Between Pinterest, HGTV, Instagram, and design magazines, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s trendy and hip and forget what really matters when decorating a home.

So what does matter? 

It varies from person to person. Some care a LOT about Design and keeping up with trends. Others don’t care at all, and want a home that feels authentic to those living in it (two-legged AND four-legged). And then there are others, like myself, who dabble in both.

However, regarding how we FEEL about our home, I’ve discovered two main categories: external and internal.

EXTERIOR VALIDATION OF OUR HOME

Relates to how you think OTHERS view your home

This is how the dining room looked when we viewed our house. It didn’t have our personality (obviously, it wasn’t our home), it didn’t feel like ‘us,’ and the open layout (kitchen/living/dining) wasn’t homey. Until things were changed, I did NOT have company over for dinner (even though we knew they were just coming for my stellar personality and epic cooking skills – wink wink).

A FEW EXAMPLES OF EXTERNAL VALIDATION OF OUR HOME

• Feeling proud to have guests come over.
• Have your guests feel comfortable in your home, even if it isn’t their personal style.
• That whole ‘keepin’ up with the Jones’ thing (those Jones get around more than me in my 20s!)
• Worrying about what ‘other people’ will think before making a purchase (which is what I do before buying underwear.)
• Worrying about what ‘other people’ will think after making a purchase, aka: 2nd guessing your tastes.

INTERNAL VALIDATION OF OUR HOME

Internal validation is how YOU feel about your home

Now, I LOVE our dining room. Even with the open layout floorplan, the space feels more authentic to our tastes and cozier to spend time in!

Our Kitchen & Dining Room Update  / Benjamin Moore White Dove & Urbane Bronze island

A FEW EXAMPLES OF INTERNAL FEELINGS ABOUT OUR HOME

• Having an authentic home that is a reflection of who is living in it (human and furry).
• Feeling comfortable so you can relax in your space.
• Feeling safe and at peace.
• Being proud of it (for yourself).

Personally, I fall smack-dab in the middle of both categories. I desperately need an authentic, calming home in which I am comfortable and at peace. At the same time, I want to feel proud of it (which comes with my job) so that when guests come over, they’re comfortable and impressed with my latest changes (which happen weekly, by the way) and ever-dwindling wine collection.

So, I’m going to use my home as a ‘case study’ to show you what makes OUR house feel like a home…

1. MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME WITH PHOTOS

Regarding family photos, ‘too much of a good thing’ only applies if you’re selling your home. If you are NOT selling your home and are decorating it for yourself and your family, there’s NO SUCH THING as ‘too much’ if it makes you feel good!

Here’s our living room before, too many empty walls and nooo personality…

And here it is after new flooring, painted stair railing, new paint color, and our furnishings, and home decor – it’s like a whole new living space…

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray 75% lighter

Your family is your home. Whether you like four photos or 40, how you pay homage to those you love is a personal matter and should not be subject to public opinion (even your sister’s – tell her to mind her own beeswax…).

2. MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME WITH WELL-CHOSEN ART PIECES

Whether it’s Grandma’s old needlework or your collection of waterscapes, what you hang on your walls speaks VOLUMES about your tastes, hobbies, and history.

I’m an Island girl, on the West Coast of Canada. Therefore, it makes sense that I love paintings of waterscapes and forests, as shown by some of the artwork in the dining room…

Benjamin Moore White Dove

And this isn’t just ‘any’ art; it’s created by my dear friend and INSANELY TALENTED neighbor, Ronei (find her website here and INSTAGRAM here.)

Here’s another one of Ronei’s stunners at our lake home. Even though it’s used as an Air B & B sometimes, I still want it to FEEL like us…

Benjamin Moore White Dove

While I certainly tread that line between what is personal and what is ‘decoratively appropriate’ (and no, I don’t mean nudes), I don’t have ONE SINGLE piece of artwork in my home that I don’t love. In fact, I have a strange obsession with trees for some reason, including images of things that USED to be trees, like the totem pole below. I can’t explain or rationalize it (fascination with hardwood, I suppose – wink wink).

Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart painted office door, White Dove trim/walls

In one of our VERY old homes, I loved to display my kid’s artwork and did so via a gallery wall. While they aren’t pumping them out like they used to, my heart still smiles every time I see this photo…

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream

BUT (Kardashian-sized), just because I’ve permitted you to hang your paint by number doesn’t mean you get to go all willy-nilly and hang whatever wherever – there has to be SOME method to the madness!

Why?

Because if you have the RIGHT piece in the RIGHT place, the result is simply magic!

 The Right Height to Hang Artwork

3. MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME WITH MEMORABILIA & SENTIMENTAL PIECES

These are the pieces that tell a story. And while memorabilia is often old (like Grandma’s old china cabinet, Grandpa’s fishing rod, or childhood pieces), it can also be more recent. Maybe it’s your heart rock collection (the girls and I have collected hundreds) or that crystal vase from your third wedding. Whatever it is, if it’s important to you, it matters.

