A Haven for Vee

Friday, January 30, 2009

Blue

(Imagine a really lovely blue kitchen here with an apron sink. Sorry about that!)

Is it possible that I've been hanging out at Linda's Restyled Home too much? She has a thing for beautiful shades of blue and I think that I've caught it.

The thing is that I've spent years trying to avoid blue. The first home that I owned had a hideous blue kitchen...depressing and unattractive. The seeds of intense blue dislike were sown. My current office has blue wallpaper...depressing and unattractive. The roots go deep.

Now I find myself discussing the kitchen cabinets with "the carpenter" deciding what we can do as a redo without a major remodel. I watch him as he ponders the possibilites. I question him. He says he's "just thinking." Though I'm ready to move beyond that stage to the doing, I'll slow down for him because he always has good thoughts and when he's ready, he'll be ready.

If you were to paint your kitchen cabinets, what color would you choose? What type of hardware would you select? What countertop material would you like? If you couldn't have what you really wanted, what might you take as a less-expensive alternative? One last thing...have you seen a kitchen redo in Blogdom lately that you think I'd enjoy seeing? Thanks for your help!

Have a great Friday...

26 comments:

  1. Hi Vee!

    Oh Yes! Picket of the blog "Picket's Place" blog showed recently how she repainted her oak colored cabinets to a beautiful antique glazed color! She gave a step by step instructions and she is so delightfully funny and sweet that it is so worth reading and looking at ehr blog even if you don't want that color. It is her January 24th post, so you have to scroll down. She decorate so beautifully on a budget, and she writes in such a charming, down to earth country way that I know you'll just love her! Please tell her I sent you over.
    Here is her blog URL:
    http://picketsplace.blogspot.com/
    Hugs, Pat

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  2. What I love about your blog is not only do you have great ideas but you throw in little word pictures like today, the two of you as husband and wife interacting, and even the silence that you spoke of says volumes! Waiting! - and then the compliment that he does have good ideas and worth waiting for! What a special couple you are and good example to all! Thank you too for posting a picture of yourself the other day! You are radiante! Inside and out!

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  3. Oh the restyled kitchen looks perfect. . I love that gentle blue and the open cabinets. . though I think I have way to much extra stuff to have those. I'm still always liking white cabinets. . .currently with blackish knobs.

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  4. I love antiqued white cabinets with a soft marble swirled with gold, tan and deep brown. I like all the nickle polished hardware, too.

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  5. Morning Vee...glad I gave you a chuckle this morning.

    Hey I have a few thoughts for you. I'm working on my new kitchen in our Montana home too. So much out there to pick from, but it has to meet budget.

    Here's an interesting thought on counter tops that I'm seriously considerding. "Wilsonart HD" laminate counter tops. The HD stands for high definition (dah). It's really nice stuff, I've seen it done in my friends new home. It has a lot of depth and a bit of a shine to it, reminds me of the granite look, very hardy surface, and the color options are gorgeous. Much more affordable than stone. Lowe's has a nice display.

    If your kitchen is on the small side, I would go with a light or natural color for paint for your cabinets, like an antique white or creamy tones. With a darker stain top coat(carmal or mocha) which gives it an aged look. I'm still trying to decide whether to go painted or stained myself...hmmm

    For hardware, I'm leaning towards anything in the oil rubbed bronze look or black rod iron.

    I thought I saw a remodel over at "Knitty, Vintage and Rosy", awhile back.

    Have a good weekend you two--

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  6. I'm afraid I can't offer much help with your kitchen redo as I am a huge fan of blue (& white).

    Thanks for your recent kind comments. I don't have a copy of the poem in my mom's room, but that's a great idea.

    Have a nice weekend.

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  7. I agree that if the kitchen is small, go for light colours like white or creamy shades. If you go for white, why not have duck egg blue walls? I am not an expert though!

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  8. that photo does look very tempting :) but lucky me, i like our kitchen very much as it is. white cabinets with black metal handles, and white tile countertops. even though granite [what my sweetheart is eyeing] has a very sleek look, i like the homey goodness of white tile.

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  9. I would paint them white, and use your favorite color on the walls.
    I love white porcelain knobs on cabinets.

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  10. I've had my antiqued cream coloured kitchen for over four years...and still like it! Whatever colour you decide on...antiqueing is a good way to finish it off, since it sort of hides all the imperfections and adds character.

    I'm with Knitting Mania as far as knobs...oil rubbed bronze would be perfect. There are a lot of 'granite looking' laminates out that look great.

    I feel rather like you do about blue...I've been there and done that...and not that anxious to return.

    Have fun...you and your carpenter!

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  11. Well I've really loved seeing kitchens with black cabinets only I think you have to have a lot of natural light to do something like that. I like yellow cabinets too. I tried blue and blue gray on my kitchen walls and it just didn't work for me.

    Manuela

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  12. Blue is my favourite colour! I love blue in all shades but have only recently begun to paint my walls in soft shades of blue.

    If I could re-do my kitchen? I'd paint my cabinets a soft creamy white and add vintage hardware handles - not knobs. A butcher's block counter would be heavenly but it's expensive so if I had to cut corners, I'd go with the laminate imitation. Hardwood flooring would be nice too. See what you've started Vee??? lol! It's fun to dream!

    xo,
    Lynda

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  13. Vee, tough question! All the kitchens I see on blogs are so posh. I notice a number of the Swedish blogs feature more simple country-style kitchens (all white of course) but that might give some ideas. Modern Country (Aina) has a blog that has a ton of links to other Swedish blogs.

