It's Great To Be Home

Design Advice: Tiffany’s Tasty Kitchen

Oh goodness, I just love a great kitchen makeover!! When Tiffany wrote in for a little advice in pulling her kitchen together, I jumped at the chance to whip up a design board for Tiffany and her hubby. Here’s what she had to say:

Hello! I just found your blog and I must say, your home is gorgeous! I love love LOVE your kitchen and den! My husband and I are actually in the process of redoing our kitchen, we just purchased new countertops and are in the process of picking out paint colors for our walls and cabinets. My question is, where did you get your backsplash, or, do you have any advice on a backsplash that would look nice with these color countertops . . . Also, if you’re so inclined, I’d love your advice on paint colors (our appliances are white and the floors will be a dark wood). Thanks SO much! ~ Tiffany

Before I fill you guys in on all the design quickie-goodness, here’s what this lovely couple is currently working with (minus the scalloped trim, mismatched trim and tired flooring):

Eeek, I’m so excited!! Talk about great bones, with oodles of ceiling-height cabinets – I’m drooling!! The look that Tiffany is going for is sophisticated yet comfortable, kind of a Restoration Hardware feel. You’ll notice that most of the designs that I’ve come up with incorporate mosaic tiles, which add a layer of texture and interest to the kitchen which is really a nice contrast to the flat cabinet fronts. Okay, here we go!!

Tiffany initially suggested this burnt orange paint color for the walls with off-white cabinets, but was at a loss as to what do to for the backsplash. Take a look at this warm and inviting kitchen that I whipped up, taking into account her suggestions:

[FYI: the paint colors may vary slightly due to your computer monitor, so be sure to check out the paint chips in person!!]

~ Wall Color: Onandaga Clay, Benjamin Moore

~ Cabinet Color: 1812 Swiss Coffee, Behr

~ Backsplash: SOHO BLEND ™ – Kaleidoscope ® Colorways ™ Mosaic Blends, $9.95 per 1.15 square foot

~ Drawer Pulls: Liberty Satin Nickel Stepped Pulls, $34.99 for 8 pulls

~ Cabinet Knobs: Liberty Satin Nickel Stepped Knobs, $27.99 for 8 knobs

Tiffany’s next option has a completely different feel and is chic, sophisticated and airy, with white cabinets, a shimmering glass backsplash and sleek hardware. This look would be fabulous with glass canisters on the countertop and silver accents. While the glass tile is a tad on the expensive side, the effect that it will give the kitchen is priceless.

~ Wall Color: 700E-3 Contemplation, Behr

~ Cabinet Color: W-B-600 Luster White, Behr

~ Backsplash: Easygoing; $15.95 per 0.949 square foot

~ Drawer Pulls: Amerock Manor Pull; $5.97 each

~ Cabinet Knobs: Amerock Manor Knob, Raised Square; $3.97

This stunner incorporates a lot of the same elements as the second kitchen design – white cabinets and sleek hardware, complemented by glass tile. But in this scenario, the glass tile is much more earthy and is set off by olive walls, and also picks up on the wood tones in the flooring. I like to think of it as a more neutral, yet equally interesting, version of the very first design.

~ Wall Color: 760D-5 Shortgrass Prairie, Behr

~ Cabinet Color: W-B-600 Luster White, Behr

~ Backsplash: Ivory Iridescent Glass Mosaic Tile; $8.99 per square foot

~ Drawer Pulls: Amerock Manor Pull; $5.97 each

~ Cabinet Knobs: Amerock Manor Knob, Raised Square; $3.97

And last but not least, Tiffany’s final option is casual and understated, with a backsplash in a classic (and totally affordable) white subway tile, updated with black grout for a little pop and interest. The neutral walls will complement the sand-colored countertops, and the steel blue cabinets provide a great contrast with the more subtle colors in the space. Finally, the sturdy satin nickel hardware will add a little oomph to the flat cabinetry.

~ Wall Color: 730C-1 White Clay, Behr

~ Cabinet Color: 740E-3 Prelude, Behr

~ Backsplash: 3 x 6 glossy white ceramic tiles; Home Depot has them for 21 cents a piece

~ Drawer Pulls: Belwith Satin Nickel Bungalow Pull; $4.97 each

~ Cabinet Knobs: Hickory Hardware Satin Nickel Bungalow Knob; $4.97 each

Thanks to this Design Quickie, Tiffany has four fabulous options that would look dynamite in her kitchen – all she has to do now is choose!! I can’t wait to hear what you guys think (especially Tiffany), and go ahead and fill us all in on which plan is your favorite.

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.

This post is shared with DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land.

Quick Fix: Made-to-Match Mail Slot

Do you remember how funky our front door looked when we bought it? Let me refresh your memory:

Hideous, right?

Well, after we spruced it up and stained it and made it look a little less prison-like, we added some snazzy new hardware to our refurbished front door:

I love the black satin finish of the entry hardware – doesn’t it look rich against the stained door?

When we ordered the hardware for the front door, we were able to pick one finish for the exterior and another finish for the interior – pretty snazzy! That way, the door hardware on the interior could match the satin nickel finish that we have on all of the rest of the door levers throughout the house:

We also picked out a new black mail slot for the front door – unfortunately, we couldn’t pick a different finish for the interior, so we’ve been stuck with this mismatched look in our entryway for the past six months.

After staring at this unsightly sight month after month, I finally decided to take action. I marched into Home Depot and marched out with two cans of magic that were destined to transform our mismatched mail slot into something a little more coordinated. Something a little like this:

Here’s how it all went down:

1. Buy some magic in a can. A full arsenal of spray paint is a must-have for any DIY-er. In this case, I added a metal primer and a brushed metal spray paint to my collection:

The primer wasn’t absolutely necessary since our mail slot doesn’t get a lot of use (or any, actually – we have a mailbox, too), but I decided that a little extra sticking power never hurt anyone.

2. Take it all off. Armed with my handy Phillips-head screwdriver, I tackled the four tiny screws that were holding the interior side of our mail slot into place. The result was none too pretty:

3. Make a work station. Newspapers, drop cloths, whatever you have on hand makes the perfect work station for a spray painting party. I happened to have a random cardboard box lying around so I stuck the screws into the cardboard so that they would stand up and propped open the mail slot with a little stick. MacGuyver would have been proud:

4. Get into prime form. If you thought this project was easy so far, get ready for this step – it’s about to get even easier. Whip out your can of primer spray paint and spray thin coats of primer all over the mail slot (and screws) in thin, quick bursts. I took a little practice shot on the cardboard just to get in fighting form.

5. Give your trigger finger a workout. After you’ve let the primer dry (30 minutes or so should do the trick), it’s time for the star of the show – the brushed metal spray paint. I don’t know of a spray paint that matches satin nickel hardware exactly – that brown undertone is hard to match. Maybe a coat of brown underneath the brushed metal paint would do the trick? If anyone knows, chime in and let us all know!

Anyway, after a few passes with my brushed metal spray paint the mail slot looked like this:

Not too shabby!!

6. Screw it up. Give the schmancy new mail slot some time to dry, then screw it back up and admire. Let’s take another look at that now-matching mail slot:

This was hands-down the easiest project I’ve ever done. And talk about (virtually) instant gratification!! Excluding dry time, this project took about 5 minutes. It doesn’t get much better than that!!

Are you a sucker for spray paint? Fill us in on your favorite project that you tackled with a can of spray paint!

This post is shared with Tales from Bloggeritaville, Blue Cricket Design, The Thrifty Home, We Are THAT Family, and Domestically Speaking.