my kitchen colors

menagerie mama · Dec 15, 2005

Ok, so now that I have a bunch of extra time on my hands, I feel the need again to "make a change." By this, this time, I mean redecorate! DOWNSIZING, if you will. Declutterizing....(New word?) I have been going through my kitchen boxing up some unnecessary stuff...who needs 3 star shaped cake pans anyway? And "Egg Wave?" What was I thinking? Anyway, making room in the cupboards, and where did all the containers go that match these lids?

That escalated to the counter tops, which I decided were entirely too crowded, so in the boxes went most of that stuff. The walls I'm leaving for now. It was all mainly farm-ish type stuff, but I want to do something different. I just can't seem to think of anything. Every other room I'm happy with, but kitchens mystify me. I'm barely ever in there so I don't want to go too overboard, but make it look homey. I'm horrible at picking out curtains, so i just have blinds for now. No painting either, just white walls are good enough. (Maybe) I don't want to do the fruit thing or the wine thing, I just don't know. Any ideas? I was thinking about a sort of country cat theme, but man, I don't need anymore attention drawn to them if you know what I mean!

By the way, how DO I make my thread subject bold so it stands out and draws your attention and lures you to want to read it?

sweetiecat3 · Dec 15, 2005

If you want that kind of feeling, putting nice things, such as little sculptures or things like that (small) or jam jar or something on top of the cabinets, or wine, if your cabinets don't go up to the ceiling. Also, flowers always brighten up a room. If you can, fresh fruit in a basket would give it a nice homey country, warm welcoming feeling. As for de-cluttering, I would suggest packing away stuff you haven't used in 2 or 3+ years. And anything you think looks nice, you can always display on the counters! And actually, those star cake pans may look nice leaned up against the the wall on the counter. And especially with no curtains, the room will look plain. Try your best picking some out. Make it a warm-toned color, like a soft country red plaid or maybe a nice pine green with some type of pattern...? Also, instead of fluorescent lighting if that's what you have, a regular lightbulb would give it a warm touch. And remember--clutter free is impossible, but less clutter is always nice. I just know this stuff because I cleaned up my kitchen a little while ago, and now I love it!!

Well there's my 2 cents, take it or leave it I don't care.

GOOD LUCK with the kitchen!!!!!

menagerie mama · Dec 15, 2005

sweetiecat3 said:
Well there's my 2 cents, take it or leave it I don't care.

QUOTE]

Harsh, sweetiecat3. Very harsh....J/K...

It happens that I take the advice on the curtains. BUT I need a theme first. I don't really care for "hodge-podge" decorating. My living room is a cabin, my bathroom is a garden, my bedroom is a red feng-shui friendly pit of passion(

not lately) so I need another theme. My only hogde-podge room is my cat/computer/office/putting on make-up, doing my hair room. It's my catch all room, and it's hopeless.
I think I may be going a bit far with this. I just vacuumed under the stove for Heaven's sake. But my cats are happy cuz I found a ton of glitterballs.

Now I'm off to alphabetize my fridge word magnets....

doc-n-samsmom · Dec 16, 2005

Oh the dreaded kitchen ....ok, I've done my kitchen twice, and here's the thing, or my thing anyway, I hate HATE HATE clutter on my counters, so of course all toasters, irons, mixers, etc. gets jammed underneath. As far as changing your look, paint is cheap and goes a long way. Home depot has a interactive tool on their website that allows you to play around with color choices, it's really neat.

maverick_kitten · Dec 16, 2005

best bit of decorating advice i've ever had was 'display things that are beautiful, conceal things that are not'

fwan · Dec 16, 2005

as far as it goes,
Paint your walls an apricot colour, its light and it gives a warm touch to the room
Donate things you do not want anymore!
If you plan on keeping some of the clutter, try to pack it up nicely and store it in the pantry, Then again first you need to clean out the pantry to chuck out old food

Just have your coffee machine or kettle on the counter with a few cat ornaments and then your kitchen is done!

pushylady · Dec 16, 2005

I know you said you don't want to paint, but it really will make all the difference. It's relatively cheap too. I've tried the Home Depot colour tool, it's pretty cool. Other companies have them too. Check out Benjamin Moore's or Behr's website to give you some colour scheme ideas. And curtains will pretty the place up quickly too! It's not that hard! C'mon it's fun! You get to choose whatever colours you want!

menagerie mama · Dec 16, 2005

That's the thing...I forgot to tell you. I have this 50's-70's countertop that is AQUA....

