Friday, January 29, 2010

White, Silver and Wood



With Hubby out of town all week, I decided to paint our kitchen walls. But let me just say (in case I've implied otherwise), that I absolutely dread painting. I think by far the hardest part for me is just getting started.

For example, I put on my calender "Paint Kitchen Tuesday." Wednesday came and about 5pm, I called my Mom and said, "ugh, I have to paint the kitchen today...at some point." It was 6pm before I started and almost midnight before I finished.



I painted the walls Simply White (eggshell finish), which is the color we used on the cabinets, shelves and trim (in semi-gloss). With a fresh clean slate, I then experimented with creating a not so kitcheny kitchen!
Jennifer over at The Newlywed Diaries inspired me with this post! As I began gathering up some not-so-kitcheny items, I started to gravitate towards all things white, silver and wood.



I added a clock, some candlesticks, an alabaster bud vase that I put toothpicks in (to add some wood) and my sweet little owl figurine.



I didn't spend very much time on arranging things - can you tell? I sort of began with the basics of all the whitewear dishes and drinking glasses we'd be using on a regular basis. To balance out those kitchen items, I added my Grandmother's old candelabra, her big silver tray and her old little lamb print...oh, and her old owl print that I reframed. xo

I tried to break away from my previous tendency to create too much symmetry. I still tried to balance things out, but in a more irregular way.



I like how the light reflects on the silver things.



I also really love my owl figurine.



And look, here we are...I think this will be Hubby's favorite not so kitcheny addition to our shelves. xoxo

65 comments :

  1. I love that, a beautiful result! That's what I do when hubby's away, paint and move furniture! I would have liked to have seen the 'Before' :>) xa

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  2. It is simply perfect. That is all there is to it. You have a beautiful eye for things...

    annie

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  3. No, I can't tell that you didn't spend much time arranging those beautiful shelves!! You have such lovely things and you do a wonderful job of arranging them all. Love the picture of the two of you as well!

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  4. WOW, I love those open shelves. You did a fabulous job of styling them. All your personal collectables make a difference, as does the silver. Really lovel.

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  5. Nothing like a new coat of white paint to freshen things up. Your display is magazine worthy - incredible. All the best, Lori

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  6. I really love that you painted everything white! It is just so calming... We just put color all over our walls (the previous owners had horrid taste) and now I'm slightly sad - I wish I would have painted it all white!!!

    ~stevie
    http://thriftingthedayaway.blogspot.com/

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  7. I love it! I am still trying to figure out how I want to decorate my old farmhouse kitchen 3 years after moving in...it needs work SO badly! I think I am getting closer though. I love your owl figurine too, I have a similar one that was my mom's only it is dark brown. Have a great weekend =)

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  8. A lovely look! I am wishing that I have some open shelving in my kitchen!

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  9. I love the combination and the paint. What a great idea this is. Truly gorgeous.

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  10. Gorgeous! Everything is PERFECT!
    Kevin is painting our kitchen today too! :-)

    Layla

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  11. Hello !! Trina....I think you and I are kindred spirits,this post speaks to me if you will like no other,boy do we have the same taste!!! Love every single detail! All the best,Chrissy

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  12. Your kitchen is just gorgeous in all white and your open shelves are stunning. I love the arrangement of all the pretty white dishes and then the silver with a few wood pieces. This is really gorgeous. Love it. Hugs, Marty

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  13. Trina - It looks amazing! The shelving and your collections look so pretty in the clear light from the window. I'm totally with you on getting motivated to paint. It's hard, but your results were more than worth the effort - just lovely.

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  14. I dread painting, too. Your non-kitcheny kitchen looks beautiful! Metal is such a perfect contrast for clean, pretty, white.

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  15. Lovely...totally magazine worthy! You did a fantastic job! Simply White is one of my favorites, too! I am going room by room and painting the whole inside of the house that and Cloud White. Oh...and you are not the only one that dreads painting walls. I HATE it, too! Too much prep...and too much clean-up! ;o) ~mary~

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  16. I'd say you definitely accomplished your not so kitcheny kitchen goal! The shelves look fresh and warm ... really nice.

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  17. Stunning Trina!!
    I absolutely LOVE it!
    You did a wonderful job with the shelves!
    j.

