Yes this was the best kitchen styling tip I have found in the last year.
I’m getting there. Just indulge me, while I tell my story. It started with a call from the magazine stylist who was preparing my home ready for a magazine photo shoot.
She said, “They would love for the dishes in your cabinets to be white.”
SILENCE (I may have dropped the phone.)
Me thinking to myself: What? White? Did she say ‘white’? Oh no, she DIDN;T!!! No, she did NOT say white.
Me, out loud: Okay.
Me later to myself: ARE YOU INSANE? WHY DID YOU SAY YES? Do you know how many dishes are in those cabinets? Where are all of those going to go? When are you going to have time to go buy more? When are you going to have time to empty all of those cabinets?
WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MANY DISHES? Seriously why are there so many DISHES???
*MAJOR FREAKOUT*
Did I mention I freaked out?
Me after I calmed down: You know, this could potentially look fantastic.
So I surveyed the cabinets to see how many dishes I might need. ‘A lot’ was the number I determined. I still couldn’t comprehend the enormity of the transformation I was embarking on. Meanwhile my schedule was jam packed. When exactly was I going to go buy all of those dishes? And when was I going to move all of that stuff out?
I went to Home Goods and TJ Maxx and cleaned out 3 stores. I bought every white bowl, cake stand and pitcher I could find.
I set aside my colorful dishes until I could decide what I would keep of the new dishes. They were in stacks everywhere. Then I began to add the white dishes to the cabinets.
I even changed out the silver pitcher holding my wooden spoons.
I went with these old ironstone pitchers. I loved the look!
Now onto the cabinets, I felt for the first time in my life, that I had too many dishes. I decided then and there, that I would not be keeping all of these dishes. Many would be sold.
The dishes I had loved began to feel burdensome. They began to feel like a heavy weight. I changed out the old dishes for the new. I used larger, but fewer items. the room felt different. It felt lighter. The cabinets began to feel cohesive.
I LOVED the new look. I mean I really, really loved it. It looked fresh, and clean, and so light. I decided to keep the new look and get rid of some of the old dishes. I was tired of the old dishes. I kept my favorites, of course.
It was as if my entire kitchen got a facelift.
Which brings me to my topic, the surefire way to make your kitchen stunning. Pick a color, and use that color of items in your kitchen and in any glass front cabinets. Use large items instead of small ones.
I had every color under the rainbow. I had lots of small dishes too.
Look how different it looks with just the larger white dishes.
I have been a person who loved lots of color, and I still do, however; in design I am finding that restraint often makes for a fabulous look.
Here’s a comparison of the two side by side. I think the cabinets could look just as fabulous if I had done the same thing with just blue dishes or green dishes, or red dishes. They didn’t have to be white, but I love the white look.
I know some people will prefer the before, there are always some who do, and that’s okay by me. Even if you prefer a variety of color in your kitchen, there are still a few points to be made that might resonate with you. Here is what I learned…
1. That even when you THINK you know what will look best in your house, if you are open to new ideas you might find a new look you love.
2. That sometimes something that seems like too much work will be worth it in the end.
3. That sometimes it is time to change things up. I’ve been collecting these dishes for a long, long time.
4. Don’t ever get stagnant. Keep learning; keep growing. Be a life-long student. I don’t care how old you are, you can learn and you can change.
On another note…
As you may know I am a paid contributor to the Bali Blinds blog. I have a new post this week on the Bali Blinds blog about Fireplace Styling Ideas.
That does look better, Anita. I already have mostly all white in my open shelving in the kitchen. Even though I love color I love the white in that open area plus it gives me an extra place for my ironstone.
Wow, love it! Stunning…what a difference..thanks for such an informative post..I have recently added blue and white to my breakfast room cabinet along with silver and now you’ve got me rethinking that…maybe I should just go back to all white…of course then there is the domino effect in the kitchen…do I get rid of my black and white Mackenzie Child’s pieces….decisions, decisions…but you’ve definitely got me thinking!
