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extrahorizons I forgot to add- we're putting in cherry butcher block for the countertop. Isn't the pink pretty though? :)

mpoulsom I love your color choices. Sounds to me like you know what you are doing. Go with it! I would keep the ironing board cabinet in the warm white as upper cabinets!

Andrea Garrett If I were you, I'd go with the color scheme of a peacock heather (it has that pink too) ...but let me know what you come up with. I'm stuck with "country rose" ceramic tile countertops and I was thinking of going that direction. You could incorporate some jewel tones for "pop" and a bit of art deco to compliment the decade.

decoenthusiaste Your countertops look like Formica to me, although you call them butcherblock. "Instant Granite" might help you change that pink if you don't care for it. Check out rustoleumtransformations.com too.

extrahorizons Oh- the pink countertops? Haha... Yes, they are horrible Formica and are getting switched out for Butcherblock :) We close on the house next week. They have horrible burn gouges, so I decided to replace rather than cover them up. Thanks for the suggestion though!

Rio Brewster The Meditative is actually a warm blue so I think you are OK. You can do an ivory or oyster white and as long as it doesn't skew too yellow you will be in good shape.

Actually a butter yellow would be really nice as an accent.

Where is the beadboard?

bethanyd I would use that color for the top cabinets, and a couple of shades darker for the bottom cabinets. Leave the beadboard and door white. I think a cherry butcher block will compliment the floors nicely and warm up the cool colors. I used sherwin Williams' sea salt on my walls and I love it so much. That's sweet that you are setting up your daughter with a house for college. I think she will learn some important life lessons from that.

bethanyd Or that color on the bottom, and a couple shades lighter on the top, like you said. You got this. ;)

Lori Barber I like where you're going with your color idea's. The butcher block countertop should tie in nicely with the natural wood flooring and compliment the stainless appliances.

I used "pot o cream" from Behr for my wood work and was very happy with it (is the creamy white similar?) I'd get samples of the paints ahead of time and try them out before deciding.

will the butcher block countertop have a backsplash?

Are you going to paint the scallop over the sink to match the upper cabinets? - it is a cute feature. Is this where the beadboard is? I can't tell from the photo.

Have you thought about replacing just a few of the upper cabinet doors with some that have glass inserts - I think it would brighten it up and give it a bit of bling.

Rio Brewster http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/coastal is a nice palette.

There's a SW 6385 Dover White - not sure if it's the same as white dove. There's also 7119 Venetian White. Topsail or Lauren's Surprise for the walls.

I'd go with the white for the tall cabinets also.

mpoulsom A combination of colors that I like with your blue that you picked out is Butter Yellow, Your Blues, and a Darker or Navy Blue together. You could get a fabric roman shade made from those colors in a print and then add the darker blue and yellows in spots!

houssaon I like your choice of SW Meditative for the lower cabinets and a perfect warm white to pair with it is SW7008 Alabaster. The color would look good especially with the butcher block counter tops.

But I would not do Meditative on the wall unless you go all white for the cabinets. See: Joni Spear Interior Design.

Rather I suggest a very light grey like SW7029 Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams See: University.

What a lucky DD!

extrahorizons Thank you SO MUCH for the suggestions. We were starting to doubt our decisions. Yellow is actually going to be our accent color throughout the whole house. Both my DD and I LOVE yellow. I went antiquing this weekend and got some of the neatest yellow vases and creamer/sugar bowls. I will definitely look up the white colors suggested.

The beadboard is the same place as the butcher block, crown moulding, new sink and new faucet - my garage! I'm trying to get everything ready, as we close on the house Dec 14 and my brother should have a few weeks off work to help me install the counters, sink and faucet.

BACKSPLASH- Should I put the butcher block backsplash too? I hadn't planned on it, I was just going to put the beadboard against the butcherblock counter and add a piece of moulding between them if needed.

SCALLOP - Good question! I don't know WHAT color to paint the scallop. I'm wavering between the cabinet color to make it stand out, and the wall color.

I love the idea of glass or plexi glass in the cabinet doors too. We may remove the doors from the cabinet over the stove and use them as open shelving. We're also considering removing the lower shelf from the cabinet over the stove and installing an OTR microwave. The microwave will fit right in the cabinet, so if we cut out the bottom of the cabinet, we can install the microwave right in the opening.

Robin Amorello, CKD CAPS - Atmoscaper Design Hi, You have a lucky child, getting a house for their college years! That being said, you might want to rethink the wood counters, as they will definitely require attention to retain their beauty (Not a priority of most college students ; ) An engineered stone, such as Silestone, Zodiac or Cambria would be entirely maintenance free and still look beautiful when it's time to put it back in the market. Love your color choices by the way and I agree that keeping the ironing board door light is the better choice. Good Luck!

feeny Not sure whether it would go with the yellow accents you like, but BM Sail Cloth is a nice ivory for cabinets and trim. We used it in our kitchen and have been very happy with it. But it is definitely an ivory, not a white. Here's a room with Sail Cloth on the walls and the trim in a pure white, just so you can see how creamy it is. The second picture is of our kitchen with Sail Cloth on the cabinets:

houssaon No to the idea of Butcher block on the backsplash. Keep the era of the home in mind and do a simple subway tile or beadboard.

