When Alison from Un Complicate Me emailed me some pictures of her kitchen asking my advice, I was conflicted. I was conflicted because I am not, in any way, an interior decorator. I love helping people shop and look for things at antique malls, but the fact remains that my house is a little weird. Fun, but weird. It looks like mid century modern and cottage style and flea market cheap all had a baby together.
But Alison is a brave soul and said she wanted my opinion anyway. She has this small dining nook in her kitchen, but doesn't want to use it as an eating area (they already have a dining room). She also wants to be able to put plants in front of the window.
My first question to her was, "What accent colors do you like?"
To which she replied, "I love all colors. My husband says we live in a Skittles house."
How cute is that?
The first thing I suggest is curtains. I would put two panels on either side of this window, and if privacy isn't a huge concern I would take the shade down. Be sure and get a longer curtain rod, so the panels can hang more in front of the walls on either side... that way when you push them back, they wont block light from the window for the plants and it makes the window look bigger. I would personally do long curtains, to make the window more of a focal point.
And since Alison loves color, how about some pattern on the curtains? These are reasonably priced at Urban Outfitters, and they incorporate green and aqua.
And there's always these fantastic curtains from Anthropologie. Poor Alison's husband is probably yelling, "LIZ... I AM NOT MADE OF MONEY." But these are by far my favorite curtains ever.
And since Alison loves color, how about some pattern on the curtains? These are reasonably priced at Urban Outfitters, and they incorporate green and aqua.
And there's always these fantastic curtains from Anthropologie. Poor Alison's husband is probably yelling, "LIZ... I AM NOT MADE OF MONEY." But these are by far my favorite curtains ever.
My second suggestion, since Alison does not want to use this space to eat and needs to keep plants in front of the window, is a buffet. Not a super creative suggestion, but it will give her added storage, a prime window place for plants and a chance to inject some more color into her 'Skittles House' (I just love that term, so cute). And, by hanging the curtains wider on either side of the window, they'll frame the furniture nicely.
These buffets are from Maine Cottage. And let's be honest, they're pricey. But you could easily reproduce this look with some custom paint and a cheap flea market purchase. Or better yet, a free curbside find. It could be a buffet, or a small bedroom chest of drawers.
Aqua would look cheerful with Alison's green walls, and you know I had to suggest it.
But since Alison also has a red Kitchen-aid Mixer, she might prefer this color. Or, the tried and true shade of white or black paint.
And then on top of the buffet, I would collect planters from antique malls and flea markets (love this one pictured) and create a little vintage planter garden for the kitchen.
Alison also has a substantial wall in the corner, the perfect place for her dog food and water bowls. Believe me, I understand the need to hide animal bowls in a place less 'kickable', I think in this case it might be best to leave the bowls as they are and decorate around them.
Alison also has a substantial wall in the corner, the perfect place for her dog food and water bowls. Believe me, I understand the need to hide animal bowls in a place less 'kickable', I think in this case it might be best to leave the bowls as they are and decorate around them.
My first suggestion for that wall is a blackboard. It would be the perfect place for recipes and grocery lists. I like how in this picture they painted the entire wall. But be forewarned, I've heard that painting over blackboard paint is horrendous. So if you take this road, be sure you want to keep it for a long, long time.
Or, you could find a vintage mirror and turn it into a chalk board like this photo. I LOVE this dining nook.
And if a chalkboard doesn't float your boat, how about a family photo wall with mismatched frames?
Lastly, Alison's kitchen has this little desk area. She decided not to have a home office in the kitchen, and has been using this cabinet instead. She's not super attached to it, so I have a suggestion for this space.
I love a little open shelving in kitchens. How about a bookshelf for some display?
It would be a great place to keep cookbooks...
And if a chalkboard doesn't float your boat, how about a family photo wall with mismatched frames?
Lastly, Alison's kitchen has this little desk area. She decided not to have a home office in the kitchen, and has been using this cabinet instead. She's not super attached to it, so I have a suggestion for this space.
I love a little open shelving in kitchens. How about a bookshelf for some display?
It would be a great place to keep cookbooks...
*photo via Flickr, jazzejunqueinc's
... or an even better excuse to collect more vintage kitchen stuff. And you could even paint the bookshelf the same shade as the buffet in front of the window for some color symmetry.
