valentine's day Black or White - Part 2

Thank you all for your input on the kitchen cabinet color. You all are offering very valid points. I thought I should show you the other side of the kitchen. It is relatively large space.

Obviously the light fixture will be changed, window treatments burned, and the trim will become white. I think we will have beadboard run up the walls about 4 ft with a wide chair rail. The beadboard will run into the 2nd half of the kitchen near along the pantry and side of the fridge. All the floor trim will be replaced with thicker trim and painted white.

So does this change your thoughts on black v. white kitchen cabinets?

valentine's day Is it Black or White...

No I'm not talking Michael Jackson here...I'm talking the color of our kitchen cabinets. Do I go black or white?


Black? Like Gwenie Paltrow's kitchen...

Or white like this gorgeous kitchen...

That is the question my friends. Our counter top is a Corian and appears to be relatively new. It is tan with flecks of white, gray, and black. The flooring we are putting in is a dark, real wood that will be carried in from the living room to the kitchen and into the family room. The wood color is similar to the flooring in the picture of the white kitchen above.

Here is the kitchen in all its glory with the original owner's belongings.

What was your first thought? Those kitchen cabinets on the right have to go??? Well that's what we thought too... Day 1 we ripped out the cabinets. Excuse the 2 big boxes we used those to help us hold the cabinets in place while removing all the screws, nails, and whatever else had been holding those things up since 1986.

So what's the consensus....black or white?

We have purchased fixtures for over the kitchen table and the sink, those are brushed nickel and were cheap at Lowe's so the new cabinet hardware will be brushed nickel. We are also set on removing the top portion of the Corian that is used as a backsplash. These pieces are glued on and not a portion of the countertop. This will be replaced with white subway tile with white or a gray/black grout.

So do we go black or white?

* Sorry I do not have links for the 2 kitchen pictures, if you do, please advise and I will give appropriate credit.

** FYI - All the appliances will be replaced. All trim work will be white and all doors are getting replaced with new, white doors.

valentine's day Casa de Jetplane #2 Update

Well, we're in full swing over here preparing for the upcoming move and future renters in our current abode.

And with all this, I have been day dreaming about future house and what it will look like (when we're done with it). Can you tell this house was built in the late 80s....

The top cabinets on the right will be going. Pendant lighting will be going in its place. Of course the lighting will be gone as well.
This is the view from the family room. The counter top is new as is the sink. Those will be staying (for cost reasons) but the back splash will be leaving. They are individual pieces glued to the wall. Subway tile will be going in its place. The counter is actually fairly short, I'm looking for shorter metal stools. I think I have found some on Overstock, but I need to measure.

Here is the eat in kitchen. There are 3 large windows on the side. Its actually fairly large area. I would like to have a built in window seat and a large built in china cabinet on the wall. New lighting...obviously.

The flooring in the entire house will be replaced, that's the first thing that is happening...oh so exciting. That right there, will change the entire look of this dated house.

Below are my inspiration pictures. I apologize that I don't have the links for the credits. I have a bad problem of not keeping track especially on my work computer. If you know the link, please let me know and I would happily give credit where credit is most definitely due.

Lovely pendent lighting, white tile, great metal stools... what's not to love. Right?Yes, there is an obviously theme here...
But my favorite is this kitchen by LAKBdesign, posted by House of Turquoise last week I believe. I had an immediate reaction to this kitchen, and those red stools....TDF, am I right?? This new house is truly going to be a labor of love... So much is going to be happening to the Jetplanes in the next 3 years as we live in this house... a deployment, holidays apart, easing into a life out West, and hopefully having a child... Its an exciting and scary time.

valentine's day What Time is It??

Well if you really need to know, you'd be in luck if you popped on into our kitchen and check out our newest addition....I don't exactly know why, but for the longest time I've wanted a large clock. My initial intention was for this to go in the living room but it doesn't work in there so I put in the kitchen. I love it and it is slowly growing on Mr. Jetplane. valentine's day

Sorry my kitchen is messy right now. Unfortunately our kitchen is a little smaller than I would have liked, but luckily we have 2 nice sized pantries so a lot of my kitchen appliances are hidden away in the pantries.

Clock was purchased at Target for $39.99.

My dream vision for kitchen...

I would love an all white kitchen with gray marble counter tops but since these cabinets are brand new I just can't do that...and Mr. Jetplane will NOT participate in painting brand new cabinets. Plus this house is not our FOREVER home and we want to make it more desirable for future renters once we move.

I have some realistic visions floating around in my head that works with the dark cabinets...but I'm not ready to share just yet.

All in due time...

valentine's day Thank You La Dolce Vita!

valentine's day

I just wanted to extend a big Thank You to Paloma at La Dolce Vita blog. She did a great post on white kitchens not too long ago, and lo and behold, she included my kitchen which you can see right here! What a nice thing to see on someone else's blog! Thanks Paloma. :)
Be sure to drop on by Paloma's beautiful blog. It is well worth the trip!

valentine's day MY BIG FAT REMODEL - UPDATE

valentine's day

Just a little progress report on the remodel: cabinets are in, well, mostly. I have used Crystal Cabinets, which I love because the company will make anything you want. Totally a custom company. Still waiting for some parts and pieces to arrive. Counters will be going in this Friday (white Carrara marble). I can hardly stand the suspense. I am using someone new for the installation who came highly recommended, but you just never know. He is a charming Italian man who seems to be the only one in town who still hones marble, that is acid washing it to create a flat finish.

I am in the process of ordering all of the "jewelry", like cabinet hardware, lighting, door knobs, bamboo shades for the windows, etc., which is really the fun part!

Anyway, I will post again when things are more "together"!

P.S. Joni from Cote de Texas ( great blog by the way! Please visit!) had a couple of questions about the kitchen, So I thought I would answer them here.

I used pilasters or "legs" between the cabinets to create the look of more expensive inset face frame cabinets for less. These cabinets are frameless or "European" style, so less expensive and a little more contemporary looking. I also like the furniture-like look the legs create. I am putting stainless steel caps at the base of the legs for added durability, and also because I like the added detail.

Regarding the Carrara Marble, I am honing it because polished marble will etch with anything acidic. I figured it's bound to happen, so why not start off with it etched? It will have the look of having been used for years. I have used it for clients' homes and they love it. It is not for everyone however. It will "patina". Carrara will stain and oils can be seen on honed marble, but with a bleach and water solution, most stains will come out. I also like the softer look.

I hope I answered your questions Joni, without getting too long winded!