First things first – It’s that time of year – lots of home tours and holiday decorating inspiration. We’ll be kicking off this year’s 12 Days of Holiday Homes Tour on Friday, December 1st! We have a great lineup, so make sure you check them out! I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone has in store, and getting my own home ready for the holidays. You can check out the tours from Christmases past, as well as this year’s tour on our Pinterest Board here.
Now let’s get on to the nitty gritty of my kitchen cabinet makeover 2.0. If you follow me on Facebook, you saw that I posted my most recent kitchen madness. My kitchen. I was cleaning up the kitchen after my brother-in-law and his family left after Thanksgiving weekend, and was doing so at just that perfect time of the morning where the light shows every bit of dust, dirt and grime possible. I started cleaning my cabinet doors, and then pulled a couple of them to respray. Before you know it, my entire kitchen is in ruins.
Panels removed from the fridge and everything. And let me just say, I don’t like the exposed stainless steel in our kitchen – the panels are way more attractive. Plus, I’m noticing how dark the whole place feels without doors. Not good.
Today things went from bad to worse, and I’ve removed everything from the cabinets and am taping off the frames because like the glutton for punishment that I am I decided respray the doors and the frames an entirely different color. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile, and honestly had no plans to do it NOW, but sometimes the spirit moves us in ways that we just can’t explain.
This really looks tame, but trust me when I tell you that the surrounding areas are giving me hives. If I could, I would work through the night to knock this out.
I’m also debating about colors. I thought about going with a slightly lighter shade of white (but not too stark), but then I saw this kitchen from Studio McGee, and just fell in love.
Is that not absolutely gorgeous? Well, as far as I’m concerned, Studio McGee can do no wrong. And I did some digging to find this paint color. It’s called Stone 3 by Portola Paints.
I love the color palettes that Portola Paints carries – of course, they’re located in California… So pretty, I’m tempted to order a color deck and take a closer look at what they have to offer. Check out the beautiful neutral color palette that Portola Paints has here.
My friend Kayla at Painted By Kayla Payne has a stunner of a kitchen as well, as they just finished building their forever home. Her cabinets are painted in my all-time-favorite-color – Revere Pewter. So classy and elegant, and the hardware and finishes are just perfection.
My issue is that the kitchen that I want, and the kitchen that I have are two different things. I don’t have white counters, I don’t have a light tile backsplash. I would love to change my backsplash, but let’s be realistic – the counters in my kitchen aren’t going anywhere, and the floors are staying put as well. It’s a big and expensive project, and not in the cards right now. So, I need to live in reality.
That said, I haven’t given up on the idea of having a hint of color that isn’t white. What I would like to do, is install a new tile backsplash, and get rid of the weird stair step/pyramid thing going on where my stove is. It just seems like a space where something went wrong. Like it was supposed to be tiled up to the ceiling, but then the cabinets were in place, and they couldn’t do it anymore. So, some men (in my mind, this is the scenario) decided to just do some stair step technique and call it a day.
I would love to have a more substantial range hood here, and get rid of the tile all the way up to the “steps”. I’d like to break up the brown, by putting in a more neutral and updated backsplash of some sort. And I’m going to repaint the island too. I’m just over the distressed look and am ready to move on to something different. Maybe Urbane Bronze – that’s what I used for the backs of our built-ins in the family room, and I still am a big fan of this color.
As for colors, right now, Canvas Tan (Sherwin Williams) is in the running.
Sorry for the horrible iPhone photo, but it gives you an idea of what my current color looks like (post cleaning/sanding) in comparison.
I haven’t decided 100%, but this is kind of the direction my mind is going. I’m going in with the long game in mind. Even if I did act in total haste by starting this crazy project right now. As I’m supposed to be getting my house ready for the holidays. I’m also working on a client kitchen – did I mention that? I’m going to be spraying both sets of doors at once and want to knock them out together (while spraying my frames in my downtime).
Do you get crazy during the holidays by stressing yourself out with house projects? I’m finding that this is a trend for me. I remember when my husband and I worked on our board and batten hallway project right before the holidays shortly after we bought this house. The walls have gone through several coats of paint since then, and I’ve repainted the garage door (um, twice), but I still love it.
I think I need some elves to help me get everything done around here. I don’t know – I’m wrapping up this post, and feeling like I’m moving in a million different directions in my my head. Maybe next time, I just clean my cabinets and call it a day, yes?
Jenny
24 Comments
cassie bustamante
November 30, 2017 at 7:33 amooooh i am excited because in january mine is also getting a 2.0!!! no more navy cabinets, but i have yet to choose between the two colors i am contemplating! can’t wait for a change though and can’t wait to see what you do!!!
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:58 pmOh how I love navy Cassie! Can’t wait to see what you do!
