• Mix metals. Not too long ago many designers would have probably considered this the worst design advice ever, but rules have definitely loosened, and if done right, mixing metal finishes can decrease the sterile, showroom feel that is often associated with kitchens. In Anne Turner's kitchen, eye-catchinn accents like her copper Kitchen Aid Mixer and brass cabinet pulls shine out against the oil-rubbed bronze faucet and light fixtures as well as the stainless steel appliances. The key seems to be keeping the form of the metals more or less in the same family. For instance here all the metal objects (appliances, hardware, fixtures) have relatively simple lines. A variation in form (some intricate, others clean-lined) and finish may have erred on the side of random.
• Use the space over the refrigerator. Of course not all of us will have the luxury of built-ins surrounding our fridge, but that doesn't have to stop us from utilizing the space above it. It would still make a great spot for a wall-mounted wine rack, a floating shelf for extra dishes or cookbooks, or a resting spot for the microwave. My kitchen life was revolutionized the first time I saw someone put the microwave about the fridge. We don't use ours on a daily basis, and it takes up so much counter space. Getting it out of the way was wonderful!
• Paint the upper cabinets a lighter color than the bottom ones. This is a great way to introduce color without overwhelming a small space. Keeping things light and simple on top allows a small space to breathe, giving a room almost as open an effect as open shelving would. PS- for tips on painting cabinets, see this post from earlier this week.
•Raise up the cabinets. This looks 100% better than having the awkward empty space above floating box cabinets. Raising them to the ceiling and adding crown molding adds a polished look that is hard to beat. Admittedly this may not be the best option for those of us on the shorter side unless you...
• Add a row of floating shelves below the cabinets for everyday dishes and items used on a regular basis. I have a combination of open and closed shelving in my own kitchen and find it extremely helpful. All the essentials are within reach! But really the best part about it is that anyone who is helping me in the kitchen knows exactly where to find (and help put away!) dishes and kitchen staples without having to open up every cabinet. The set up also allows a place for rarely used or unattractive kitchen things.
To see more "before" pictures, and to hear a little more about what went into the project, check out Erika of Urban Grace's post on it.
(Images: 1-4: Cottage Living, 5: Urban Grace)
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I think she's got a great mix of elements here for feng shui balance as well as great looking. I don't mind the mixed metals at all.
My kitchen's lack of counter space has forced my microwave to the top of the fridge. I heat liquids in something with a handle and/or use an oven mitt to grab hot plates. Problem solved.
The only thing that seems odd about this kitchen to me is how high the oven hood is, and how it's sort of blocked by that shelf.
I think it's a gorgeous transformation. I love the mix of metals and lighter cabinets and shelving above, darker below. I love how everything is so bright and pretty but functional too. Thanks for the tips. :)
I can't imagine putting a microwave above the fridge. I can barely reach into my microwave above the stove! I would need a step stool to use it which would nullify the extra space gained in the kitchen by putting it there in the first place.
I love this kitchen and dining room for its mixture of finishes, especially the metals. I don't get the fuss about matching them. As long as the finishes and colors compliment one another and the scheme seems "considered," I think mixing can look better than matching everything. In a spare modern kitchen, chrome, brushed nickel, and matte black iron together help keep things interesting. Matching metal hardware on a collection of antique pieces, and in some older homes, actually looks improbable. I match metals when putting on jewelry, but I don't care about it much in my rooms. I'm the same way with wood--matching all the wood tones feels institutional.
I don't suppose anybody knows what that paint color in the dining room is? I need something similar in my dining room.
Re: Open shelves - How do you secure them so that they can bear the weight of your dishes and/pantry items and books? I read that Ikea's lack shelving can only take 40lbs of weight when properly secured. This would make me nervous to stack plates or glasses, which can add up fast.
How strange that I just searched through my old Cottage Livings earlier this week, looking for this exact spread. It is a kitchen that has been in the back of my head since I first saw it. I too, have a weird space above my cabinets and am strongly considering moving the cabinets up and installing the floating shelves beneath with a tile backslpash as well.
I have a couple of questions though that I am hoping some of you might be able to help me with....
1) to echo the question above, how do you afix floating shelves that can hold the weight of dishes and cookbooks
2) how would you go about moving the cabinets up? (that may seem like a dumb question, but I'm just worried that I'll get the cabinets down and then encounter problems getting them rehung level?) Any tips??
Also, here is a great interview with sources etc. found on Urban Grace blog....
http://blog.urbangrace.com/?p=320
and it seems that the dining room wall color may be the same as the lower cabinets--Farrow & Ball's "Mouse's Back"
Dining room paint color is Pratt & Lambert's "Sierra Night"
amarie - yep, already included it in my post.
sorry, I missed that!
Any info on the lighting featured here? I love that chandelier over the table, and I also like the lights in the kitchen.
My microwave was eating up valuable counter space, and I had a useless corner cupboard underneath. The door was wedged from when someone installed the microwave. I took it off, and crammed the micro in there on a 45 degree angle. Had to drill a hole through the back of the counter to get the cord up, but it opened up *so* much space. Kneeling and bending down to use it can be annoying, but I'll take all the space it freed up any day. And I put the crock of wooden spoons, spatulas and tongs in front of the outlet so you don't see the cord.