Kitchen Makeover: One Year on the Farm

I enjoy reading about kitchen makeovers in magazines, Instagram, and Pinterest. To me, the kitchen is the most important room in a house, and it will make or break a home purchase decision. I love the kitchen in our farmhouse! The island is great for baking cookies with kids. There’s a deep double sink for cleaning up my messes, a roomy pantry, pretty cabinets, and soapstone countertops. However, the green walls dominate the room rather than complement the rest of the details.

Dark Green Farmhouse Kitchen — Farmhouse Kitchen – Before

After living here for a year, I was ready to make a few changes. I wanted the walls to recede so the pretty chandelier and pendant lights would come to the forefront. I also wanted a more cohesive look. The room was designed to look like it evolved, but my eye seemed to bounce around because of the various colors and finishes.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Makeover

Three simple changes transformed our kitchen.

Walls: Sherwin Williams 6120 Window Pane
Island: Sherwin Williams 6258 Tricorn Black
Wall lights: black matte finish with brass accents

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Makeover — Farmhouse Kitchen – After

The windows face south and west, so the lighter paint color reflects the natural light. In this photo, all of the lights are switched off, and the room is still bright. During long dark winters, this room will feel much more pleasant! In contrast, the black island base forms a trifecta with the farmhouse sink cabinet and plate rack.

Farmhouse Kitchen Sink — Farmhouse Sink and Tricorn Black Cabinet

The black plate rack is one of my favorite features of the kitchen. My vintage apple Watt ware and Friendly Village china fill it up. (I started collecting apple Watt ware during the 1980s when I could find most pieces for less than $20 if there were minor chips or cracks. I have smaller bowls tucked away in the far right cupboard.)

Plate Rack with vintage china — Tricorn Black Plate Rack with Vintage Friendly Village China and Watt Ware

This side of the kitchen is exactly why the kitchen needed some “quieting.” There are three cabinet finishes and two hardware finishes on one wall.

Now all the black finishes and paint create a common thread throughout the room and house.

Typically I store baskets, extra plates, and large mixing bowls on the island shelf. Once the paint cures, I’ll fill it up again. This island is the workhorse of my kitchen.

What things do you have that are just for fun in your kitchen? I have a jar full of cookie cutters that I’ll press into use soon. This gingerbread man (below) is a classic!