Really I think you had it together in the begining. I like doing the Meditative on the the lower cabinets, butcher block on the countertops, either subway tile or beadboard on the blacksplash, light gray (my choice) on the walls and white on the upper cabinets and all of the trim, including the scallop.

Beadboard for the backsplash:

extrahorizons Well, everyone has made me feel a lot better! Thanks!!

I know it's going to be a huge job sanding down and repainting these cabinets. They have many layers of paint on them which was sloppily applied. I want this to be neutral enough to appeal to a broad audience when we sell it in 5 or 6 years.

I have really considered the butcher block vs. other hard surfaces. The appeal is the cost. I can buy BB for 400.00 which is about the same as a laminate. I'm going to oil the heck out of them, and whenever I visit oil them again! I decided on oil since you can sand out imperfections and re-oil them again.

I'll post the after when we have it finished. You're going to love the nook with the original bench/table too. I was standing on them when I took the pictures. :)

Brian Gingras If it were my house I would be inclined to gut this kitchen and replace it with a fairly high end ready made cabinet from home depot or Ikea make it look custom with marble or granite counter tops I would also blow out what ever walls that you can to open up the living space for instance into the living and dining room this would modernize the space and add at least 40 to 80 thousand to the resale value of this little house. It would also help you offset the cost of owning this property while the DD is at school. It would cost about 15 to 20 grand to do this modification to the house and give better return on your investment buck. You will walk away from this with money in your pocket instead of a big hole in the pocket book at the end.

Heidi Farrell It sounds like you know what you are doing. Add warmth through the artwork and other kitchen stuff. That is the great thing about kitchens. You can add/change the artwork and canisters and towels to create a different or updated look. Also add greenery, like herbs to create your look.

bethanyd I paint a lot of furniture and also work in a furniture store that sells lots of painted furniture, and from that I have a tip. Before you paint and prime use a coat of shellac or poly acrylic. Then another coat over the paint. I love poly acrylic. It makes the paint wipe able, and will keep light colors from yellowing over time. Sunlight is the main culprit. A little extra work, but it will be worth it. Rent or borrow a paint sprayer. ;)

What's Inside Design Ltd. DD is a very lucky girl to have a house like that for college!!!
Although pixels and pigments don't translate perfectly, by the looks of "Meditative", I'm concerned you're going to get a shock once it's on the lower cabinetry! Colours intensify by 2X from a small paint chip onto an actual surface.
I would recommend Smoked Oyster CL 3143W for the lower cabinets. (Looks pretty grey on the sample, but will be more of a classy "greenblue" on a larger surface! For the your remaining cabinetry I would recommend Lace Falls CLW 1046W. Cloud Nine CL 3141W which is to chips above Smoked Oyster on the colour fan for your walls would be a harmonious choice!
Good luck and have fun!

What's Inside Design Ltd. *two chips above
:)

extrahorizons Thanks What's Inside Design and bethany for the tips! I bought a sample of meditative and you are right. It's at least 2 shades darker. Im painting a poster board to see how it will look. Where do you buy the CL paints? Is it Color Life? I will probably splurge and get really good paint for the cabinets since they take more abuse.

I had never heard of spraying a poly on before the paint, so thanks for the tip!

Karen Viscito Interiors I used a color that is very close to BM's Hearthstone, 1601 for this island. The perimeter cabinets are a very light shade of gray, but they read as white. Photo is not doing the color proper justice, it seems to photograph even bluer.

Benjamin Moore's Satin Impervo is what I have used to paint cabinets in the past, it gives an excellent finish and they are very durable.

Anna Asiala I agree with What's Inside Design Ltd., the color will look much more intense once it's painted on. Unless you like a more vibrant color, I would suggest going with a grey with blue undertones. If you're looking for a Sherwin Williams color, Mineral Deposit is very nice. I painted my master bedroom in that color, and it's beautiful and sophisticated. (Also, if you're unsure of a color, Sherwin Williams offers $5 sample quarts. For minimal cost, you can get a much better idea of how the color will look. And that quart goes a LONG way!)

I think the beadboard would look lovely, but have you considered other options? You could do a really lovely mosaic tile that brings out the colors of the room. Perhaps one with some grey-blue specks/veining (the cabinets) and/ or brownish specks/veining (the floors/ counters)? Tile would help to vary the textures and finishes in the room. My only concern with beadboard is its durability in the kitchen. You can find some nice affordable tile at Home Depot or Lowes, or many tile stores often have discount tile for VERY good prices!

I also think that you could do a straight grey on the walls (so it doesn't feel like TOO much blue). Sherwin Williams Zircon or Knitting Needles are both beautiful greys. I have two rooms in my house painted those colors and they look gorgeous! (Zircon is lighter and a little cooler, so it probably would look better in your kitchen) Also, all of the colors I have suggested are cooler colors, and we have an off-white trim all throughout the house, so I think you could definitely do a warmer white/ off-white! It will keep the space from feeling too cool. (The butcher block counters and the dark wood floors will help with that too!)