Sharon
Amazing how a seeminly small thing can change everythiing! It confirms what I have been thinking about my own kitchen adn the use of colors. Less is better! Linda
The transformation is amazing! Being open to the new idea gave your kitchen a totally different look. Thanks for sharing the tips and inspiration.
Any suggestions for selling dishes? We are down sizing and I have sets of dishes that need to be sold as well as odds and ends. Thanks! Enjoy reading your blog!
Helen, Craigslist, consignment stores or EBay are great places to start. You can even announce that you are selling a few things on Facebook to your friends.
Your cabinets themselves are showstoppers no matter what is inside them!
I want your kitchen. For myself. Nuff said.
You made my morning. I just laughed and laughed. Your honest reaction was so much fun to read. The new look is amazing. I am rethinking the mismatch colors of some of my “stuff” now. Thank you so much. Btw, we both have the same pepper grinder!
Blessings,
Carmen H
I love the new look Anita!
Fabulous! I absolutely love the all white dishes!! This is something that resonates with me for a few reasons. When we did our kitchen 20 years ago, I was told not to do glass front cabinets and also not to do white. (They told me it would be dated. Ha!) Those are the 2 things I have regretted not doing all these years. I am very neat and could easily have lived with glass fronts, and still love white, so I am determined to do both in my next kitchen. So, one question. Where did you put everything that’s colorful that you chose to keep? Most of my everyday dishes are already white. But I, too, have lots of other dishes that I use for various holidays and dinners. I keep many in hutches and cabinets in the dining room, but I’m definitely running out of space. Also, for the dishes you sold, where did you sell? I have a few things I wouldn’t mind passing on. Great post!
That is funny that person told you that. Well that goes to show, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Selling dishes – try nearby consignment stores, or you can offer your dishes for sale and let friends know on FB, Craigslist and eBay are options.
As for where did I store the dishes with color, I sold some, and I rearranged my other storage so that I could accommodate more in the cabinets I have. The dishes that are white but have a pattern on the front of the plate I was able to stack and still use in the cabinets, as they look white from the side.
I love the cabinets with all things white inside! It is just gorgeous, I love it before but it does make a difference. I decided to go with almost all white and with the season add something with a pop of color just to be fun 🙂 Hope you are doing well. XO
Kristin
Once again, thank you for a useful and inspiring post. I have glass front white cabinets and love them. They add light to my very small kitchen and break up the monotony of the all wood cabinet fronts that were there originally. For the sake of simplifying I went with Pottery Barn white dishes a few years ago and have not been sorry. Have found many ways to change the look of my table because they seem to go with just about any other accessories that appeal to my taste. At 68 I especially appreciate and adhere to your 4th point.
Loved this post Anita. Mr. Cute Guy wants to do a reno on our aging kitchen and the idea of me, (and it will be me) moving all of the dishes I have collected is daunting. For the most part, it is only the two of us day to day, but we do entertain the masses from time to time so we have at least four sets of dishes with settings for eight. And, we have three sets of day to day dishes with four settings each, plus Christmas dishes, serving pieces for all and a lovely set of dishes that were my mom’s. Could not part with them when she passed as I remember how long it took her to collect them all. And the various cutie bits and bobs of collections I have been gathering over the 50 years of our marriage. I want most of them gone and you have spurred me on to “just get ‘er done!” And Cute Guy came home with brochures featuring cabinets that are not white and I looked at him and said, “Are those the cabinets for your new apartment because I am only having white in my kitchen?” He muttered something and walked away and we haven’t mentioned the kitchen reno since. I am going to show him your pictures and use the “since you got to choose what went into your “bonus” den, I get to decide what goes into the kitchen. Cheers from the west coast of Canada to you and all who dwell at Cedar Hill Farmhouse.
You are a hoot Barb!!!
