpful suggestion. BUT I am going to ask a friend @ http://www.asouthernbellewithnorthernroots.com/ to hop over and look. She is marvelously creative and would have ideas :)
Thanks, Brownie :) I can use all the help I can get, until it gets overwhelming! I like green but have been asked to have NO green. And another one said please, NO blue. What's a green and blue lover to do?? Looks like we'll be going with "greige" and adding color with furniture, hopefully. And yes, Googling paint colors is a great idea. I found a really helpful post on the best neutrals, what light they look good in, and what color floors work. :)
Deleteso....first you have to state what you like. Color is so unique to an individual. Soft blue like Duck egg and soft greens (real soft but not pastel) are lovely accent colors that do not take away from the nuetral palette. The living room would do well with one of those on the wall to the left that looks shaded. This way you can paint white/off white/gray and still have a pop of any color with accent pieces, curtains, pillows etc, For the kitchen since you will open up the flow I would stay with a very similar palette. I would remove those top cupborads- good idea. For a simple and fun island idea how about a great old dresser for your island/storage where the bottom cupboards are?
ReplyDeleteChalk paint is fantastic, I use it all the time. I will say, and some will agree, there is a difference in quality!! I sincerely believe Annie Sloan is by far the best, yes it is expensive. But ....it is an amazing product. You will have to seal it, wax is standard but not tough enough for heavy use. I recommend her acrylic seal or a good polyacrylic ( poly acrylic vs poly urethane- poly acrylic is water soluable, and doesn't yellow). On occasion poly can cause a slight crinkle in some of the lighter colors, if that option bothers you,you may want to go with Annie's brand. ( I only say this because I have had some small crackle with Old Ochre and poly acrylic- but I kind of like the look).
advice....if you have Pinterest (if you don't sign up) go and pin several rooms you like. Step back and look at what they have in common. Is there a color that sticks out? Do they all have painted trim? Are they rustic? contemporary? or a mix? That is how you find your style and what you like, that is what you go with! Good luck!!
Hi Shannon, sorry for the delay--I don't know why I'm not getting comment notifications. Thank you for your tips. I do like your idea of painting the east wall a non-whitish color. As for the chalk paint, have you ever mixed your own using calcium carbonate with latex paint, 1:2? I read great reviews on this method. And I'm glad to know about the poly-acrylic, knowing already that I don't want to be bothered with waxing. You gave me some good things to think about. Thank you!
DeleteHaha, I thought you had 4 designers giving their input. Anna & I got the grand tour Sunday night -- that will be a great space for you all. The biggest thing that should be done first is YES, rip out that peninsula and the cupboards above right away, do it! NOW! haha. Else once the flooring goes in, it will NEVER get done. I love kitchen islands -- peninsulas just don't work when you have several cooks working at once. Laminate flooring is hot right now and I'm sure there must be something that isn't so shiny. Just make sure it's not from China (toxic). Painted cupboards are also in, and looks so lovely in magazines, but just remember, paint wears by the knobs & dings and doesn't look like the magazines very long (I know from experience in our first house). Sealing it good (another step) is a must. Annie Sloan is the best chalk paint, but costs about $38/quart. Everything else is a matter of taste. Using warm and woodsy colors always help warm up a cold MN evening.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about painting the cupboards, Jane. Mine would never turn out like they do in a magazine. Might try the chalk paint in the laundry room, though, just for the fun of it.
DeleteAs for the island, until you said that, I was almost content to just leave the kitchen peninsula alone. The upper cabinet is all oak because of the glass doors. It's a trick to make people think all of them have oak shelves. :) Not. I spend a long while using my hair dryer on the old contact paper-covered particle-board. We have a guy coming to look at the floor at the end of June, so I have time to look for something cheap that could double as an island. Thanks for the tip on the Chinese floor. :)