Colour 101 DIY Ideas Home & Decor Kitchen & Bath

Painted Kitchen Makeovers

Ripping out an old kitchen and re-fitting a new one can be a costly and daunting exercise, and one that can take some time to make a decision on. There is, of course, a less disruptive, more affordable and fun way to bring a new lease of life to your kitchen – by refreshing it with paint! People are often surprised that you can use my paint in kitchens, but it’s a wonderfully simple way to update your kitchen cabinets and furniture. There’s no need to sand or prime surfaces first, you can just get straight on with the painting.

I’ve seen so many wonderful examples of my paint being used in kitchens lately that I wanted to share some of these with you all for inspiration.

A Trendy Urban Kitchen

Neutral open plan kitchen diner, white wood beam ceiling, vintage rustic bench and table, fitted units, metro ceramic brick wall tiles, Smeg cooker, pendant light, painted floorboards L etc 02/2014

Neutral open plan kitchen diner, white wood beam ceiling, vintage rustic bench and table, fitted units, metro ceramic brick wall tiles, Smeg cooker, pendant light, painted floorboards L etc 02/2014

Photo by Paul Massey, Courtesy of www.timeincukcontent.com

Paul Massey is a British photographer who has used my paints to create a cool, warehouse look in his London kitchen. He had the cabinets made out of old floorboards and painted them – as well as the kitchen table – with my paint, Chalk Paint™. He has kept his focus on neutral colours and industrial elements like the metro tiles and metal pendant ceiling lighting. To create a similar look, try some of my neutral shades, like Paris Grey and Old White, and finish with my Soft Wax and some sandpaper.

A Splash of White in Poland

Agnieszka Krawcyk
 Image courtesy of Agnieszka Krawczyk

My Painter in Residence, Agnieszka Krawczyk, has also done a stunning job in updating this kitchen in rural Poland. She gave this kitchen a whole new look with just my paint and my Soft Wax. She painted all the cabinets, the shelves, chair and table using two coats of Old White and then distressing heavily around the edges, especially on the table, to give a worn, rustic feel.

A Bright and Bold British Kitchen  

JaniceIssittKitchen

Image by Janice Issitt

I’ve featured the work of Janice Issitt before. She was one of my Painters in Residence last year and still has a lot of fun using my paint in her home today. She recently redid the kitchen in her English country cottage and I love the way she brought colour into the space. She painted this cabinet in clashing hot pink and cool green (she tells me she mixed both of the colours out of leftover pots of my paint). She then stenciled the drawer front and doors with my Freya stencil.

A Cool, Contemporary Classic Kitchen

Katrina Barclay 2014 - kitchen_03

Image from Katrina Barclay

My stockist, Katrina Barclay from Malenka Originals in Ottawa, completely transformed her old and dated kitchen for under $500 (including $100 on new hardware) by painting the cabinets, floors and even window frames in my paint. Her kitchen had orange pine cabinets and dated laminate flooring – the colours were hot and 80s looking. You can see the before picture below.

Katrina Barclay before

It was out with the old and in with the new as Katrina used a terrific mix of cool blues and greys to create a contemporary, classic space. For the cupboards, she mixed equal parts of my colours French Linen, Paris Grey and Pure White. She painted the floor with a cool blue grey mixed from my colours Aubusson Blue, Duck Egg Blue and Paris Grey. She sealed the floor with my Lacquer and the cabinets with Clear and Dark Soft Wax. She painted the window frame in my darkest colour, Graphite.

Statement Furniture

CB650_172

Image taken from ‘Colour Recipes for Painted Furniture’, by Annie Sloan, published by CICO Books. Photography by Christopher Drake © CICO Books 2013.

If you want to inject some colour into your kitchen, but are happy with your kitchen cabinets as they are, then why not make a statement using your furniture?

I once bought a set of six sturdy chairs with rush seats mainly for use at our house in Normandy. Although the chairs were quite modern and abstract, the design manages to have a country look as well. I painted each chair in a different colour from my Chalk Paint™ palette – Duck Egg Blue, Louis Blue, Chateau Grey, Old Violet, Versailles, and Provence. Once painted, I distressed each chair with sandpaper and sealed the finish with my clear wax. Try this out using colours that suit your space and style – it’s a great way to liven up an otherwise plain kitchen space perfectly.

I always love looking at customer’s projects, so if you’ve recently tried Chalk Paint™ or any of my other products, please share your pictures with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!

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