It doesn’t need to be an epic story – it just needs to be yours.

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray 75% lighter

WHAT HAS SENTIMENTAL VALUE IN THE ABOVE PHOTO?

• The yellow canister has Big Grandpa’s ashes in it so he can hear the hockey game.
• While it’s hard to see, the long, narrow wood piece on the console table has sea glass, heart rocks, and a rock/twine thing my friend Ang made for me.
• The framed photo on the console table is of Tim and me, as well as part of the previously shown family gallery wall.
• See the door in the upper hallway with the little hot pink things on it? I wrote on post-it notes for the girls four years ago, stating why I love them. We still have them up!
• The books in the basket on the coffee table are ’boutique-style’ books from my friend, Ang (she’s super thoughtful and knows my heart so well.)
• The toss cushions are from Home Sense – no feels whatsoever other than LOVING them when I saw them!
• While you can’t see it in the photo, I also have a ten-foot-tall indoor plant – a ficus tree. Getting it was an adventure, and we all love Fred the Ficus! Adding natural elements and texture to our home is a BIG part of feeling AT home.

What makes YOU feel at home?

And then there’s Doug, who makes any space feel like home…

4. MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME WITH BOOKS

I am a reader and a book hoarder. I love the smell of books, the feel of books, and the look of books. I went out looking for a few of Amy Tan’s books (having just read one and loved it). I found them at my favorite used book haunt and didn’t buy them because the covers were ugly. That’s right, I DO judge a book by its cover.

This is our bookcase from a few years ago…

Benjamin Moore White Dove walls, trims, and Graystone on the board and batten lower walls

If I enjoy a book, I want to keep it forever. I don’t want to loan it, trade it, sell it, give it; I want to KEEP it – I’m like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings – MY PRECIOUSSSSS! I only keep my faves, and I have a few of those…a few hundred. One of my life/house goals is to have a personal book den or library where I have a fireplace and can curl up all day with my favorite read and a bottle glass of wine.

4. MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME BY DISREGARDING ‘STYLE’

I have style, alright – MY style, which is called ‘whatever strikes my fancy!’ That’s right, I don’t have a specific personal style, or if I do, it would be called ‘West Coast, homey, organic, modern, with a touch of eclectic’ – that about covers it.

If I had to match everything I bought to a specific style, our home would be a false representation of the people who live in it,

And while I’ve always wanted fake boobs, I don’t want a fake home.

In the above photo, you see Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter 25% darker cabinets, White Dove walls and trim, and Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze on the painted island. Find out how I REALLY feel about our gray kitchen cabinets HERE.

Benjamin Moore White Dove…of course.

Benjamin Moore Knoxville Gray

Benjamin Moore Stormy Sky

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray is 75% lighter in the above two photos

By the way, the frames on the gallery wall are ALL from Walmart – style doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

WHY I BUY THE THINGS I DO

• Because I love them. Because I go to a store and slip on my drool as I walk by them. Their color, function, or overall look catch my eye.
• Because if I don’t, they will haunt my dreams…for real (I have ADHD, and it’s crazy in there sometimes).
• I like change. While I have my constants (family, dogs, and wine), I love changing my rooms and getting excited about new ideas and treasures, whether from the Thrift shop, Home Sense, or a garage sale!

This set of croquet balls in our bar area in the family room (below)is a good example of, ‘buying something because I love it’. Let’s be honest: I love a nice set of old balls…

OUR PAINT COLOR PALETTE

Thanks to one of my readers, I realized I FORGOT TO ADD MY PAINT COLORS!

Here we go…

• WALLS: Benjamin Moore White Dove, although there’s still some Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray 75% lighter left in a few areas (entryway)
• TRIMS: Benjamin Moore White Dove
• KITCHEN ISLAND & PAINTED STAIR RAILINGS: Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
• KITCHEN CABINETS: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter 25% darker
• GRAY PAINTED DOORS: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter 50% darker (yes, I’m clearly a weirdo who likes to mess around with colors)
• BOARD & BATTEN: Benjamin Moore Graystone
• POWDER ROOM: Benjamin Moore Stormy Sky
• GUEST BEDROOM: Benjamin Moore Knoxville Gray
• DARK PAINTED DOOR: Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart

MORE TIPS FOR MAKING A HOUSE INTO YOUR HOME

Aside from the touchy-feely stuff (which Tim ALWAYS loves), here are a few ideas to consider…

