White Kitchens | Dark Countertops

 

We don't always associate drama with traditional.  But we can and we should.  Especially when it comes to kitchens....

 

I was sick last week and watched a lot of HGTV.  Most of the shows I can hardly stand (and no I am NOT talking about you, Candice Olsen!  You never cease to amaze me!)  Sometimes I watch those other shows though anyway and yell out "no, no, no!" (Ask my husband, it's true!)  So this week, I was watching House Hunters and this couple toured this older home with this awesome white kitchen.  It just dragged me in like it always does.  So this blog entry is devoted to white kitchens. 

 

This kitchen isn't dressed up yet, girls.  Use your imagination.  Put a woven wood shade above that window.  Some great rattan-y barstools.  It's warming up already.  But the bones of this white kitchen are beautiful.  And timeless.

The very traditional, tried and true, way to do a white kitchen is great, simple or ornate - the whole range works - crisp or creamy white cabinets, with dark countertops...  but what about the backsplash?

 

I'm sorry.  This (below) is not boring to me!  You can't ever ever go wrong with white subway tiles!  Never!

What about the wall color?  Do we try something new or stick with what works?  

The thing I love about a white cabinetry and dark countertop kitchen is that it even looks good in a budgeted-down version.  There are some affordable white cabinets out there with simple lines.  There are some really do-able dark charcoal limestone laminates out there I must admit I do not hate!  :)  And white subway tiles can be purchased just about anywhere.  

 

Done well. And could be replicated on an entry-level budget quite easily.

(This kitchen above actually has a few higher-end features like stacked cabinets, etc.  

But the size is very modest and the basic style and the feel of the cabinets

and countertops could very easily be re-produced with 

entry-level price point materials for this look.)

I'm going to throw in a couple of images of white cabinets with light countertops.  You will see.  Quite lovely, but you lose the drama.  Not the beauty, just the initial wow.

 

Here the drama is introduced by the cabinetry in the island. 

So if you're looking for timeless on a budget or even timeless high end but want your kitchen to have a little punch when you walk in.  White cabinets, dark countertops.  You just can't go wrong!

  Afraid it'll be too boring?  Wrong!  Do something creative with the floor!

 Incorporate bat and board ceiling, a crystal chandelier, beadboard detail, butcher block countertops, stacked, paned and open glass paneled doors.  The details are endless to mix it up a bit.  Anything but boring!  There's so much to look at you almost don't notice the white stove which I would not have done! :)

 

 

Still not sure if lighter counters are better?  See for yourself. It's a toughie on this one!

Quite quite stunning.  With the warmer toned floors. 

I would put this kitchen in my house any day and burn this article on dark countertops.  :)

 

 Seeing too many photos of light backsplashes?  Curious how dark would look?

Not for you?  How about something in the grey tones?  Something textural.... ?

 

Stunning!

How do you transition your wonderful white kitchen into the rest of your home?  The office?

The dining room?

And what does my dream white kitchen look like?  Just in case you're curious.... 

 

Okay, I got my fix for now.  I live in Cle Elum, Washington. Right in the middle of the mountains.  So.... here we do wood cabinets.  Not too many white.  So, I guess sometimes I just get a hankering to see a beautiful white kitchen.  Hope you enjoyed.  I'm inspired.  I guess I'll have to move to Nantucket and find a new clientele! :)

Kristi

Dark Walls Done Well

 

One of the quickest and most cost-effective ways to change up a room is paint.  One of the most effective ways to add drama, is to paint the walls dark.  But how dark is too dark?  And how do you keep from making a room feel too dark?  These examples highlight the art of dark walls done well.

... my favorite!

pottery barn with a wow!

I can't help but think if i owned this home, I would wallpaper my bathroom or guest bedroom

with wallpaper from Brocade Home.  If you haven't seen what I'm talking about, check it out. 

Enjoy!

Window Coverings

By now every one knows my personal style is pretty timeless, erring on the side of casual instead of formal.

I like rustic, but we're not talking antlers.  Formal is not my personal cup-of-tea.  Traditional, I like.  Straight lines, yes.  Minimalistic accessorizing or ... big pieces, mirrors, pots, candles, trees, and my all-time-favorite, topiaries.  What is it with those guys?  Fresh flowers, yes.  Bigger is better.  Groupings of smaller.  Not too busy.  Tone-on-tone, love.  Texture, love.  Linen, love.  Slip covers, love.  Ruffles, love.  French Laundry, envy.  Pom Pom at Home moves me.  You get the point.

However, my background is window coverings. Sometimes I still find myself stuck in burnout mode even though I haven't sold them for years.  But I'm an expert so this entry is devoted to window coverings.  Because ... they are important!

With window coverings, I'm a pretty basic girl. I sold them every day for over 5 years straight and cringed every time I had to put up a cellular/honeycomb shade or hang a vertical.

Window coverings are functional and help with insulation, it is true. But they are also a huge design element.  One that when considered to the overall design of the home can add a lot of character.

On the other hand, when not considered, can serve to be a major distraction and design boo-boo.  Here are some of my favorites and a bit of advice.


Advice #1:  Don't be afraid to mount them outside the window frame. 

Especially when the product you are selecting has a large stack and even more so, when the shade raised creates an attractive design element.  Examples of these products would be roman shades and woven woods.

In the picture above, had the roman shades been mounted inside the window frame, you would have lost a lot of natural light with the large stack of the shades.  Mounting the shades on the wall preserved the light in the kitchen, and also took up what may have been wasted wall space anyway.

Advice #2:  Do consider stacking heights when inside mounting and preserving a view and/or amount of light.

One way to get around the stacking issue and preserve light while controlling privacy is to get the top down/bottom up feature added to your shades (see below).

Advice #3:  Keep it simple.  Try to avoid using colors you may love, but that could easily date or over-personalize your house.  Go with neutrals which coordinate with your wall color and home elements (such as wood) rather than using window coverings as an excuse to introduce a color you are using to decorate with such as greens and blues and heaven forbid, mauve.

Keep them neutral.  Paint is cheaper than blinds.

Add decorative tapes to your wood blinds for something a little out of the ordinary.

But again, resist over-personalizing.  Instead, opt for neutral colors in your tapes and select wood tones already used in your home.

If you want to introduce color, do that in your draperies or your wall color.  Draperies can oftentimes be taken down and transferred to other rooms as you decide to re-decorate your home.  Blinds usually can't.

 Window coverings are an investment and act as a strong design element.  So, keep it classy.