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La joie c'est le partage
{ the joy is in the sharing }

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Spicing Up the Kitchen Cabinet

I must start by saying how desperately I want to paint our kitchen cabinets.
Problem is, dear husband refuses to allow me to do it. The conversation usually goes something like this:
me: I want to paint the cabinets.
him: Absolutely not!
me: Why?
him: Because they're fine just the way they are. They're perfectly good oak.
me: Yes, I understand that but I can't stand oak. It makes the whole kitchen look very outdated. Wouldn't they be so pretty painted a warm, creamy white with just the perfect amount of antiquing in all the right places?
him: No.
me: But it would really make them pop against the red painted walls.
him: I don't want the cabinets to pop.
me: come on...PLEEEEZZ???
him: No. I always let you do the things you want in the house but I really don't want you to paint the cabinets. I like them just the way they are.
Anyway, you get the picture. In his defense though, he did let me paint our bathroom cabinets which are also his beloved oak.
So for now I must improvise.
I was reading through Angela's blog, Parisienne Farmgirl and I saw something that she did, which I love!! You can click on her blog name above and it will take you directly to the post I'm talking about.
She does these great posts called "Design On a Centime." I have come away from these posts so inspired. I did something else too that was directly inspired by another one of her posts. (I'll share that in another post) She totally rocks. I'm sure most of you already know exactly who I'm talking about, but if you don't, go check out her blog. You will LOVE it! I can promise you that.
Okay, so she has this cabinet and she removed the doors, installed beaded board in the back and then created a gorgeous vignette inside. She has a beautiful kitchen as well as creamy white cabinets that I'm pining for - haha!


So I thought, I could do something like that to hold me over until maybe one day Mr. French Cottage relents - fingers crossed.


I removed the doors and put up some striped ticking fabric in the back.
Then I filled it with some of my favorite copper pieces, cookbooks and other pretty odds and ends.


I like the way it turned out and it does detract a little from the oak cabinets

It's the unused, hard to reach cabinet above the refrigerator so it was the perfect cabinet to try this in.
I put my rooster lamp with the toile shade up on top of the fridge as well as my cherub fountain.

Here is the whole thing.
I'm liking it!
Thanks Angela, for the inspiration!
Alright, now I have to figure out what to do with all of the JUNK that was up there. It was a landing spot for EVERYTHING that never had a proper home before. I should probably go and get rid of it all. It's only been up there for 10 years or so and if I haven't used it before now, I probably don't need it anyway. Right?
Have a great Saturday and enjoy the weekend!
xo and God Bless,
Kathleen

12 comments:

Kathy's Red Door Welcome said...

We share the same name. I'm a Kathleen too. I love what you did with your cabinet. It looks so charming and lovely!

fleurcottage said...

i like that idea to do something w/ above the fridge cupboard...hmmm, wonder if i shoud work on that today yet?! :)

Linda (Nina's Nest) said...

Adorable! Love it! Don't give up hope. I asked for years, and we had pretty, dark stained raised panel doors, but hubby refused - even though they were 27 years old and tired. When he saw a sample of the painter's work, he LOVED the painted/ glazed look, and we painted them. I will NEVER have stained cabinets again. Even if we move, I AM DONE with them. I love paint! Linda

Eileen said...

Great idea. I don't know what it is about kitchen cabinets that make men scream "no!" when you want to touch them. LOL In my home, we had these huge kitchen cabinets that went all the way to the ceiling. It's a galley kitchen and I just felt those top cabinets were making it feel closed in, so I wanted to remove the doors on just those. I was told I was nuts, but he realized I was doing it whether he liked it or not, so he removed the cabinet doors. I then painted the cabinets and shelves a lovely pale lilac-blue - and the difference was huge. Just removing those doors and adding a little color made all the difference in the world. Plus, I could see all my beautiful dishes on the shelves. Good luck wearing him down. :)

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh, it looks fabulous. I love the look and the ticking is just perfect. The rooster lamp and all of your accessories are just perfect. Great job.
I really want to paint my cabinets too, but since the house is new and the cabinets are a med color maple, my DH would also have a coronary. I did darken them a little with some dark paste wax and they look so much better and much more current. You might give it a try to revitalize your cabinets. Just do the inside of a door first to see if you like it. Just a thought since you can't paint yet. Hugs, Marty

COTTAG3 said...

What is it about guys and painting wood? We have this discussion all the time around here and I remember my parents having the same conversation when my mom wanted to paint over paneling.

Lisa~A Cottage To Me said...

We are in the same boat. My husband won't let me paint the cupboards either! My kitchen is also red and I think they just don't look that great natural. He thinks they are some "fantastic" wood, not oak, but me....bland! I like what you did with yours!

Chrissy...The Apothecary Shop said...

Love it....and I have to say I feel your pain...I want ours painted too they are black and I want white..which of course makes John crazy...but I know he loves me and will cave(one day)!!! x0x0x

Sara Louise said...

What a great idea! I'm aching to paint my kitchen cabinets as well, they are very dark and they would look so much nicer painted a fleur de coton color. I just might have to give it a go :-)

Cindy said...

I think it looks really beautiful! That is one way to make lemonade out of a few of those "lemons". I am so grateful that I have white cupboards. I, too, despise the oak!
Hugs, Cindy S

Rose Garden Romantic said...

Hi Kathleen!
I have a similar problem, my hubby would totally be on board with painting our cabinets white, but our landlord wouldn't! Boohoo! :( Hopefully when we buy our own home someday. I LOVE what you have done! It's so cute with the ticking and all your decorative pieces! Very warm and cozy and cottage-y! Thanks for the link, too! Can't wait to check out her blog!
Michelle

Ms Bingles Vintage Christmas said...

Oh, I love it!
Your blog is wonderful!
I am signing up to follow~
Thank you for sharing!
Leticia
www.msbinglesvintagechristmas.com