Decorator suggestions

[rfisher]

My new house has light oak cabinets with brass handles, brass light fixtures and light oak hardwood floors in the kitchen, living, dining room and foyer. The brass fixtures and light cabinets are part of the reason I got it for $25,000 below appraised value. I'll change out the light fixtures in a couple of year or closer to selling so they'll be updated, and probably put in new counter tops. Granite is still big here, but that too can wait.

The kitchen is currently painted a pastel green which I really don't like. The appliances are white (which is fine because they are a lot easier to keep clean than black or stainless). The eat in part of the kitchen connects with the den which is painted a grayish taupe. The gray is fine. In fact, I just painted the accent wall with the fireplace a charcoal gray.

I need paint color suggestions for the rest of the kitchen. The formal dining (opposite the eat in breakfast area/den) room is currently painted red. Not crazy about it, but I'll hold off on painting it until I can sell my current dining room furniture and replace it with something smaller.

So, any suggestions about a color to go with the light oak? They are too good to replace so I'm stuck with the finish. Comments on the net indicate the oiled bronze finish for hardware may be on it's way out.

[PrincessLeppard]

Maybe a neutral like beige? Or would that make the kitchen too light?

[GarrAarghHrumph]

I hate bronze hardware and lights. To me, it looks very dated. But if the handles and even light fixtures are otherwise all right, you could remove them all, and spray-paint the metal black or silver or etc. Of course you can also replace them, but if money or etc. is an issue, a can of spray paint can get you pretty far.

You say the kitchen connects with the den. Does that mean the two rooms are attached? If so, then if/when you repaint the kitchen, you could do in the same color as the den and that often makes the entire area look bigger. Or you could go with a slight variation on the den's color. But if the rooms connect or link, I'd want to keep the colors related to each other.

If you hate the oak look, you could always paint the cabinets. That's certainly the easiest way to transform them. You can also refinish them, although that's a big job. Rustoleum has a new product called Cabinet Transformations, but despite what they say on their website, their process is a lot of work. Minwax offers Polyshades, but you'd want to practice with that product to get your technique down before using it on your cabinets... But there are options.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

Maybe a neutral like beige? Or would that make the kitchen too light?

I think it'd have to be a strong beige, more of a very light coffee, even. Otherwise, she'll basically have beige walls, beige cabinets (the oak) and beige floors (the oak).

[rfisher]

One wall of the breakfast area is painted the same taupe as the den (hall, foyer and living room). There is another short hall off the kitchen to another bath and bedroom. The hall and br are also the same taupe. Three walls of the kitchen are painted the light green. Maybe some shade of blue? Of course, my bedroom is going to be blue, master bath blue, downstairs bath is turquoise (looks awesome) and I have navy blue furniture in the living room. At least the blue would be consistent.

I just read a forum that is predicting the return of the light oak to fashion in a couple of years. Painting them would be a major chore so I'll probably just leave them as is and start replacing the light fixtures.

[Aussie Willy]

Do you have a picture you could post?

[milanessa]

Do you have a picture you could post?

Yeah. It's hard to picture from the description.

[PrincessLeppard]

pfft. She still hasn't even posted pictures of the alleged poodles on Facebook. You think you're getting a house picture?

[milanessa]

pfft. She still hasn't even posted pictures of the alleged poodles on Facebook. You think you're getting a house picture?

You're probably right. What's she sfraid of?

[pat c]

http://www.century21.ca/mountainview...chens_for_2011

This has some ideas, and it sounds like blue is a good choice or warm greys as per the article. And it sounds like you like blue, so paint it blue.

[Skate Talker]

I have a very nice blue/grey painted on a feature wall shared by living room and dining room. At times is looks quite blue and at others definitely grey. I absolutely love it. The flooring is the original oak from 1953, so it is perhaps a bit more golden than yours.

Check out this link http://www.styleathome.com/decoratin...r-2011/a/33804

#6 in their list says brass is making a big comeback so maybe if you hang on and see more of it about you will start to like it. It has never been that big of a favourite of mine - I'm more the nickel kind - but brass is at least better than gold.

[rfisher]

pfft. She still hasn't even posted pictures of the alleged poodles on Facebook. You think you're getting a house picture?

You're probably right. What's she sfraid of?

Because I haven't figured out how to do it?

[immoimeme]

Black.

[rfisher]

I have a very nice blue/grey painted on a feature wall shared by living room and dining room. At times is looks quite blue and at others definitely grey. I absolutely love it. The flooring is the original oak from 1953, so it is perhaps a bit more golden than yours.

Check out this link http://www.styleathome.com/decoratin...r-2011/a/33804

#6 in their list says brass is making a big comeback so maybe if you hang on and see more of it about you will start to like it. It has never been that big of a favourite of mine - I'm more the nickel kind - but brass is at least better than gold.

Maybe I'll hold off on replacing those fixtures for a while. Paint is cheap. I'll stop by Sherwin-Williams and get some samples and see what I want to do. The kitchen color will ultimately determine what I do with the dining room. I like Benjamin Moore paint, but the only retailer close to me has a limited selection and aren't very knowledgable about paint. If I can figure out how to download pictures and post them online, I'll do so.

[FigureSpins]

I have light-colored cabinets (birch, not oak) and Jungle Green granite countertops, both of which I like. The contrast looks really sharp and, to me, dark cabinets feel gloomy in a kitchen. Our kitchen and open-floor family room is also painted pastel green, but it's not working for me, either. We just wanted "clean and neutral," so we went with pastels throughout the house and the rooms are really bright and sunny.

When we replace the family room furniture and the flooring, we'll repaint. I'm thinking of a "Pottery Barn" color (as my realtor called it) to bring out the green in the countertops.

I love the look of the glass-tile backsplashes behind the stove. That's on my do list for later this year. There are some beautiful sheets with silver, gold and grey mixed together. Fairly easy to install, based on what my niece did in her kitchen. She didn't stop at the backsplash - all under-counter walls have this tile now. It looks great, but she has a BIG kitchen with a lot of cabinets and wall space, so it took a long time to finish the job.

I think pewter-colored hardware would go well with your grey accent wall. I second the "paint the hardware" suggestion, as long as you don't have to paint the hinges of the cabinets - that's a PITA. Bed, Bath and Beyond had some nice accent rugs with varied colors that would add a splash of color to the room.

I didn't think I would like white appliances, but since we bought the house with a white built-in microwave and dishwasher, we bought our fridge/freezer and sink in white. I like the look of white appliances against the dark countertops. You're right: it is easier to keep clean. I notice the dirt right away and a quick swipe gets rid of it. Now, if I could get my husband to stop putting magnets and papers all over the fridge...

[Aceon6]

rfisher, How about a play on the turquoise that's in the bath? To my eye, teal is great with taupe.

[rfisher]

I have enough paint left, I think I'll put up some sample spots and see. I know I want to repaint. I like the glass tile backsplash's as well and will do that on at least one wall.

[pollyanna]

Tuscan orange.

[rfisher]

Tuscan orange.

Tuscan is a bad word now for decorators.

[pollyanna]

Tuscan is a bad word now for decorators.

Why is that? Out of style already?