Classic with a Twist: Kitchens

Showing posts with label Kitchens. Show all posts

Wash away your Milkwash Cabinets!

Rule #1

Never mix a white cat with wet brown stain...

uh oh, a permanent new streak on top of her head!

At least her beautiful green eyes draw the most attention!

Rule #2

If you have pickled woodwork in your house,

listen to me!

Here's a bad Iphone picture of my client's family room before:

and after:

For a fraction of the cost of new moldings and paneling,

a new look is on the way!

Isn't is beautiful??

Here's the process:

(with a few skipped steps!)

1. Pickled wood is painted this creamy color

2. Glaze applied magically

Yes, my friends... paint and glaze- not stain...

no sanding, no stripping

The photo below shows the inside of the pickled drawer on the island

and the beginning of the end- we then added some dark glaze for shadowing effect

Love how the glaze is applied heavier on the details of the moldings

Family room woodwork as well as crown and base moldings are being darkened

while the kitchen gets a fresh coat of tea stained blue!

The color?

None other than the sister of my Sherwin William's Oyster Bay...

Comfort Gray

*just a bit lighter*

Testing the technique right on the wall- do not try this at home!

We were deciding whether to add the umber glaze or not,

and we decided a light coat was in order...

working the way up:)

So there is a fix to disguising your milkwash cabinets...

especially those of you who have the Plano Pink variety!

Call me and we'll get rid of it forever, since I

don't think they will be coming back!

Until next time,

Sunday, March 27, 2011 Comments: 3

What's in the Pantry?

Dare I say I have Cabin Fever?

Being iced inside my house for three days... going on four...

has almost forced me to do the dreaded...

Pantry Cleanout!

Since the kids are home from school tomorrow, I might as well get a few things

done around here... starting with FOOD- getting rid of it.

While I'm ~~stuck~~ in the pantry, I will do what I do best... dream of ways to improve it!

Let's start with the best of the best-

Wine storage... yes!

An unexpected finish on the pantry door is always a treat for the eyes!

Paint it an accent color or use chalkboard paint-

Add shelving near the bottom for the appliances you seldom use

Sleeping with the enemy... need I say more?

Now head inside with the paintbrush! Love the yellow-

Stop by The Container Store and invest in some pull out baskets

on glides to easily reach your staples

I love some of the concealed storage in the drawers...

it looks more like a clothes closet rather than a pantry

Sliding pocket doors save space and the counter provides a work area as well

Don't forget to add an updated light fixture... fun!

How about granite countertops in your pantry? Oooh la la

When a walkin pantry is not an option, double doors allow easy access, shallow

shelves and vertical storage on the inside of the doors-

And a bonus for small spaces... pull out shelving for canned goods and small appliances

Maybe you will join me on the LAST...

Until next time,

Images via* Country Living, Cooking Light, Wellborn Cabinets, Gast Architects, Aurdecordesign,

Thursday, February 3, 2011 Comments: 2

I know this is a small pic, but it is massive in style!

My daughter who live in Austin is looking for bedroom furniture

(which is totally hilarious since she has not one design bone in her body).

I offered to send her some photos of options, but she was up for the

challenge and went shopping a few weekends ago.

The first dresser she emailed had some sort of tree bark feature on the the front

of the drawers... uh no. She got better as the day went on, but of course

did not pull the trigger and seal the deal!

(It's better that she sticks to her day job:)

So... last week I thought I'd offer her our master bedroom furniture

(which is 12 years old)

and she kindly turned me down and said it was too big for her room.

I think she was being kind... but isn't FREE the best kind?

I want the look above... or the look below brought to you by

Habersham's new collection

American Treasures... wow!

During the Dallas Spring Market, I met the local Habersham rep, Mark,

and he has been sending me eye candy ever since!

This would make a perfect bachelor's chest for me you!

Habersham is a leader in high end furniture who is known for

expert designand quality craftmanship.

The artisans hand finish every piece and sign and date it... truly making it custom for you!

