With the wedding over it’s time for me to get started on making things happen around the house. The first space that I want to tackle is the kitchen, as it is one of the spaces that changes our life so drastically from our tiny kitchen in New York. Although by no means is our new kitchen a large space, it’s plenty enough to get started on for now.
As there is not much space to work with, most of the changes I make will be cosmetic only, with some more drastic changes down the line in 2016. For now we need to take this multicolor dated kitchen into the 21st century and brighten it up to give the illusion of more space.
{take a look at the before, below}
{our kitchen, from the zillow ad}
I knew that I wanted a white kitchen. I know it’s a trend these days, but in such a small space, white walls and cabinets will seem to go on forever, which is the illusion I need. The diagonal tile floors also need to go, as well as the snoozefest cabinet hardware which has no personality. Basically the only surfaces that will stay are the black granite countertops: not my favorite, but not worth changing until maybe phase 2.
As for flooring options, I was torn between a very pale grey hardwood which I thought would continue to enlarge the space, or a very dark chocolate stain, almost a black, which I thought would balance out the countertops. Then there is the hardware. For me, this is somehow turning out to be a tough decision! I thought right away that I wanted brass to give some color to the space, but now I am second guessing and wondering if I should do polished nickel or a burnished bronze. Which do you prefer? See some floor/hardware combos below:
{this dark floor is so elegant!}
{dying for this brass hardware. Be still, my heart!}
Images 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6
Then there is the lighting to figure out. As you can see in my current kitchen, I have a very office-like ceiling fixture which is all function, no form. I am definitely interested in hanging a decoration pendant, either with a brass or black finish, to match the cabinet hardware which of course I need to choose.
The best part about a white kitchen, or house for that matter, is that it provides a blank slate for all sorts of decorative accessories, which is what I’m going to rely on to make my kitchen stand out. Things like abstract art and colorful rugs give an eclectic vibe, which also reflects more of my travels and interests.
Follow all of my kitchen inspiration in my pinterest board here
