Hi. My name is Jenna.
I’m a recovering neutral decorator.
Yes friends, there was a time when I turned solely to whites and beiges for decorating.
I knew no better. I thought I liked it. I thought it was my style.
I was so damn wrong.
As soon as I spray painted my first piece kelly green, there was no going back.
And then I discovered the no-fail combo of kelly green and navy and it was as if the design gods smiled down upon me and showered me with their wisdom.
Ok, maybe that was a little much, but you get the idea.
I am a color girl.
And when we renovated the beloved foreclosure I opted for beiges, whites, and light blues.
And they were pretty. I’m not bashing on beige.
But they weren’t me.
So slowly but surely, every room in this house has gotten re-made over.
The kitchen was especially in need of color. This is what it looked like before we added in some glorious color (besides the barstools.)
Now, if you really want to see how far its come, as in how many walls we knocked down and the re-arranging we did, you can see the initial kitchen renovation here.
It was a pretty kitchen. I liked it. It got me in Better Homes and Gardens and for that, I will always love that kitchen….but it wasn’t this kitchen.
And this kitchen, I love.
I would also like to take this moment to say how appreciative I am of the italics and bold features for fonts. It makes writing so much fun. Obviously, I’m a big fan.
All that being said, I’m sure you are wondering why you are seeing my kitchen. Again. You already saw the finished results in the spring and summer home tours.
Well the thing is, I’ve been meaning to do a post on how we got this beloved new kitchen for about oh, five months or so now. But my friend Kellie, who helped me paint my cabinets, just had to do a video about it and then I just had to wait until she had the video in just perfect viewing condition before she would let me post.
Ok, I might have just thrown her under the bus a little there. She can handle it though.
So finally, here are more pretty kitchen pictures including details about the makeover and a video at the end.
All of the kitchen cabinets got painted. We used Velvet Finishes Minimalistic on the top and Velvet Finishes Handsome on the bottom.
The weather was horrendous the week that we opted to do this – so much so that Grunt Labor was even off work due to it one day – so we painted everything inside.
The old black hardware just didn’t jive with the navy, so I got all new knobs, pulls, and hinges from D. Lawless Hardware. I think it works perfectly with both the white and navy.
The old faucet was oil-rubbed bronze which definitely wasn’t jiving either. After a long search, we settled on the Delta Trinsic in Champagne Bronze.
Mohawk Lollipop Holder / Scales of Justice (similar) / Vintage Letters (similar) / Antlers (similar) / Red Glasses (similar)
The open shelving also got a coat of Minimalistic. The rustic wood color that it was before clashed. I also did some editing on the shelves and rearranging. Personally, my favorite thing about the shelving is the contrast between the mohawk lollipop holder, my grandmother’s red glasses and the deer antlers I had to skin myself.
If that’s not character, I don’t know what is.
Brass Bowl (similar) / Bar Stools
The barstools remained the same – I am still mad over the kelly green – but the DIY kitchen island did get a nice fresh coat of white paint and some re-decorating as well.
Kellie has more images of us actually painting the cabinets – go let her have it because she harassed me the whole time about how I never vacuumed my rug. I swear, I wasn’t mean to her at all to cause her to do such a thing.
Of course, I’m not lying.
And here’s the video of the whole shebang…I look very odd in the beginning because I was trying my damnedest not to laugh. There’s no doubt in my mind that the camera man was never happier when he was finally done with us.
You might also want to see…
Types of Paint to Use on Cabinets
You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.
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Love the blue cabinets!!!! I am so glad that color is coming back! Great job by you and Kellie!
Thanks, Brenna! You and me both, sister!
So glad you were able to get through the twelve steps of neutral anonymous. Your colorful is freakin fun! Yep, mama wannabe said that!
The program was truly an eye-opening experience, Karen! hahaha!! Thanks!
Hahahahahahaha!! Jenna we had a blast and I think even Brandon had fun!!Well maybe after it was over and he survived all of the inappropriate language and references, maybe then did he decide we were fun. So happy to be a part of your fabulous kitchen makeover!! It looks freaking amazing!!!!!!!!! And be honest, the real reason you look ‘funny’ in the beginning is because we started drinking….. xxoo
hahahahaha!!!!!! Poor guy. I don’t think he knew women were capable of such dirty mouths!
Your Kitchen rocks. Looks like something our of Houzz! Really creative and beautiful!
Wow! Thanks, Pat!!
Ha! I have been maniacally scouring pinterest for pics of navy and white kitchens because that is what I am planning for our upcoming kitchen remodel. Looks so good!
