Paint, paint, paint : Cover blah brown wood and make the kitchen livelier with a multitone paint treatment: Lightly sand cabinets, wipe with a cloth, and apply primer; let dry. Paint cabinet bodies white. Paint all recessed door panels and all drawer fronts with rose-colour paint; let dry. Paint trim around lower doors aqua. Give upper and lower recessed panels a weathered look by applying white paint over crackle medium; this will allow the rose colour to peek through.
Fabric finesse: Add cafe curtains. They cover the bottom of the window, reinforcing the cabinet colour scheme and adding softness and visual interest.
Store more: Bring architectural interest and more storage to the kitchen by adding a cabinet over the window. Install this cabinet slightly higher than flanking cabinetry for variety and to allow window operation. Remove the back panel from the cabinet to let sunlight shine through. Replace the recessed wood panels on the doors with grooved glass panels; these diffuse light and allow glassware colours to show. Top the cabinets with crown molding for more character.
Design Tips:
Set off cabinetry with walls painted bold red — a colour plucked from the berries on the curtain fabric.
Remove two lower cabinet doors and slip metal bins onto the shelves for decorative punch. These containers allow easy access to potatoes and onions.
Customize an antique table to create a convenient rolling island. Add a shelf at the bottom for more storage and to make the table more stable and sturdy. Paint the table base red to match the walls; add casters to the legs so the island can roll where you need it. To make the island work even harder, install a spice rack on the side and racks for wineglasses beneath the tabletop.
Dynamic details: Give the backsplash more dimension and color by hanging a row of round plates along the wall. Find some eye-pleasing accessories, such as an enamelware bowl, to round out your kitchen makeover.
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