Doug used to say to people in our first home………… “keep moving, people, or you’ll get painted”.  I admit, I painted a lot of stuff.  I got bored and painted my French doors blue, my kitchen cabinets dark green and my wood floor checkered.  Not to mention all the furniture pieces that took on new lives. 

When we built our home, I wanted more long-term finishes…finishes that would last the test of time.  As a result, my trim on one floor is dirty white, my doors are stained coffee/mink, my basement trim and kitchen cabinets are black and my main kitchen trim is espresso with off-white flooring and backsplash.  Timeless, but it can be boring.  So, enter our master bathroom. I did a gunmetal metallic to get out of the rut.  When I am designing homes for my clients and they let me have my way- they can get some fun and edgy results. 

However, most people are like me, a little safer with their investment.  I’m sure we have all heard the men in our lives say “oh hell no, you aren’t painting that pretty wood”.  What is it with guys and wood?  They act like they are still in the wilderness fighting off bears while they are finding, chopping, planning, building, etc.  Give it a rest………. it’s just wood!

Safe kitchens are monochromatic- we’re lucky if we get to add punch by adding color to an island,

or the hood.

or paint/stain the uppers and base cabinets different.    

We are doing a lot of grey in kitchens lately, which is trendy now but can be classic when done well.  And black and white is always a constant. 

Staining is the mainstay but adding a green, navy or metallic can make a kitchen pop.  After all, everyone hangs out in the kitchen, so make it fun and lively! 

Some of my favorite colors for cabinets are….

Lorele’s color picks!

If you are not daring enough to paint the entire kitchen, think about other rooms and smaller pieces.  Such as built-ins…

  

or individual furniture pieces….. Painting and distressing a chest in an energetic color can be so fun and completely change the room.

Or how about striping a console for impact,

painting a bed changes the entire feel of a bedroom, 

and painted cabinets in a smaller room are a much less scary committment.   

How daring are you? 

 

-Lorele

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