Let's Talk About My Retina Scarring Kitchen Cabinets

It's official. Today marks the third trimester of pregnancy and I have transformed overnight from cute, bouncy pregnant lady into shamu the whale -- beached and bleating out sad whale noises whilst flipping over and over in hopes of finding a comfortable side to lay on (hint: there isn't one). In other words I'm slowing down. So far we've painted most of the rooms -- and I've even painted one room twice (be gone, band aid office!) -- but at the very least we still have the baby nursery to paint and kitchen cabinets to tackle.

Ohhhh, the kitchen cabinets. Thanks a lot, you bossy bitches, for deluding me into thinking I can paint that crap. And I mean that in the nicest possible way :) :) :) Look! I am smiling! But seriously we are going to try to paint them in the next three to four weeks, before I totally wimp out and can only mail order window treatments and rugs and the like.

Ohmygod why... WHY! This kitchen was gutted about eight years ago, and while I don't expect it to look fresh as a daisy, I cannot for the love of jeebus understand why the homeowners installed custom honey oak cabinets. I do not hate wood cabinets -- darker or lighter would have been fine. But these are orange and wood grain striped like an angry tiger.

Here's a better view that shows the beautifully absent desk that Matt knocked out. My James Montish cerused oak hutch has since occupied the space, and it looks boss.

Now, let's talk about these cabinets. Some of you suggested a two tone look, with cream on top and taupey gray on bottom. That would be fine, but there is a floor to ceiling pantry wall that houses the fridge (taupey gray?) and a floor to ceiling double oven cabinet on the other side of the microwave. That one is attached to the upper cabinets, so not sure what to do about it if we go two tone.

You can see how that wall is configured in the MLS photo. My photos are more accurate colorwise.

Here's a shot of the counters. I think they read darker and a little warmer/yellower overall, but I wanted to make sure you could see all the different colors -- peachy rust, beige, taupe, medium and dark greens. The backsplash is sandy beige tile.

I would like for you to know I hate this kitchen so much that I've already priced out carrara marble counters ($55 sq/ft installed for 3cm slabs with eased edges), Ikea cabinets, and I'm plotting to run the living room wood floors into the kitchen and dinette...

Someday.

I cannot undertake a reno of that scale before baby comes. Not to mention that we just bought a new car and ye olde bank account needs a while to recover.

And so friends, it's up to us to make this kitchen livable for the next year or two. What color should I paint my cabinets?

Maybe something like this?

Or darker and greener?

Or perhaps softer?

Two tone or not two tone?

Dare I paint the backsplash? It always seems to look nastily flat to me.

Ok, put on your thinking caps and give me your best and brightest advice.

I gotta get her done before baby is here.

Kitchens that Make Me Happy (None of Which are Mine)

Thanks for all your comments, advice, and encouragement on yesterday's pink dinette post. It feels good to have one tiny thing accomplished, but I'm also totally overwhelmed when I consider the millions of things I've yet to tackle. For that reason, I'm putting off my shabby kitchen post until next week. I just don't think I can handle picking out cabinet paint colors when I have two rooms to paint this weekend, wallpaper to order, furniture to consider, piles of unfinished laundry, and a sugar laden school function to attend this afternoon.

Oh, and we did buy a new car yesterday -- which was a wholly exhausting experience. I would consider painting it with gold chevron pinstripes and adding teal all weather mats, but the decorating budget is circling the drain after that purchase.

Forget all that. Let's look at some amazing, totally unattainable  kitchens that I want to lick.

Need I remind you of the unattainable part?

Next week we will discuss what can be done in the next six weeks with my shabby brown kitchen before I'm too fat and pregnant to move, and must depend on crappy reality tv for survival.

I'm just too tired and poor to even ponder that bizness right now.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer.

Happy Friday!!! Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

[images via pinterest]

Pink Dinette + Sciolari Chandelier = Girlytown

Well, I'm not really sure why I decided to paint the dinette and kitchen peachy pink. But I done did.

erin williamson art sciolari

There she blows -- Benjamin Moore Terra Bella. Many thanks to Sanders, who thinks that Karly and I are crazy for suddenly wanting to paint everything pink and peach and coral. He still went way above and beyond to help me pick a lovely shade.

I have to say that lucite and brass was not where I thought I would take this house, but Mr Sciolari was in the right place at the right time for the right price. Plus he reminds me of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and that's a good thing.

I still have a lot of work to do, but I think we've already improved the situation we moved into:

Have you ever seen so much brown in your life?!

erin williamson terra bella

Although the (TEMPORARY) table and chairs are clawing my eyes out, I'd still say it's far less offensive than it was.

Now, all I need is a new table and chairs and window treatments and maybe a rug and some art... I'm liking indigo as an accent color, which I'm largely drawing from the front room scenario:

erin williamson

Dark Harbor and Terra Bella are so happy together.

Anyway, this calls for some mockups. I'm so predictable.

#1 has a dreamy Thom Filicia rug that costs way too much, integrates the navy chesterfield I already own, supposes that I will buy a new tulip dining table (and I am -- really). Then I threw in schoolhouse chairs and country club art to give it some old skool flava.

#2 is a little more modern regency, with an affordable kilim rug and some very affordable cafe chairs. I took Chester out just to see how that would open up the space. Still buying the table. Awesome leopard painting will be available at Minty soon.

What elements do you prefer?

I really don't know what to do about window treatments in any case... I was crushing on Naomi's curtain idea, but now that the color is so fussy I'm thinking that simple and tailored is the way to go.

erin williamson sciolari

Tune in tomorrow to discuss ways in which my new paint and chandelier are making the shabby brown kitchen look even browner and shabbier.

Something must be done to rectify the situation.

Hint: paint will be involved.

Until then please help me buy cheap amazing things to finish out my dinette space.

Thank you.