Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Choosing a Color



First of all, forgive the blurry photos.  I grabbed them from some old posts, and they don't seem to have traveled well.

Lately, I've been thinking of updating my kitchen.   I love the cabinets, which are about four years old, but the wallpaper is beginning to look a little dated.  It was chosen to complement the old cabinets, which were quite a bit more rustic.  I'd like to paint in here.




I'm having a little trouble choosing a color, though.  Perhaps a light brown -- a sort of cafe au lait?  My creamware would look great against that.  Or maybe a dark olive green?  




Or even a creamy white?  I don't think I've ever painted anything white in my whole life.  LOL


note: this is the current wallpaper; it covers half the kitchen, while the cabinets and a beadboard backsplash cover the other half.

So, any ideas?

40 comments:

  1. What about beadboard in the kitchen. When I looked at the wallpaper I didn't realize it was stripes... I thought it was beadboard painted. Still perplexed over the dining room but you could bring the cottage beadboard around chairail it and paint a color on top maybe----

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  2. You have a lovely home. I totally trust your instincts and taste.

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  3. Mary, either of the colors you mentioned would look great as would a soft gold. What color is that on your kitchen door and window trim? It looks very nice, too. And, of course, you are Little "Red" House.

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  4. I love your taste and the idea of the cafe-au-lait or the olive green you mentioned gets my vote. They will definitely look great against your cabinets. I vote "no" for the white. I have slowly gotten rid of all white walls in my house...color makes me happy! :) And by the way, I just love your dining room and still go back and look at the latest pictures you posted of it...just beautiful!

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  5. I would really stay away from white. It tends to be harsh and sharp. The warm colors would get my vote.

    You have a very lovely space to work with... the envy bug is biting me about now!

    We have hopes to add some cabinetry and countertop to our kitchen this spring. We will see...

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  6. Both the colors you mentioned would be a no-fail situation...and either would look nice. You might check Pat at BackPorchMusings on the color MINK she painted her condo. It is FABULOUS...
    I am looking all over my place to use the color.
    Whatever you choose will be perfect for the LITTLE RED HOUSE. I love everything you do and wish you would come visit MY humble cottage and
    RE-DO IT ALL, MARY STYLE !!
    xo bj

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  7. I love the Laura Ashley Gold #2 and #3. I am sure you are familiar with them! The green sounds lovely, too. I love what you do already... but I understand that from time to time the creative push doesn't get started very easily!

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  8. You just can't go wrong in that beautiful kitchen. The green sounds like a perfect backdrop for the creamware. Can't wait to see pics of the new kitchen. Peggy from PA

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  9. I would love the green, or maybe...a warm pumpkin tone?

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  10. I would go for the cafe au lait...your kitchen is absolutely beautiful, Mary!! What a warm and welcoming room. The cabinets are just beautiful.

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  11. Love your kitchen, Mary! It is beautiful. What are your countertops? They are gorgeous, I'm hoping to change mine out in the future.

    OK, I vote a soft cafe au lait for your walls. I think that would really compliment your dishes without being to dark.

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  12. What ever color you end up choosing it will be lovely. What a beautiful room, want to come and visit my condo kitchen? LOL.


    Jen

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  13. Well that's a no brainer...red of course.

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  14. Hi Mary,

    I love your kitchen, we have similar cabinets lol

    Brown is so in right now but if you don't have a lot of light in your kitchen it sucks up the light...check out Ben Moore/Golden Chenile it's lovely, I used Beach Glass in my kitchen with black accents & a splash of red, but it would look great with brown accents too.

    Little Red House will look great no doubt about that, you do a great job Mary :)

    Good luck...

    Kathy :)

    ps how is your bedroom coming along ???

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  15. I have no suggestions. (Heck, I like the wallpaper.) Still, I'll be watching to see what color you select and how it looks. This is a very attractive kitchen. I like it a lot.

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  16. wait a minute, mary! did you finish the bedroom?? i haven't seen that and now you are off to the kitchen?? did i miss it? am i confusing you with someone else? anyway, i'm thinking paint would be a big change for little money, and if you didn't like the effect or color (i love a soft green or the cafe au lait) it would be easy to change. (easy? well, it would require work, but...) love seeing all your rooms!! jkj

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  17. Your cabinets are "washed" with a color that accents the grooves. Did I explain that correctly? Anyway, I would use a brownish cafe au lait tint that matches the color wash on your cabinets. Good luck removing wallpaper. That's a job from Hades.

    - Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

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  18. ..it's the rose in your latest photo's. The yellow in that rose..to me..is perfect. The dining room..with it's little red shades :) and your new rug? JUST BEAUTIFUL. For me, it's that rose. Any color you decide to go with it would work. The green you mentioned..white..whatever.
    Whatever you decide will be beautiful.

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  19. Actually...I looked through all your photographs of your flowers..no..it's that rose. :)

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  20. Cafe au lait would look elegant with your other furnishings. Or perhaps a very soft sonny yellow, 0r a light mocca which is similar to cafe au lait. I am sure you find the colour "that's it."

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  21. YUM! Your cabinets are painted like I want to paint mine. I have the old DARK wood. Personally, I love the dark green idea...your cream ware would POP against it. ooohhhh...I like the pumpkin idea...or a mustard. I vote "nay" for white. Ixnay on the iteway. ha.