1. While the color of your front door on the outside needs to MATCH the outside, it’s awesome if it winks toward the color palette INSIDE your home, too!
2. Pay attention to your entryway. It often reflects the mood/vibe of the rest of your home.
3. Add textured pieces, including area rugs, toss cushions, and drapes to soften spaces. Rooms are FULL of hard edges, and these pieces help soften them and absorb sound.
4. Consider the TEMPERATURE of your light bulbs – Kelvins can make all the difference between a cold and uninviting space and one that looks inviting!
5. Add artwork, but the odd bare wall is important, too – let your eyes rest. And don’t forget to hang it at the right height!
6. ADD PLANTS. I don’t have a green thumb, but a few key plants make ALLLLL the difference for a lived-in look (go fake if you have to.
7. Don’t let the dumb stuff detract from the important stuff. Sometimes, the important pieces get buried in the ‘every day’ of papers, Kleenex boxes, remote controls, and more. Once in a while, visit each of your home’s surfaces and see if the things that matter to you the most are in their glory, or halfway to their grave.
8. A little clutter goes a long way. This is one I struggle with. I love minimal clutter; however, when I go to friend’s and family’s homes, I actually feel pretty darn comfortable when there’s some clutter around – when everything isn’t perfect! I mean, there’s DEFINITELY a tipping point, but a little mess can be endearing – you have to LIVE in your home!

WANNA READ MORE ABOUT DECORATING YOUR HOME?

I have a great series of blog posts about Creating a Timeless Home. For those inclined, most of these are more design-related and are full of GREAT tidbits and tips.

READ MORE

The Ultimate Guide to Paint Colors & Undertones

6 Budget-Friendly Home Update Ideas

The Best Medium-Depth Blue Paint Colors

The 6 Best Warm Off-White Paint Colors

NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Colour Consulting Services

I originally wrote this blog post in 2018. I ripped it apart, rebuilt it, and updated it in 2023 based on our home now!

The post How to Turn Your House Into a Home: A Case Study appeared first on Kylie M Interiors.

After years of bouncing around, updating, and climbing the real estate ladder, we’ve finally found a home to settle down in (famous last words, right?) I MEAN IT THIS TIME!

And by the way, the exterior is WAY different now – stay tuned for THAT blog post

If you aren’t aware of the long and sordid drama about our six-month forever ‘summer home,’ here’s the gist…

There weren’t many homes on the market, and we walked into this gorgeous newer house with a killer 180-degree ocean view and were like, ‘Sure, let’s do it; let’s raise our family here.’ A newly built home was a new concept for us, seeing as EVERY home we’ve owned needed updating/renovating *needed being a relative term. This house was only a year old and needed NOTHING.

However, it was a home with no heart – it was an almost tangible thing, and we had to get out of there.

Don’t let it suck you in…sure it looks cute, but it bites

Luckily, I have a very understanding husband who agreed that the house was sucking the life out of us. We were able to sell it and buy our friggin’ DREAM HOME! Seriously, I’d stalked this house for years as it was in our old neighborhood. I’d walk by it whispering, ‘Oh yes, you will be mine, one day you will be mine…’ and now it is. I am that creepy.

Long story kind of short, we gutted it (naturally) and did a remodel on most of the rooms. And rather than drag it out over the years, which is our habit, we did most of it in one shootin’ match (minus some bathrooms/laundry). We did this with the idea that we could then relax and enjoy it. But you know me, I’ll ALWAYS find projects to do.

Are you ready to dive in? After sharing the entryway last month (above), it’s time to look at the kitchen and dining room!

Check out this before photo showing how our entryway and stairs tie into the kitchen. I tried to get the whales in the bargaining process, but no such luck. Just joking; those damn whales still haunt my dreams.

FREE FRIGGIN’ WILLY!

SHUT THE FREAKIN’ FRONT DOOR! Just LOOK at the difference. I mean, the kid’s college fund is dry, as is the bottom of my wine keg, but it sure looks pretty!

Before we get much further, let’s give credit where credit is due. This WHOLE project was brought to you by Jackson Triggs, Robert Mondavi, and Tanqueray – proud supporters of my drinking habit, which was further encouraged by the FREAKIN’ STRESS OF THIS RENOVATION! Seriously though, regarding credit, I’ll touch on the trades/companies within this article.

OUR ‘TWEAKED’ REVERE PEWTER KITCHEN

Looking at this next photo, I’m not going to lie and say it was a terrible kitchen; it wasn’t. It just wasn’t MY kitchen. This seems funny since I tried to cook Mr Noodles the other day (which Maggie fondly refers to as ‘non-gender specific noodles’) and actually burnt the water and ruined the pot. But regardless, I wanted a pretty kitchen…

And I got my pretty kitchen…

Just LOOK at how much brighter and welcoming it is. It almost makes me want to cook. Just kidding. Nobody needs to suffer through that.

In this next before photo, we’re looking the other way, so you’re seeing a snippet of our backyard, which is our oasis (and will be another blog post unto itself), as well as a dark and dismal dining area…

I’m sure THOUSANDS of you recognize this granite from the early 2000s! 

Ideas to Update Older Style Granite Countertops

After, I can’t even tell you how restful these spaces make me feel. Because it is all about me, am I right?

And you even get a sneak peek into the living room – you can see the before and after photos HERE.