Girl, you won’t be sorry! I love it! And I think navy is a classic color, so it won’t date easily!
And here I thought I was bold painting the cabinet doors and drawer faces almond when the background was white. Ok, that was 12 years ago and it helped to match the white frig and stove with the harvest gold dishwasher (that I have NEVER used) and the almond sink that my in-laws put in the kitchen! I LOVE the way your kitchen has turned out and the video was great – the out-takes at the end honestly had me LOLing!!! Now I want to paint my lower cabinet’s another color…just need to not have it clash with the burgundy Formica my in-laws put in – any ideas?? Yeah, my FIL owns the house so any changes I get to make are severely limited!
Aren’t those out-takes hilarious, Susan??! Oh man, burgundy formica. Ya know, navy might actually work with that….
But will it work with the harvest gold dishwasher??!! I may have to give it a try…maybe go the wimpy route and use Mod Podge and fabric to see how it looks! That is easier to remove 🙂
I think it just might, Susan. Navy / Handsome to me is a neutral type color in that it seems to work with lots of other colors! I think using the mod podge and fabric to give it a go is a good idea!
Love the blue cabinet colour. To me it’s a very American colour.(I live in England).Goes great with your green stools.I love your blog and I am so happy when I see your name in my in box. Wouldn’t want to miss any of your crazy!
Oh Shirley! If I could reach through the computer and hand you a cheap beer, I would! You made my day! Cheers gal!
Your kitchen is beautiful! Your friend linked it up to my Tweak It party. I’m a color girl too. White and beige rooms look like a coloring book waiting to be colored to me.
Brenda
I’ve never thought of white and beige rooms like that, Brenda, but you are right!! Thank you!
Love the changes but my favorite is the hardware!!!!
Thanks, Megan! Girl, that hardware. Still gets me every time!
The cabinets turned out beautiful. Love the video….bloopers…lol.
Thanks, Terri! I know – those bloopers! Oh. My. word.
Hi Jenna, The first time I saw this kitchen I thought you had gone from brushed nickel hardware to gold/brass, because of the s/s appliances, I didn’t know you had black before you changed it. Duh. I already watched the video last week, now I know why you were so quiet, lol. I see another, smaller, gold bowl on your open shelves. I love those bowls. I forget, how much Velvet Finishes did you use to do your cabinets, in total? Would you suggest using the Home Right sprayer with VF to paint kitchen cabinets? I want to use Minimalist on my darker, late 70’s pre-“oak everything” cabinets. I still hesitate to leave them dark inside, I don’t have as many and they’re not as tall, I have soffets. I like a two-color look on kitchen cabinets but I don’t have enough, it might make it look like I have even less. Time will tell if I want to empty them but if the sprayer works I might. I have several galvanized milk crates like the one you have your Coke and water bottles sitting in on the bottle island shelf. I used to keep my utensils in a s/s coffee pot from the Downtown Chicago Hilton’s room service, oops. I’ve always planned to use white subway tiles for a blacksplash, is the white grout easy to maintain? It looks brand new. I considered using a darker grout so if it got dirty it would appear that it was supposed to be that color. 😉 Love your painted shelves, and Grandma’s glasses. I want open shelves but I don’t think I can sacrifice the cupboard space. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Hey Mary! Aren’t those little gold bowls adorable? I love them too. Anytime I see them at yard sales or thrift stores, I snag them! If I remember correctly, we used about 1 1/2 – 2 quarts for each color on the cabinets. Yes, you can absolutely use VF in a HomeRight sprayer, you will just need to thin the paint with water. If you paint over your dark cabinets with Minimalistic, I would suggest a base / primer coat of Understated in VF, otherwise its going to take quite a few coats of Minimalistic. You can always email Kellie at Velvet Finishes and she is a pro at helping you figure out what and how much you’ll need. I love my subway tile!! We’ve had that installed for almost three years now. The only places where it looks a little dirty is right around the sink area. Every month or so, I get out my steamer and steam clean it and most of the dirt comes right off though. I will say though, that I love subway tile with a good dark grout too.
O. M. G. Oh it looks so easy! Your kitchen looks awesome! I’m glad your a color girl, cause to me white is what boring people use throughout their homes. Ya know ’em, the ones who just lay there! lol
Oh hell, after those bloopers I HAVE to go change my depends!
OMG, Hope!! You have me rolling with that depends line! hahahahahaha!! And that was just a taste of how funny they are!!
