Finishing the Kitchen... Maybe

First comes drywall. Then comes paint, and cabinet installation, and plumbing, and more paint. There's a lot to talk about in this post, so let me break it down for you.

Paint

We wanted to go with a nice neutral gray for the kitchen and hallway. What we got was ugly with a splash of violet. And the bright red accent wall in the dining area wasn't doing it for us either. I believe we painted these areas a total of 4 colors before finding ones we could live with. Did I mention that I hate painting? Well, I do. A lot.

Tip: If you want a warm gray that's indeed warm and neutral, we finally landed on (and love!) Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray (SW 7043). In fact, all the colors on that card are nice, and we used may of them.  

Cabinets

We initially purchased Ikea cabinets in their Nexus Birch finish, because we were told that the Nexus Black-Brown finish was being discontinued. We later decided that we weren't huge fans of the light color of the birch, so we purchased the black-brown when it was re-introduced. This was not a smart budget decision. We should have either sprung for a finish that we liked better in the first place, or just lived with the birch. Oh well, live and learn. 

As for the installation, it was a breeze. The cabinets are easy to put together and hang. It took the two of us a few hours to do. 

Flashback

 

Remember when this used to be the kitchen? Now it's the dining room, and it has a lovely opening into the living room. It flows so much better. It feels bigger and more open. That door is eventually going away and there will be a ton of windows added. And obviously the fridge will find a home elsewhere.