I am not going to lie, it was a pain to move all of those dishes, such a mess! But I was really glad I did it. Don’t settle on those cabinets, get what you want!! You can tell Mr. Cute Guy that it’s ‘doctor’s orders.’ Just don’t tell him I am not really a doctor.
Anita, your “before” was beautiful simply because that kitchen of yours is drop dead gorgeous! That being said, I have to agree, filling the cabinets with the all white dishes just completed the visual and made it stunning! It has the “wow” factor!
Ok, so the stylist was right….its wonderful…makes me think…a lot….
Love the look
Nancy
Anita,
I L O V E the new, refreshed look with all white dishes, dear friend!!!
I, too, love color! That being said, I find with every new birthday celebrated. . .
too much color causes an unrest. The monochromatic color schemes are more tranquil.
I adore your tip. . .
4. Don’t ever get stagnant. Keep learning; keep growing. Be a life-long student. I don’t care how old you are, you can learn and you can change.
Change is constant here on the Prairie!!!
Thank you for inviting us into your lovely kitchen!
Fondly,
Pat
I love this tip. I have been collecting Carlton Ware china (cabbage style plates etc) for years, but really it doesn’t go with the blue/white scheme i have now. My white painted china cabinet looks hodge podge. I’ve resisted changing it b/c some of it is inherited, and then there’s the collections. My daughters don’t want them, so i guess it’s time to purge and put in what i love which is blue glass, white dishes,
Jane
For me, this is a very timely post. I have been looking at my jumbled multi-color shelves in my tiny kitchen thinking that they need a new more cohesive look. Another project to add to the list.
Love the all white dishes in your cupboards! Can you tell me what your backsplash tile is please? My mom is renovating her kitchen and may use the same granite which may lead her to use your backsplash as well. Thanks for creating a kitchen that many want to copy…sweetest form of flattery!
Sandy, it is made by Walker Zanger. I think it is Gramercy Park, crackle finish subway tile and the color is Wedgewood Blue.
Anita, loved your article. I have similar kitchen with white cabinet, marble, glass cabinets and thought all the different colors and dishes looked good. I have since re-looked at it and this morning, changed out one section and can’t believe how much better it looks. Thanks for sharing their kitchen staging secret.
Aww thanks Paula!!!
My name is Shirley and I love dishes! I have many, many sets and recently they are making me a bit overwhelmed. My cabinets are overflowing; however, the good thing is that you cannot see what is behind the cabinet doors!…My goal is to pare down to just a few sets….not a dozen! I can just imagine your response to the stylist; however, the end result is stunning!….I love color, but I love the look of your kitchen now!….I am slowly adding more ironstone to the kitchen and loving it!….You have styled the cabinets so beautifully Anita!!
When you put the photos up on FB my eye was immediately drawn to the boxwood filled trophies. Now I know why. My eye came to rest on the jewelry of the room, not on every little detail. The before photo is quite lovely. Afterall you are a wonderful stylist Anita. But… I think you hit the nail on the head…less is more. Okay, you didn’t use those words, but essentially that’s what going on here. Thanks for this… I needed to be reminded. Too much color or detail in a room is clutter. What a great way to hone things down. It’s kind of like having core values for your decor… you now know what to keep and what to let go.
All the best for an extraordinary wrap up to the week!
Blessings!
hmmmm….so basically you just told us that what we see in a magazine is not a person’s real home. It’s changed for the current fad. I’m sure you think the new look looks…well…wonderful and it does. have its merits. But do you love all these new dishes that you ran out frantically to buy because a stylist told you to make your kitchen magazine worthy? It is really hard now to imagine anyone’s home featured in a magazine as their home rather than a stranger’s idea of what sells. Glad for your honesty. Hope mine doesn’t offend. Not intended….just my thoughts on the subject.
