And here it was before…lots of brown trim
Progress (we still need to paint the actual sliding doors)
The details…
As far as color for the kitchen and eating room, I wanted to continue the colors in the family room which is right off the kitchen, but wanted it slightly lighter and with less yellow. So I chose White Cloud from Benjamin Moore. It goes well with our family room’s BM White Chocolate, and goes well with the existing cabinet colors (they will eventually be repainted Simply White like the trim) or Chelsea Gray like the island.
I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. The new colors really lighten the whole room and makes it feel like one big room. By adding a contrasting color for the island makes it feel more built in and substantial. Eventually, we plan on adding board and batten paneling to the outside of the island to make it look even better! Something like this:
For now I think that our paint job made a huge improvement. For $140 we got two gallons of paint for the walls (Benjamin Moore White Cloud) in Natura (zero VOC) and two quarts of paint for the cabinets and island (Natura Chelsea Gray) and to color match the existing cabinets (which will be eventually painted either Simply White or Chelsea Gray).
Here are some inspiration images that I loved that helped me make my decision:
The granite is brand new and although it is not what I would choose (too brown), the gray island color makes it seem less brown. And who am I kidding? It is granite, I am soooo lucky to have a solid surface countertop! As long as it is functional we don’t plan on replacing it. I mean it would be nice if it was more gray or marble-esque but that costs a ton of $$$ to replace that much countertop and it seems completely ludicrous when there are actual pressing issues that need to be fixed. So minimizing the brownish tints are what we are shooting to do with the grey and white paint.
To care for the granite I just use some homemade cleaner of castille soap and water. (Fill an old spray bottle with water and add 1/2 tsp castille soap.) I found the recipe here. I accidentally used vinegar and water on it for a month and then I found out that vinegar is too acidic for the granite and would strip away some of the finish. Oops! Luckily, I don’t think too much damage was done.
Eventually, I would love to add subway tile to the backsplashes as well. But that is down the line too… Ahh the list is never ending, right?