apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Go over to The Kitchen and check out the cute kitchen Sarah submitted: http://kitchen.apartmenttherapy.com/food/small-cool-2007-entries/6-sarahs-tiny-citrus-squeeze-021300

i bought vinyl sisal tiles at aaronsons on 17th street here in nyc they're great and you don't need to use adhesive just lay 'em down and fit them in.

You could do a window treatment (roman shade, maybe?) that includes some color and curvilinear lines in the pattern. It is not only the black/white but all of the 90 degree angles in the floor and cabinets that are appearing harsh to me. You mentioned that you don't want to re-tile or get new cabinets, but what about painting the walls a different, more vivid color? I think if you had color on the walls that didn't recede as much as the blue, it would focus less attention on the floor -- something really saturated and bold like tangerine orange!

Black and white tiles are surprisingly close to being a blank palette. They can be dramatic, urban, funky, traditional, country, Paris apartment, Regency Revival, or almost anything, depending on your paint color and how you accessorize.

So if you have the freedom to paint, I'd say to take some time to decide what "feel" you want for the kitchen-dining suite. Repaint the entire area in a color that expresses that feel.

If it were my apartment, the area would be either golden beige with lots of black trim (very tailored) or saturated pink and funky (because I have a weird fixation on pink dining rooms) -- but you really could do almost anything, just using those tiles for neutral crispness.

Black&white is an elegant combination, but not in tiles, and blue wall doesn't help. I agree with maxwell: cover the tiles and paint the wall in white. Then, add something in red, like a vase. Hugs from Europe!

This may seem counter-intuitive, but I say add more black and white.

Paint or tile your backsplash black. Turn the blue room into a truer, darker gray. Surround a white dining table (Saarinen tulip-esque) with black chairs (Louis Ghost in black) or vice-versa on a zebra rug. Fill that far wall with a crisp tight grid of black-framed black and white photos. Get a hipper black or white light fixture, or spray out the one you have. If the above combination is too glam, you can replicate the entire same idea in a more country way.

Embrace your inner black and whiteness! If you fight it, you will always feel like the floor is winning. :)

I don't even really mind the wall color. I'd say put down a contrasting rug and affix a backspash to cover up the white behind the countertop. You could continue the stainless steel or even consider doing multiple picture frames. I've seen that done in houses and pulled off quite well.

I've always thought that Chilewich rugs are great in the kitchen. So easy to clean! Here's the link to the site:

http://chilewich.com/floormats/index.html

Also, if you are in New York, the annual sample sale is coming up soon (the week of May 7th). Here's the link to info about the sale:

http://www.clothingline.com/html/samplesales/upcoming.asp

Black and white is elegant, but not in tiles? Huh?

PS-- Those butcher blocks that fit over the countertop (with the lip on the front) could also help soften the white tile and bring in some more natural tones. You should also consider bringing in more organic shapes and natural colors though accessories. I'd add barstools at minimum. That's another good chance to bring in wood.

1. sisal rug on the floor
2. plants on top of the cabinets or someother "block o' color".
3. blue (to tie back to your living room) curtain or valance for the window
4. large bowl of fruit on the counter (5 a day!).

i guess i'm weird but i live black and white tile floor...i'd paint the walls a nice, bright color though.

*love not live

I am with The Other Patrick and Elizabeth in AL - I think I'd work with the tiles rather than against them. But I think I'd like a soft texture in there somewhere. Maybe some soft flow-y curtains.

I would embrace the retro feel of the tiles and go with a brighter blue, like Pool Party by Benjamin Moore, which is featured in a lovely kitchen over at The Kitchen.

I also like Patrick's suggestion of embracing the black/white. You could bring in an accent color by doing a fabric shade in black/white/small accent color. The zebra rug in the dining room would be brilliant.

I think Domino just showed a kitchen that was all black/white with a striped floor and it looked great.

I'd paint the walls a different color. For me it's the gray that is sapping everything.

Maybe something softer, like a light grass green or some other color you like?

I just played with your pic in photoshop. If you want to keep it fairly modern/neutral and do minimal painting:

Paint the cabinet color above the cabinets to make the room feel less square and give the illusion of height.

Extend the stainless across the entire backsplash to give continuity.

Draw the warmer, neautral tones of your breakfast bar top across the room by getting a butcher block topper for your the left side of your counter and a neutral (sisal-colored) rug. This way, the warm colors migrate throughout the room but aren't glaring color. You can tie those colors into the window treatments as well.