Kathryn, I know a lot of people who have had their homes featured in magazines and I have spoken with several magazine editors, and yes homes are typically styled by a professional at the time of the photo shoot. Sometimes the stylist brings in a lot of things the homeowner doesn’t own, and I know one blogger who said they completely photoshopped her TV out of a cabinet for the magazine photos. I know of one magazine cover in a blogger’s home, where almost everything on the cover was brought by the stylist. It happens. However, the stylist at my home only used just a few small things that weren’t actually mine. As for the white dishes, they are not a fad. I own all of those dishes, I selected them and arranged them myself, so even if it was their idea, the actual styling of the cabinets was all my doing. Just because a home has been professionally styled, does that take away from the homeowner’s work or the designer’s work?
What about a celebrity that you see on the cover of a magazine? She has her hair professionally done, her makeup professionally applied, she may even have a spray tan. She probably is wearing clothing the magazine provided, and then they will probably photoshop the heck out of her photo, even though she is a natural beauty. What about someone who uses a professional designer or decorator for their home or a professional stylist for their wardrobe?
How much is a room changed for a magazine photo? Sometimes very little is changed, sometimes a lot; it just depends on the stylist, the magazine editor, how the room looks, and the budget. The reality is this, sometimes the way things are set up for real life don’t translate well in a photo. I have a dog and dog bowls. Do I show the dog bowls in my photos? No, of course I don’t, and I don’t see that as misrepresenting the truth. Writers call this ‘poetic license’. Things are often changed a bit to make a better read. The boring stuff is eliminated, and the actual order of events may be changed slightly to make the transition in the story smoother.
I am glad you brought this up, since others may feel the same way.
Oh dear….after I posted my comment (without thinking about it first) I was sorry because I realized how negative and hostile it sounded. Therefore let me re-state a little kindlier what I was trying to say and what I actually think: 1) I think that your home and specifically in this post, your kitchen, is gorgeous. Its structure, architecture, and materials are divine and many of us drool over your kitchen (and your homes) and therefore return often to your blog. 2) What a tribute to your creativity, abilities and skills to have a magazine choose to showcase your kitchen. It truly is an honor and you should feel proud. I know I would and I do…for you! 3) I like that you were honest about what the magazine stylist wanted you to do…which was to hide your own dishes and replace them with something they considered better. 4) THAT is where I lost my cool.
Yes…I know that homes are styled specifically for a certain magazine’s audience And yes, I also know that props are brought in, clutter and “real life” hidden (ie: dog bowls, etc) or shoved to the side and out of the camera’s focus. And yes, I know items and people are photoshopped to make everything sparkle and look as best as possible (believe me, I know….worked in the fashion industry for-ever!). And that is a standard and expectation of the industry. And while I know these things…they are also the issues that sadden and annoy me.
These magazine images portray and suggest what our homes should look like…what WE should look like. Right now the trend is all white. Beautiful! But what if one hasn’t an all white kitchen, or grain sack coverings, or ironstone. Goodness gracious…what if one never even thought of liking Ironstone and all of a sudden must start to collect it? You know…to be on trend. This is the same issue (women in particular) have with self image. The notion that we must look or dress a certain way and now style our homes a certain way.
In reality, there is nothing wrong with changing our looks, the style of dress, or hair, or home. It is energizing and brings freshness and life to the mundane. I only wish the magazine had provided those white dishes for you (or provided a handsome stipend so you could buy the dishes….maybe they did).
It comes down to honesty. We are perusing magazines and blogs to be inspired. And specifically from the blog world we look at the homes and tutorials of others to be able to find our own preferences and create our own styles. We cannot help but be influenced by what we see. This is human nature. But hopefully, no one feels pressured to showcase premium space with trendy items only to hide what is used and loved out of sight.
All in all…thank you for your honesty and your graciousness in responding to my inappropriate initial comments. I really like your blog, your home style, and your willingness to share your thoughts, ideas, and successes with us. Carry on and don’t let someone like me who wrote a hasty comment because I was annoyed with the magazine (and not with you) diminish your joy. Have a great day and carry on. Kathryn
Thank you sweet Kathryn! No I was not compensated for the dishes. That’s funny that you are saying the trend is all white. A magazine editor was interested in my kitchen, but when she pitched it to the magazine, they turned it down because it was white! Apparently they already had too many white kitchens.
