I’m having a free standing kitchen in my house, we unpacked the lovely stove today-so exciting!!. I got my builder to inset the kitchen sink into this old kitchen unit. There is a top that goes with it, with small amazing hand blown glass doors on two little cupboards on each side of a mirror. The top has to be mounted on the wall because there’s not enough clearance over the sink.
I’m planning on painting both the unit and the top. But I’m a bit stumped with colour.
The walls are staying white, the floor is staying the same colour, the stove is cream. There will be another light wood (maple) cupboard perpendicular to the sink unit and that is not going to be painted. The door is going to be replaced by a double white glass door.
Second, “pickle” the cupboards with a wash so the wood still peaks through but lighter to brighten up a bit. You can rub a paste all over (darker, bronze, some bright unexpected shade?)afterwards & wipe it away so it’s only left to darken up the crevasses & crannies.
I’m thinking of a light look overall. I’ve a number of these old cupboards that I’m going to use, so rather than them being entirely mismatched, I think a colour for them all might be good. But something pale and light. Not grey!
what about something like a seafoam green or pale blue/turquoise for a pale pop of unexpected color? (They would look great with Flamingos… just sayin’ )
I’m crap on coordinating colors. Mostly just here to say I’m in love with the top of the unit.
Have you thought about trying to bleach the darker wood? Or possibly doing a more neutral cream to match the stove color on the base and a bolder color on the top, or vice versa?
Second AntBee’s suggestion of a pale blue/turquoise, it would pop against the cream of the stove. Maybe a vintage-ish turquoise or teal.
AIMR
(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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I love the seafoam green color…it is light enough to be bright and yet not too light to be in stark contrast with the stove (what a stove! Two ovens?)…
I think it will also go well with those lighter maple cabinets. I like a more subdued kitchen that you can accessorize easily when you get bored…it also gives a mediterranean feel///
My instant thought before finishing reading the OP was a slightly dusty aqua or lighter turquoise and then as I kept reading I thought YES THAT. Really make that showpiece into a FREAKIN’ SHOWPIECE.
Seafoam is kind of in the mint category, maybe? Hard to describe. It is a pale, cool tone with a bit of a blue-ish cast sometimes. I think there are variations from more greenish to not-aqua but in that family.
Maybe, if you already know what you’re doing with your “statement piece,” take a swatch of that color and look around at different pales/neutrals to see what speaks to you when you see them together and what works in the room when you look at a sample in situ. in case it might look awesome on the screen but then too bright or dull in the actual kitchen light.
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Lynx
(In a world where you can be anything, be kind.)
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Wow! Your kitchen! Draw dropping beautiful it will be.
I think the end result of that can be a bit like pickling which is just a wash of white that leaves things much lighter and sort of distressed looking.
That was easy to achieve on pine… This unit is mahogany and heavily varnished. It would be a PITA to bring it back to bare wood, especially with all the carvings… I’m not ruling it out for the future though. But a light sand and a coat of paint will do for now.
I’m loving the seafoam, I think it’ll work well with the cream. The pin below has that combo.
The problem we have in Ireland is that the light is often filtered through grey clouds and so it tends to be cool. I like a colour with some warmth. Love turquoise, but I think it might be too strong for such a big piece.
I haven’t decided which piece will have all the drama, but it will look something like this. https://pin.it/5gaChg6
Well would you look at that. I’ve had that pin saved forever, and I think that’s my colour scheme right there. I had intended to paint some of the other biggish pieces that will be under the island, this dark blue.
But I love that seafoam now that I know what it is. I’m torn, still now I’m only torn between two colours, not all of them, so that’s progress
Gosh, that looks amazing. Love the nsvy cabinet too. Nice!
Not sure how white wash would go over varnish, it would need sanding. Then I wonder if more varnish would be required to seal it up well enough to protect.
My plan is to give it a light sanding to key it, I probably will paint the high spots with a strong turquoise and then either blue/seafoam over the top. But with a good quality furniture paint. Then over time where there’s wear, the turquoise will peep through, I may start off the wear by sanding it back to the turquoise in spots. And given its a sink unit, maybe a coat of matte varnish
This is probably the piece that will have all the drama, with the gold leaf etc. It will be standing alone against a white wall, so it will really pop. I really love this little cupboard.
It will hold my vintage mixing bowls on the bottom shelf
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AIMR
(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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It is always fun to fill your home with treasures…and finding the treasures is also fun…I really don’t think you can go wrong as long as you are picking out colors you are drawn to…you can always buy a small amount and test it somewhere …I think the only way heavy antiques are going to make a comeback is if they are modernized…I gave away all of the heavy cherry, oak and mahogany pieces I had, keeping only a small dry sink and one mirror…
I can’t wait to follow your progress…and yes, they are crafting projects!
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