For a final splash of rich color: Change to a red kettle, bring in some red on the barstools, and incorporate a small but discernable amount of red in the window coverings.

I agree with Patrick.. the problem is not the kitchen (which looks cool) the problem is that sickeningly bland blue dining room with the Paul Revere lighting fixture. If a weepy Lifetime tv movie about Meridith Baxter dying of cancer was a color, it would be that blue. It's like a giant box of Kleenex in a crocheted box-cover in your grandma's guest bathroom. Paint over that wall as fast as you can.. white, black, maybe gray. Then go for the Saarinen table and some black Panton "S" chairs, and I can guarantee you no one will say "what this super-cool room needs is some dusty blue walls and an old-lady light fixture."

Anyone had any experience trying to cut the Sisal Bolon rugs? They'd be great in a bathroom too, but I'd want to cut around my toilet to cover as much of the as possible. Too messy?

Absolutely paint the wall above the cabinets. If you don't want to paint the walls, you don't have to. I would look into adding artwork on the walls, nothing too busy. Add pewter hardware, not huge, but not tiny.

Yes, get a Bolon or Chilewich rug for the center, you don't have to go to the expense of wall to wall. I have wall to wall Chilewich and I do love it, but you're looking to soften, not eliminate it.

The backsplash needs redoing, but I can't get into that at the moment, and it almost looks like the wall is a bit recessed from the white area too. My first reaction was to put 3/4" butcher block all the way across on the backsplash. This is questionable. While there are no codes about it, one could argue that there could be a fire hazard. However, given the height of the rear of the range, I have my doubts, but am just putting it out there.

And, more artwork on the backsplash. If you have good lighting and artwork that pops, the dark wall can serve as a great and elegant look. I did that in my own tiny kitchen. Looks great.

even a bright colored IKEA rag rug on the floor by the sink would help break it up, for under $10!
and for sure paint that wall on the right that extends out to the dining room.
what color?
carrot, if you're bold and not feeling orange is *so last year*

I love black and white with a turquoise or a pale blue. Maybe paint the wall a pale grey-blue and use blue/turquoise accessories. You can use it in the form of a rug, dish towels, vases, storage solutions, placemats, etc.

I'm starting to obsess on this room!

Another way to play off the black and white but more countrified... black and white toile Roman Shade in the kitchen, black and white ticking hanging panels in the dining room on a black wooden rod. Black painted chairs around a white distressed painted table. Cover the far wall with antique game boards, again with the intention of making the checkered floor part of the design. Add accents of grass green.

Too country?

Keep the toile Roman shade, make the hanging panels the same toile, and cover the back wall with Fornasetti plates. Surround a white black table with white upholstered chairs. Hang a small black crystal chandelier. Add accents of turquoise.

Either way, keep the walls dark, but truer more color-neutral gray. Make sure lighting counters the darkness of the color, but precise halogen in a dark room looks really stunning.

If I've yet to dissuade you from hating your black and white floor and kitchen,, hang some OUTRAGEOUSLY colored, very "active" piece of art, to counter the total "weight" of the kitchen and the pattern of the floor. Take your color cues from the art.

Or just bite the bullet and replace the floor.

Embrace the floors. I'd paint your walls chrome yellow and use blackboard paint on the cabinets. You can keep updated grocery lists, a running commentary on people you hate or just create Twombly spirals--all with chalk!

maybe this is crazy, but: remove doors from a pair of the top shelves, and display colorful (and matched, organized) dishes - bowls, plates, etc. that will break up the sheer whiteness of the cabinets, and open storage (if used frequently) can be practical too.

personally, i think the kitchen is gorgeous. (and p(too), your ideas are awesome).

I love your floors, they're what I was thinking about for my someday kitchen remodel. I would agree with those saying paint your walls, I think a light powdery blue or minty green would cheer things up quite a bit, even if you only did the wall with the windows. Then I'd get a nice colorful rug and some fun colored accessories (I always have coloful dish towels and am forever hunting for the perfect rug for my kitchen, but it's avocado green so I'm just trying to distract from that). But honestly, I think the main thing to do to soften that space and cozy it up a little bit is experiment some with the paint colors on ALL the walls, pick a color you love and you will love the kitchen too!

Paint the walls white. In my experience white walls go much better with black & white tile than just about any other color combination, especially that dingy blue-gray. One of the reasons why the room looks so busy is because no one color is dominant. Painting the walls white will make white the dominant color, and turn black into the accent. The tiles should stand out less, since half of them will blend in with the wall color & the cabinets.