I hope that readers here are encouraged to go their own way style wise. Blogs and magazines are great for providing ideas, but it is my hope people will be inspired to do what they love. Good points all around!
It truly makes a difference,i have started getting rid of my colored dishes also.
I love all white too. I even just changed out my everyday dishes to all white. Though I did get some blue and white accent pieces. I love the new look. It looks beautiful and very well done.
The all white is beautiful…but I hope you add the bluebonnets back in, come spring!
Anita, I guess this is way off of what today’s topic is about (by the way I loved both the old and the new look), but as I was looking at your gorgeous commercial appliances in your fabulous kitchen I thought to myself “Wow, I’ll bet she does a lot of cooking by looks of the size of these appliances”. Do you entertain a lot or is it mostly used for family dinners? What fun it would be to have a range, fridge and prep space like that, I would be cooking day and night. Your home is lovely and your honesty is both refreshing and eye opening. Thank you for sharing. Jill
I love all the white! I have been told that white is boring but to me it is crisp, clean and elegant! I too am a little disappointed to read that rooms are staged for magazines. I love looking through them to see how people live and decorate!
Ahh, I’m sorry about spoiling the fun on the magazine photos. For the most part I think the changes to a room are minimal. Even for my blog I add fresh flowers, which I don’t have every day. And of course I have to clean out the dish drainer when I photograph my kitchen. Do you really want to see that stuff? It’s
Anita,
Once again your timing is perfect. I posted earlier on your article related to neutral walls and furnishings and mentioned I had just “neutralized” my own home. My kitchen is also going through a major renovation with new cabinets, appliances, granite and backsplash. I went with SW White Linen and Tobacco Glaze on the cabinets, Napoli granite and Creme Travertine backsplash. It feels so much bigger and brighter!
Dilemma – after I emptied all the cabinets (and, yes, there were a LOT of dishes and tupperware!) and stacked them on my dining room table I realized I have things from my first year of marriage 32 yrs. ago.
I had to throw that in because I’m kinda proud of that number. My mom passed away 3 years ago and there were so many things I saved for “sentimental” reasons that I have regretted since because my cabinets have been bursting at the seams. I also realized I have a lot of colorful dishes of which most have some degree of red in them. I love red and try to have at least something in each room with red. Now, that I have this bright and light kitchen I don’t want to fill it back up with all that color! So, I see a garage sale in my immediate future and I may have to follow your lead and head to TJ Maxx Home Goods for some white dishes; or maybe a soft yellow just to ease me into the transition. Thanks again for great advice and I love, love your kitchen 🙂
Love the kitchen, Anita! I also use a lot of white, but as I have always mentioned in my comments, I have a favorite color…turquoise/aqua, that shows up in every room to some degree in different shades. I think when we love color it is hard to wipe it entirely off the slate.
Thank you for sharing not only your beautiful transformation but also your angst in removing the colorful dishes and accents. I think many of us can relate to that feeling. – SandiO
REALLY great advice, as always! Being a life-long learner is so important no matter the profession. When I taught school we talked about it at every staff meeting and now that I’m blogging it’s just as pertinent. Thank you so much for sharing your decorating tips. I always read them.
Love, Love, Love your kitchen and do love the white dishes the most! Enjoyed your article and have a question……what is the name of your granite? Looks very close to mine…..River White. Let me know and thanks!
Yes we have the same granite Debi!!
Cool!!!! Next month we are having new backsplash installed….white subway tiles w/light grey grout! I really enjoy your daily posts! Thanks!
