Take A Walk On The Wild Side - A Unique Kitchen Remodel

My sister Jen is a lovely human being! She is a kind and thoughtful person who loves Jesus, her family, and the Great British Baking Show! (This I will get to in a minute!) She and I have been the best of friends as kids and as adults and we never tire of hearing about each other’s lives.

Jen and her husband Joel, bought a home recently in Avon Lake, Ohio . The home was built in 1991 and had good bones, the right square footage, and a perfect location. Jen and Joel saw some good potential for adding a much needed family room and doing a kitchen makeover!

The original kitchen was fine, but typical, not updated, and dark. Jen wanted an open kitchen with a connection to a large family room where her growing family could enjoy time together. So they blew out the wall on the left side of this picture and added 480 square feet!

The layout of the kitchen was not changed much, but the island was made larger with an angled extension where two bar stools could tuck under.

Ok, ok, enough about the mechanics! Let’s talk about the proverbial elephant in the room…the COLOR of the cabinets! As I mentioned earlier, Jen loves the Great British Baking Show, so much that she wanted her cabinets to be the exact color of the ones on the show! With some online research, she was able to find the color, Farrow and Ball’s (paint company) Arsenic (color name).

The great British Baking Show cast and set pictures.

So my brave sister took a walk on the wild side and planned to paint her cabinets this happy, unexpected, greenish-blue! The naysayers came out of the woodwork to try to persuade her to do something more ordinary, more safe, easier for re-sale. Her contractor, her friends and even I, her “design expert” sister, was a bit unsure. But Jen was not deterred, and the result of stepping out of the safe zone, being confident and bold, is absolutely spectacular! The kitchen draws you in immediately and has become the beating heart of this home.

Now, there are a couple of other great things Jen did to balance the color…she made the island a neutral white with a dark granite top. She also installed a pale gray subway tile for the backsplash. This tempers the green-blue color and provides contrast and interest. A beautiful white oak wood floor in a bourbon colored stain and wood bar stools connect the kitchen to the adjacent family room, which holds this same wood color in wall unit and end tables. Adding wood accents brings warmth to any space.

So, if you are looking to do a kitchen remodel, or paint your cabinets, may I suggest doing something crazy? I once painted my cabinets a gorgeous burnt orange and one of my favorite kitchens had khaki green cabinets. What color will you try? Tomato red, Marine blue, juicy raspberry, golden yellow? Fear not! Jen’s advice for anyone who wants to do something unique for their kitchen? “Do what you love!”

Next up: Adventures in Knitting!