The Kitchen

Like moths to a flame we are drawn to this space. No matter what care the hostess has provided to attend to the needs of her guest every one of them will enter this room at some point in the evening affair. This room is the source of all good things, family board meetings, and Christmas cookie dreams. Julia Child said, “The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen.” So then, the kitchen is the heart of the home and should be well maintained to serve the family living in the home. In the world of decorating keeping the kitchen updated is the most important thing to maintaining the value of the home. Let’s take a peek into an updated and shiny new kitchen of a Bridgeport Model somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Dark cabinetry
Let me preface this by saying there is nothing wrong with dark cabinetry. However, the homeowner did not like her dark cabinetry, she always has loved a white kitchen and her heart’s desire was to have a white kitchen. So dark cabinetry is not bad but if you have dark cabinetry and don’t like it then you know how it feels to long for the pristine look of white cabinets. Through the years we have added layers of white molding to the house to balance out against the dark cabinetry and though that looked great for years, one day that was it, the dark cabinets had to go!

• Why white
A white kitchen is considered a classic kitchen and a timeless kitchen. White kitchens have never and will never go out of style. White kitchens are perceived as the cleanest kitchens and they are neutral and bright. Finally, the homeowner wanted a white kitchen.

• High end cabinetry
The cabinetry in this kitchen is high end cabinetry and the homeowner loved the door style and the quality. The kitchen would have been really expensive to replace all of the cabinets at the same quality level. Usually, I push re-facing cabinetry because the doors on standard cabinetry are smaller and do not meet in the middle but these cabinet doors did meet in the middle. Also, these cabinets had finish molding on the top and bottom which we usually have to add to standard cabinetry. Since we did not want to replace and we did not need to re-face these cabinets, the best option was to paint them.

• Paint
How do you know when painting is an option? Painting is only an option if the cabinet doors meet in the middle. Also, the wood has to be smooth like maple. These cabinets met the criteria. If the cabinets are oak then painting is very difficult and more expensive because oak has so much grain. To get rid of the grain, the oak has to be sanded and the grain has to filled and then sanded again before the painting can begin. The extra work is not worth it since usually oak kitchens are standard cabinetry with small doors.

• Choose your white
Since the cabinets were painted the homeowners were able to choose their shade of white. This gives you the ability to go as bright or soft with white as you like. It is amazing how many shades of white exist. Also, if you would like to add a bit of a glaze to the cabinets to make them pop, then painting makes that very easy. So, with painting there are many choices to add your own personal flair.

• No Guarantee
The only downside that I see to painting cabinetry is that there is no guarantee. The paint will need to cure a while and then I would treat the areas around the handles with care. The back and forth everyday use will over time leave a wear area around the handles. There is no way around this that I know of, so treat painted cabinetry kindly and it will treat you well. Re-facing usually provides a seven-year warranty. Remember, to keep these things in mind when you are choosing which way to go with your kitchen.

• Add molding
Before painting the cabinets we did add some molding to the island and the sides of the cabinets to provide a more completed look.

• New Quartz
This homeowner hated her dark granite! There is no other way to say it she wanted it out! Light and bright is where she was headed, and no one was stopping her now. She chose white quartz with soft veining and it looks amazing! The quartz was installed on the buffet under the window providing a seamless look from the kitchen counter to the built-in buffet.

• Tile backsplash
The homeowner wanted a tile backsplash. I usually, advocate for the quartz or granite to be the back splash so there will be no grout to deal with. However, I like the tile that the homeowner chose for the backsplash.

• Overall look
The overall look is amazing, cohesive, and bright. This kitchen provides so much visual bang for the buck that it will translate into cash should the home ever sell.

P.S. –Attention all club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com or Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below