chocolate kitchen

My cousin John bought the house I grew up in. For the past few years it’s been kinda weird. Mostly due to the fact that he hasn’t updated a thing. I mean the moment I walk into that house it’s as if I just hoped off the school bus and came home for an early lunch. Bringing back those memories is nice… but not always. It’s time for him to make the house his own and he’s sparing no expense doing just that. So this remodeling issue takes us to the kitchen. He kept the same layout but updated all the cabinets, floors, countertops, backsplash and appliances. So now there’s this neutral tone that’s everywhere. Except the room adjacent to it still has the 80’s teal rug and that won’t be replaced for some time. So keeping a neutral was a must. He likes bold, vivid colors but the more color we added the distracting it became. So we went dark. The other issue was that with the wrong color, the cabinets take on a very obvious pink hue. So bringing the coffee (tan) under the soffits really help, again, to neutralize it. I can’t wait to see this finished.

beige or blue?

The question is just how will I know unless i apply 8 different coats of paint until I’m finally satisfied with the outcome? Well to help friends and family along the way with that very question, over the years I’ve been taking snapshots of their living spaces and applying color before ever having to step foot in a hardware store. In this case, my sister and her husband recently bought a new home. They love the space but are having a hard time deciding which colors work best. After hanging out by her fireplace, gingerly sipping my glass of Cabernet and moving a few pieces of new furniture around, I came to the conclusion that having heavy furniture against that wall just doesn’t accommodate the space best. Sitting adjacent to the kitchen, and being the very first wall you see coming up the stairs into their living space, I felt a bold splash of color and an artistic showcase of their family photography could be a good start at a conversation piece. This was nothing more than an experiment in color. Personally I like the Aqua and Chocolate. But then, they are really big right now. Click image to enlarge.