Replace that hideous chandelier with something simpler, modern and preferably spherical - IKEA makes a couple of great, inexpensive models (I think one is called Fado). If you want to bring color into the space, do it via colored accessories, again avoiding squares or rectangular shapes.

Textured textiles can also help to soften the harshness of the room, although some might consider that a feature not a bug.

If you can paint the walls another color than the blue slate, I would. Otherwise, do the white above the cabinets, and toss some color onto the floor with a fun rug. Bring some other color into the mix.

Get rid of the blue everywhere - its so depressing!!

I agree - paint the wall above the cabinets white (and maybe store something colourful up there on top of your cabinets - brightly coloured storage tins maybe?)

Paint the window wall a colour you love and install a coordinating colourful blind

hang something above that wooden worktop - something like on of those racks that you can hang pans from

Gat lots of lovey plants - some nice trailing ones to put on the edge of that wooden worktop to hang down on the dining room side

Add colourful accessories - (I see your kettle is even white!) - some nice coordinating tea towels and general accessories would brighten up the place

Add a framed picture to the right of the window

Theres nothing wrong with this kitchen other than the blue wall - the black and white floor is a classic and looks smashing!

(I did like one idea above of taking off a couple of cupboard doors to disply the colourful china inside - if you have nice collections to display I would suggest getting two glazed doors to show them off)

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I just bought this apartment and will be able to fix up the kitchen next month. These are my thoughts based on everyone's advice:

1. I will definitely try painting the wall above the cabinets white (that never would have occured to me).
2. Painting the entire space (dining room included) white and then having the wall with the windows as an accent wall with a lighter, more playful color (possibly a soft lime green?).
3. Rug or something to lessen the intensity of the black and white floor.
4. I am debating removing some of the cabinet doors, as was suggested. I like the idea, just not sure how it will look.
5. I like the butcher block idea and may want to incorporate that as well.
6. I have a giraffe teapot (the white teapot belongs to the former owners), that will add some color and fun to the kitchen.
7. And the light fixture... it must go.

Many, many thanks. Everyone's feedback has been tremendously helpful. Let me know what you think of my use of the ideas...

-Joanna (owner of the black and white kitchen)

ooooh i think red walls in the kitchen would look loverly.

Please please PLEASE don't expose any of the cabinets in a kitchen this small unless you have spectcular stuff to showcase, or a monochromatic stack of plates and bowls.

Here's a sample of the kind of "active" art that would hold it's own against the black and white...
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=587&f=3459
(although it looks COMPLETLEY differnet online and in the catalog)

And I'd also consider this lighting fixture from CB2 as well:
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=120&f=3485

But not entirely sure what you get from painting the wall above the cabinets white. Unless you paint all your walls white, which I think is a missed opportunity.

Same goes for using the window wall as the accent wall. I think you need the color activity opposite the kitchen, to balance it.

Apparently, I can't spell today.

The entrance to the dining room/kitchen is opposite the walls with the window, which is why I thought that would make a good accent wall. Maybe not. I appreciated the comments about the room feeling too square, which was something I had not thought about. I'm not ready to embrace the black and white (at least yet). Although I do love that lighting fixture from CB2!

I really like red, but that may make the black and white even more overwhelming!

I think red walls, with a rug - i would try a natural color, or even white (although white would get dirty very quickly...) would look nice. I have always thought red and the black and white look really nice, but then again, i'm in love with black and white floors.

If you did a yellowy gold (warm) color, and had a white roman shade, and you could do a backsplash in some kind of tile in the color scheme, and then a natural rug, I think it could look spectacular. But, I do think that if the floor is really the main problem, (aside from painting the walls) you should put down a rug. I always go for natural in a kitchen because I, personally, feel like it opens it up a little bit. And it's very versatile.
I'm actually leaning more toward yellow and a natural rug. I am feeling like it would soothe it all a little bit. Because, with the rug, you wouldn't be staring at the black and white tile and your eyes wouldn't be drawn directly to it. And the yellow would brighten it up and make it feel nice and sunny.

If you like the blue in the dining room, you could also consider just painting the walls around the kitchen area a nice soft color that would go with the blue. Then, you could ease up the white but not paint everything as well.

I just did this for my kitchen...try a pale butter yellow on the walls and paint your dining area shelves black. its VERY cozy and cute and it doubled the size of my kitchen visually. I also added a striped roman shade and it completes the room. painting the cabinets is always an option too.