A makeover using green paint and fabric!
I painted my kitchen and did a minor facelift on it three years ago.
The cabinets were maple and thats when I discovered
Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint and used that to make a drastic improvement.
The photo above is the one I use on my blog to show off the painted
cabinet results. It really was quite remarkable, the before and after!
Before
Last week I made another change to the kitchen using
paint, but this time, not on the cabinets. As you may know I am working
on a few projects around the house because Matthew Mead will be
photographing the house for a feature in one of his new magazines due
on new stands this spring! Anyway, back to the kitchen.
Its been a fun way to add a little spark into a space that I love
but was looking to add a bit more personality. Paint is the best
way to do just that. Gina, my design assistant at Maison Decor
has been coming over and helping me knock off some of the
projects on my list. She and I work really well together and things
get done in half the time!
Colin watched as I stepped back to take a pic of the action. You can
see that I am painting my backsplash and display areas apple green.
Gina and I worked on either side of the kitchen and met in the middle.
The color is Folk Art by Ben Moore, but mixed up at
Lowes Home Improvement using their paint, Valspar Signature.
At the time I had originally painted my cabinets white
there was an inspiration photo of a kitchen that drove me to use
purple transferware in the kitchen. That kitchen photo had a lime green
backsplash and purple transferware. I have never forgotten that photo and
this was the perfect time to see how it would turn out. Repainting the
backsplash would not be out of the question if I decided it fell short.
This kitchen is in Carolyn Westbrook's book,
The French Inspired Home.
The mix of purple and green, the beadboard and white cabinetry,
interesting lighting all added up to fabulousness!
Look at all that transferware!!
There was a butcher block with white legs too, very similar to
what we had in our kitchen. The only thing I was leaving out was
the antler collection, although I love the look. My kitchen is just
too small to have all of that going on.
My transferware collection continues to grow, and most
recently I purchased two pieces from Matthew Mead.
The platter over the stove is one of them, the other a serving
bowl that I keep napkins in on the butcher block island.
The green paint reads more electric than it actually does
in person, because of the interior lighting.
This kitchen is very dark and only has one window,
so natural light is limited. At the windows I decided to
change out the lace panels for buffalo check in green and white. 
The apple wreath I made at a Matthew Mead workshop looks
perfect hanging in the kitchen window.
A vintage drain board sink was the easy and inexpensive way
to get the Farmhouse sink look. At $75 on Craigslist, it is one
of my favorite improvements in our home and it was affordable too.
Still tweaking things in here, but for the most part I love how
fresh and fun it feels in here. And it all started with seeing an
image in a book several years ago that I never forgot. Use
magazine, book or online images to inspire decorating changes in
your home. It won't look the same as your inspiration photo,
nor should it. But it will inspire design changes that are all
about what make you happy. And isn't that the point of decorating?
On the other side of our tiny kitchen there is a dedicated coffee bar station.
This is being worked on as we speak...and speaking of inspiration
photos, check out this bookcase decorated with brown transferware.
My passion for transferware has infected others as well.
Gina has starting a collection as has my sister Ellen. I snapped
an iphone pic of this bookcase to show Ellen this week how she could
do the same thing in her house. The next thing I know, she says she
wants to start a collection and would I help? Of course!
Packages of brown transferware are on their way to her home right now.
We bargain shopped online and found some incredible deals on Etsy.
J&G Meakins Americana collection include this charming
sugar bowl featuring Martha Washington. This transferware
is ironstone, not china. It will be great for display or everyday
use. Its more affordable than china, but still vintage and very
decorative! Ellen's home will be getting a room or two made
over with my help soon, and you will see how this transferware
will play a big part in the makeover.
Winter time is a great time to do indoor projects in New England.
So dig out those inspiration photos and get to work interpreting
them to fit your home, and watch how fun and fabulous your
rooms become!
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