Be Bold, Go Blue.

Sherrill Canet

There seems to be a general resistence in the design world to decorating a kitchen in anything other than neutrals or whites -- probably because of the expense and difficulty of overhauling a kitchen should you decide just a few years later that you're no longer so enamored with, say, peach. And that's fair. I, too, eskewed bolder choices in favor of safer, buyer-friendly selections when I designed my kitchen last spring. But the end result is that, while I like my kitchen, I don't really love it. So I wish I'd stretched myself a bit more, been a bit bolder with my choices and maybe gone with, say, a blue kitchen.

The great thing about a blue kitchen is that, while it's a bit of a departure from the oft-used white, it's still fairly traditional. Nobody is going to think you've gone completely off your rocker and there's a good chance that you'll still love it in a few years' time. And even if you don't, repainting cabinets (or riping out backsplash) isn't the enormous hassle or expense that it's often made out to be.

One of my all-time favorite kitchens is this one by Sherrill Canet (shown in two photos above). Of course the towering cathedral ceilings probably have a lot to do with it, but I also love how Sherrill used a lighter blue on the wall cabinets and a darker blue on the island to anchor it in the space. My favorite element though is the glimmering stainless steal subway tile backsplash around the oven and the gorgeous stainless steel hood.

Elle Decor

This kitchen deservedly made the rounds in the design blogosphere when it first appeared in Elle Decor. I love the contrast of the large white island with the indigo wood floors and cabinets. The pendant lights and the milk glass chandelier are also envy-inducing.

Massucco Warner Miller Designs

A more modern take on a blue kitchen. I absolutely adore the (Silestone?) countertops and backsplash. The reddish tones in the natural wood floors and trim are a great contrast to the stainless steal and the cool blue of the cabinets.

Michael J. Williams

This kitchen from Michael J. Williams was featured in the latest issue of Traditional Home. As a brief aside, if you haven't picked up the February issue of TH yet, I highly suggest you do. Between the spread on Ruthie Sommers' latest work and Kara Mann's, it's one of the best issues I've seen from any shelter magazine in quite some time. Both spreads are also so reminiscent of domino that I found myself flipping back to the cover periodically just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating and reading a "new" issue of domino. In any case, the blue on this island is almost a chambray and it's this denim-like quality that I think really gives the space a laid back, family-oriented vibe.

Retro Renovation

This kitchen is retro to the point of kitsch, but turquoise and red always make me smile.

domino

When this kitchen first appeared in domino a few years ago, it made me desperate for a chandelier in my kitchen. I love the contrast between the ornate black glass fixture and the sleek and modern kitchen.

House Beautiful

I love the deep royal blue featured on all the cabinetry -- it works so beautifully with the pops of bright citrus that the stylist brought in for the shoot. The color choice here is undoubtedly brave, but it's what elevates this kitchen into magazine-worthy status. The designer also wisely kept the rest of the kitchen quieter with classic Carrera marble counters and backsplash. Matching your counters to your backsplash is a great way to create a seamless and sleek look, which is ideal if you've got a lot of "look" going on elsewhere in your kitchen.

Frank Roop

The Ann Sacks tile featured on the backsplash in this kitchen makes me a bit weak in the knees. It works perfectly with the sleek gray (soapstone?) countertops without feeling overly match-y. I think backsplash is a great way to bring color into a kitchen if you don't want to go for a bold color for your cabinetry. If your tastes change, it's also not nearly as onerous to replace.

Black & White Kitchen

I'm not one normally to obsess over hardware, but ever since I saw the Simplice Faucet in Matte Black ($389) from Kohler in last month's Metropolitan Home, I can't get it out of my head. You know that silly Kohler commercial where the rich couple demands that the high-end architecture firm design an entire house around a faucet? Well, I wouldn't consider it ridiculous to design an entire kitchen around this.