I also chose a consistent undertone between the island, cabinets, backsplash, and countertop – green. If you’d asked me a few years ago what my least favorite undertone was, I would’ve said green. Well, I change my mind about my favorite colors as often as I change my underwear, so I’ll let you figure out how often that is.

The 6 Best Paint Colours for Kitchen Islands & Bathroom Vanities

THE DINING ROOM UPDATE

Before, the light fixture (with matching island pendants) was like a bug zapper. If you have a mosquito problem, let me know, and I’ll pop these babies in the mail for you.

Here’s the dining room with my new art from Ronei…

I’m in LOVE with our new light from Wayfair with its clean, simple lines…

THE PAINT COLORS WE USED

And you might be wondering what the kitchen cabinet colour is (or not). Either way, I’m gonna tell ya! It’s Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, darkened by approximately 25%. My clients often say, ‘If you have to darken it by 25%, why don’t you just choose a different color?’. Because if there were a color nicer than this, I would’ve chosen it. I played around and hit JUST what I wanted – a warm, soft, earthy gray with a green undertone.

The 6 Best DARK GREIGE Paint Colors

The island is Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze, a completely badass mix of greige and green. Tims says it’s gray…but it’s not.

What’s the paint color on the walls?

Finding the PERFECT off-white is like finding that random hair that’s slipped down the front of your shirt and is tickling you, but you just can’t seem to find the damn thing, so you reach in and plunge your hand around looking for the damn thing while people stare at you strangely. Anyway, I picked Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray, 75% lighter.

I know I’m anal, but I want what I want when I pick a colour – whatever that takes. And with Edgecomb Gray 75% lighter, I’ve got this whisper of warm gray/greige with the tendency to FLIP through undertones throughout the day. The trim is Benjamin Moore White Dove.

WANT TO LEARN MORE: Our Kitchen Remodel – All of The Details

And check out our big hunka wood dining table – MAD LOVE…

THE PANTRY AREA

I don’t have a great before photo of this next area, but note the built-in microwave and the side of the pantry door…

We opened that area with a small counter above our wine fridge and painted the pantry door to tie into the cabinetry. This also makes the kitchen look wider. The microwave is now in the pantry.

As for the pantry itself, it’s not as big as I would love, but better than nothing. One day, I’ll organize it and show it to you…maybe.

OUR OFF-WHITE QUARTZ COUNTERTOP

The quartz countertop slays me (in a good way). It’s Brittanica WARM by Cambria Quartz. It has a white/off-white base, soft, greige warmth, and even a wink of modest taupe-beige. While it’s AMAZING, I’ve got more warm-toned countertops for you to check out here, if you’re curious.

Is Revere Pewter the Best Cabinet Color for YOUR Kitchen?

THE SUBWAY TILE BACKSPLASH & STOOLS

As for the backsplash, OH, THE FRIGGIN AGONY!

I can advise clients on what to do all day long, as I have the KNOWLEDGE without the emotion attached (you know I love y’all, though.) Making decisions for myself gives me serious hyperventilating, twitching in the corner angina. Seriously. I look forward to renovating, but the process just about does me in.

As for the counter stools, I usually prefer a stool with a full-height back for better badonkadonk support; Tim asked for backless ones, so I listened to him (first time for everything).

The backsplash tile is an Ames Tile (sadly, they don’t carry this exact tile anymore) and was installed by none other than BE Tile. The cabinets were custom-made from Mid-Island Cabinets. Notice that the grout is OPPOSITE the norm, as I opted for a DARK contrasting colour rather than the usual white/gray.

I’m also noticing that some of these photos look like they have a filter on them (thanks to my epic photography skills). I’m going to get better ones – stay tuned. But in the meantime…

4 Ideas to Jazz Up a Simple Subway Tile Backsplash

Here’s another shot of the foyer, looking into the kitchen and dining room. Notice that I painted the handrail to match the kitchen island…

All of the painting, including the walls, ceilings, trims, and stair railing, was done by the most patient and talented duo of Delea and Shalyn of Details Painting.

If you want to look closely at our entryway remodel and how it relates to the kitchen, visit this blog post – Our Entryway Remodel, from Dark and Dismal – To DAMN Gorgeous HERE.

READ MORE

A Tudor Kitchen Makeover (With Revere Pewter!)

Is Revere Pewter the Best Kitchen Cabinet Colour for YOU?

The 5 Best Off-White Paint Colours

Ideas to Update Older Granite Countertops

6 Budget-Friendly Kitchen Update Ideas

NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Paint Colour Consulting packages! 

Chat soon,

2019/UPDATED FOR GRAMMAR N’ STUFF IN 2023

The post Open Concept Kitchen & Dining Room Update: Before & After Photos appeared first on Kylie M Interiors.

I know you’ve been waiting SO patiently for this blog post – well, some of you NOT so patiently, and I LOVE you for that because it gets my butt on a burner to get it done!

