Color Chic

After... and Before. A Kitchen Remodel

This project consisted of taking out a wall between the kitchen and great room, tearing out most of cabinets and reconfiguring them. It was necessary to add an additional four cabinets in the new layout. The coffee / wine bar  was previously the desk and catch-all space. The tile behind the buffet appears lighter, but it is actually the same as behind the 66" range.

I wished I had taken more before photos, but I didn't wish to impose on the owners. It was a challenging project, but one of the most rewarding. 

A Tiny House...

Actually it's a "Tiny Apartment"! But before I get into that I thought I might explain why I have been absent from this site and basically it's quite simple: I was exhausted! Renovating a house can take a lot out of a person, and not having it completely perfect was a challenge, especially when I want perfection and perfection takes time! I tend to be critical of the work I do, always striving for perfection and not wanting to share something less. It's something I have had to get over! I'm actually quite happy with the work we have done, taking a tired old house and bringing fresh, new life to it!

Rebecca at Simply Made requested to use a photo from the craft room showing the Sherwin Williams Color: Veiled Violet (you'll find it at the bottom of this post). This was the nudge I needed to get back into blogging about all the wonderful color around me! I couldn't have people coming from her site seeing my tired old blog! 

So, come on up this brightly painted staircase:

You'll find the Sherwin William colors I used in this previous post!

Come on in! It's pretty compact, but well laid out!

 The Bedroom.

The Kitchen.

 

The Living Room. Perfect chairs from Fred Meyer!

The Bath & Shower. Cute shower curtain from Target!

This is a little walk-in closet, that's big enough for a dresser!

This space may not be very big, but everyone that comes up here loves it! To quote my neighbor "Oh man if I had a space like this when I was young and single...!"

A Fresh Look....

with new color palette!

As you know I spent hours trying to find the perfect new colors for our interior. At first I treated this project like anyone might... simply by wanting a certain color. Well my certain color was gray, and I thought if I picked the right shade it would work... Not! 15 samples later I decided it was time to treat the project like I do with my clients, I gathered my carpet sample, a pillow from the sofa and went into another room and sat down with my paint chips; after all I wouldn't be replacing either of these items and the color I selected had to work well with both. The challenge of it all was finding a color that worked with my carpet, it has a yellow-peachy undertone you don't notice with the right color. With the wrong color... gasp... it looks horrible!  Treating the project like a professional, selecting the perfect color was easy, I went right to it.  The main color wasn't what I thought I would end up with, but it's perfect and I love it! 

I used Sherwin Williams Duration Home Paint with a matte sheen, this finish is one step up from flat and I love it!  As I said I went through several samples and the main colors I ended up with were on card D19/3 from Miller, so it was necessary to color match.  The living room and entry are color Montezuma...

 

With SW 6395Alchemy as the ancent wall on dining room wall next to the kitchen...

The wainscotting in the entry is a shade darker than the Montezuma; Garden Hedge.  Notice the need for new scones...

As you look though the entry you see the family room, as well as the hallway upstairs and down the lighter shade: Bleached Meadow. This color is very light but the family room is on the north side of house with little natural light.  The accent color is 80% of SW 6249 Storm Cloud...

  
What I love about the Bleached Meadow is I'm able to have splashes of color throughout the house, without them competing. SW 6606 Coral Reef in one guest room...

Swanky Gray SW 6261 in other guest room...

The sunroom also got a fresh coat of paint as the sun had faded the walls...

I'm definitely not afraid of using color, it just has to be the right color! And my painters did an awesome job getting the job done! Thanks Academy Award Painters!

Finding the Perfect Color...

It's easier to find the perfect shade of color when working with a blank canvas. But it's a bit of a challenge when working with furniture and carpet that really worked with the color you're trying to get rid of. 

And it's not that I didn't like what I did in the first place, but it's been five years and well in my family that might as well be eternity! Some of us like to change color often (rotating through your home, painting a room every 3-4 months). Others like myself typically paint at least 1 room each year, sometimes 2 (rooms that is). OK so last year I painted 3 rooms; the master suite, playroom and guest room.  I digress.  I really have spent the good part of the weekend trying to find just the right color for a new look.  I love color and certain rooms in my home are bursting with color so it's important to get the right neutral to pull all the colors together.

And I need to find just the right accent to give the room a bit of a jolt!

 I may have found it... 

What do you think?

Now I just hope the painters show up later this week. They have a lot of work to do!

Love the New Workspace...

