Meredith & Michael’s 18th Century Kitchen Gets a “Put-Together Feeling”
Project by: Meredith & Michael
Location: Portland, Maine
Space is at a premium in our 18th century home, so when our old wooden countertops needed replacing, we looked at making as few layout changes to our kitchen as possible. The kitchen and dining room also serve as a focal point in the floor plan, where we entertain guests and spend a good deal of our own time, so we wanted to give the room a consistent, put-together feeling.
Not having the budget for a complete overhaul, we decided that updating our existing IKEA cabinetry with a fresh coat of paint would give us the ability to replace our outdated, mismatched refrigerator and also allow us to find a nice Carrera marble for our counters and backsplash. The new, cool blue/grey color palette gives the kitchen a classic, minimal feel, and when combined with replacing the microwave with an over-the-range hood, opens the room up a great deal. The bold base cabinet color changes with the day’s light, and provides a strong contrast with the walls and counters while hiding everyday wear and tear. In retrospect, we’re very excited that just a few changes (countertops, paint, and updated refrigerator/faucet) went such a long way in providing a room where we love to spend time.
The first step of the project was removing the textured surface from the wall, one of the most time consuming tasks of the whole process. Once the walls were smooth, the new marble countertops and backsplash were installed, along with the new faucet. (Thanks to a few articles from Apartment Therapy & The Kitchn, we knew to take our time and properly oil the countertops to keep them sealed.) The following weekend we dedicated to painting the fronts of the cabinets – first with a bonding primer, followed by a couple coats of Benjamin Moore’s Advance cabinet paint. Our new refrigerator, a generous wedding & early Christmas gift from our parents, was delivered a few weeks later and the kitchen was completed in time for holiday entertaining.
Sources:
- Walls: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Upper Cabinets: Benjamin Moore Super White
- Lower Cabinets: Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray
- Marble: Midcoast Marble & Granite
- Refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel
- Faucet: Delta
- Hood: Broan
Thanks, Meredith & Michael! For more on Meredith & Michael’s projects, hop on over to their blog Map & Menu.
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