As you know, our current home is my dream home. This doesn’t mean it’s my FOREVER home, but it’s definitely my FOR NOW home (wink wink.)

Seriously, we used to walk by this house all the time (as it’s in our old neighborhood), and like the creepy house stalker I am who drives by houses at nite so I can see in the windows, I’d say, ‘OH yes, you will be mine, one day you will be mine.’ Seemed like a pipe dream, or a wet dream, but either way, IT’S MINE NOW!

I’ve made a mental note to show you the AFTER PHOTOS OF THE EXTERIOR!

And while it was our dream home, it wasn’t looking much like a dream. It was ‘fine,’ which is a great word to describe hair, but not a place you want to call home. It was time for a lil’ KLC, and there was NO BETTER place to start than the entryway!

THE FOYER BEFORE: Whale I’ll be damned, those were ugly. And seriously, this shows how gloomy and dark the house was…

AFTER: And the heavens shone down! Or maybe it was Jen Wynia Photography’s flash – either way, I’m lovin’ it…

While I want to play around more with my decor (and straighten the lampshade), I love the bones of this space. The cabinet is even more beautiful in real life with its staggered hexagon wood doors, and the new oak floors from Goodfellow hide EVERY sin. I am a bit of a traditionalist regarding flooring and kitchen cabinets and prefer oak to any other wood.

In this next photo, you’ll see some of the dark walls that extended into the living room – I LOVE dark walls, but not here. They sucked the life out of the space and my soul. The dark wood flooring was scratched and worn out by two large dogs, and the overall vibe was in the early 2000s…

AFTER: It’s like my soul breathed a sigh of relief – or I had gas. Hard to say…

This photo is NOT by the uber-talented Jen Wynia, but by the quasi photography-challenged, Kylie.

THE PAINT COLORS IN OUR ENTRYWAY

What do you think of those gray-painted doors?

I went back and forth on that for a while and finally settled on Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter as a nice tie-in to the kitchen. I just couldn’t wrap my head around white doors in this home and wanted something a bit lower maintenance and unexpected – without being weird. However, I didn’t want to paint the doors AND the trim gray, as that’s way too much of a commitment and a pain in the rear to paint when I change my tastes (which I will).

And that’s not any old version of Revere Pewter; whereas I darkened it by 25% for the kitchen cabinets, I went 50% darker on the doors, for a bit more oomph – I LOVE PLAYING WITH COLOR!

The walls are Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray, lightened by 75%  – again, I love to play. I couldn’t find an off-white greige I loved, so I made one! It has subtle undertones and whispers of colors without committing to anything but being soft, subtle, and neutral. I’m in LOVE with this paint colour!

BEFORE: Just in case you wanted to see those lovely whales a lil’ closer…

AFTER: Nothing finishes off a wall like a Ken Kirkby –  one of my favorite Canadian, West Coast artists. It was a TOTAL splurge, but both Tim and I LOVE this piece as it just makes the space with its West Coast vibe.

And yes, the lampshade is crooked; I just want to see if you’re paying attention (clearly, I wasn’t). As for the stairs railings, it would have cost a small fortune to redo them, so I kept the black spindles and painted the dark wood newel posts and handrails in Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze, a wicked dark greige with a green undertone.

The Best Medium & Dark Green Paint Colors

Oh – there’s more…but you have to WAIT! We’ve done almost the ENTIRE house – everything but the three main bathrooms and the laundry room, so over the next few months, I will share each space with you and the HUGE transformations they’ve undergone.

And for a gal who hits a 4-year expiry date on every home, we’re finally in a home that I can see us staying in for many happy years, watching the girls (and Doug) grow up and making memories to last a lifetime.

READ MORE

Our Open Concept Kitchen & Dining Room

Our Living Room Update

4-PART SERIES: How to Create a Timeless Home

The Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colors

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing White Paint Colors

NEED HELP?

Chat soon,

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2019, UPDATED FOR GRAMMAR N’ STUFF IN 2023

The post Our Entryway Update: From Dark & Dismal to DARN PURDY! appeared first on Kylie M Interiors.

Well, we’ve lived in our home for FIVE YEARS, and so far, so good! Our previous homes all had four-year expiry dates (excluding our ‘summer house‘ adventure), but I think we’re in this one for the long haul…ish. And while I’m already pining for fresh new paint colors and some changes here and there (don’t tell Tim), I still love our living room updatel.

But, before you see the transformation, let’s look at things from the entryway’s point of view…

To the left is the kitchen, to the right, is the living room and hallway to the primary bedroom

The layout in our home is awesome, as our living room, dining room, kitchen, and entryway are ALL open to each other, separated in the middle by an open staircase (shown above). Compared to our last home, which Maggie fondly calls a box on a box on a box (which is also what our front doorstep looks like thanks to my Amazon addiction), this feels SO much more like home! And it better, because Tim will divorce me if I even mention selling (just joking, he loves my neurotic tendencies and thinks they’re cute…right Tim????).