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  18. You did a positively amazing job on your shelves! It looks picture perfect ~ all of the silver and artwork looks beautiful together. You definately acheived what you were going for! I'm glad you posted this for added inspiration (since I adore your home) while I try to work on my kitchen shelves that I've decided to open up. I posted about it, perhaps you could give me a few ideas. No matter how hard I try, I don't think, at least in this house, I can get away from the kitcheny look. It's turning out to be a huge job but I was thrilled to see your kitchen this morning ~ you have an amazing eye for beautiful things! :)
    Sarah

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  19. I think it looks beautiful! Painting is a pain in the butt! I usually get my son to help me! For a small fee! :)

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  20. LOVE IT! It looks so fresh!

    Except now I feel like MY kitchen needs some sprucing up. LOL! Fortunately I was planning on decorating for Valentines day in the kitchen anyway. I will be sure to post pictures of it on my blog next week, so be sure to check it out.

    I really like the way the white, silver and wood looks. I also like the way you make it look 'not kitcheny'. Your owls are a hoot (get it? Hoot!) and those pewter candle holders are stunning.

    Thanks doll,
    The Glamorous Housewife

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  21. That looks very pretty and fresh. I like silver a lot.

    Good work!

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  22. Let me the first to say, I love it! I think you did a beautiful job. I like symmerty too, sometimes feel great need for it and often it is necessary for the best outcome. And, sometimes the best solution is to let it evolve in an organic and natural way. As I mentioned in a previous comment, I love the fact you are so willing to experiment and change it up. Each time to great effect!

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  23. What a fabulous blog you have. Love your taste in decorating and the photographs are beautiful!

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  24. It looks so lovely, I like how the balance is, and looks so comfortable

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  25. Looks beautiful! I am not much of a painter myself-actually my husband doesn't let me paint-I'm too messy(he is right)! So I happily pick out the paint color and then stay out of his way! You did a very nice job of painting I might add!

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  26. Trina, it looks so fresh and gorgeous - I love everything - you have so many beautiful things! Sorry have not been around the blogs much - swamped at work and missing you all terribly (adn missing writing more). But it is always a treat to come and take a quick glance at your posts, even if I have a minute. I think you are the only person I visit some days...!
    P.S. Love your silver things!
    xo Terri

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  27. Looks Great! I love your open shelving where did you find them or did you have them made? I hope to have some in our next home.

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  28. Wow!! I love it! Your kitchen looks amazing as does your whole house! I can't wait to browse around & see everything!

    Shellagh

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  29. I love it Trina! I love the "kitchen as living space" trend, and it's perfect how a few well-balanced themes---white, silver, wood---can make a space both gorgeous and grounded. love it!

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  30. Some might say that white is a copout but I think it's one of the bravest choices. The shelves looks great...but it's one of those things that I'd be tweaking for years. Great job! steve

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  31. Love the silver, white, and wood look. Don't you find you notice your things more when you move them around - I love doing it, just for that reason.

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  32. Oh . . THANK YOU for not having a granite countertops/stainless steel kitchen:)! Love the simplicity and freshness - and where dear girl did you ever find those blue swallow plates? OK, so I don't need another plate (of ANY kind) but I fell in love with yours!

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  33. Beautiful. Very serene and less kitcheny. But I did so love your red transferware!

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  34. The paint job looks great. And your little owl figurine is so cute! That's my favorite of your additions I think. Will you maybe do a post on the rest of your kitchen sometime? I'd love to see what the rest of it looks like and what you've done to it. :)

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  35. Adore your trinity: white, wood, silver. Timeless, classic.

    And the arrangement. Perfect.

    Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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  36. I love it! I wish we had open shelving in our kitchen... someday!

    Michelle

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  37. I think it is just wonderfully done. Does it sound strange to say that it makes my eyes happy? It's just a peaceful and lovely look.

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  38. Looks fantastic. You are my shelf-scaping master. ;)

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  39. Great job, the results look fantastic! I know how you feel about painting, i've painted several houses now and i'm so over it!!! I have four rooms left of our current house to paint and i'm taking so long to get around to them, the rest of the house will need to be redone at the same time!

    jules :)

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  40. Trina, this is so pretty. Putting it all together was your reward for painting and you did a beautiful job! Love the frame with the two of you, nice touch.

