Tiny London Kitchen Renovation

It has been ages and ages since I have done a post on...

I found this kitchen before and after over on Design Sponge and fell in love with it for it's tiny proportions and because it has my favourite and black and white colour combination.  

The tiny alcove kitchen gets a fun and frugal makeover and gains tons of character, more storage and new appliances.

The dated avocado cupboards are switched out for gorgeous black lacquered door fronts and the dingy floor and wall tiles are replaced with classic white and black tiles.

The kitchen in this 1930's flat had last been renovated in the 1960's.

Find other small spaces here, here and here.

Paint Colour: {Balboa Mist}

I've been on a mission to purge, clean and organize our house. With this surge of energy came the idea of redoing this room....

I went crazy one day and repainted all the trim and walls. I picked Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist (OC-27) for the walls and the trim is in my favourite white, White Dove (OC-17).

Balboa Mist

Balboa mist is what I consider to be a neutral paint colour. It is a warm grey with beige undertones. This is a perfect colour to paint an entire open concept space. If you like Revere Pewter (HC-172) but feel it may be too dark or too beige I would suggest trying Balboa Mist. This colour works in a more modern space with bright clear colours, but is also good in a traditional home combined with dark wood floors and warmer colours.
Bolboa Mist is what I like to call a 'chameleon colour' because it changes quite a bit depending on the light and the time of the day. In my house it looks greige in low light and during the day it has a slight blue tone.

 I had a very difficult time photographing this room so that the walls didn't look just like a warm white. Take a look at the base board in the left corner and it kind of gives you an idea of the depth of Balboa Mist.

 I did not set out to use pink as an accent colour but during one of my visits to Homesense I found these pillows and decided that it's about time (in a house of all boys) to finally inject something a little feminine. All I have to do now is switch out the double bed with a queen and decide on window treatments.

Please, dear readers come back soon because I have a serious window problem that I need your opinion on!

Before and After: Bench

I bought this bench from Moveline, a local company that resells used hotel furniture. Unfortunately because I was so excited to get out the spray paint I forgot to take a before picture of it. This photo gives you an idea of what it looked liked, don't you just love the tapestry fabric? I had it recovered by Staci Edwards at Switch Studio. If you are in the Toronto/Oakville area and need something upholstered I highly recommend Staci; she did an excellent job.

                                                                            Before
                                                                 

                                                                   

After

Here it is at our condo.

I am really happy with how it looks under the glass console. It's the perfect piece for a small space because it can brought into the living area for extra seating.

Have a great day!

Cottage: {Before and After} Part 2

Here is another budget cottage make-over by Samantha Pynn from the show Summer Home. Find more of her work here.
She kept the budget in mind and used lots of paint, Ikea cabinets for the kitchen and repurposed some of the old furniture.
I think it all came together nicely and it once again shows the power of a good paint job.
There is nothing more charming than a small cottage that has been in the family for many generations. I absolutely love the kitchen; very crisp and nautical. The marble counter and back splash is a nice splurge.

 Before

 After

Paint It ! {Part 1}

I am a big believer in the power of paint. A couple of gallons of a fresh new colour can dramatically change a space. It really is the cheapest way to pull a room together. My advice, especially for older cottages is to just paint the heck out of it!
I really love what designer Samantha Pynn did with these cottages. The biggest changes came from a good coat of paint and repurposing old furniture.

Too much orange knotty pine is not a good thing...

Before

After

Before
More knotty pine...in this kitchen they removed the old upper cabinets and painted the lower units.

After

So pretty. I love the open shelving and backsplash.

Before

 This is amazing. Notice once again they removed a few upper cabinets and replaced them with open shelves.

After

 They have painted the old cabinets and added a bulk head to the top for a more seamless look.

Before 
 This is my favourite transformation. Can you believe the difference?  Dark and dreary to light, bright and pretty.

After

What?! This is amazing!

Before
More wood and fake brick.

After