Now, let’s look at what we saw when we first looked at our home…

MAN was it was DARK. And while the north-facing exposure and 25′ rock wall behind our home could account for a bit of this darkness, they weren’t the problem – it was the paint…and the floor…and the lighting…and…well, everything. And while I LOVE dark colors and am not afraid to paint a room black if that’s what it calls for – this was all kinds of wrong.

NOW, let’s see its fresh new face…

RIGHT?! Man, I love our home. In the above photo, you can also see a wink of the powder room, which I’ll show you a quick shot of here (it’s 30″ x 72″ so there’s not much to show)…

By the way, do you know how hard it is to photograph a small space with no natural light and a MIRROR? I had to bring in the big guns, otherwise known as Dirk, from HA Photography.

Now, back to the living room.

Our living room makes me ALL kinds of happy. It’s cozy, comfy, and my favorite place to hang out with my girls. HOWEVER, before I got to it, it was a bit janky…

The staircase (shown above) is one of the (many) things that sold us on this home, as it’s a bit different from the norm (kind of like someone we know…insert awkward whistling here). It’s a huge element in our open-concept home. You must walk around the stairs to the kitchen, living room, dining room, entryway, powder room, ANNNNND primary bedroom – a 360-degree staircase.

We didn’t have room in the budget to replace the railings, and sanding them down was NOT an option for basic sanity reasons. And besides, there’s NOTHING like a coat of paint (or three) to freshen things up! And thankfully, there was room in the budget to cover up that ridiculous hole holding the TV components. Seriously, who does this?

After…

Railing colour: Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze

And yes, I DID consider just putting a frame over that opening in the drywall and calling it a day (I hate drywall dust). However, in the end, I decided that doing it the ‘right way’, was the best way. I’m also a HUGE fan of gallery walls and loved that I could stagger the layout of this one with the stairs. Notice the round mirror down the hallway is the SAME mirror you can see in that VERY first photo of our entryway.

In the next photo, someone thought doing a cut-out for the TV was a good idea. And generally, it IS a good idea, but not if your TV isn’t the exact right size for that particular hole…

After – SO much better! We left a smaller space behind the TV for the necessary components, bits n’ pieces, and the family jewels…

Wynd Media Photography

I would’ve loved the full height of the fireplace in stone (18 feet), but it wasn’t happening as this stuff is LEGIT expensive to install (in my next life, I’m coming back as a stone installer). We did a simpler stone surround (K2 stone) with a wood mantel and the remaining 13 feet in painted gray shiplap.

It wasn’t just about getting the old 12×24 tiles off the wall; it was about prepping the wall and getting the new shiplap up and painted – but it was WELL worth it (says me, who stayed on solid ground the whole time).

Here’s another view where I’ve changed the shiplap’s color and the toss cushions…

Now, let’s look at this gloomy little corner of the world – wah wah wah…

And after…

LOOK AT THAT FRIGGIN’ CARVING! I had a local fellow named Noel Brown, make it for Tim’s 40th birthday. Noel is CRAZY talented and created a piece full of heart – perfect for my favorite man.

Let’s take a closer look at this happy little corner! The tobacco brown leather chair is from Urban Barn (no longer available). It was regular $1900. Yup, you read that right, $1900 buckaroos. The floor model was on clearance for $799 – BOOM, sold.

In this next photo, close-up, it’s the worst paint job ever. Delea of Details Painting did two and a half days of filling, sanding, and fixing, just to get our home ready for painting – she’s practically part of the family now.

6 Budget-Friendly Home Update Ideas

I will admit that the chocolate brown sectional looked DAMN comfy, but the brown-on-brown scheme wasn’t quite doing it for me.

And now (below), I just LOVE it! It’s bright and warm and contrasts beautifully with the warm and cool colors.

Admittedly, I’m already pining for a bit more depth/colour on the walls (again, don’t tell Tim), but I might be able to hold off for six days months or so. Seems crazy, I know, but sometimes I just CRAVE change – Tim’s lucky I’ve kept him for this long.

And seriously, that sectional is THE most comfortable piece of furniture…evah. Coming in at a whopping 9′ x 11′, she’s one beast of a piece and is perfect for accommodating tons of family and friends. It’s called ‘The Bronx Custom Sectional,’ from Urban Barn – my fave local store. Almost everything I own is from there or Muse & Merchant (we don’t have a ton of selection in Nanaimo, other than online ordering, which, as previously mentioned, I am a fan of).

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Comparing the last photo with this next one, see how pushing the sectional away from the wall makes the room look much bigger. Also, notice how the area rug helps to anchor the furniture so the pieces aren’t just floating on the floor.

And yes, that is a wicked awesome coffee table. It was a random find at Home Sense, and while it was the wrong finish when I bought it, Tim and our buddy sanded it down and restained it to work better for the room.

As for the area rug, again…Urban Barn, and they don’t carry it anymore.