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  41. You did a great job. It looks so fresh and I love all the texture in the pieces you used on your shelves. Bravo !Kathysue

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  42. I love the mix of the white, silver, and wood. Looks fabulous. Very simple and yet elegant. Nice affect.

    -FringeGirl

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  43. Absolutely lovely!

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  44. i just found your lovely blog, i can't wait to look around. love your shelves in the kitchen!

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  45. Trina,

    I love the contrast between the white and silver. Lovely job. I enjoy your blog so much.

    Deborah

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  46. I love decorating with silver objects. Your kitchen looks fantastic. Those shelves are really perfect for your displays.

    ~jamilyn

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  47. Loving your counters- I just posted about how much I love wood counters and someone told me I had to see your beautiful kitchen.
    Your house is to die for!

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  48. Hi Trina,

    Love everything. Just beautifully done. Simply White is the best.

    ~janet

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  49. I stumbled upon your blog a few weeks ago while researching ideas for my own farmhouse renovation. I must admit, unabashedly, that I adore your home. The kitchen shelves are splendid in all their forms, whether laden with transferware and garland or bejeweled with silver, wood, and white. The kitchen we are in the midst of renovating will have a large expanse of open shelving. I am in the process of ordering brackets, and I was wondering about the depths of your lovely shelves? My husband is a painter, so we need room for both practical and impractical items. We were planning on 12 inches, which seems like an obvious choice, but I wanted an opinion from an open-shelf expert! --Cynthia

    P.S. My husband thinks it's quite hilarious that I am so smitten with your blog.

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  50. Tina it's beautiful!!! (like everything else you do of course) Just love this look though.

    Also can't get over your flower photos- they're amazing and have me itching for spring too!
    xoxo,
    lauren

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  51. Looks great Trina. I just love your owls!!

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  52. Hi Cynthia,
    I just measured and they're 11 inches deep. I remember the cabinet maker mentioning that they should be deep enough to hold a standard size dinner plate. But I'm just realizing that our dinner plates measure 11.5 inches so there's a little over hang. So I think the 12" would be perfect. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and for all your kind words! xoTrina

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  53. I love it! LOVE IT! I'm trying to get motivated to finish my kitchen. I've painted the cabinets gray (MAJOR PAIN!) and now need to do the walls and finish the trim. You can imagine how great it looks in the mean time :) Gray, white and black are my colors on inspiration, too!

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  54. hi
    you have done a great great Job looks really great
    I have added you in my links of blogs...

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  55. I just found you, so I don't know quite what the "before" looked like (if it was ever posted), but I love the "after." The white with the open shelves instead of cabinents, the non-kitcheny things included ... yes please!

    I have saved this pic for when I really have a kitchen.

    thankyouthankyou!

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  56. Just beautiful! I'm glad I found this because I noticed that you mix both your silver and your gold finished pieces together. I will be going "white" here at our home and I've had it in my head that I need to choose one finish to use throughout the house as far as accent pieces go. Which one are you drawn to the most? And which do you feel you use the most? I'm loving how antiqued gold leaf pieces look with my red cabinets, but if I go "white" with the walls, beadboard, etc..I wasn't sure if I needed to use silver instead. I've driven myself bonkers over it, lol, even wondering if I need to silver leaf my gold pieces. Ack!

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  57. We've used burnished antique for our reproduction door and window hardware. We've used antique brass for lighting fixtures (mostly). And then silver for faucets and knobs...I've found that I don't like things to match too much. I like when everything compliments each other, but is not completely the same. I like the consistency of using the same finish for the hardware (window, door and cabinet) but other than that, I just use what looks the best in each room. I like the evolved over time feel that it offers. Trina

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  58. Thank you, Trina. All of your pieces and finishes look beautiful together. You've inspired me to use what I love and not be concerned about everything being "matchy". Thank you!

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  59. Fabulous! Love the look of your not so kitcheny kitchen. ~ Sarah

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  60. What paint did you use? there are so many whites out there. We have experimented with color on the walls in our house, but I keep coming back to white. I love the simplicity of your decorating style. A breath of fresh air. Xenia

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  61. Xenia,
    Simply White by Benjamin Moore!
    Trina

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Thank you for leaving your thoughts. Kind regards, Catherine

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