Part 2 House idea book and kitchen issues

My kitchen has issues, big issues.  Some I don't know if I want to live with any longer. 

Lets start with wall paper.  When we first moved here I was excited to live in an area where people do things outside.  I wanted to bring the outside in and I fell in love with this wall paper boarder. 

 As you can see below it is starting to pull away from the wall at the corners.  I still do really like this wall paper.  The colors, the flowers, pansies are one of my favorite flowers and the rustic feel of it overall.

But it needs to come down. 

Don't get me wrong, I love wall paper, it is a cost effective way to change the look of a room and with all the great options out there you can't really go wrong with wall paper.  But, as anyone will tell you, taking it down can be labor intensive and very damaging to your walls.... ahhh but nooo because I have a secret. 

If you ever put up wall paper be kind to yourself and the possible next owner of your house and buy a can of 'wall paper sizing'.  You paint it on your walls prior to putting up your wall paper.  It looks milky when you paint it on the walls but I am here to tell you it is worth this step and cost.  You just roll it on where you are going to put the wall paper, let it dry and then put up your paper. 

When I take this wall paper down this weekend you will see that there will be no scraping, no damage to my walls and for the most part the wall paper will come off in a single sheet!  Yes!  Trust me!  I may need to use a squirt bottle or wet the paper first but it will come off easy peasy!  Check back on Monday to see the beauty before your eyes! 

Here is what I'm thinking of doing in my little kitchen for now, paint.  I painted the cabinets white years ago to try and make this little kitchen look bigger.  I do not, DO NOT, like the white.  I am constantly cleaning the cabinets because they show every bit of dirt.  I guess we are just not that neat a family. 

So here is what I am thinking.... light gray uppers, dark gray lowers OR gray/beige uppers and lighter blue lowers.  The walls I am thinking green either way, if, IF and that is a big IF, I can talk the hubby into it.  He looked at the swatches I picked out and was like 'Ok' but to the green he shook his head, he just doesn't like it. So if I can't talk him into it I may need to choose another color.   

Distance (SW 6243)

 

Hearts of Palm (SW 6415) the one the hubby just doesn't like.

Mindful Gray (SW 7016)

 

Next to the black, Gibraltar (SW6257) and in order going right:
Serious Gray (SW6256), Morning Fog (SW 6255), Lazy Gray (SW 6254), Olympus White (SW 6253) and Ice Cube (SW 6252)

I think they all look great together.

  These are all SW(Sherwin Williams) paint. 

Now what you should always do before you paint... get a sample quart or whatever sample kind the store will provide you (for a small fee off course) and paint it in your room or on a board or something.  Paint it in several areas.  Look how the light, both natural and man made, reflect and change the colors. You also need to look at how each color interacts with the other colors you have in the room or with the other paint colors you've chosen... Example:   If you look in the top photo the Mindful Gray, it looks very gray when I hold it against the white cabinet but if you look at it down here with the other colors it looks more beige than gray.  You can also see that since the strip of gray I chose has a blue base, when the strip is next to the blue color (Distance) the colors look more blue, especially the 3rd one up - Serious Gray (it is the 2nd one in the bottom photo as I covered the black piece).  Live with the sample painting for a week at least so you can see how it looks and how you like it.  Paint is relatively cheap but it can be time consuming to paint then find out you don't like it and have to prime then paint again. 

As I explained in Wednesday's blog I keep a house wish or idea book.  Think of it as a manual or very low tech Pintrest.  I have all the paint cards of what we've painted in this book as well as thing I like and why.

 This picture is my original inspiration for my kitchen.  It is a similar size except my refrigerator and then garage door are next to the dishwasher, but when we do remodel I may do this cabinet idea there as I'll move the refrigerator to another wall.  I still like so many things about this kitchen. 

 I even wrote what I like and what I don't about the room.  Even 7 years ago when I wrote this I thought it was too much white! 

I keep all the sample paint chips used in the house here though I don't glue them in but I do write on the back where the paint belongs and if it is flat, semi-gloss, satin etc. 

This is a great idea for me, I take this when we do go shopping for things and when we finally re-model our kitchen I'll have things to look back on and show the designer.  To me this is much easier than showing someone Pintrest on my phone or trusting I've got cell service or best yet, using my internet minutes if there isn't free Wi-Fi!!! 

What are you up to this weekend?  Have you or are you planning on using wall paper in your house?  Don't forget my tip, trust me you will thank me in 5 years when you want to take it down!  Come back on Monday and see how I got the wall paper boarder down - I am telling you it will be EASY a 30 minute tops project!  TRUST. 
Till Monday have a safe, happy and great weekend... oh and
GO BRONCO'S! 

Victoria