When we first moved into our Boston home a couple of months ago, I was instantly itching to redo the kitchen first. Beyond the cosmetic issues, we went from having a ton of space and storage in California to having very little in Boston. I really missed my old kitchen setup, which included a hanging post rack, knife strip, butcher block and spice racks that helped maximize the space and put everything I needed nicely into one spot, so I decided to incorporate all of that again here.
See that final color? It took a little trial and error to get there, but we did. More on that below! It’s Silver Bullet by Behr, which is a beautiful grey with no purple, green, yellow, brown or red undertones—just a pure grey. Worth the hassle, because we loved the final result.
The pot rack we used is here.
The butcher block is from IKEA, although I’m not sure they sell it anymore.
First step was to spackle, sand and prime.
One coat later, we knew we were stuck with doing at least three coats.
Four coats later …
Now here is where we ran into trouble! I had impulsively picked out a pale blue paint (Monet by Behr) that looked light purple at some points in the day. Not the look I was going for.
I kept trying to make it look less purple-ly in my head. I looked it with one eye closed. Still purple. I added some red and navy accents throughout the rest of the kitchen. Still purple. I drank a beer and took another look. It was still purple!
After a few days of trying to convince myself otherwise, I knew this was a disaster. It was definitely not the kitchen I had in my head. This space was supposed to feel cozy and welcoming, but ended up starting to make me feel legitimately angry every time I went into the room.
So I went back to the drawing board, looking for a blue that wouldn’t have a hint of purple in it. It was really hard and I agonized over what to do!!
I hopped to browns and then grey, choosing several samples before I made my choice.
Silver Bullet was the winner!!!
I’m so looking forward to getting back in the kitchen to cook and blog, and love the warm space we created. Now I have the entire rest of the house to repaint, woo!
Rachel says
That looks amazing! Well done, I love how much finishing the kitchen turns a house into a home. Also, I have that exact same butcher block and *love* it. Glad you’re settling in!
erinwyso says
Thank you Rachel! Isn’t the butcher block great? Super sturdy and lots of storage!
Kelly says
Looks good! I love having everything ‘exposed’ in the kitchen instead of tucked away in cabinets.
Where did you get that wine/beer fridge? We just bought a house that has an inexplicably small fridge (not mini, just….small) and the space doesn’t fit a larger one so I’m trying to come up with solutions.
Thanks!
erinwyso says
Thanks Kelly! We got out fridge here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q0HNEFU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
June says
As a designer once upon a time, my forte was in color…it’s a real challenge to get people to understand that the bright melon color they’ve put a little swatch on their wall is going to look like living in a pumpkin once it’s covering their dinning room! Or that that soft baby blue on the little card will end up becoming almost neon once it’s taken over the room. The subtlety of hints and tones and LIGHT and SHADOW makes ALL the difference…. Looking at those little samples is not the same once it’s on the big wall..and don’t get me started on ceilings! The same color on the wall looks absolutely different on the ceiling..it’s mind boggling! And I’m REALLY good at what I do! Ha ha…It looks like you figured it out for yourself though…well done you!
erinwyso says
June, I love your passion and understanding of color and wish I could have somehow gotten this wisdom into my head before I started! I definitely learned my lesson on this one the hard way and won’t repeat the same mistake twice. Ugh, or will I? Fingers crossed for the rest of the house, lol!
Janet Hudson says
Looks great! Paint colors can be so challenging – inside and out. Bottom line is you have to have a space that is you.
erinwyso says
Thank you, Janet!
Chico Vegan says
Looks great! Also…one thing that struck me was that I have a magnetic knife strip, too, but I hang my knives the other way around – handle down! I don’t know why; it just seemed right. But now, looking at your knife strip, I’m questioning my assumptions!
Carry on. Here’s to many happy, productive hours of producing delicious vegan eats in your new city and your new kitchen.
erinwyso says
Yeah, I’ve always seen knives on magnetic strips with the blade pointing up, which seems like an accident waiting to happen — but maybe there is a good reason for that I’m missing? Either way, blade down has always worked well for me!
Sue says
Your kitchen looks beautiful!! Welcome back to Boston. Maybe I’ll unknowing see you at Haymarket
one Saturday ☺
Maggie says
I am looking for a baby room color and picked out Monet hoping that it did have a purple tint and your picture was much more helpful than the Behr website which makes it look blue!