My mom and my three boys and I went to my sister's house yesterday. Her home is lovely and so inspiring that I thought I'd share some photos. Look down here, doncha just love these drapes and want to wrap up in them and make a prom dress out of them? I always think of drapes as gowns for the windows.
Even with twin, 4 year old girls and an 18 month old manchild underfoot you get a feeling of quiet, peace and serenity because of the calming colors she used as a backdrop. I think this is one of my 10 favorite places in her house. The wall of shame I mean fame. Using only white frames and photos finished in black and white puts the focus on the photo itself. This method also allows her to use photos that are 50 years old and ones taken just a few months ago and they all look great together! Look, she even added a few plates in there for good measure!
While I was there we worked on this very lady-like round table...
And, this window treatment in her kitchen...but, we'll talk more about those another day.
The real point of this post is to show you her kitchen makeover. Here she is using her kitchen island as God really intended...to pull up the before and after photos that I insisted she share with you.
Here is the kitchen before she even moved in. The old owners were apparently stuck in the 80's. Poor, poor souls.
And now....
WOW! And let me tell you, there was no knocking down of walls, shopping for new cabinets or unlimited budget! Look, see those sassy cabinets? They are so proud of themselves now. Why, you ask? PAINT. That's right black paint. Oh the wonders of black paint. That too is another post but, let me just say that the world is a better place because of these cabinets. I wish I could live in this kitchen and oh, how I wish I could paint my cabs black. Maybe the owner wouldn't notice.
A visit with my sister
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
Wow--you BOTH have such great homes. I'm loving the black cabinets. Hmmmm, something to ponder....
Those cabinets look so good--did she have to sand them first, or just use really adhesive paint?
Is it okay if I've linked your blog to mine? I'm sure my decorating-junkie friends who read my blog would love to see all your good advice.
Emily, help! They are asking me questions about how Randy did this! Please respond!
Those black cabinets look good and I like the countertops with them as well! Like the photo frames too. Which one of you started the signature "plates on the wall"? :')
Looks great I know she is enjoying it!
Katherine
I don't think he sanded them...he did use a primer that was rough and stuck real good to the cabinets. And it was a tinted primer..came out kinda purple-y. Don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about?
and for the record, I will indeed be replacing the off white switch plates with white ones...
as for the plates on the wall, definitely The Nester started that one. I'm just keepin' it in the family.
Actually, The Nester never had an original idea in her life. I think since about the 1800's everything is just repeated. I am very good at copying.
You guys are so talented in this area! I love the black and I have the paint to paint my cupboards, but my counter top is black (not marble, sadly, but a regular type counter top...old...but we don't have the money to replace them right now) so I don't think black cupboards would look right with the counter? It has a marble-type swirl of a sage green in it (which is the color I picked for the cupboards)...any opinion on that? I could use any advise! I don't have an eye for this, although I really wish I did!
Gorgeous kitchen. But I *love* the white plates with the photo collage. Thanks for sharing!
Seriously... I think your sister and I are twins separated at birth. I have black cabinets. I think we have the same granite. And we both have similar looking laptops. And I think our husbands have the same name. Scary, I tell ya.
Hey Nester... I'll send you a pic of my kitchen. Tell me what you think. Weird.
your sister has good taste in home decor too? it's so not fair.
Love the cabinets!!! I have been debating painting mine off white vs. black for a year... I have commitment issues! (Actually it is just that painitng the cabinets is not a small job- ugh- and I will only do it once, so I have to LOVE it!)
I will undoubtedly keep popping in to look at those pictures and debate what to do endless times... decisions, decisions!
Surely your sister won't mind if I come live in her kitchen! I would love to hear her steps for painting cabinets and if she wanted to share the source for that gorgeous subway tile, I'd be indebted to her. Forever.
Our cabinets are very similar to the "before" pic. Could you or your sister post a step-by-step on how they painted the cabinets. I want to do this in our kitchen and bathroom. It would be so so so helpful:)
I love love love the black cabinets! I did this is in an investment home I once owned and it was a hit! I am thinking about painting the brand new library shelves I purchased from Ballard Designs, because their wood stain is way more reddish than I expected...however I am a bit nervous.
Keep up your great blog!
Post a Comment