Technically (I’m really starting to lose my mind over whether one needs a comma here–and yeah, it’s all about style and consistency of which I have none) Phase #4 would be the range that sat in my kitchen for two minutes unable to fit into the 30″ cutout, an honor which cost me $400. I wouldn’t do online business with a nonlocal mom-and-pop like Gerhard’s–or any other–ever again. Now I know. I’ve been softened by Amazon.
Luckily (comma?) my cabinets were solid wood, not some strange particle board–and in perfect condition–just not my taste. It could be a hundred times worse over here (I got off linoleum-free) and everywhere in NYC. There’s currently a coop for sale in this same complex asking more than mine (now as a greedy homeowner I’d love to see prices soar) with a kitchen that needs serious help. Dishwasher issues aside, there was nothing a little paint couldn’t solve.
Something I left to the professionals–no diy sanding in my garage, multi-week documentation here. I used Benjamin Moore Advance semi-gloss in two shades: cinnamon slate on the lowers and mauve desert on the uppers. In a subtle move that’s not immediately detectable, I also had the ceiling painted the next hue lighter, porcelain, matte finish, to bolster my quest for a completely non-white kitchen. Window and door trim was also painted cinnamon slate.
The paint doesn’t match the Formica exactly because it’s intended to go with the wallpaper (next phase–I just ordered a third roll because I wanted to do it this week and it arrived as above, which is to say not at all) and backsplash tile (which I may never do because I’d rather spend money on travel and every contractor I’ve interacted with so far has not made me want to give them any of my dwindling savings). The purple isn’t quite as blue as this photo would have you believe. It’s more muted and raisiny.
Next step, the previously mentioned unexpectedly expensive hardware. This, I handled (haha) myself. There aren’t a ton of options for affordable brushed brass bar pulls with clean lines. I imagine this will change as warm metals become as ubiquitous as white subway tile and stainless steel. Just seeing that white stove makes me mad.
I was not kidding about purple-only. My desire for a theme outweighed my loathing of the overuse of folksy touches so I had to buy these limited edition Ball jars even though I have little use for them. Here, pickled shrimp for a Kentucky Derby party. That turquoise dishtowel two photos up has also been replaced with lavender bar rags from the local 99-cent store, a surprise find because purple kitchen accessories and appliances aren’t that common.