White kitchen cabinets are not for everyone

Shortly after my recent post about working with oak cabinets, I had some friends over and we started talking about how we all love white cabinets like we see in some many homes and inspiration pictures today. (Yes, of course it's normal to start talking about cabinets at a party!)  I am hoping to paint my own cabinets this year.  The current wood tone is fine, but combined with wood floors in the same tone and not much light coming in, the kitchen is very dark and I keep the light on in there all day just to make it feel brighter. 

But, white cabinets are not for me.  Yes, I LOVE the light and bright look of white cabinets, but with all of the warm tones in my home, I need to go with more of an off white/creamy tone to achieve the look without it looking stark like a bright white would.  My parents had the same issue in their home and were ready to paint, so I searched for a great paint color that would work with warm tones and still give them the light, bright kitchen cabinets they wanted.  I found some warm, creamy white options.

 

Sherwin Williams Moderate White

 

 

Sherwin Williams Antique White

 

Source:  The Inspired Room

 

 

Sherwin Williams Softer Tan

 

 

Benjamin Moore Linen White

Source: Garden Web

 

Benjamin Moore Marscapone

source:  unknown

 

Benjamin Moore Acadia White

 

 

 

 

So, which one was the winner for my parent's kitchen?  Let's take a quick look at a before picture.  Sorry for the terrible "in progress" phone picture.

 



 

 

And the after, with the cabinets painted Sherwin Williams Softer Tan. WOW, right?  And my mom even painted them completely on her own!

 

 

If you look above at the swatch of Softer Tan, you would likely think it is waaaaay to dark  because it looks very tan, but I convinced my mom to get a sample of this color knowing that it is much lighter when painted on walls and furniture.  The Light Reflective Value of this color is 62 meaning that it will reflect more light back into the room (any value over 50 indicates that the color is lighter and brighter), But I'll leave the details of light reflective value and how it can help you for another day.

 

So, are you on Team white cabinets or do you love the look of wood in the kitchen?  If you've painted your cabinets, tell us what color you chose! I'm leaning towards using Softer Tan in my own home, but will let you know what I choose as soon as I'm ready to paint.

 

In addition to Home Staging, I offer Color Consultation services.   If you need help choosing paint colors and want to avoid the hassle and expense of trying out 800 different samples, contact me- I can help!

 

Xo,

Jeanne

 

 



 

Pottery Barn Look 4 Less!

Happy Monday and thanks again for all the love by following my blog!   Today, while I am putting some final touches on my office, I am recapping a Pottery Barn Look for Less I did a few days ago on my Facebook page.

 You may have noticed that Indigo is a current color trend seen in Pottery Barn, West Elm, Home Decorators, etc.  Most of the home décor magazines coming in my mailbox are featuring shades of this gorgeous hue in home accessories.

source: indulgy.com

 

 

source:  West Elm

 

I absolutely love this color, but like most of us, can't justify spending a ton of money on new accessories. (i.e. husband will go crazy if I keep spending on accessories) So when I came across this Pottery Barn image, I knew I could DIY it for less to show you how to add some of this color in your home on the cheap! Let me show you how easy it is.

These beautiful Ikat prints can be purchased at Pottery Barn for $159 each.  I created a similar look using a $9.99 Ikea Ribba frame and pieces of Indigo Ikat fabrics behind the glass to create a look for less.  Each fabric choice you see here is about $5- $15 per yard and you would only need about a half a yard for each picture. Easy and cheap! (a.k.a. keeping hubby happy!)

 

You could add one or two of these prints in just about any room or use several to create a gallery wall in the bedroom, living room, hallway or entryway like the Pottery Barn look shows.  I am thinking of adding two in my powder room for a nice pop of color as well as creating a few to use in homes that I stage that have a room needing artwork/color on the wall. The great thing about these is that if you get tired of the print, you can easily remove the fabric and choose any other fabric and print and change the look. 

 

Have you been noticing the blue/indigo trend?  Thought about adding it in your home?  If you did, give me the deets...how and where did you use it? 

 

Xo,

Jeanne



 

 

 

Welcome to ReStyle Home Staging!

Welcome and thanks for taking a moment to check out my new blog- I'm glad you're here!  If you follow my Facebook page, you already know that I recently turned my obsession with Interior Decorating and DIY projects into a career by becoming an Accredited Home Staging Professional and starting my own staging and color consultation business- ReStyle Home Staging!

I am beyond excited to start sharing my home staging adventures with you as well as ideas that you can use in your own home to make it reflect your style on a budget.  My own home is a mix of items from stores like Pottery Barn and West Elm as well as Goodwill and Craigslist finds that I've made over and I LOVE the challenge of taking an existing piece of furniture or accessory and reusing or restyling it in a different way to work for your home.  I hope you'll follow along with me as I share my ideas. 

If you plan to sell your home and/or know a realtor that would like to get their listings sold faster and for top dollar, please share my information.  I'd love to show them how I can help! There are so many advantages of staging a home on the market.  Think about this....if you've been in the market for a new home, where did you start your search?  Online, right?  Would you jump at the chance to see this home after seeing this kitchen in the listing photos?

Only 10% of home buyers can see what a home "could be", so 90% of the people who view this listing photo would just move on.  In the case of this kitchen, just completing some major decluttering and adding in some color through minimal accessories would create a much better first impression and give the potential buyer the feeling that the home is well cared for. Notice, I did not even mention painting or changing out the oak cabinets.  There is a lot that can be done to restyle this space without the investment of changing the cabinets.   Here is a great example:

source: Remodelaholic

In this kitchen, bronze hardware was added to the oak cabinets and pops of turquoise and yellow were used in accessories maintaining a clean, uncluttered look.  What a difference!

I'll be using my blog to share more ideas like this one that apply to staging a home for sale, making your home your own, DIY restyle ideas and more.  I hope you'll continue to follow me and share your comments too!  I love hearing your thoughts!

Xo,

Jeanne