Lisa
November 30, 2017 at 9:40 amOh my gosh Jenny, this is so exciting. I love your idea for the hood and think something more substantial would solve your stepped tile issue AND be such a beautiful focal point. Would that color that you have on your family room built ins work in here? I helped a client who has brown granite lighten up her kitchen with Dove White cabinets, a creamy white subway tile, and then used some wood elements like cutting boards leaned against the backsplash to relate back to the brown. Lots of great inspiration for that color combo on Pinterest! Whatever you do I’m sure it will be beautiful…..you’ve transformed so many kitchens!!
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:57 pmThanks for your vote of confidence Lisa! Such a hard decision – and I love White Dove for cabinets – one of my go-to/staple colors! I just can’t believe how much I’ve been agonizing over the color! I think it’s because it’s been such a spur of the moment project. I love the idea of cutting boards though, to relate to the brown. Brilliant!
katie
November 30, 2017 at 10:09 amI love the taupe/tan color you chose! I want to see it finished because I want to paint my mudroom built-ins a similar color. I think it is light and pretty and will compliment your current countertops and backsplash. I say go for it! The taupe/tan cabinets are all over Pinterest right now as a beautiful alternative to white kitchens.
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:56 pmI totally agree Katie. I think after painting so many white kitchens, I’m ready for a change myself. I think you can still have a light and bright kitchen, but it doesn’t HAVE to be white. These colors are still classy and sophisticated in my opinion. 🙂
Lauren@SimplyLKJ
November 30, 2017 at 10:13 amGirl you are either brave or crazy 😉 Seriously, I admire that you can even tackle a project like this yourself! A year ago I decided to take our island back to its original color, white. It was a dark chocolate/black brown and distressed. Best decision ever. I know most like the contrast, having it a different color than the rest of the cabinets, but it made such a huge difference in how bright and airy our kitchen feels. We did the same with our entertainment center and fireplace surround. Can’t wait to see what you decide to do.
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:54 pmI’m really considering going with the island in the same color as the perimeter cabinets. Perhaps even the breakfast bar (that I stained). Gasp! What’s happening to me? I’m such a lover of contrast!
Allison
November 30, 2017 at 12:47 pmGood luck! Have you thought about painting over the tile backsplash instead of removing it, at least until you have the budget to remove it? I’ve seen it done on other blogs, and it looks great.
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:53 pmI would consider that, if I didn’t have the horribly ugly stair step/pyramid thing going on with my current situation. It just needs to GO. I need a plan!
Jolyn
November 30, 2017 at 1:22 pmRevere Pewter and Urbane Bronze are my two ABSOLUTE FAVORITE colors of all time. Can’t go wrong there…
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:52 pmI couldn’t agree with you more Jolyn.
Rosie
November 30, 2017 at 2:27 pmSend me your energy please. I can get all my Christmas decorations up. Love your post. Inspiration you are. Keep up the good work and think of all the audio books you can listen too.
Mary Burrows
November 30, 2017 at 5:41 pmCan’t wait to see the finished project. You will absolutely be able to do it and it will be fanastic! Mom
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 10:09 pmI’m glad you have confidence in me, Mom. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve lost my mind completely!
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:52 pmI should be able to knock out quite a few audiobooks Rosie! That’s the only silver lining!
Tina
November 30, 2017 at 3:11 pmHey Jenny!
Have you checked out addicted2decorating.com or remodelandolacasa.com?
Both have DIYed beautiful hood vent covers(?)…because you are not busy enough! Lol
Jenny
November 30, 2017 at 9:51 pmI will check them out! This has been one of those annoying things that I just haven’t been able to solve yet!
Joyce Ward
December 1, 2017 at 6:55 amHi Jenny!
I enjoy reading your blog. If you are still debating the color of your cabinets you might check out Maria Killam.com. She is truly the color expect on beiges and clean and dirty colors working together. One of these days I would like to attend one her color sessions. Looking forward to seeing your kitchen reveal – so exciting!
Enjoy your week,
Joyce
Jenny
December 1, 2017 at 7:28 amI love Maria! She’s a color guru, isn’t she? I’d love to go to one of her color sessions!
Michele
December 1, 2017 at 9:29 amCan you paint the tile like Simple Details blog did for the ORC in the spring of 2014? I know you don’t like the steps in the tile, have you thought to remove those tiles, fix the drywall, so the tile ends at a straight line at or above the top of the range hood. The color of your tile is my biggest hurdle in your room. And I feel you pain, I have similar tile in our house. Painting it is in my future! Can t wait to see your Kitchen 2.0!
Becky Mullowney
December 1, 2017 at 6:58 pmWow! You sure know “when” to start a major project! 🙂 My sure fire method of testing paint colors is to
paint a tester on some poster board and tape it up wherever I’m thinking of using it. That way I can see
if it works well with all the surrounding colors. I actually have canvas tan on the main walls in my
current house, and have used it in previous houses as well, but never on cabinets. I always love what
you do…can’t wait to see what you decide!
Nicole
July 8, 2022 at 10:53 amDid you ever paint your cabinets canvas tan? Pics please!!
Jenny
July 10, 2022 at 8:54 pmI just finished a kitchen in Canvas Tan (not mine – a client’s kitchen). I still don’t have photos, but will share when I do.