Here’s another shot from the top of the stairs…

It’s been one year since the railing was painted, and while I’ve had to do some small touch-ups, it’s held up SUPER well, thanks to Delea’s careful work. It took her several days to complete the whole staircase, and I’m sure she’s sending us her Chiropractor bill.

If you haven’t looked at the stairs from the entryway, you can check it out HERE.

Now, back to the bat cave…

The old oak flooring was beaten to heck by the old owner’s two dogs. And because it was such poor quality, we couldn’t even refinish it, so it was out with the old and in with the new! Plus, I wanted a wider plank look anyway…

I know, I know, white oak floors with a natural finish are the most popular, but I wanted to make sure our flooring would last more than the trends, and besides, I like slightly more medium-toned woods, regardless of trends. I chose a lightly stained, brushed, matte wood flooring from Goodfellow, and it’s seriously…my fave thing ever.

WHAT ARE THE PAINT COLORS, KYLIE?

If you’re curious about the paint color on the walls, it’s Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray…kind of. Because paint excites me SO friggin’ much, I didn’t just go for regular ole Edgecomb Gray; I lightened it by 75%. Hey, I’d way rather play around with MY home than with YOURS – I am my own guinea pig. And I LOVE how it turned out. It’s like an off-white greige with these super flexible undertones that change as the natural lighting changes. I partnered it with one of my FAVE white paint colors – Benjamin Moore White Dove.

As for the shiplap on the fireplace, I wanted a gray with a whisper of blue-green undertone, so I chose Sherwin Williams Earl Gray to tie in with the stone.

Jen Wynia Photography

When I post my living room photos on Instagram, I often get questions about the oversized artwork. Sadly, it was a random Home Sense find. I’d love to find a NEW piece to replace it, but it’s hard to find something that humongous with all of the colors I love!

And for the FINAL reveal, seeing as you’ve seen my kitchen and dining room remodel, as well as the entryway, let’s look at the WHOLE kit n’ caboodle (and no, you’re not going crazy, these next two photos are from different angles)…

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Our Kitchen and Dining Room Remodel

From Dark and Dismal to Gorgeous: Our Entryway Remodel

Chat soon,

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2019, UPDATED FOR GRAMMAR N’ STUFF IN 2023

The post Our Open Concept Living Room Update appeared first on Kylie M Interiors.

It seems every time I post a photo on Instagram about our kitchen, I get the same questions, ‘what colour are your cabinets? Which countertop is that? Is that your real hair colour?‘ So, I figured it was time for a blog post with all the dirty details.

Before, our kitchen (actually, our WHOLE HOME) was heavy and dark…

While many of the finishes were very liveable, they were worn out and just weren’t us – TIME FOR A MAKEOVER!

Jen Wynia Photography

And no, the floor isn’t actually faded in front of the stairs, it’s just a lil trick the photographer did to make the surrounding areas pop a little more.

Now, it’s not often that I let you guys into my wicked little brain. And let me tell you, it’s a scary place if you don’t know your way around (I get lost ALL the time). But I don’t just want to tell you WHAT I chose for our kitchen remodel, I want to explain WHY I chose it.

But first, let’s take a gander at the before, which wasn’t bad, but has several fatal flaws…

• The cabinets are cheap and are a ‘good from far but far from good’ scenario.
• The hardware is dumb. That’s right, dumb. Look at the way they put the handles on the doors? Sure, great for a more modern style home, but for a more traditional or even transitional approach, they don’t work. Plus, I couldn’t just put in standard knobs/handles without seeing two big gaping holes in the front of the doors #firstworldproblem, but moving on…
• The countertop is Santa Cecilia granite and I could certainly work with that, but the pink undertones in the backsplash clash with the counter and make me want to twitch and cry in a corner.
• The previous owners had two large dogs and the floor is BEAT and isn’t quality enough to be refinished.

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW (my motto with husbands too…just joking Tim).

Let’s start with the countertop.

CAMBRIA BRITTANICA WARM QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS

When designing a kitchen, short of the actual layout itself (which we couldn’t adjust too much), the countertop is usually the place to start. Why? Well, whereas there were HUNDREDS of paint colours to choose from, there are only a handful of countertops you might actually fall in love with.

BTW, check out the artwork above by Linsey Hopkins Art on Etsy. She notes the heights of family members, hair colour – all that jazz. She even takes a sample of your handwriting and uses that for the script. LOVE IT! Thanks to my sis-in-law for having it done for us.

Now, back to the countertop.

The second I saw Brittanica Warm, I fell desperately in love. It was new on the market, following in the footsteps of the well-known Brittanica and followed by Brittanica GOLD, both of which weren’t quite right for us.

You see, I have a weakness for wine, cheese rice crackers, Ryan Reynolds and green undertones. I don’t like green undertones in yellow, these make me nauseous, but give me a green tucked in a warm gray or greige and I’m one happy lil Ginger.

