Kitchen Re-Do

So, one of the things I loved about this house was all the original architectural touches left untouched throughout.    I loved this custom made metal vent hood in the kitchen: the clean lines, the simplicity of it, the bright pop of orange from the vent hood.

But as the tile went up and the color scheme in the house stayed consistent, this orange hood just began to stand out a bit too much.   It may not be obvious in the photo, but the orange did clash with the green tile.   So I decided to neutralize it by painting it black:

I bought one of those paint sample cans and put in 3 coats of black paint.   Yes, it's plain and simple.   And I know lots of you love color... but I think once all the "living" elements of the house are in place---large apothecary jars full of food, bowls and plates, etc---we'll have enough color and warm elements in the house.    So, for now, I am fond of the black vent hood.

I've begun painting the existing kitchen cabinets a steely gray.  They were all beat up wood cabinets (in good shape) that I thought needed some easy updating.  So I filled in the holes with wood putty, sanded them down, painted them with a coat of primer and added two coats of gray flat paint.  I swapped out the old knobs for simple black bronze ones and voila!   New cabinets.

Another shot of the repainted cabinets.   I love how the little black knobs just POP in the kitchen.  It's beginning to take on a cool, industrial look.

And for fun, my new library area in the craft room.   I kept the existing shelves and vintage light fixtures and even rescued the paint splattered ladder for this room.  I'm beginning to stack old books and magazines on the shelves.     Underneath will be going two Smith and Hawken wicker rockers, perfect for relaxing. 

Comments

[TACE]

Wow things are really coming together huh? Is that a sparkle of light at the end of the reno tunnel? haha I really like the look of the black knobs, they do *pop* just like you said. Cool.

[Lisa Demars]

Hey Danny!
your home I love it! I think! its great that we get to see everything that you are doing in your home! I love it all !

[Michael]

i like your decision on the vent hood...the orange was cool...but better in black for the space.

[Kari Kim]

What color is the gray paint? I am about to paint my cabinets and love the clean look of yours. I also am looking to use a low VOC paint.

[recovergirl]

It all looks lovely.

[mel24]

I agree with the black paint on the hood. It looks great. Also love the library shelves. Anything with reading material looks good to me!

[Sonja]

I love what you are doing!!! I love the simplicity of it all - the shelves are great. So many people spend so much money on custom built shelving units and you remind us that brackets and great older wood look even better!!

[gregorytodd]

.....perfect.

thanks for letting us see.....hey, but what about
outside? any thoughts on surrounding yourself with
a permaculture garden? how about a geo-dome greenhouse for winter greens & tropical fruit trees???
(opps, sorry..... MY dream!!!)

8-)

[Vicky]

I had to quit watching shows like "Flip this[that?] House" because they would just tear out perfectly good cupboards and bookcases instead of updating them a bit...grrrr such a waste!!!

[Jeni]

I just want to wish you a happy early birthday (and happy earth day), Danny! I love your work and you are an amazing role model. Thank you for all the wonderful things you teach us and have an amazing birthday! :)

[CondoBlues]

I like how you're refurbishing your cabinets instead of gutting the kitchen/ripping out old but updateable features. I agree with gregorytodd about not watching the "flip" shows. I cringe when I see a DIY show destroy cabinets with a sledgehammer instead of removing them from the wall. Don't they know that if you unscrew the old cabinets from the wall that you can donate them to charity and keep them out of a landfill?

[TACE]

wow, ohhh good I'm not the only one mourning the loss of all the perfectly fine cabinets etc being ripped up and torn out from the decorating shows on tv? Man that drives me bonkers, people taking a sledge hammer to their old doors and walls and cabinets is just nuts. I love all the reusing and fixing up Danny's been doing with his projects. One of the reason I keep coming back!

[Laura]

May I ask why you're using flat paint on cabinets? Is glossy not environmentally friendly? How will you keep them clean with flat paint? All I can think of is grime around the pulls after a year of use.

[Gina]

Definitely agree with painting the hood black. I love orange, but you were right -- it wasn't working with the tile. You are working your hiney off, Danny! Go, go!! If you'd like to come do mine when you've finished...just say the word...

[S.]

It does look better painted black. And I like the matching handles. Nice color for the paint. It's looking really good!

[Samuel]

Looks Kitchen Redoing is great... YOu know guys.. I just renovated my kitchen on demand of my wife too.. And a brand new Black Granite Kitchen with Countertop is there for my wife to work on. She just loved it. (Although it costed me a lot..LOL) . Anyways, quality does come with cost. Now I am just wondering will it remain as glossy & beautiful as it looks for years? Sounds Granite Kitchen Countertops are made for remain same for years..but I just wonder what should be used to clean them...and use as it is. Can anyone suggest me good cleaning tools?