My kitchen renovation, part 12: Floors and wall color : Annie Elliott Design

Gentle Readers, this is going to be an action-packed blog entry so I can bring you an UP TO THE MINUTE report!

As I mentioned last time, counters have to go in before the kitchen is usable. So the plumbing and gas were connected right after that.

BUT we didn’t want to start walking on the floor until it was stained.

Renovation of galley kitchen with unstained wood floor — When we last left our hero…

I’d told the contractor I wanted a dark stain, which I thought would flow well from the floors leading in (from the Foyer and Dining Room).

Stain samples on wood floor in kitchen renovation — Which one gets your vote?

After getting input on Facebook and Instagram (thank you!) and in person from friends and family, 99% of voters chose “Natural Walnut,” the lightest stain. It’s the bottom one.

I was unconvinced at first, so I tried mixing Natural Walnut with the second from the top. Tilly liked it…

Black dog on hardwood floor stain — Tilly’s original selection

…but she came around to Natural Walnut, as did I.

Kitchen floor stain with white cabinets and black dog — Everyone makes mistakes

It clearly is the closest match to the other floors, and the grain of the wood is pretty. I think I resisted because this isn’t so different from our original floor:

Galley kitchen with pink Formica countertops before renovation — Before. Obviously

I mean, of course it is. But you get what I’m saying. It’s still a fairly light stained wood floor. But sooooo much nicer ;)

Hardwood floor in galley kitchen stained — Natural Walnut

Stained hardwood floor in front of French Door stainless steel refrigerator — View from Dining Room

Kitchen with white cabinets and marble countertops and stained hardwood floor

Galley kitchen with white cabinets, marble counters, and hardwood floor — From Butler’s Pantry

Kitchen with white cabinets, hardwood floor, stainless steel refridgerator — Sink wall

Ah – the wall color. The paint color selection process wasn’t very dramatic, I’m afraid. I painted the walls Benjamin Moore’s CSP-95 Sea Salt, and I will confess: I didn’t even put up a sample. (Do not try this at home!) I’ve had my eye on this color for a while, and I had a good feeling about it. The final choice was between Edgecomb Gray and Sea Salt, but Edgecomb was a little too beigey brown. Sea Salt is a lovely gray with no green in it.

Benjamin Moore's gray Sea Salt CSP-95 — Sea Salt

SO, Gentle Readers, a usable kitchen! This is pretty much where we are as of today. Next time, I’ll tell you about the hardware selections, and maybe you can help me crack the code on the sink wall backsplash, opposite the hopefully-coming-soon Chinoiserie panels. I’m stumped!

Bossy color | Annie Elliott interiors is based in Washington, D.C. Outrageously beautiful homes start with color.