$30 Kitchen Makeover

Have a tiny kitchen that needs a quick makeover? Here’s an idea from Sunset Magazine I thought I’d share with you.

There are many ways to transform an outdated kitchen quickly an inexpensively. This kitchen suffered from 1970′s appliances and boring cabinets. So….

The kitchen was transformed using rust-resistant, Kelly Moore Rust-Oleum paint on the appliances and a buttery yellow and white on the cabinets. Looks great!

On the other side of the room, the owner removed the upper doors, revealing awesome beadboard. The open shelving makes the kitchen look larger. The pastel, reflective color scheme adds to the effect. Notice how she painted the handles and the beadboard in periwinkle to unite the look.

The one caveat I’d place on this idea is to make sure the appliance paint can take the heat. There are special appliance paints out there. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, they don’t come in a wide variety of colors. But you can’t go wrong with white.

I’m going to dig up my photos of a show house kitchenette I transformed with fabric and paint.

While I’m tearing through the closet, have you ever tackled a project like this? Tell us what you did and send a photo if you like.

Xylem’s All-In-One Sink

Xylem has just introduced a new design called Metal One. It’s an all-in-one sink and vanity.

The open design gives is a contemporary twist. I’m just not sure about the lower shelf. Am I going to keep kicking my chins on that?

I can’t tell from the images if the shelf is recessed or not. Probably. That’s a towel bar in the front. It comes in three colors, by the way: black, white and this orange color called “European Yellow.”

Opinions much appreciated, as always.

Can Softsoap really pass for a design item?

I received an email from a rep for Softsoap the other day with some images of their new Ensembles line. It’s Colgate’s attempt at making Softsoap look like a designer item by removing the label. My first thought was, “no.” But then I took a look at their YouTube video and it changed my mind a little.

The images (above) don’t look like photos of the actual product, which look better in the video. (Why someone thought a video was essential is beyond me, but I digress.) I guess I have to give Colgate some credit for trying. Glade has attempted a similar thing with their candles. It’s still a plastic soap dispenser. That’s the issue I have with it.

I thought I’d throw it out for your opinion. Would you buy this? And if so, why? Because it’s less expensive ($5.99 for the starter set) than, say, Restoration Hardware’s options? They run around $45.00 depending on the style.

Thoughts, please.

Decorating Ideas: petite powder rooms

This is just about the skinniest powder room I’ve ever seen. I wonder what the space was originally? A closet, most likely. This room is a testament to the wonders of imagination.

The room was designed by Stephanie Marsh Fillbrand, of Marsh and Clark, for a show house in San Francisco. She made the most of a small space. Here are some of the ways she did it.

I used a light blue Venetian plaster on the walls. The surface is elegant and highly reflective. It makes the most of the light.

Curvilinear forms create movement in a room like this, that’s so long and narrow. The mosaic tile curves up the wall. The Beaux Arts mirror takes over the curve. Finally, the hand made stained glass window emphasizes the curvaceous theme.

In a small room, everything matters. I kept things minimal, and made sure that what I did use was the best quality while making a statement.

My first house was a Victorian townhouse built before powder rooms had been invented. So I made one out of the dining room linen closet. Have you re-purposed a room or closet into something unique?

Dornbracht’s Supernova golden bath fixtures

I hardly ever write about kitchen and bath fixtures. But I saw Dornbracht’s new Supernova collection at ICFF and was especially attracted to it. For some reason, it reminds me of a diving board – maybe because I’ve got summer on the brain. Really, I like the sleek styling.

Supernova is comprised of 60 configurations. Who knew? When you think about it, the line has to fit tubs, sinks, and showers, as well as all the various ways faucets and shower heads are mounted.

I like the clean lines and the sparkling bright finish. Dornbracht is known for its platinum finish (as well as chrome). For supernova, they’ve added a 22-karat gold finish called Champagne.

I’m wondering what metal finishes you’re most attracted to for the kitchen and bath. Chrome? Nickel? Bronze or gold? And, do you like it polished or brushed?