Welcome to our new kitchen! Since the kitchen is the heart of the home, we wanted to make sure ours accurately reflected the overall bright and inviting coastal theme of our new abode. I love sipping my morning coffee with the sunlight shining through as I admire the artwork adorning the walls in the space. Adding art for a kitchen can totally transform the feel of the room, and instantly brings more personality to a space that is typically just for cooking. I hope this post inspires you to add some playful touches to your kitchen!
When we first moved in, our kitchen had a dark, modern farmhouse feel, and we wanted to update it to make it feel more cohesive to our coastal look. To start the process, we painted the kitchen island and cabinetry around the room a new color by Farrow and Ball called Parma Grey. To customize the cabinetry further, I replaced all the hardware with unlacquered brass by Baldwin Brass, a mixture of 1” knobs on the upper cabinets and added traditional pulls on the lower cabinets, along with the dishwasher handle. I personally love unlacquered brass because it patinas over time and gives off a more vintage look.
Updating the countertops and backsplash truly transformed and brightened up the space. We replaced the dark countertop around the kitchen with a light quartzite, which I picked out myself at a stone yard thanks to the advice of our contractor. It was helpful to see the entire slab of stone in person. In lieu of using a tile on the backsplash, we decided to continue the exact same quartzite up the walls to keep the entire kitchen feeling cohesive and fresh. The quartzite has a light veining and almost looks like marble, but it is actually much easier to maintain. Spills won't leave a stain (which is a huge pro if you have little kids like us!). When picking art for a kitchen, we wanted to consider how it would look against the quartzite above the oven. We ended up picking the print Afternoon Cruise, Nantucket from my Nantucket series in the large size. It is so dreamy to look at while we are cooking, and adds a great deal of personality to the space. I always love to add art to unexpected places, and wall art for the kitchen is often overlooked in many homes. In case you are wondering, we easily hung the artwork with velcro hooks instead of a nail since you can’t hammer into quartzite without making a mess.
We had the two sinks custom built for the space to add a “wow” factor, knowing we didn’t want an apron sink. We used the same quartzite as the counters so it would look seamless. For the faucets, we picked gorgeous unlacquered brass fixtures by Waterstone. The light fixtures are also unlacquered brass, bringing all of the hardware together nicely.
I love the way the two light walnut color counter stools look at the island. They are by Hollywood at Home. Additionally, the large chinoiserie jars on each side of the oven are from Juliska, which is one of my favorite places to also get my dinnerware. It is so fun to style small nooks around the kitchen, I love how this Champagne on Lake Como (in our coastal blue frame) print looks paired with the chinoiserie jars in the corner across from the oven.
It is so fun to sprinkle in additional artwork along the countertops with our new display stands. We added Beach Bronco Pup in a blue frame, as well as Two Chairs, La Fontelina (also in our coastal blue frame) emphasizing similar hues throughout the space. We also added this adorable picture, The Golden Retriever, Hôtel Plaza Athénée from my Dogs of Paris series for a playful touch in our pantry.
So, what do you think? I hope after reading this you feel inspired to add some fun decor to your kitchen or other spaces in your home.
Xx,
Gray