OK Alison. That's my amateur flea-market advice. I'm sure whatever you decide to do, it will be fabulous. After all, any woman that earns the title 'Skittle House' is a woman after my own heart!
AND... readers feel free to weigh in. It may be that you'll have the perfect solution!
41 comments:
i would try and add a chair. a nice squishy/sinky/comfy chair. esp with a huge window and plants everywhere.. wouldn't you want to sit in there?
someone could sit there and keep her company while she cooks.. or she can sit and read.. while the doggies eat..
and it would add in extra fabric/texture.. for the solid walls and solid buffet that you are suggesting.. it could play off those colors plus whatever curtains she decides on.
love the suggestions. i'm getting ready to do the chalkboard thing however, b/c i don't want to repaint over it i'm getting a huge piece of plywood, painting it with the paint, getting some trim and painting that white and then hanging it up.
i can't imagine how horrible it is to paint over that.
love the bookshelf idea too!!!!
i can't wait to see what she ends up doing.
Liz, you're a natural at decorating!!! I love all of your suggestions. I also love the wall color in that dining area!!! Too cute!
here's my two cents...
stop and repaint that avocado green with something more upbeat. it looks so 70s. and with the dark cabinets, it makes it all heavy and dark. this is what i see when looking at the photos.
and, if you have no problem with people looking in the window, i think a cute vintage top piece would look fab...frame the window top off and cover it with vintage kitchen tablecloth fabric. would give the area some WOW factor. and it would be easy and breezy to vacumn off if it collected dust.
i like the idea of a buffet piece and in a nice eye-popping color...even more i would like stacking cubes in a great color and it would give you levels to have plants and pottery and books and all kinds of neat collectibles.
and, it is something you could probably put together without a huge cost factor. just a thought.
and it gives a little off-beat angles and such.
but, my first and foremost suggestion before anything else is painting that avocado over with something more cheery and change the window treatment and see what you think then.
erin in virginia
I think you had some great suggestions. Maybe I should send my pictures. Loved the way you summed up your house decor, I love your house! Bright and cheery is what I think of when I think of your house. Jackie
You are fabulous! You could come and decorate my place anytime. ☺
Ya know, they now make chalkboard paint in other colors.
Great advice- I love all your ideas and I love Alison's kitchen. I hope she will share with us the finished product.
Hope you have a great weekend!
I like the green color, but now that you mention it, I sort of live in a Skittles house as well. (That's fitting since they are my favorite candy!) I think it just seems a bit bright now because it's undecorated. Once she gets some things in there, I think the green will be a great pop of color. I LOVE the blackboard idea. (You're right that plywood or some other less-permanent option is wise.) A comfy chair is a great suggestion. I often wish I had a "seating area" in my kitchen for looking through cookbooks or when I have just a couple of minutes left on the timer and don't want to go back into the living room where I know I'll get distracted!
Liz, I haven't mentioned it in a while but I love your blog AND your style!!
Yay! Thanks Liz and everyone for your suggestions! I can't wait to get started on the space!
For the record, the paint color isn't changing... It's super bright and cheery and I love it. It's not for everyone, but it is for us. (it's by Behr and is called Grape Leaves for whoever asked).
Thanks again Liz!
I actually just saw the coolest idea in a magazine for dog food/water dishes. Someone had taken two wooden chairs, cut out holes in the seats and put the food/water bowls in it. I think something like that would be cute. Unless, of course, the dogs are really short and won't be able to reach. ha!
Glad you liked the suggestions Alison! And I like the green color too!
Well, for you not being a decorator, I think you came up with some FANTASTIC ideas!! Everything was so cute! I hope she uses them!
The green is good. I like the first curtains in your example, Liz--at least with her paint color they are great! Perhaps flank either side of the window with short shelves for the plants and books. Then a window seat under the window for a place to sit. That space doesn't look deep enough to allow for an easy chair of any size except maybe something on a small scale--like from Ikea. Frosted window film is a good option to block the neighbors but keep the light from her window. :)
I think all of your suggestions sound wonderful and I hope she shares pictures of the re-do when she is finished.
I also like the green and love the wood grain of the cabinets. I also like the idea of a chair. You gotta have a place to sit while looking through cookbooks!
Blessings,
Lorilee
Great ideas! I use a tall RED chest of drawers in my kitchen for storage and to hold my microwave. I can just imagine those gorgeous Anthropologie curtains enveloping that red buffet! Beautiful! And making the new bookshelf the same color as the new buffet would certainly tie it all together.