I mean, usually I don't notice it anymore with my counters full of stuf, but since I declutterized, it's more noticeable. What color could I paint the walls that won't horridly clash with ...AQUA?

rockcat · Dec 16, 2005

Originally Posted by Doc-n-SamsMom

Oh the dreaded kitchen ....ok, I've done my kitchen twice, and here's the thing, or my thing anyway, I hate HATE HATE clutter on my counters, so of course all toasters, irons, mixers, etc. gets jammed underneath. As far as changing your look, paint is cheap and goes a long way. Home depot has a interactive tool on their website that allows you to play around with color choices, it's really neat.

I agree. WHY are the bottom cabinets 2' wide? Imagine if they were 3' wide? We could have little sliding doors on the countertop 1' from the wall to hold (and hide) all our small appliances. Of course, electrical outlets would be in the wall behind each appliance. It would be so convenient and unclutter so much...if women designed kitchens... (no offense, gentlemen. I just happen to be a woman)

fonzi · Dec 16, 2005

COOL~I like the the way things were back then the 50's etc.. How about like a mocha color for the walls..I think it would go good with your color counter tops..

kittycity · Dec 16, 2005

When in doubt, accessorize.

Try looking for a cool ethnic or folk-type patterned rug in colors that would go with an aqua countertop. Colorful crockware, tin boxes, baskets, etc. are decorative and can also be used to store stuff. One cool piece of artwork - a nifty clock, a tile, a wire sculpture or something - can really make a difference on your wall or countertop.

I agree with the rest of the posters - you should find a new color for your walls. Anyplace like Home Depot or wherever will give you advice and you can always take home a bunch of color chips to see what might work best.

I have an idea for your window coverings - matchstick shades. They come in natural colors, have a nice texture and aren't overly fussy-looking or expensive. You can just roll 'em right up during the day.

I just realized all my suggestions are leaning toward the ethnic-funky-crafty look. Hmm- I guess that would be my suggested theme.

Anyway, keep us posted about your progress!

menagerie mama · Dec 16, 2005

I'm finding out that I really like being almost clutter-free! With me, 7 cats and 2 dogs, it can get crowded, especially if stuff is all over the place. My kitchen is almost done with the declutterizing, just have to dust now. Maybe I'll paint ONE wall. I have that look in my bedroom and living room, and I really like it. My kitchen is small so I don't want to go too dark or it will create a smaller effect. Maybe a pretty light yellow? I'm not a yellow person...I like the apricot idea.

fwan · Dec 16, 2005

CHOCOLATE BROWN!!!!! i saw it on tv! odd as it sounds
Just paint bits and pieces of your walls in chocolate brown

menagerie mama · Dec 16, 2005

Mmmmm, chocolate brown....that may leave a subliminal message to eat chocolate!

fwan · Dec 16, 2005

so? lol you can also think of it as poop

menagerie mama · Dec 16, 2005

Oh now THAT'S all I need! MORE poop in this house!

laureen227 · Dec 16, 2005

i'd paint the room in an aqua shade - not the exact same as the counters, but either lighter or darker. but then - i like blue. my whole house is blue - the kitchen, dining & living rooms are light blue, & the bedroom & den are dark blue. my trim is white. i have a cat theme thru the entire house [it's quite a small house - 927 sq feet]. 4 of the rooms have cat wallpaper borders. the kitchen has lots of cat stuff, too.
if you don't want the walls aqua, maybe a seafoamy green would look nice...orange [& peach] is a complementary color to blue, so the walls would really stand out in a peach or apricot color. the chocolate brown would make the room seem larger, to some extent - dark walls recede. what color are you cabinets?
i think going to the home depot 'try a color' website would be a good idea 'cause you can try different combinations with the aqua to see what looks best to you.

laureen227 · Dec 16, 2005

i went to the home depot place i linked to, & it's really neat. i tried selecting an aqua shade as the main color, & they'll show you coordinating palettes, or you can add colors you think will look good. you should try it - it was fun!

menagerie mama · Dec 16, 2005

The cabinets are blonde, with big round silver 70's knobs!

laureen227 · Dec 16, 2005

Originally Posted by menagerie mama

The cabinets are blonde, with big round silver 70's knobs!

well, blonde is pretty neutral, & you can always change the hardware... i wish mine were blonde! or you could whitewash them to lighten/modernize the color a bit...

my kitchen colors

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