So many people want to reinvent their kitchens. We imagine our kitchens looking fresh and fabulous - injected with a dose of decorating Botox. We’ve all done it - scoured Pinterest boards for hours, endlessly Googled, ‘Easy Cabinet Painting Techniques’ and priced out dreamy new appliances. So when the appliance company Big Chill, presented their challenge to create a style board about designing a kitchen around their stove line - I was all over the idea because I too am the gal Googling. Did Big Chill know that I have coveted their appliance line for years, loving their Retro inspired products in trend forward colors? Why? My Mom’s turquoise stove! I grew up in a household that sported a turquoise stove and that stove moved to 3 homes, helping make endless meals, right through my college years. My Mom loved that stove, so this kitchen challenge post will be inspired selfishly and collectively with Mom in mind.
Rather than creating a new kitchen, my vision was reviving an existing kitchen, because after all that is my interior design philosophy for my design business REINVENTING SPACE .My motto is "Let’s use what you have 1st by reinventing, changing and updating, then spend it where you need to with something you really love, followed by filling in the blanks with cost effective solutions and finds in your personal style."
STEP 1 - USE WHAT YOU HAVE 1ST: So let’s start with what can be reinvented, rather than buying new - Cabinets. We can easily and effectively repaint our kitchen cabinets today using the proper primer and paint. Take the reinvention a step further and remove a few upper cabinet doors and paint the interior a fun accent color. My SHERWIN WILLIAM’s rep. and friend, Annmarie Fabbi has 2 great water based Sherwin Williams products to use. Here's her suggestion on repainting your cabinets. Spend a bit of time sanding the original top coat of your cabinets to remove the varnish of your current finish. Then using Sherwin William's EXTREME BOND primer, one or two coats of primer to seal in any left behind varnish. Make sure to take a ultra fine sanding paper and sand any bubbles between coats. Then use the PRO CLASSIC paint in the color of your choice, and repeat the process.
STEP 2 - ADD SOMETHING NEW THAT YOU LOVE:You will love Big Chill’s ‘Retro’ stove in 'Turquoise'- a kitchen statement maker and a cook’s stove. It's not only the on-trend in the most popular current decorating color, but a work horse appliance as well. Just like a great room layout, you want a focal point in your kitchen too - This range is the decorating emphasis and the jumping off point for the kitchen's design inspiration.
STEP 3 - FILL IN THE BLANKS: New counters in cost effective laminate. Yes, laminate. If you haven’t looked at laminate, you need to. 21st century technology has make this old school kitchen mainstay, a smart alternative to expensive stones. You can get your coveted Carrara marble look, even an undermount sink with designer counter edges at a fraction of the cost. In my Retro revival, the counters have WILSONART 'Betty', a hip, vintage pattern with turquoise, gray and orange. The lighting choice, a nod to my hometown of Chicago by BARN LIGHT ELECTRIC’S - 'Chicago Vintage' industrial chain hung pendant in gray. Further filling in the blanks with cost effective solutions, from bar stools to art - one-of-a-kind finds bought from CHARISH - a cool on-line source for upscale resale.
So there you have it - a simple three step process to revive your kitchen!
So there you have it - a simple three step process to revive your kitchen!