To keep the focus on the amazing faucet, I'd keep the countertops a cool white (like Silestone's White Zeus). For maximum sleekness, I'd go with an integrated sink to create a seamless transition. For backsplash, I'd go with simple glazed white subway tiles. Cabinetry would be white beadboard, with a combination of glass-fronted and solid door upper cabinets. Inside the glass-doored cabinets, I'd keep all my colorful dishes or glassware for an interchangeable pop of color. Walls not tiled or covered by cabinetry would be painted a soft gray, like Sherwin-Williams' Aloof Gray (pictured above).

To coordinate with the faucet, I'd go with a similar matte black finish on the hardware. Lowes' has some great options to choose from, but I'm partial to the Gatehouse black egg knob ($2.57) for the upper cabinets and the Gatehouse black cup pull ($3.36) for the lower cabinets. On white beadboard cabinets, these knobs and pulls would really pop, and together would give the kitchen a modern cottage look.

For the floors, I'd go for something a bit more retro to play off the very modern counters and play up the timeless cabinetry. Michael S. Smith mosaic tile from Ann Sacks has a lovely basketweave motif and the black and white floors would help ground all the white counters and cabinetry without making the kitchen feel bottom-heavy. For lighting, I'd go with Mod white pendant lighting from Jonathan Adler to play up the modern aspects of this kitchen.

With the basics in place, I'd bring in colorful accessories to add warmth and some fun to the kitchen. Colorful glassware like these new Pop Glasses ($18-$22) from Jonathan Adler would be a great anecdote to all the black and white. Colorful kitchen utensils and dishtowels would complete the look.

An IKEA kitchen by Jonathan Adler

The kitchens typically showcased in design magazines are bespoke and, as a result, prohibitively expensive. While it's sometimes fun to dream, it's more fun to be inspired by kitchens (and other spaces) that are actually attainable for the average guy or gal on a more modest budget.

Imagine my delight then when I opened the May issue of House Beautiful and saw maternity-wear guru Liz Lange's country house kitchen (designed by one of my favorites, Jonathan Adler) done up with at least some nod to frugality. While Liz Lange's kitchen looks like a million bucks (and I suspect the Carrera marble both on the counters and back splash weren't inexpensive), the cabinets are from IKEA:

AKURUM kitchen cabinets in Adel white

Typically, up to 60% of the costs of a kitchen renovation go towards cabinets, so by going with some inexpensive IKEA cabinets, you could end up with serious savings, which could enable you to splurge on other items, like Carrera marble countertops or high-end appliances. I think this route works best though when you're using white cabinets -- after all, paint can hide a multitude of sins (and inexpensive MDF).

I've cut the spread in half in order to display the images in a larger size:

For accessories, Adler used mostly his own work (as he always does), much of which is still available for sale on his website. For a similar look, I'd try Adler's new Acapulco melamine dishware, which are reasonably priced from $10-$28. For some drama, I'd go for Adler's Giant Bird Bowl, which is currently on sale for $269.50. Fill it with lemons and limes, as Adler does, for a fun pop of color on a kitchen island or countertop.

The kitchen table is, of course, the classic Saarinen pedestal table, which is pretty pricey new, but great vintage versions can be found via Craigslist. IKEA also makes a decent copy for a fraction of the cost.

The pendant lamps over the island and the kitchen table remind me a lot of the large drum pendant lamp ($363) by Thomas Paul, which comes in a wide range of colorful patterns. I'm not a huge fan of drum pendants myself, so I would probably go with something more along the lines of Thomas Paul's Zed Green Tree Pendant Lamp ($350):

While I'm sure some will consider it too "matchy-matchy", I actually like how the pendants match the fabric on the bar stools and seats. Fortunately, Thomas Paul has recently come out with his own (very reasonably priced) fabric line, available to the trade from Duralee. If you don't have access to a designer, you can find many of his fabrics at Calico Corners, including the one shown below (for only $24.99/yard!), which I think is a very close match to the one Jonathan Adler used:

For those of us who like to coordinate, Thomas Paul sells a drum pendant lamp in the same fabric (available HERE). Adler wisely laminated the fabric prior to upholstery, making the seats extra kid-friendly. I'm actually not sure what the process (or costs) are for doing that, does anyone have any idea? If so, please share!

What about you? Any tips for renovating a kitchen on a budget?