YELLOW.

Though I'm incredibly drawn to its vibrant properties, yellow's a color I rarely use. It's a tricky one. But look how gorgeous it can be when it's actually done well:

You see, a room doused in bright yellow paint hardly ever translates to the happy, lively hue the painter was in search of. It often has the opposite effect--making a space feel muddy and dull. So, being the empowering color that yellow is, it's best used in smaller-scaled doses...scattered throughout a room as an accent. And repetition is absolutely key if you're wanting to accomplish just what you were hoping to with that can of yellow paint. Used smartly, accents of yellow draw you in, and bathe a room in sunshine, which is what most people are searching for in those yellow paint swatches!

Happy yellow.
HAPPY THURSDAY.

Almost: The Kitchen.

So, our kitchen has been quite the time (and money) consuming task as of late. If your recall, this is what it looked like when we bought the house (please excuse the working mess) :

It's very much the reason I fell in love with the house. It had the good bones...a terra cotta tile floor...huge windows that crank open...and space for our heirloom butcher block. And that's all that really mattered in my book. The rest I could work with. And that, my friends, is what we've been doing.

I actually really love the dated cabinetry (gasp...I know...a huge faux pas in today's design book). But here's the thing: they're custom; they extend all the way to the ceiling and are finished with crown molding; they're simple and plain; and someone painstakingly created them by hand, just for that kitchen, 50 years ago. I cherish those stories, and the time and effort that person put into their design. What I didn't cherish was their ultra-white paint job and that glaring black hardware. So Maple and I painted them this color by Sherwin Williams (who's always having major paint sales, by the way):

Yes, maybe it's a bit daring. But that's me...and my design style--always looking to break the norm. Life's too short to be boring, in my book at least. It's really the perfect concoction of gray and brown--just what I was seeking. It's warm, and inspiring, and disguises the imperfections and stains that are pretty much inevitable in our no-holds-barred cooking environment. Best of all? It melds perfectly with the tones of the countertop (which we so badly want to replace but must keep for a bit) and the orange tones in the terra cotta flooring. 

Here's a glimpse of the result, but please be forgiving. She's far from being done:

 See the exposed wood on the side of the slanted pantry? 

It, of course, was slathered in laminate and will soon be sanded and painted.

The new cabinet color doesn't perfectly suit the outdated stove. Instead it makes it pop. But that's ok for the time being.Just imagine in it's place a stainless, slide-in gas range. 

Someday...hopefully relatively soon.

Lots of sweat still to be shed, but she's getting there at least. See that miserable gray backsplash? It's vinyl paper. Sweet--or not at all. We're still taking that down, but of course it's not as simple as peeling it's misery away. There's laminate underneath, which extends behind the counters, so that's a chore in itself. Soon, though, that will all be painted white. And someday, when the budget allows, it will be marble, or something of the likes. Not only do the walls need work, but so do the facades of the cabinet. We've chosen the hardware, we simply need to find the time to install them all. The walls will get coated with a warmer shade of white that works with the existing tones, and the windows will be outfitted with simple roman shades that are in keeping with the plain cabinetry. I really wanted to work with the vintage charm of the kitchen instead of glossing it over and trying to pretend it's brand new. That's simply not my style.

Last, but quite far from being least--the dishwasher went out a few days ago. It's probably 10 years old, and a base model GE. Instead of replacing the pump and still loathing it's appearance and terrible washing and drying perfomance, we decided to replace it. Lowe's had this sleek, plain-front Whirlpool super duper on sale, and I scored a $600 dishwasher with three sprayers and an adjustable top rack for just over $400.  

And, while I was perusing the back-aisle of major deals....guess what else I spied:

This beauty, which a customer had special ordered and decided to return. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it, except that it didn't suit that person's taste as well as they'd hoped. What was originally a $1400, 4-burner, slide-in gas range was marked down to $1053. And, in conversing with the sales guy, I talked him into marking it down 15% from that already-slashed price. I was ready. Maple was on board. We were going to take the plunge. After all, we'd allocated some funds to replace the miserable glass top we're currently stuck with. And then I felt selfish, because Maple wants a boat (although he does very much want a gas range, too). And we want to build our patio. And plant a few trees. And build an outdoor oven and grill. And buy window treatments. And my word, that checklist goes on and on. So I left her behind...which is so hard for me to do when I know she was pretty much the best deal of the century. But, I don't need her to be happy, and that's pretty much that.

Anyway, I thought it was time to give you a glimpse at the little bit of progress we've made in the house. It was hard for me to do; for some reason I'm entirely too reluctant to let people in on the imperfect state of our house. But it was time to get real...so I hope you've enjoyed :)

Finally...our color palette.

So...designing your house is horrible. It's terrible. It is so dang difficult. I can help other people with not even an ounce of hesitation...no problem...at all.  And I love doing that. But my own house? Ohhh has it been rough. I guess there's just too many things I love...too many design styles I love...to many fabrics, colors, pillows, rugs....you name it...that I love. It's been interesting...and pretty slow going. But I'm realizing patience is a virtue for good reason, and I have to be okay with the fact that snapping my fingers, no matter how hard I close my eyes and no matter how much sugar I plead to sprinkle on top...will not get the job done.

Anyway, Maple and I have accomplished a great feat that will *hopefully* help pull the rest of the house together a bit more easily: a color palette. And my gosh, was that a task. But we did it...and I love it. And yes, I am second guessing it...but maybe that's because there is nothing in any of the rooms but paint, and looking at looming bare walls of paint can be a bit overwhelming. So, anyway, we wanted warm, cozy neutrals that were still a bit daring. (Yes, that sounds like an oxymoron.) As much as I love white walls, we wanted to step outside that comfort zone. And, we don't want our house to look like everyone elses...or the trends of the time. So, we went with warm browns and grays and are accentuating them with white, black, and some random pops of color through textiles.

So, here you have it...the color palette we've finally decided upon that will be incorporated (somehow, someway) in every room of the house. The walls won't all be the same color, but we'll be pulling in each of these hues to give the house a good, free-flowing feel. By no means do I want every room to look the same, but I also don't want it to be distracting or too busy by not being cohesive.

There you have it: the three main hues we're working with...each from *Sherwin WIlliams.  And below those colors are a few inspiration photos I've pulled to give you a good idea of what I have in mind for those shades of gray and brown! What do you think? Can't wait to show you how it's all panning out. So far, our living room/dining room/entry way combo is painted curio gray. The kitchen cabinets are getting coated in urbane bronze, the hallway is worldly gray, the laundry room is white, and the den will be a combination of white and urbane bronze. Oh, and several of our interior doors are getting slathered with urbane bronze. I kind of, sort of, maybe really love that color :)


*Yes, Sherwin Williams can be a bit expensive, but they've been running amazing 30-40% off deals on all their paint the last few weekends. If you've got some painting projects lined up that you're wanting good-quality paint for, it's worth looking into when their sales will be and planning your paint-buying around them. And, another hint--you're paying for the paint itself, not the colors. So, if you're undecided on paint colors but want to take advantage of the discount, buy the untinted paint and simply have them tint it (there's no cost for that) when you're ready!

So...it's Friday. I hope it's perfectly lovely for you. Mine will be busy, busy...but so fun. Maple and I are gearing up to build (yes...I said build) our dining table and built-in bench and finish up some much-needed painting, as we're hosting a dinner group at our house next weekend.

Eeek. Anyhow...happy Friday, and happy weekend.