Jenna,
You & Kellie already know how much I LOVE “Handsome” but what you have done to your kitchen is amazing. I can’t believe the transformation! Navy + Kelly green + GOLD is amaze-balls. I’m seriously drooling over here! 😉
Thanks, Jenna! Isn’t Handsome just one of the best colors ever?! And I’m like you – love it paired with gold and kelly green!!
Jenna, I have to say I absolutely LOVE this makeover! I am a neutral girl all the way but I can for sure appreciate color in other homes. This I could seriously live in! The color blue is perfection and that hardware paired with it is amazing! Love it all!
Thanks, Deb! Sometimes I think navy almost acts like a neutral color because it works so well with so many other colors!
I just placed my first order for Velvet Finishes for a china cabinet makeover. I’m so excited to get started! The kitchen painting video was so fun. The kitchen is gorgeous in navy and white.
Thanks, Cynthia!! I am still loving my navy and white kitchen sooooooo much! Can’t wait to see your china cabinet! I bet it will look amazing!
Crazy for this kitchen! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Beth!
Jenna, two words for you: IN LOVE!
Thank you so much for visiting our party… I’ll be featuring you on the blog next week.
xo
Awwww. Thanks, Desiree!!
You steal my heart with your words. Lol. It’s so nice to hear yet AGAIN someone else who views the world the same way I do. 🙂 I am also a recovering neutral girl, and I am so happy that I’m moving on. Totally in LOVE with your new kitchen!
Thank you!! Keep banishing that neutral, sister! haha!
Lovvvvve it!! And your whole site! Love navy and kelly green and I’m really digging your preppy with a touch of punk vibe! I think you are my decorating sista! I swear, everything I see on Pinterest that I love turns out to be from your site. =) I wish I’d found this a few weeks earlier, though! I was refinishing an old orange-shellacked Welsh dresser and that is the exact blue I was trying to pinpoint. Not sure if I could even get that paint here in the UK, but I ended up with Valspar Atlantic Schooner and the dresser looks loads better, even if I didn’t nail the color exactly!
And where did you get that Cafe du Monde sign?!? I’m from New Orleans and zeroed right in on that! <3
Thank you, Julie!! Yep, I do love the preppy mixed with punk – makes it more interesting! haha! I actually got that Cafe du Monde sign from the Cafe du Monde gift shop in New Orleans. New Orleans is my favorite city in the whole wide world – love, love, love it! I needed a piece of it in my kitchen!
I just found you and I’m so happy I did! Those stools are ridiculous good! We are moving in a couple months and I’m pinning up a storm over here. 🙂
Thanks, Crystal! I just love those stools too! Ya know, we are moving soon and I almost put them in the yard sale because they won’t work in the new kitchen, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it!!
I LOVE your work in the kitchen! Its so funny, the neutral thing is always considered the “safe” investment so I don’t make a wacky mistakes that I pay for later, BUT I am never happy….. we are planning a kitchen renovation and I would like to ask you about your countertops?? Can you direct me as to the brand/ style and where you got them? Did you have them installed?
thank you! My layout is EXACTLY the same as yours (kitchen island and all!). This post has helped me visualize possibilities
Hi Pam! Thank you so much! My countertops are Silestone in Bianco River. I got them from Home Depot and they installed them. Hope that helps!
I absolutely love the re-read of your kitchen. That blue does wonders.
Great job! I love the navy color on your bottom cabinets. The new metal color of the hinges, pulls, and faucet complement the navy perfectly. Looks fantastic!
Thanks, Carol!
Wow! The navy cabinets make your kitchen. I am totally a color girl myself and a big fan of contrast in design. The white uppers make the blue lowers and the brass hardware pop–just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your kitchen color transformation on Share Your Style.
Thanks, Lisa! I love the contrast as well!
Your kitchen came out amazing. I will be featuring this tonight at my Sizzle into Summer party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured button. Thanks.
Oh wow! Thanks so much, Judy!
I love the navy paint on the bottom cabinets, the effect on the whole kitchen is amazing. #HomeMattersParty
Thanks, Nicole! Me too!
Hi Jenna! I am like beyond in love with this kitchen!!! What color are the little cafe curtains? Are they navy and white stripe or black and white stripe? Love, love this kitchen.
Thank you, Wendy! they are navy and white striped!
What a fun color combo. Love he striped bar stools! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Your kitchen is fabulous! Featuring you as part of Thursday Favorite Things this week!
What a beautiful kitchen! I adore the blue you chose for your cabinets and your sweet curtains! You must love hanging out in there and cook up a storm!