Paint Colors, Furniture Sources, and Questions Answered for Mom’s House
Today we’re answering the most common questions we’ve received about mom’s house including what paint color’s she’s used on her walls and kitchen cabinets, her review of her budget-friendly KUCHT range, and more.
1. WHAT PAINT COLORS DID YOU USE IN YOUR HOME? WALLS? CABINETS? KITCHEN ISLAND?
WALL COLORS
The walls are Sherwin Williams Alabaster and it’s a warmer white so we always recommend a big swatch before you paint with any color to see how it will look in your light. The ceilings are also Alabaster in flat and the trim is Sherwin Williams Pure White in semi-gloss. If you want more white paint inspiration we have a really great round-up of all our favorites here.
KITCHEN CABINET COLORS
The island along with pantry door, barn door leading to laundry, and the dutch door to the dog room are Sherwin Williams Iron Ore. I thought it would be fun to paint all the doors in the house Iron Ore, but the reno was pretty extensive so that was left off the list.
The kitchen cabinets are Sherwin Williams Pure White. It pairs great with Alabaster and is a true neutral white with neither a cool or warm undertone that’s noticeable.
SHOP THE LOOK
2. WHAT MATERIAL IS YOUR FIREPLACE MADE OF?
The fireplace is made of Austin stone with a German smear. The most important thing to achieving the look I created is to use white mortar and white sand. Typically mortar is a gray color and your mason will mix it with the common sand that is a brown tone. This will leave your fireplace stone gray or orange colored. The white sand and white mortar over the top of a whitish stone like Austin stone will give the overall white appearance. Scroll down for the before. It’s come along way.
SHOP THE LOOK
3. HOW DO YOU CARE FOR YOUR FIDDLE LEAF FIG?
People think I must have a green thumb. My husband is actually the gardener in the family. But I do take care of the indoor plants. And my fiddle leaf fig is by far takes the least amount of care. My husband bought me a fiddle leaf fig years ago. I had small kids and didn’t water enough. In addition, I don’t think it had the proper light.
This fig, I purchased as a more established tree. We have a lot of afternoon light and the tree is on a wall next to the window. It receives the perfect amount of indirect sunshine. And because this fig is established it only needs water about once or twice a month. The leaves of a tree need to breathe. We give our leaves a good wipe with a towel and water when they appear dusty and voila! The smaller plants in my home are much more work! But Phil the fig makes the bigger statement for the smallest amount of work.
SHOP THE LOOK
4. WHAT TYPE OF COUNTERTOPS DO YOU HAVE?
I love real stone in a kitchen. Man made options are good but granite is my favorite in the kitchen for beauty and function. If you want a look that will last and be more timeless I believe there are better options. Choosing colors and patterns that are more subtle like a quartzite will stand the test of time. Per Wickipedia: Quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to grey, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink and red due to varying amounts of hematite.
The veining is also more subtle which makes for a more timeless appeal, The downside of Quartzite is the expense. In our home, I went to several stone yards to find a slab that was affordable. The dealer was willing to give me a deal on slabs of Taj Mahal Quartzite because there was a variation in the stone that made it less desirable. I simply used that piece in an area that would less noticeable, The large slab that had the best color and veining I used on the island.
We love the Taj Mahal Quartzite option for both function and style!
5. DO YOU LIKE YOUR RANGE?
We have had Professional ranges like Viking and Wolf. This home needed all new appliances so we were looking for a more affordable option in a Pro range. We chose Kucht and are very happy. We love the gas burners and convection oven. And I love how easy it is to clean. However, if you like appliances to match this might not be the best choice. Kucht is well known for a quality range but is limited in other appliances options.
6. DO YOU BUY EVERYTHING NEW OR SECOND-HAND?
I buy a mix of new and second-hand items. Especially today, when vintage and thrifted pieces are so popular and add so much character. I started with a foundation of new pieces. We remodeled and added new lighting and appliances, updated counters and fixtures. The couches are newer but we added a reclaimed wood table and a mix of new and second-hand accessories. Sometimes, we move things around to refresh our home. We will move out some items and add new. This keeps things feeling fresh and new!
7. WHAT COLOR IS THE CEILING IN QUINN’S PLAYROOM?
The playroom ceiling is Mellow Coral by Sherwin Williams.
We took on my granddaughter Quinn’s playroom two years ago. It’s so crazy looking at the room with her at 3 months and then at 2 years and 3 months in the same room. My daughter said it was silly to create this room for Quinn when she was so little but time flew and she was quickly using it with the blink of an eye. She loves digging into her dress-up clothes and enjoying her play kitchen in the room. I think the colored ceiling is such a fun way to add a pop in a room like this.
8. HOW IS THE PAINTED FLOORING UPSTAIRS HOLDING UP?
One of our most popular projects ever is painting the tile floors in the bathroom upstairs. We did this because we wanted to update it temporarily until we were ready to make a bigger investment. The bathroom held up so well and looked so great that we painted the floor of the other bathroom with a stencil. Both bathrooms are holding up perfectly with no scratches or scuffs. These bathrooms aren’t high traffic but they do get used often. I would definitely recommend this project if you’re interested in updating a bathroom on a budget!
9. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR GUEST ROOM?
We love dark and moody colors. The best way to ease into this trend is to paint a secondary space. We painted our guest room Behr Pine Mountain. It’s a deep rich green that we painted floor to ceiling including the trim. When you add lighter colored textiles this creates a cozy and warm mix that is welcoming.
I hope you found this post helpful! We tried to be sure to include as many details as possible. If you have any questions we missed share them in the comments below. We love to hear from you.