My last suggestion is to paint the upper cabinets, the wall above, and the crown moulding/ trim the same color, and in addition to the crown moulding, some small decorative trim either a few inches above the top of the upper cabinets, or a few inches below the crown moulding (do this only on the part of the walls above the cabinet). This will make the room appear taller, and give the illusion that the upper cabinets are taller than they actually are! The additional trim wouldn't cost much extra, but it would give more impact! Good Luck!!!

extrahorizons Thanks so much to everyone for all the awesome suggestions. I'm really getting excited about this project. I've never had a "play" house before

Rose Construction, Inc. Don't know what they were thinking years ago, with all the pink bathrooms and now I see your pink countertop. I like the kitchen, but I would definitely change countertops - white with dark streaks in solid surface material would be nice. Calacatta Cloud by Stone City would look awesome. This material is a marble, but there are similar "patterns" in man-made solid surface countertops.

What's Inside Design Ltd. My apologies! I grabbed my CL colour deck instead of my SW colour deck! (I answered your question at 6am before my coffee) ;)
They are still beautiful colours....
you can always check them out and have them colour matched if you like them!
Good luck with the rest of your project!

Aegean-Designing Whims I really like your choices. You've done a great job. I'm attaching a photo of my kitchen "update"' new appliances and older painted cabinets.

Aegean-Designing Whims I really like your choices. You've done a great job. I'm attaching a photo of my kitchen "update"' new appliances and older painted cabinets. Chrysteen, Aegean Designing Whims

bdennison Good Mom! My son bought a fixer upper and we re-did his kitchen together. Good bonding experience. Not so much fighting like redecorating with a husband..lol. I hope you and DD have a great time with the new place . I love your color choices and can't wait to see the "afters"

nevadan Number one, that's not a 1930's kitchen. It's a 1950's kittchen. Just thought you might want to know.

feeny I suspect that the shaker pantry cabinets in the second picture around the fridge are original to the house (c. 1930) and that all the flat panel cabinets in the main section of the kitchen around the sink are, as nevadan notes, from the 1950's. We had a similar mishmash in our kitchen before we renovated it, with 3 or 4 of the wood cupboards in the shaker style and original to our late 1920's house, and the rest in 1940's or 50's flat panel (though in our case the flat panel cabinets were metal). But your kitchen blends the two styles together much better than ours did!

extrahorizons Hmm, interesting. I did wonder why the doors were flat paneled on some, and shaker style on the others. I even thought of possibly adding shaker trim to the flat panels, but they are rounded on the edges and it wouldn't look right. Now I'm wondering if the bench and table in the nook is from the 50s as well. The top of the table has some sort of formica, so maybe it isn't from the 30s either. I'm glad they aren't metal though!

extrahorizons Chrysteen, I LOVE the rugs in your kitchen. Those are so neat. Where did you buy those? Or were they custom?

Aegean-Designing Whims You can get them from Ballard Designs. They're called La Poem, or if you can't get them through them, we can probably order them for you. Let me know. Chrysteen

kathleen MK Definitely get sample paints and test large sample cards over a couple days to see how the changing light affects the color. I got that paintable beadboard wallpaper to test samples when we painted our kitchen. In a small space I'd keep all the cabinets the same light color(creamy white or pale gray) and fairly neutral if you plan on reselling soon. The walls and beadboard could carry more color which would be easier to change along with the accent pieces like your yellow pottery. Test your colors against those pieces you love and the counter tops.
If the current plain white finish is in good shape, could a glaze be the easier way to add color ?

Nancy Auman We just painted our kitchen Sherwin Williams Halcyon Green SW6213. It is a gorgeous color and very warm looking. After several paint swatches on the wall, this one was the best color. It is blue with a very warm tone to it. I would keep the wall and base cabinets the same color because the room is not very big. Keep it light also. I would do the trim a bright white so your colors will pop.

extrahorizons I want to thank EVERYONE for your awesome suggestions. We decided to go with a gray on the walls as recommended. My daughter picked out the fun fabric for the benches, and we're currently sanding down the cabinets. Wow- They. Are. Nasty.

Notes from me: If you decide to paint cabinets, remove the hardware first! :) I had to cook all of the hardware in the crockpot overnight and then scrape the paint off. It took my husband hours to remove the doors since he had to scrape the paint off first. This did allow me to steel wool the cabinet pulls and get off the bit of rust that were on some of them, they turned out really nice.

And- if your kids spill food on the cabinet doors, wipe it off. Gross.

And- don't use FLAT paint on cabinets. What in the world were the POs thinking?

All of the paints we chose are the Martha Stewart colors... See below!

mairie Would love to see the 'after' photos. What fun colors!

Sandra Kerouac my bedroom I bought gray and light light yellow accesorys what color should I paint the walls?

Sandra Kerouac my bedroom set is Brown antique and wood floors Brown moca

Rio Brewster Sandra - why don't you start an new design dilemma thread for this? And post photos.

Rustica Hardware I attached some different woods used in butcher block counter tops so you can see the colors. Good luck!