Anita, your kitchen looks fab! I like it with the white because it seems less “busy”. Which brings me to a question. I love that your backsplash sort of blends with your cabinets and countertops, keeping things clean and streamline so that your accessories make the statement. Could I ask you where you found these tiles and the color? Is it solid color or more white or cream? I’m loving them and would like to use this or similar with my black granite that came with my house. Thanks for any input!
Miranda the tiles are Walker Zanger Gramercy, color Wedgewood
Thank you! Gonna look into that!
Okay…..Here’s my take on staging for magazines!!!!! I think we do expect a certain amount to be staged for the pictorial layout…..when I go to pick up my favorite magazine….I expect to open those pages and dream…..by no means do I feel deceived by wondering what’s the owners and what belongs to the stagers…. Anita your homes clearly reflect your visions on how they should look!!!!! And of course they all look amazing! How do you improve on perfection???? Sometimes a suggestion like taking out the colorful dishes and replacing with the white can change up the look….but the bones of your kitchen and everything else that makes up your beautiful room are all you!!!!! Your design….no stager can stage that!!!!! I totally get what magazines need to do to make up a magazine…..I have been at countless photo shoots with my daughter and now my granddaughters (they model) for magazine layouts for clothing…..and products……it’s amazing the work it takes to put this all together!!!!! I will continue to look forward to your blogs and posts for inspiration and to the magazines that you are featured in so I can continue to dream!!!!!!!! Roxann ?
Anita, I just love your new kitchen look. I’ve been thinking of redoing my kitchen for a while now and you have inspired me to do so. The white is such a calming color; I would love to wake up to a beautiful kitchen and yours. Thank you so much for sharing.
Marilyn
Love the new look with all white. It has inspired me to buy more white and let go of some of the other sets. Thanks for sharing this inspirational post. Great transformation.
Anita, loved this story ! I have been a collector of dishes my whole married life (46) years!!! I began my transformation to french decor several years ago and decided I too needed white dishes. So I started getting rid of some of mine. First a full set of 8 to my daughter, these matched her decor great! Then this year I did a living, dining room makeover for my son and daughter n love….in Ralph Lauren style. An antique open shelf piece needed dishes, so there went another set of royal dalton blue willow style! Ok who was to be the next lucky recipient??? ( I only have two kids) ha.
Oh my God child!!! Her mom and I both had a set of Franciscan rose ,which her mom had already gave to her. I am delivering more to her soon! I agree , it is freeing!!!!!
I think the biggest key is what you said – Be open! That’s true in all of life and it keeps us young and fun.
I reread your post several times as I had a few strong initial reactions. Get rid of my beloved dishes because someone asked me to?! Re-buy all new? (And a LOT at that!!) Spend ALL that money?? For me, a long time collector of colorful dishes as well as white Ironstone, I’d hate to part with them so my solution would be (is/was) to only have one double set of glass front cabinets to display those. I’d never be able to do all glass front nor would I want to do open shelving as I love my color but I do appreciate cohesiveness. Maybe I’m the only one out there where finances are a factor as I appear to be the only one who’s mentioned it but there’s no way I could replace everything even if I attempted to sell those I was taking down. BUT, I read over (and over) and I get the gist. I do agree that you’ll never know until you try and that it’s still quite okay to do what you love and use what you love. You’re behind us and did a great job at reaffirming that! BTW–I love your style and your blog—thank you for sharing!
As for me, if I were visiting your kitchen pre-whiteness, I’d be poring over all those colorful dishes, and would be asking you questions about them and just appreciating all of them in general but that’s just me!
I get it, though. I truly do and I thank you for sharing your experience. I also thank you for graciously stating that it may not be for everyone.
Cyndie,
Well I was so against changing out the dishes, because I loved them. But I loved the new all white look, so I kept it. Yes I had a very large stack of dishes that I pulled out. Basically a room full! What I found out is that I didn’t really like some of the dishes that much. Some of the dishes I was really tired of. So it was a great opportunity to give some away and sell some. I kept my favorites. It works for me. What I sold paid for my new white dishes. But yes you MUST be true to you. Glad you know what you want. I think that’s half the battle.
