Hi, Read your blog, love it. I recently did a complete kitchen remodel, knocking out wall etc. I wanted a look that is timeless but while I still have options to change it up, please tell me if it is screaming “dated” or if it is ok.
I still am contemplating doing stainless for appliances but wonder if it will chop up the white too much. Thanks so much. – Gina R., Greensboro, NC
Dear Gina:
Congratulations: that is quite a kitchen! It reminds me of the Swiss Alps: very tall, very white, with red accents.
Nothing wrong with the Alps. And nothing major-ly wrong with your kitchen, either.
But might I make a few small suggestions?
You asked whether stainless steel appliances would have been a better choice than white. Well, yes. They’d break up the white a bit and would look more up-to-date in this setting.
However, since you already have the white appliances, and since they work, I can’t recommend spending money to change them. (Not to mention the waste issue.)
The bigger issue is the red walls. Luckily for us, that’s easily remedied.
The red is the choppy element here. You don’t have a large enough stretch of wall to warrant such a deep color.
And putting the red above the cabinets looks a little odd.
Were we trying to channel the droolworthy, must-have kitchen of the early aughts: the “Something’s Gotta Give” kitchen? You know the one…
It looks cold in this picture. You don’t have that issue – despite your kitchen’s uncanny resemblance to the Alps – because your beautiful floor is a warmer, lighter brown.
But do you see how the lighter walls and ceiling with the white cabinets create a more cohesive look?
That’s what I suggest for you. Instead of red, consider a warm grey, such as Benjamin Moore’s HC-173 Edgecomb Gray, or OC-1 Natural Wicker, which is slightly yellower.
Keep the trim purer white – same color as your cabinets, right? – and use the same white, flat finish, on the ceiling. If you didn’t have crown moulding, I’d just wrap the wall color onto the ceiling.
This small change will make the entire space feel fresh and up-to-date. Good luck, and enjoy the new space!
Picture of the Swiss Alps from iStockPhoto.com. Diane Keaton’s “Something’s Gotta Give” kitchen photo from fanpop.com.