    Cheryl

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  22. I vote for the olive green. My last kitchen had creamy white cabinets like yours... I painted the walls a Ralph Lauren color called "Mossy Ridge" or something like that. Basically it was a smokey, olivey gray-green. I loved it!

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  23. ...you would never want my opinion....lol...I'm so terrible at choosing colors that things remain unpainted for years in my house! Would love Your opinion Here!

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  24. Aw Gee Mary - I don't know! I love wallpaper and am desperate to have some in my house somewhere... someday. Maybe more beadboard on the lower half of the wallpapered wall and then some new gorgeous wallpaper on the top? I also think black board paint is fun, but somehow I don't see that in your kitchen... unless you did just a small framed area?? Can't wait to see what you choose.

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  25. Hi Mary....what a lovely kitchen, I expected no less from seeing the rest of your wonderful home....Anything but white....the cafe au lait would look pretty unless you don't get much light in the room...

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  26. Your blog is beautiful and so is your home. I love your kitchen, and wouldn't change a thing, although I understand why you want to- it's fun! cindy

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  27. Hi! I vote for a green - I think it would give a little more contrast to the cabinets and floor and furniture and set off your creamware beautifully!. BTW, the table in your first picture... is it a library table? I have a library table that looks almost identical from what I can tell by the picture. It only has one post on each end, though and yours seems to have two. Mine has a small hidden drawer in it. I inherited it from my late husband's grandparents and have used it in my office for years. It is a very dense wood, hardly any grain and is stained a very dark tone. I dont know where it was made, but thought it might be made by the same company- if you had any info on it! Thanks and be sure to post to show us what you decide on the color!

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  28. As soon as you said cafe au lait, I thought yes. Green is lovely too but I'm not seeing it here for some reason. But I'm not there, only viewing it from the photos I see. I went to look at the mink color. Lovely, but might be a tad too dark for this area. Looks great against the white, though.
    Have you considered a deep rich red? Not for the walls, but for accent against the cafe au lait, which I still like.

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  29. Ohhhh, I love love love your creamware.

    Is there a single pattern among them? I love the white / cream dishes.
    Could you shoot me an email?

    I'd love to talk dishes. ;)

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  30. Oh Mary, I LOVE your kitchen...but I guess you are ready for a little change.. I see you have a window over the sink..? Does it have a curtain there already or are you planning to put something new there...? but I can't do anything -my mind goes blank unless I have something first to go off of and for me it was the fabric throughout our house. I fell in love with different fabrics - not just like but LOVE, that it all started from there. Maybe your inspiration will be a color off one your pretty plates or your trays? Or even something from one of your dec books that just speaks to you. At any rate - this is exciting and I can't wait to see the changes you make. I did stop by here around Christmas time and was chuckling over your poem (especially the droopy paper whites!) and the tree tied to the car fiasco - I just was having MAJOR computer trouble and couldn't leave comments! Did I miss the grand unveiling of that table/island? I remember when you where trying to make it higher. I'll be back to see what you do! Take care ~ Laurie

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  31. Oh Mary, check out Laura Ashley Sand 5. It is a warm version of light brown with a bronzey golden undertone. Your artwork and creamware would look fabulous with it. I have an accent wall in my family room painted with it, and we love it!
    Marcia

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  32. A spectrum of whites.

    White is not just "white" anymore and you can find whole color charts with just whites in any paint manufacturing line. I would go with antique and creamy whites, 2 or 3 of them to highlight architectural details.

    I think that green is beautiful but maybe in an area that you don't spend that much time in.

    Janet

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  33. Egads but I love yo rkitchen. I sooooo love the cabinets and all your treasures. I actually like the paper but the brown would look soooo good.
    I grinned when I saw the comment suggesting red. That would be beautiful...a rich warm red. I have a creamy brown in a few places and love it. Everything looks so good with it.
    You have such elegant taste so I have no doubt you will choose the right thing.

    Love,
    Sue

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  34. OOPS not enough coffee yet.....posted about the paint under your tulip post...sorry :-(

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  35. After looking at your latest post above, take a peek at Tyler Taupe if you like deep golds, or Hopsack if you trend to the browns. Your cabinets are beautiful! A darker color would definately make em pop! Both of the colors I mentioned at Benjamen Moore colors.

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  36. I think the brown would be great...It would look less dark if you added bead board to the dining area...You could just do the back wall...and I would suggest it being taller than the usual wainscotting...You could add a simple shelf/ledge across if you like...I like the creamy white too...It would look larger in there...But I don't see you as a white wall girl...:) If you went with the green I would suggest picking out a color and going a few shades lighter...It always looks different on walls...:)

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  37. I think an olive green would be gorgeous. And I love your cabinets! What kind are they? Here are some greens for inspiration:
    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/gal111751313100.html?92
    midwestmom
    (anon because i can't seem to log in)

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  38. What a lovely place to call home.

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  39. HI, I JUST HAD TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIFUL BLOG, YOU TRULY ARE A GENUINE DECORATOR, WITH WONDERFUL TALENT, I AM ENJOYING ALL OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL PIC'S. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK HERE.......
    KAYLEE GOTREAU @ divinevintage.blogspot.com

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment. I love to hear what you have to say!