One Room Challenge: Week 6 - SLEEK KITCHEN UPDATE

View from the dining area into the living room.

We made it!

I am so happy with our decision to paint the cabinets black! I was growing tired of the white and beige and blah. This gives us a dramatic update at a small cost. If our budget allowed us to change floors, countertops and backsplash, we may have gone with a different cabinet color altogether. [And no, I am not against white kitchens, lol! I think many are done beautifully! Ours was not.) But, my goal in any design project is to identify what CANNOT change and work with it...not against it.

The backsplash tile used to be the same as the counters and floors.

This corner had turned into a huge disorganized mess.

In our case, we could not change the beige tile. About halfway through the challenge, it dawned on me...but I CAN PAINT the backsplash tile! My husband was on board, so I went for it. It was the BEST decision for us right now. Just doing that broke up the two surfaces and made it much more pleasing to the eye. Adding in light wood accents (tray, cutting board, etc.) is an example of working WITH the beige tile. Instead of adding contrast with a different color or painted tray, etc., I added items of similar color to just create a softer, neutral surface. The deep tray is a wonderful solution to the triple tiered galvanized piece we had previously. Simply moving our mail/drop spot out of the kitchen helped clear up this corner, leaving just the essentials that we didn't want tucked away in drawers.

I confused my family (and myself) when I relocated the pantry from the closet in the laundry room to the peninsula here. We still catch ourselves heading to the laundry room for a snack, lol! I love the full extension drawer slides and soft close feature. It's working out well and will be simple to maintain.

Our dining area has seen a few different curtains over the years. I have been loving these velvet lined curtains lately, so the choice was a no-brainer. They add a bit of luxury to the space, without competing with the fresh, white walls.

The outdoor area rug was a last minute addition. Even though the table and chairs were dark, the space really needed an anchor to balance out the black cabinets. I love how it just completes the space.

I am so glad the kitchen is complete and am happy with the result! Black isn't for everyone. But it's your house. Choose a color that makes you smile when you walk into the room. Be intentional about what you fill it with. And purge often, or at least (ruthlessly) twice a year. Thank you, One Room Challenge and Better Homes and Gardens for allowing me to be a guest participant this spring! This is one big project off my list!

Guys, go check out the 20 featured designers, as well as the rest of the guest participants in the One Room Challenge...I know I will while I am catching up on rest. God bless!

I should leave you with a little before + after, so you can see where we started...