I like Erin's idea of adding a chair.
I have bookshelf cubes in my dining room (not as nice as what's in your pic) and I LOVE them for LOTS of reasons.
When I saw the paint against the cupboards I too thought there was not enough of a contrast. And a new paint color might be nice...but if she's keeping it, those Anthropology curtains would sure brighten it up!
I would absolutely, positively offset the warm brown of the cabinets with some light blue or cool green paint. The avacado is too dark and warm.
She could paint the buffet avacado then if she really wants! :-)
I am so in love with that last picture. Must have...
amazing suggestions Liz! Liking the comfy chair idea too with a big basket full of cookbooks next to it would be awesome too!
I'm practically swooning over here. First - I love the idea of a skittles kitchen. And I love your decorating ideas. The curtain fabrics are stellar and the pastel cookbooks on the open shelving? Uh-may-zing! And that bowl to go on top of the buffet...so charming. I could go on and on - don't worry, I won't.
You know you're going to be swamped now with photos of rooms that need to be decorated, right? Where do I submit mine?
Liz, these are all great ideas. I love that giant chalkboard. I wish I had that wall space!!
great ideas liz!! can't wait to see if she uses any of them.
Great ideas. I can't wait for the "after" shots!
Oh, I loved hearing all of your thoughts on how she could do her space and the pictures...well, fun!!
If you have the space and are interested in adding a seating area to the kitchen I would think of a narrow tall console table under the window (for the plants and as a place to set drinks) with a comfy low love seat in front of it.
If she keeps the green wall, the white Anthropologie curtains with the gorgeous wild design would be perfect...especially with that RED buffet underneath!!! (I have a skittles house too!)
i like the green! Brand, color name? I have similar cabinets and floor color.
Great ideas! So I'll share my new find for decorating on a budget! Fabulous hand painted porcelain knobs that I found online. Just those knobs made a huge difference on a painted buffet. Just stunning --- and just the touch to make it look like a custom piece and pull together the whole room. I also gave a wonderful set of small knobs as a baby shower gift. fyi the website was called hannahroses.com and there was a wide selection No affiliation but love these knobs!
Great ideas! So I'll share my new find for decorating on a budget! Fabulous hand painted porcelain knobs that I found online. Just those knobs made a huge difference on a painted buffet. Just stunning --- and just the touch to make it look like a custom piece and pull together the whole room. I also gave a wonderful set of small knobs as a baby shower gift. fyi the website was called hannahroses.com and there was a wide selection No affiliation --- just love these knobs!
what a great eye you have elizabeth!
wonderful advice....you need a SHOW!! :)
i love it all. i hope she take your advice.
loving the anthropologie curtains!!!!!
and the aqua buffet.
Great advise and galleries photo about your kitchen and I like you all decorating!
question for you - do you have a grouping of framed pictures like the one in this post? how do you plan for something like that? where do you start?
i have several items I want to do in a group but don't know where to start or how to arrange them - especially since I plan on adding to the collection...
Wonderful ideas, Liz. I love your quirkiness (is that a word?). Anyway, that dining nook is to-die-for. Loves it!
You MUST come and see the table and chairs I scored last week. They are awesome. The room doesn't yet match because it's in the process of a being finished out but hopefully it will measure up to the table and chairs!
http://www.shawnanigans.net/?p=1243
What wonderful suggestions you had for this nice friend! Add a chair or two and you have what we in the South refer to as a "keeping room."
I love that green on her walls!
Good advice, Liz.
Liz -
A very loud CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP on your advice.
roll the dice
I would do drapes from the window to the wall, creating the illusion of lots of windows.Maybe a flower box inside under the double window??? I love the idea of a seating area with a coffee table, you could eat munchies and chat while others cook.One wall of cookbooks behind a love seat and a hanging light fixture low over the coffee table...I could go on and on, however who knows if your even following my train of thought....good luck, fun project! Heidi
PS, I think the cabinets would be great black with that green color.
FYI - you may not be an interior decorator; but you SHOULD be!!!!!!!
OM goodness, I just bought that same panel from urban outfitters, the green one with the birdies for my closet. love it.
Pretty cool stuff, I saw this site with some useful info on Kitchen Dining Chairs. Hope it helps
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