I’m a chick who loves routine, consistency, and knowing what to expect. But I also have a different side that I honor occasionally: the caught-up-in-the-moment-let’s-run-with-it-now-and-think-about-it-later side. This side of me rarely gets a stab at life, but when it does get a shot it usually results in fun.
And by fun, I mean painting my kitchen PINK, because my life is still pretty vanilla (albeit comforting).
It’s liberating that I’ve finally found my trademark style with a neutral palette, but my heart still loves color. Most times when my heart flutters at an unexpected color, I don’t heed it. This time, I went with it. And even then, this color is still pretty much a neutral due to its gray tones. Check it out:
The vibe: My usual style MO: lived-in, laid-back, and comfy.
The style: My trademark style–modern bohemian–although this room is more of a melting pot of styles than any other room. It has more traditional elements due to the cabinetry, some industrial influence from the bookshelves, plus the MCM/70s/boho flair I adore.
The palette: Pink, linen, gray, wood, mixed metallics (light gold and silver), and black/white. The walls are painted in Mocha Ice by Behr. Paint names always intrigue me, and I have no clue how they came to this one. It’s a pale pink that can look cool and dusty in the shade, or warm and blush-like in the sunlight. But it never looks like iced coffee to me. This color also plays well with the palette I used for the rest of the house, ensuring visual harmony and flow.
How this space is me: I love creatively solving problems–especially in design/decorating–and this room required tapping into that love. You can check out more on that below, like where I talk about semi-concealing the washer/dryer. It also has the light and airy vibe that I adore. When you compare the above pic to how the room is now, it’s an amazing transformation.
While this post is a reveal, the kitchen’s transformation through the years is also important. Years ago, my parents asked me to help them make it over when they lived here. I created a Craftsman-inspired moodboard for their tastes and they began by painting over the wood-paneled walls. This is how it looked in progress vs. today:
The panelled walls were painted, a subway tile backsplash was added, and a new countertop was created with ceramic floor tile. Looking back, a tiled countertop was not practical so let’s chalk that up to a learning experience. It’s still a huge improvement from the old formica version. Later on, my stepdad painted the cabinets white and added plastic inserts to the doors, which really helped open and brighten the room. (Unfortunately, he didn’t finish the cabinets entirely , so I’m in the midst of that project as we speak. And it sucks.)
When I bought the house, I got to finish the makeover (like the cabinets). It’s been one of the biggest challenges I’ve endured with this new house so far, but I love it. Aside from finishing the cabinets, the rest of the makeover was pretty simple, like changing the light fixtures. That process was pretty easy once I got over my anxiety of being electrocuted, triple-checked that I’d disconnected the circuit breakers, and texted my family what I was doing, y’know, just in case.
I also learned a valuable lesson after I installed the first one, turned the circuit breaker back on, had no light, took everything down and started over: MAKE SURE YOUR LIGHT BULB WORKS FIRST. Oy.
I love the mid-century modern vibe of these new fixtures and they were decently priced, too. But they were also chrome, which was no bueno. So I spray-painted them with my favorite gold, Champagne Mist by Rustoleum. TIP: If you go this route, prime them first. I foolishly went right at it with the spraypaint & some of the paint has chipped off. I touched them up easy-peasy, but still.
Another update to the kitchen was changing the cabinet hardware. I wanted modern and sleek hardware to offset the traditional style of the cabinets, and scored these brushed nickle pulls/handles for much less than you see at the big box stores (see below for source). I believe I had one pull that was wonky out of a pack, but luckily I had extra.
A huge score for the kitchen was the table. I’d wanted a small round table, seeing how well one of these functioned in this space when my parents lived here. When I found this faux wicker patio table at a consignment store, I was in 70s heaven. Thankfully, the top was detachable because it was an icky putty color. I revamped it with epoxy spraypaint for appliances, which has worked pretty well considering this is fiberglass. It has chipped a bit but it’s not too noticeable.
Right next to the table are my washer and dryer. I know, I know. No one really wants that in their kitchen—and the washer is LOUD. I pondered how to resolve this issue, but because they’re front loaders, I couldn’t build a shelving unit around them. I considered building a pony-wall to hide them but when I envisioned it, the wall felt awkward.
Solution: I placed an IKEA Hyllis bookshelf beside the washer, filling it with items that mostly conceals the connections. Some houseplants and abstract artwork also helps divert the eye.
For balance, I placed another shelf on the other side of the patio doors. BOOM: symmetry and storage. The shelves also help free up counter space, like providing a perfect landing for my plants.
Next to the shelves are picture ledges repurposed for my spice jars. They’re the perfect size and are another accessory to add modern style to the kitchen.
Since the kitchen features a side door and the front door empties right into the living room, I use the kitchen door for entering. It’s not a large entrance, but my Eames-inspired coatrack fit perfectly inside. I have a small bamboo shoerack underneath the window.
So that’s finally my pink kitchen, but full disclosure: it’s already being made over. I’ve already painted the walls and am coordinating some accessories with the new color, a grayish-seafoam green. I loved how unique it was to have a pink kitchen, but I just don’t adore the color like I do with blues and greens. It’s been nice to reminisce over this version, plus I still get to enjoy the pink as I also painted my bathroom with it (reveal soon to come). What can I say? I guess I am still discovering my style.
For info on how I decorated the kitchen, check out the links below. I do not receive any income for any linked items–I just really dig them and want to share them with you!
Sources:
Walls:
Table: consignment store
Chairs: IKEA (discontinued)
Curtains: Home Goods
Blinds: Lowes
Cabinet knobs: Glide-Rite
Cabinet handles: Glide-Rite
Bookshelves: IKEA
Light fixtures: Lowes
Utensil holders: Amazon
Artwork: yours truly
Wicker wall art: Target
Peace sign art: Target
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