    I would do white cabinets. I like silver fittings and fixtures and white marble counters. But that's me.

    Do you like beadboard? I personally think open cabinets are a fad that just look cluttered to me. Great if you are rich and have a huge kitchen and constantly have time to move your objets around. For smaller homes, I think the more closed and sleek spaces, the better. I think clutter is more apparent in small spaces and the less the better in them. My Mom has a tiny kitchen and it needs constant tidying and looks a mess when there are groceries on the counter!

    Sorry, I am not much help. I really tend to ignore kitchens because they are outside my realm right now!

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  14. This discusion has been happening at our house too-we think we'd like a creamy taupe with some sort of natural colored stone tile. Wedebate between wood and tile floors-but we always agree on oil rubbed bronze for the rest of the fixtures...oh, right now we agree that we shouldn't spend the money!

    Thanks for your nice comment-and unfortunately, she'll do that anywhere!

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  15. If I were to paint my kitchen cabinets I think I would go with white or a light green. I would choose antique bronze hardware. I would go with a sillstone counter top. What ever you invest in your kitchen will get you a great return if you ever decide to sell your home.

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  16. Oh I'm going to faint with joy! You have a gorgeously calm and lovely looking blog now! You got rid of the "green stuff" from 'Cutest Blog on the...'!

    Oh Vee, I adore the new look here! I do! It's so much more you. It's so soft and calm. Oh I said that already, didn't I? Well, it is.

    And I say again, it's so much more you, IMHO. And it's not my opinion of your blog, which matters one little whit. It's your blog and it should make you happy.

    {But it's jolly when it makes me happy too.}

    Aunt Amelia
    "It is at the edge of a petal that love waits." ~~William Carlos Williams

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  17. I have this china cabinet that I've wanted to refinish for years...it's teak and a good piece...I've wondered how and what color to do it in...I wish you'd come for a visit...we could decide together!
    Sandi

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  18. I have the MOST Godawful formica cabinets with a little oak strip on the bottom (no knobs)..i HATE them but am not in a position to replace, and i dont think i could refinish them...to tell you the truth, i know it sounds crazy, but i have ALWAYS wanted those old knotty pine cabinets with the black wrought iron handles. I know many people rip those out and get rid of them..id LOVE them.

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  19. I have a really dated kitchen (sixties) with custom built real wood cabinets that my husband insists would be unaffordable now, and fake marble formica (ugh!!!) So I also plan a makeover this summer. Kitty Bartholomew (HGTV designer from yrs. back) says in her book that white or cream cabinets are classic and never go out of style along with the same for tile countertops. So I think I've decided to paint them a pale cream and use hardware I found at Target! They are oil- rubbed bronze hammered finish bin pulls (they have matching knobs too). I plan to use white or cream 6"x6" tiles for countertop/backsplash, and 12"x12" sand colored porcelain tiles for the floor that match my entryway. My problem is whether to paint the foot of paneling above the cupboards as the kitchen adjoins the family room! My husband doesn't want me to paint the dated paneling--insists he likes it! Yeah, it's real wood too! What is it with men and "real wood"? I love wood floors, but would never put them in a kitchen because I've never had a kitchen in which I did not eventually have a water catastrophe!

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  20. http://heatherbullard.typepad.com/heather_bullard_collectio/2009/01/kitchen-q-a.html

    This is a recent Kitchen redo I just loved.

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  21. I love my cream glazed cabinets. I did not paint them, but I did do an old cherry wood secretarial this fall. I am sitting here blogging at it this moment. After I glazed mine, I even sanded the paint in places to make it look more worn. I am just loving the new look.

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  22. I have always wanted a yellow kitchen. It doesn't go with anything else in my house though...And since I have a fairly open floor plan, I don't think it will every work in this house. Maybe one day though.

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  23. Hi Vee,
    I think the picture of you is great, your radiant smile and the happiness in your heart really shows through!. I have been reading your blog for some time now and always ejoy what you have to say. You know I have also been wanting to use more blue around the house and like you have had not such good luck with many shades of blue. I just told Gary I would like to change our bedroom from the yellow to blue, I think I would like a grey-blue. As for the kitchen I think any color you like will be a good one, but would use glass in a few of your cabinets. I just had some of my kitchen cabinets re-done with glass.
    I had a great visit today.
    Have a wonderful weekend,
    Elizabeth

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  24. I love your blog...I loved the lokk of the old one best but this is nice too. I painted my cabinets white a couple of years ago and I cannot believe what a difference it made in my kitchen.

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  25. Hi. I got to your blog from Daisy Cottage. I am also really drawn to blue right now. A light grey blue. It is such a calming color. And as far as kitchens go, I like white cabinets, glass knobs and pulls, white bead-board backsplash and butcher block counter tops. My husband and I are planning to do those things with our kitchen this year. All except the butcher block counter. That's another project for another year. Have fun working on your own kitchen!

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  26. Wow! I am so honoured to be mentioned in your post! I do tend to love blues, yet never plan to have so much. I think I am just drawn to the calmness of the shades in my home. Funny, before this house, I hadn't a shade of blue in my entire home!

    I am going to send you a photo of the kitchen in my old home. I painted the cabinets in two different shades, which I think might appeal to you...less boring.

    I think vintage style definitely will work for your home. A great faucet is a must, and lighting, too.

    I can't wait to see what you do!

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