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November 5, 2010 by Lindsay

Contrast in the Kitchen

Yeah, we’re at it again. We are young, in love and painting again (and again and again).

That’s right! I am an interior designer…. Would you expect any less?

The Project: Our Kitchen

A few weeks ago we had the bright idea of painting the back wall and bar area in our kitchen the same color as the striped wall in our living room. We thought it would give our kitchen a little bit of contrast from the white walls that surround it. It turns out, we didn’t love it. Not nearly enough contrast!

What to do, what to do? No problemo! The nice folks over at Dutch Boy Paints sent us 4 full gallons of free paint… colors our choice! Love them! It actually took me a few weeks to narrow down the final choices because they had so many good ones…

The decision was finally made…

2 Gallons of Family Tree (B13-2)

1 Gallon of Colonial Cobblestone (B13-3)

1 Gallon of Bull Frog (E10-2)

Not all for the same room of course!

Last night we spent the evening painting! First we tested out which shade would work best between Family Ties and Colonial Cobblestone. (You can also see the Raffia Cream we painted awhile back from left overs from the living room).

Although we love Colonial Cobblestone, it just didn’t feel quite right for our kitchen. Family Tree it is! We had never used Dutch Boy paints so we were thrilled to do a little review of their product! It is always nice for me to evaluate other products and brands so I can inform my readers and clients alike!

Here’s our Review Breakdown: Satin Interior Paint

– Very light and thin paint

– Durable & Low Sheen

– Seems to be pretty good for High Traffic areas (like our kitchen)

– Fabulous for the fact they have no VOC’s… their label is very true!

At first we were a bit nervous having to use two coats and we left it over night to dry so we could assess the “job”. This morning we were pleasantly surprised! We found the walls to look quite consistent and very polished looking. The coverage did just the job!

The only other things we needed to come to grips with was the color we chose. It is indeed a more mocha-gray shade. We made the decision a long time ago that paint is just paint and we can always cover any color up with a new shade. We always like to keep something for awhile because not everything is love at first sight.

This happens to be totally true for this color! We went to bed last night feeling a little unsure of our selection. However, we woke up this morning refreshed with a new perspective! We dashed downstairs to check on our kitchen… and there it was with all its contrasting beauty!

We pretty much are almost at the in love stage with it. I think adding a few accessories and rearranging will do it some good! (Which we will show you along the way). We did add a rug (a twin to the one in our pantry). The jury is still out on the rug… but like everything we will give it a fair shot before we nix it. I love a kitchen rug you can wash… which means it has to be made of cotton or something similar. Natural materials like jute, sisal and sea grass rugs are not the best for “wet zones” like kitchens or bathrooms.

Do you like it with the rug?

So, what do you think? Loving it? Have you recently started preferring darker hues? Maybe it‘s the time of year? What paint brands do you prefer? Do tell!

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Comments

  1. Michaela says

    November 5, 2010 at 9:22 am

    I really like what you’ve done! I think the warm dark color draws your eye in. It feels cozier now! And I can totally relate with you on the not being able to leave rooms alone. I’m an interior design major at Seattle Pacific University right now and I’m already that way! Can’t wait until I have my own house to keep changing it up. So glad I found your bog today, it’s lovely! (:

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 9, 2010 at 9:39 am

      Michaela,

      It does feel very cozy and inviting! We are loving it! Now I just need to find a few accessories (or make them) to go along with the new wall color!!

      Reply
  2. Chrissy says

    November 5, 2010 at 9:57 am

    I love the contrast! It looks great! Dutch Boy paints are wonderful. We purchased them at Menards in MN and used them throughout our old house. They even covered my old pepto pink kitchen great!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 9, 2010 at 9:38 am

      Chrissy~ Thanks! The color has absolutely grown on us and we are delighted about the results!

      Reply
  3. Anita says

    November 5, 2010 at 11:29 am

    I love the contrast in the kitchen! Great color!! I love seeing all the wonderful projects that you have done in your home.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 9, 2010 at 9:38 am

      Thanks Anita!

      Reply
  4. Heidi Elyse says

    November 9, 2010 at 9:13 am

    I love the dark walls with the light cabinets! And as far as Dutch Boy… well, I only fell in love with them 10 years ago, and they keep getting better! I love the new refresh paint, as it totally covered the previous owner’s smoke smelling walls. It worked fantastic. I will say, that I don’t appreciate the rug, ONLY because I am a neutral lover with earth tones. It could work for your color palette taste. I love the texture of it though. Nice work!

    Reply
  5. OwningSingle says

    November 12, 2010 at 12:25 pm

    I personally love the color!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 17, 2010 at 12:42 pm

      Owning Single~ Thanks so much!! The color has grown on us… it is nice to have contrast!

      Reply
  6. Linda says

    November 16, 2010 at 8:23 am

    I love the color; great contrast…the rug color is okay with the right accessories; however maybe the rug should/could be longer or at least larger? just saying….

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 17, 2010 at 12:37 pm

      Linda~ Thanks… the color has grown on us too! We ditched the matching rug… we need one with a rubber backing…

      Reply
  7. joyce small says

    August 10, 2011 at 6:43 am

    Hi Lindsay I love what you ‘ve done to your ktichen.
    I am also in the process of repainting my kitchen/dining room
    as the kitchen opens right into our dining room so
    that the 2 colors I will be using will go good together.
    I have oak cabinets and wood floors and bisque
    appliances. Any suggestions? I am looking
    for tones in shades of soft golds.

    Reply
  8. susie says

    January 15, 2012 at 11:53 pm

    I’m saying keep the rug you need the pop of color ,it does need to be a little larger but I love the paint ! but thats me I have been changing my house every couple years love the challenge of making everything come togeather.

    Reply

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About Me

Hi, I am Lindsay Milner, the designer, fashionista, blogger & mommy behind A Design Story! I am a happy wife & momma that loves all things stylish! I love blogging, interior design, shopping, having fun on the beach, making our house a home, hanging out with family, drinking coffee & running around after our kiddos.

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