It's no secret that our favorite way to transform a space is with paint. We've made over our friends homes here and here--and of course overhauled our own apartment here. So when we spotted Olga's before & after of a simple green painted stripe above her cabinets--we had to share...
Olga ended up going with Iguana Green from Benjamin Moore Paints and had it mixed to be eco-friendly using their Aura paint. It's amazing how vibrant the kitchen looks after painting the area above the cabinets. The white cabinets now appear much whiter and the space now has a focal point.
Related Posts
- Before and After: Alex's Projected Chalkboard Paint Project
- Inspiration: Chloe's Bathroom Before and After
- Curb Appeal: Before & After
(Image: Sassy Radish)
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
fantastic. it's one of my favourite colours! the only thing i'd do is change the dated black door handles with something sleek and metallic.
Quite an impact! Looks nice.
I would never believe something so small could have such a big impact. Hmmm I have that same space in my kitchen. I also love this is a true before/after - same stuff on counters, same crap on frig door.
Wow, I'm doing the exact same colour in my all white, rental kitchen. I'm glad I got to see yours first. Looks great.
i would have painted under the upper cabinets as well. but it looks good.
unfortunately, so much clutter diminishes the results
Easy and excellent!
A much better use of paint than the faux-brick entrance earlier. Would not have thought of such a colour myself, but it looks so bright and lively!
Nice color. I agree with davidsl about painting the part under the cabinets as well (if not the same color, maybe a different one), but it does tie everything together nicely.
While it's not a color of choice for me, I have to say it really takes a dinky apartment kitchen to the next level! Great job! :)
Laura
http://www.justalittlebit.net
Really nice - great color! And I agree with alexis - it's so refreshing to see a true "Before" and "After", and not one where the "After" is all cleaned and de-cluttered and better-lit and better-photographed! In fact, the "After" looks a little more cluttered because of the things on the counter in the foreground - but even so, it looks better because of the paint!
great exemple of that I explain to people : color can change everything!
wow, that looks great!
and about the clutter......i have a really hard time believing that people with small but clutter-free kitchens really cook. :) in kitchens that size, there's never enough room to put things out of sight, without making it inconvenient!
Wow, that did make a big difference! I like that you didn't paint the backsplash area.
looks great!... i agree with one of the first posts, changing out that hardware to something chrome would look super clean!
now if you could only paint your fridge orange. :P
my entire kitchen was a brighter green color (not that green pictured above, but bright none the less)... and after about 6 months living there, I had to paint it cream just to calm down the space... true i have 10 ft ceilings and no dining room table to take up space so it was just me, the stove and all that green, but after a while it got to be too much and really oppressive. the cream walls are nice... never thought i'd say that after not being able to paint for so long, but the green was killing my soul.
Nice.
I like the black handles. They make the cabinets look crisp against that fresh, zingy green. I'd also like to see the bit of wall beneath the cabinets painted. Maybe the same green or something more fun, like a black and white striped or checkered pattern.
And I think you don't need a lot of stuff to be a 'real' cook. It's possible to have a very pared down set of equipment and be able to produce nice food.
I like it, but I'd like it more if there was another, lighter shade of green worked into the mix somehow. Maybe a horizontal stripe across the top of the cabinets? Or a couple of horizontal stripes in a fractionally lighter shade on the bottom of the green expanse. Just to allow a transition from the creams and whites to the green, and to give it a bit more sophistication.
Looks marginally better.
That is so amazing how the color changes the whole feel of the room. Now I am wondering about doing it for my kitchen with similar set up but with light cherry cabinets, cream walls & black granite counter tops. I would have no idea what color to pick though.
I meant I have a similar structural set-up.
I absolutely love the colour, it's strong but warm and a great crisp contrast to the white cabinets. But it really needs to be on the wall underneath the wall cabinets too. Currently it just makes the whole setup look crushed from above. Green below the cabinets as well would give a subtle green-white-green-white stripe effect which would make the small space seem bigger (wider and less pressed down from above).
Also, please straighten the handles on the pair of cabinets in the centre!
I'm with Davids, paint the whole wall green. It would bring everything together nicely.
And, please move your herbs and spices. They like to live in a cool dark place ; )
love the color, but I wish she would clean up! Can't see one bit of counter and the fridge is a mess. Also, how about switching out those black handles?
Such a realistic before and after!
The before looks realistic, the after has the same amount of normal day to day clutter, and even more :)
Leaving the backsplash white was a good choice. The pop of green draws the eye up to the ceiling level. I love it!!!!
Love that shade of green. If you want to bump it up a knotch, add some silver-colored accents.
Sure, real cooks need all their stuff out. Fine.
Real cooks don't need stuff all over their fridge.
i would also add the green below the cabinets. what mess? i cook all the time and that looks clean to me.
I generally loathe this color green but I think this is such a cheery improvement! also, I love the black handles on your cabinets...
you might want to move your spices though, as heat from the stove will quickly ruin them. or if you have no other option, transfer them into glass jars (the container store), and it'll look a bit nicer.
great job!
http://www.mylittleapartment.blogspot.com
I like this, clutter and all! It looks comfortable, well-used, and cheerful.
It looks awesome. What a happy color!
The one thing that really bugs me, tho, is that left-hand upper cabinet door. It opened on the wrong side! Somebody please switch that!
I love the green and white combo. When I moved into my LA condo, the cabinets were golden oak and the walls white. The wood looked so much prettier when I painted the whole place a soft sage. (My brother said he felt like he was sitting in a bowl of guacamole whenever he sat in my living room!)
I just finished a new Color Notes posting on green. See more great green gear and color combos:
http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2009/09/color-notes-green-day.html