You are an open hearted gal and that shows in everything you do. Obviously you and your style resounds with thousands of us. It becomes very clear in life that the outer spaces reflect the inner ones. Although I am “stuck” with dark antique furniture, oriental rugs and other generational pieces, the most common comment regarding our small home is its ordered peacefulness. Your blog today has proven that listening, editing and hard work, all done IN FAITH, will produce a great harvest of peace.
I think that there is a great book that talks a lot about being pruned for greater growth and production, right? 🙂 Great job, Anita!
WOW, what a difference–so much freshness, inviting and warmth (even with white). I am a blue/white person. You were brave to change out all of those dishes. I surely can identify with your comments when told to clear out dishes. I love the new look much better.
I think that maybe what some “detractors” are saying in their comments is that most of us do not have walls and walls of glass front cabinets where we can fill a large segment of them with new/white dishes that are strictly for show, even if we could afford to replace our colored dishware with all white. Most of us must use cabinet space, whether glass front or not, for those dishes used on a daily or family holiday basis and can only wish we had a kitchen such as yours with space for show and for everyday storage also. I don’t think the contention in some comments is that we shouldn’t listen to designers or convert what we have to a more simple look but that most of us would be closing the cabinet doors on new white dishes due to lack of open or glass door space to show them off should we try to duplicate the look. And the LOOK is wonderful, clean and simplified, for sure. Too bad we all can’t have it. Keep up the good work, the good ideas and the information you pass on to us. I, for one, will use what I can and wish I could use it all.
Pat, yes those are excellent points. When you are in the business, you approach things differently. My house is not just a house, it’s my studio, and I need to try new things for my business. For a lot of people, pulling everything out just isn’t realistic. Think of my blog as a place for ideas. Not all of them are going to work for you. Some ideas might work on a smaller scale. I am not suggesting people copy everything. I simply hope to provide ideas, and maybe there are some ideas that you can incorporate in a way that suits you and your home.
Anita, as I have looked through magazines and blogs I started to really appreciate white. And I fell in love with white ironstone, copper cookware and white walls. I use to paint all my walls white — it was easier than figuring out what color to use in a room. I never had all white dishes. Now I love them, but haven’t bought any yet. In reading your blog and others I’ve begun to again appreciate the beauty and flexibility of using white. Thank you. Oh, and I love your kitchen.
Anita, my husband and I are downsizing to a small home in our retirement years and I am excited to enter into the world of French Country. I have ALWAYS had red as my mainstay, since it is my favorite color, but I have admired the neutral French Country for years. Now I am going to dive in! Starting with a clean slate except for my beloved armoire, I am searching for the right “white” to paint walls. Many articles and books I read say to stay with the warm cream, but I actually prefer something of a gray-taupe with a near white trim. I am awaiting a copy of your new edition of FRENCH ACCENTS (hopefully any day?) with the hope that you will talk about paint colors on walls. THEN….I came upon your cedar hill farmhouse website and have been admiring your beautiful marriage of neutral color and texture, etc. I am even making my bedspread (like yours) but I am going cheap with a canvas dropcloth. Would you be willing to share the paint color you used in your own home? It truly looks like just what I am searching for and I have to make my choice post haste, so your book may not get here in time for suggestions. Thank you so very much for sharing you talents. I have found many answers to my questions in your writings in regard to this drastic change from deep Tuscan to light French Country. And I want to get it right!!
Kristen, I’ve been taking some time off this week, so I apologize for taking so long to reply. The second edition of my book should be here in April. I know the publisher had hoped it would be here in March. As for paint colors, you can find those HERE. The second edition of my book includes instructions for making a bedspread like mine made out of drop cloth! I hope you enjoy it! You will love the change to the neutral colors. I had a deep Tuscan look also, and I know you can do it!!
This kitchen styling tip is awesome, i hope ill read a lot of your work.