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Brittanica Warm has a soft, OFF-WHITE base, so it’s not as white as some of the more popular quartz countertops and also has a warmer look because of this. Along with this, it has that glooorious warm gray-greige with the most MUTED green undertone as well as a muted taupe. Strange combo but it works. The variety gives me colours to play with in the future should I want to change something else in the room (which you KNOW I will).

Before…

How to Update Your Older or Outdated Granite Countertops

And after…

Read more: The Three Undertones of Gray 

BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER CABINETS…KIND OF

I wanted to tap into that passive green undertone in the countertops and knew Revere Pewter would do that – it just wasn’t dark enough. Why? Well, because cabinets are most often a satin finish, this finish can make a paint colour look LIGHTER than expected when light shines on it. I wanted a colour with a bit more junk in its trunk but couldn’t find it. So, instead, I did what I ALWAYS do – I experimented!

I can’t seem to find my photo of the 25% darker sample, but this one will give you the idea…

Paint Colour Review of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

I had samples of Revere Pewter lightened by both 25% and 50% (and clearly, 40% as well because I’m slightly OCD) and the cabinets turned out somewhere in between (they had to be colour matched into the cabinet company’s paint).

I LOVE how it turned out. The green undertone is still passive and MOST people think I have gray cabinets, when in fact they’re considerably warmer looking. Look at the colour in this next photo compared to Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray (a more traditional gray with an LRV of 59). If they were both regular strength, you’d see only a four-point difference in LRV, however, this photo helps show the shift with RP being darkened.

The tricky thing is that when you get a PROFESSIONAL photographer (hallelujah) to take the photos, the colour can look a bit different than in person (she obviously didn’t take this fugly before photo…

But she definitely took this one…

Jen Wynia Photography

But it’s the everyday living that makes our kitchen look its most beautiful…

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And yes, I always leave cupboard doors open, one of my many bad habits.

THE ISLAND OF GLORY (URBANE BRONZE)

No, it’s not an island with waterfalls over-flowing with wine, free Starbucks and Ryan Reynolds in a Speedo, it’s my island painted in Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze. I LOVE contrast and wanted to hit the island hard with a killer dark paint colour (but didn’t want black or navy blue).

Urbane Bronze is the PERFECT choice being a dark greige with a green undertone. And not only this, I chose it BEFORE it was Sherwin Williams Colour of the Year (2021).

Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze

I LOVE how the green undertone plays with the warmth of our white oak flooring as well as Revere Pewter.

THE SUBWAY TILE BACKSPLASH

I love the timeless look of subway tile, but I’m not really a ‘white tile’ kinda gal. Instead, I chose a gorgeous glazed subway tile in Ames’ Manhattan series called Mang412 – a super romantic name, I know. The colour is ‘GRAY’, however, we all know that grays have undertones and guess what THIS gray has? Green, of course!

Tile installation by BE Tile

I love that the tiles blend with my cabinets, creating a low-contrast look, which I HIGHLIGHTED with dark grout (Truffle, I believe). I love contrast, but only in specific places/doses and didn’t want my backsplash poppin’ hard with my cabinets.

4 Ways to Add Style with Subway Tile

THE CABINET HARDWARE

I went with cabinet hardware supplied by the cabinet maker, making life easier than me ordering two dozen different styles from Wayfair. However, you can get them at Wayfair too.

Look at its cute lil feet!

RICHELIEU HARDWARE ON WAYFAIR

The key to picking hardware isn’t just in the finish, it’s in the fit. This means that a handle or pull needs to FEEL good. It should have a tactile element so that when you grab it, it feels solid and quality (just like a good husband).

If you need hardware ideas for your own kitchen, I’ve got some beauties HERE.

THE WHITE OAK WOOD FLOORING – GOODFELLOW

I’ll say it time and time again, OAK IS TIMELESS; it’s all in the grain and the stain.

This is why, when choosing new flooring for our home, I wouldn’t look at anything BUT oak. I also chose a stain that isn’t super light OR super dark, giving it a bit more longevity and flexibility.

We actually used this SAME floor in the ‘natural’ look in my sister-in-law’s home…

See more of this project HERE

This is an engineered wood product from Goodfellow. A lot of people confuse engineered and laminate, thinking they’re the same thing – they’re not. Laminate is not real wood, engineered is real wood on the top – just not all the way through.

THE PENDANT LIGHTS

While I didn’t want frosted shades or fabric-covered ones, I also don’t love seeing a bare bulb. With their unique textured glass, the shades I chose hide the bulb a bit more than clear shades (no longer available on Wayfair – insert sad face HERE).

The above photo also gives you a peek into our living room.

So, there you have it, all the dirty details and THEN some!

READ MORE

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Our Open Concept Kitchen and Dining Room Makeover

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NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Paint Colour Consulting packages! 

Chat soon,

The post Our Revere Pewter Kitchen Cabinet Remodel – ALL THE DETAILS! appeared first on Kylie M Interiors.