Remember when I mentioned I was getting new cabinets?  Well they're here, installed and I'm loving them! The cabinets are from Canyon Creek a company I use exclusively. The door style is Valley Forge and the color is a new one "Icing"! A very fitting name as I feel like these cabinets are "the Icing on the cake" when it comes to my workspace.
The countertops are from IKEA.  It's a bar size cut down so I could have a shelf for computer and other items I wanted to keep off the desk top.  I love that the desk is standard countertop height, therefore allowing me to stand when I work.
I added cork above the shelf to keep track of important things!  I probably should have been wearing a mask when I installed it using a very large amount of toxic contact cement.
And to complete the look I added these fabulous glass knobs from Anthropologie!
Did I mention how happy I am with this space?  It's a good thing because I spend a lot of time here!

 

An Eclectic Style...

Typically I do posts on Arlene's home around the holidays because she goes all out in decorating every corner of every room.  Check it out HERE! But that's not the only time her home looks amazing because her home is her passion. She's constantly moving furniture, painting a room (I think her place is actually smaller due to the amount of paint on the walls) or just moving around accessories until they are perfect. Her style: Eclectic! And every corner of every space is perfect!

Here's a glimpse to how it looks this week: Peaking into the Living room from the Dining area...

Notice the Sunroom beyond the sliding glass door...

It's made cozy for the cold winter month's...

And that room beyond the french doors is her den...

Her comfortable bedroom...

The Kitchen & Bathroom... Well just take my word they're just as fabulous!

 

Tenant Improvement... more!

As promised a few more photos of the Tenant Improvement project we've been working on over at Pence NW.

This space has great hallways that lead to individual offices:

 

The conference room is large and is in center of space:

 

The clients had a very strong opinion of color used in the space. The chose Sherwin Williams SW6113 Interactive Cream as main color. 

Accent walls were either SW 6192 Coastal Plain:

 

or SW 6102 Portobello:

 

And some chose both colors as accent walls:

 

The clients are very happy with this space... which is most important at Pence NW!
 

A Black & White Kitchen - Timeless

While I love color... There's something about the color black... It's so classic!  I'm reposting my kitchen to take part in Timeless Tuesday!

 

The countertops are soapstone at perimeter with honed marble tiles for island.  Yes, a big slab of honed marble would have been lovely but it wasn't in the budget! 

  

While Carrara marble will definitely stain and scratch I love the patina added through time. 

 

The backsplash is tumbled bluestone. With a splash of color added!

 

And that would be lemon infused vodka for Lemon Drops!

Craft room - A Make Over!

I realized yesterday that I had gotten a little side tracked at "ColorChic" and needed to get back to Work and let you know what JW Design has been up to! 

Last October Amber decided she was ready for a Craft Room Make-over... Looks like a lot of energy going on in that place.  

Amber is always working on something, mostly being a great mama, but when she has the time she spins, knits, scraps, sews, etc, etc.. and was ready to get herself organized. We started with a great plan, one very detailed to make sure she had room for everything: 

She painted over the green, I really must get the name of it from her. I know it came from Sherwin Williams. It's so clean, fresh and calming and perfectly compliments the room across the hall.

Arie DeWilde installed the cabinets: 

Now her room looks like this: 

And this: 

Fabulous! The cabinets Monticello from Canyon Creek.  

She is perfectly organized:

  

  

She found this great Elfa bin at the container store. Fits perfectly in one side of a 42" cabinet base.It's perfect for all her paper.

Keeping things off the counter top gives her more room to craft! 

What a Metamorphosis!

 Enjoy your new space Amber!

PS: I'm posting this a Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Shopping Local - French Unicorn

Yesterday while out and about in greater downtown Salem, Oregon I came across one of my favorite shops having a wonderful sale.  If you know me you know that I like to shop locally whenever possible.  I love supporting the business owner who invests in the community.

Today I'm featuring The French Unicorn and not just because they are local, fabulous and cater to those loving French and European stylized home decor, linens, clothing and garden accessories, but because they are having an AWESOME SALE. Everything in the store is 30 - 50% off. 

They have gorgeous, colorful table linens:

  

Bed & Bath Linens:

   

  

Luxurious Soaps and Candles:

  

Sleepwear:

 

Children items:

 

 

 

Home & Garden Accessories:

   

 
These photos were taken from the store on Liberty & Court. The French Unicorn also occupies a space in the Reed Opera House on Court specializing in unique European gift items, perfumes, soaps, clothing, jewelry, paper products, candles and much more. 

Also be sure to stop by Bon Bon's for some chocolate, it will make your shopping experience complete!