The wood/mirror combo is soooo up my alley!!!

Heart flutters-

They describe the American Treasures Collection as:

Timeless style. Clean, classic lines

Who does that sound like? I LOVE IT!

While Habersham is new on the block for this more modern look, take a minute to view what they are known for... it is simply stunning!

Custom Cabinetry

It takes my breath away...

Check out the finish!

The scrollwork on the glass fronts... ahhhhh

Entryways as well-

and bathrooms, too!!!!

Another surprise is that they customize dressing areas as well...

check out the website to see them.

If you are ready to bring a little Habersham to your home, call me!

Until next time,

Traci

Images via* Google images, Habersham

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 Comments: 2

The Perfect Panels

Gentle persuasion pays off!

Back in July, I wrote about a new project for my DINK's, which you can read about here,

and we are at the half way point to completion!

When we finished the ~~living room~~ tv room a year and a half ago, I just knew

we needed window treatments to highlight the bay window.

Mrs. DINK loves her simplicity and decided against them.

Along comes a great fabric and in turn.... great draperies!

We installed on Friday, check them out!

Before

After

I will get a full view next time I am there, but how great are these!

Now we are waiting for the kitchen table and chairs to arrive- do you know how

difficult it is to find a classy wood table top with a protective finish?????

We did!

Can't wait to see the white dining table and chairs with red ~~leather~~ pleather seats!

Oh, la la!

I brought a few options for artwork in the kitchen on Friday as well.

Mrs. DINK and I love this choice...

Hope Mr. DINK does as well.

Here's a few pics of how panels can finish off your room-

Nice choice using grommets

A splash of apple green!

How fun!

I like the way they are installed right on the molding-

If you are thinking of adding window treatments before the holidays, call me asap!

Until next time,

Traci

Images via* Moi, Isabella and Max, The Lettered Cottage and Greenhouse Fabrics

Sunday, September 19, 2010 Comments: 5

The Lazy Days of Summer!

We just returned from a week at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina- what a treat!

Lots of lounging at the beach in beautiful weather, bicycle riding through lush greenery

(it is literally a mini rain forest),and making wonderful memories with extended family.

All 15 of us stayed at this gorgeous beach side house... rock star amenities!

However, I could not leave the work in Texas! What is wrong in this picture?

If you guessed this shrieking paint color... you are right!

I couldn't let it go, but I did refrain from leaving a note with new paint color suggestions

(instead I left my business card on the counter:)

The drapery panels were the obvious start for the color inspiration... but, oops...they missed!

Bad news... the house is up for sale and not likely to sell with that kitchen wall color

Good news... it's only PAINT!

We don't want our kitchen to look like our pool algae!

Let's try these instead!

Sherwin Williams Tansy Green 6424

Sherwin Williams Tupelo Tree 6417

Benjamin Moore Olive Moss 2147-20

Here are some tips from my ezine this week on how to select the perfect paint

color for your kitchen.If you are not a subscriber,

don't miss out- subscribe now!

Use your clues! In this case, I would have selected a green tone from the window treatment fabric.

Sample Boards! Instead of painting samples directly on the wall, test on at least an 8x10 sheet and move it around the room to see how the paint reacts to different lighting.

Cabinet Contrast! If your kitchen cabinets are a honey color, steer clear from a yellow that may blend in too much. Go either lighter or darker for a contrast. Be careful using a deep terra cotta with dark wood tones as well.

Are you warm or cool? What colors do you like? Warm colors such as red and yellow are stimulating and tend to increase appetites while cool colors like blue and green are relaxing and may decrease it. If you go warm and gain a few pounds, don't blame me!

Be consistent! If your family room is attached to the kitchen, choose a tone that relates to your sofa accent pillows or artwork- as long as it works with the other elements in your kitchen.

Last tip: take a look at the pic below. House Beautiful magazine has an interactive

tool on their website that allows you to try different colors in rooms without

running to the paint store! Try it!