Brightening the Kitchen

When we moved into our house 6 years ago, I knew that our kitchen was going to be a deep red. I had seen a model home, in our area, with antiqued white cabinets and walls the color of autumn maple leaves. I was smitten. That was the kitchen I wanted.

Well, I didn't get antiqued white cabinets, but I did get the wall color. I loved it. It made me happy. Then last year, I started to have stirrings of wanting a lighter, brighter kitchen, but I still loved the red. I just wanted to be able to work in the kitchen without having to turn on a light.

So this is what the kitchen looked like 4 years ago. Right after we finished tiling the backsplash.

I still love how warm that kitchen was, but its was dark.

Now I have a fabulously bright kitchen, and my brick red is still present. Just in smaller doses.

I love the color. Its Lyndhurst Duchess Blue by Valspar. I got the Signature paint, and it covered the red in one coat, but I always do two coats just to ensure a more consistent color throughout.

My copper also got moved around. I inherited some of these molds from my grandmothers and some were just finds from thrift shops.

I redid the window treatment as well. I wanted something more streamlined. The fabric I found is pretty fabulous as well. Our dining room is a deep plum color, and I've been slowly trying to include it into more of the main floor's design scheme.

I followed this tutorial from the DIY Mommy. She explained everything very well, and it was super easy to follow. The whole process was pretty painless, and I got the shade done while baby girl was napping.

Oh, and one last picture. Its funny how picture framing can improve the state of one's kitchen. Here's what the poor thing actually looks like.

The husband brewed some beer yesterday, and well the rest of that is just what the kitchen looks like. Welcome to summer.

I hope you guys enjoyed seeing the updated kitchen. Hopefully, I can get a fresh batch of ricotta made later today so I can share that with you guys this week.