Name: Jennifer
Location: Portland, Oregon
Why I use color:
"Since I don't own a lot of furniture, selecting paint colors helped me set the tone for my new home. I seek color selections to evoke warmth and cheer and a fresh update to the traditional bones of my 1924 condo unit. In my kitchen, 'lilting green' from Miller Paints offered a cheery contrast to industrial materials of stainless steel and concrete."
Color Tips:
"1.Get some friends who have used color to good effect in their home to help you make your final choices.
2.Look at colors in all types of light. The undertones (yellow, blue, grey) in colors become more apparent in different lights.
3.Don't freak out when you see your painted walls for the first time without any furniture in the room. Hold judgment until after you get furniture into the room."
Color Resources:
1.Paint chips. Even though they may not be accurate, certain brands tend to have different undertones to their colors.
2.Apartment Therapy. The abundance of ideas and knowing that 'real' people can get fabulous results can inspire that extra confidence to choose the bolder shade of paint.
Did you do the backsplash or was it already there?
That beautiful, historic-detail-friendly green has relaxed all my muscles and caused me to face the day as a pleasant, friendly person. However, it's difficult to evaluate the overall design of the room when you haven't moved in yet! Confession: I'm dying to see what you put in those built-in cabinets.
Since one of your tips is "Hold judgment until after you get furniture into the room."...
Hi - I'm the owner of this kitchen. A couple of caveats here:
1. Old pictures. I haven't been home for two months but I saw this contest and wanted to participate again so I pulled some old pictures from when the kitchen was being completed. Hence the third and fourth photos of the room as a work in progress. So unfortunately I can't show the place with my furniture in place. And I still desperately need some art for my walls.
2. Complete redo. The kitchen was completely gutted so I made the choices of the cabinets, stainless steel backsplash and concrete countertops as well as the paint color. I also chose a 'black-sable' stain for my wood floors which is a marked contrast from the natural oak floors throughout the rest of the house. It looks fabulous but dust and crumbs are highly visible.
I think I'm really liking the stainless steel backsplash.. I'll have to look into that.
I love the backsplash -- where did you find it or how did you do it? Like Doug, I'm on the opposite coast so the same resources may not be available but I'd love any/all ideas. Thanks!
Backsplash tips:
1. Create a prototype - The contractor that did the work created a (fiberboard?) prototype of the backsplash. This ensured that all holes for outlets, spigots, etcetera were in the EXACT places they needed to be.
2. Sheet metal - I think there a custom fabricators of sheet metal that cut to specification. There are also different types of stainless steel - fingerprintless or quilted looks.
3. Undercabinet lights - Must have. I didn't even think about how the steel would look with the lighting scheme. It was a pleasant surprise to see the gleaming steel for the first time.
Thanks! :)
Thanks for the tips on the stainless steel backsplash! We were getting to take on this project and I am across this! Very helpful!
Hey, is this the same Portland Jennifer who entered the My Bathroom Rocks! contest?
The very same Jennifer. My bathroom still rocks. And is quite colorful but decided that to not enter the same room again. Unless it gives me a shot at winning all that CB2 stuff????
I love the shade of green. It's bright, cheerful, and not too much. I also enjoy the fact that technically green is a cool color, but you've picked a very warm spring-type tone.
I also love, love, LOVE your white built-in cabinets. I hope the pieces you fill it with are vibrant and contrast with the green and the white. Maybe tangerine accents?
I gave you a blue ribbon but I want to see some furniture, dang it! I know I like accessories a little too much, but there's minimalism and then there's nothing in the room. :Þ
I too can't wait for the "finished photos"! For those of you who've visited my "Studio in Paradise", I too have an empty unit. It is going to require much creativity, and we won't be able to accomplish it all at once. As a "white wall" person who has difficulty putting decor together, Jennifer's entry helps show the benefit of a well chosen green with a wood or brown scheme. This is helpful to me as I'm going to have to live with some less than desirably colored carpet & linoeum for a bit.
THANK YOU for sharing, please update when your place is finished.
Cooking Cajun
holy moly. i lovelovelove your built-ins. the leaded glass? swooooon.