As many of you know, we have moved to a new home in the country. As the kitchen is the heart of any home, and in a cottage/country house, it should feel especially warm and inviting. Recently, we gave our “new-to-us” kitchen a refresh with a few DIY updates. The changes were budget-friendly, but together they transformed the whole space into something brighter, cozier, and more in line with the English country cottage style we’ve come to love.
Here is the starting point for the kitchen, as shown in the listing pictures. The previous lady of the house loved green, as do I, so it was easy to see our rich grassy Pesto Paste green in this space. Fortunately, the sand colored tile countertops were the perfect neutral tone to complement our green.
We knew before closing on the house that repainting the kitchen would be the very first update we would do. It made sense to paint right away (not because this was convenient!), but because the kitchen would already be empty. This would save us the work of moving into the kitchen twice. The ceiling and upper cabinets would be painted in Ivory Lace by Sherwin-Williams, with the lower cabinets being our green.
Painting the Cabinets
We began by painting the cabinets. Painting a two-toned kitchen doubles the time it takes to paint, since you have to paint twice, but in my opinion, it is worth it! After sanding and cleaning all the woodwork, Matt began by painting the lower cabinets. This meant taping off the appliances and upper cabinets.
Once the green paint was dry, we reversed the taping and covered the lower cabinets, and painted the upper cabinets and ceiling in our warm, creamy white.
Spraying the Hardware
While Matt was painting the cabinets, I focused on the hardware. I love the look of unlacquered brass and wanted to recreate this look in our new kitchen. It wasn’t in the budget to purchase the old-world handmade brass hardware, so I simply spray-painted the hardware that came on the cabinets. This gave them a classic, timeless look that blended with the country house style we wanted to portray.
The Platter Wall
Once the cabinets were all dry, we could finally move into our kitchen. I began thinking of the decor. Matt commented one late evening: “We need a plate wall, that would feel homey.” I was thinking the same thing! Quick as a wink, I pulled out a stack of platters, a hammer, and hooks. My goal was for this collection of antique blue and white transferware platters to be the focal point of the room. I was first inspired to hang such a wall by a photograph in one of my design books.
This platter wall in our previous kitchen was the result of that inspiration photo. Now to hang a new platter wall in our current home! Displaying this collection of antique blue transferware platters is one of my favorite updates to our new kitchen. Their delicate patterns add depth and character, plus each scene tells a story. Arranging them together in a group creates a more striking focal point than scattering them throughout the house.
Adding a Vintage Pendant
This trio of modern spotlights did nothing for the ambiance of the kitchen, and knowing how much I loved the antique, fluted milk glass pendant we used in our previous kitchen, I decided to go with another one from the same shop on Etsy.
The pendant, along with the plate wall, makes such a difference! The warm glow of the pendant lighting is so much better than the harsh, bright overhead can lights. It makes the entire kitchen look prettier!
After
We’re excited to keep layering in details over time, but for now, we’re simply enjoying this refreshed space that feels brighter, warmer, and more us. Here are the before & after photos!
This is the floating range wall with the remodeled study to the left. It was a blessing that the existing countertops and sand colored tile in the backsplash were in the same warm tones as our favorite green!
This angle shows the sink wall. Isn’t it interesting how color and decor can have such an influence on how a space is perceived?! The scallops framing the cabinet doors below the sink perfectly echo the fluted vintage pendant light ~ a detail that didn’t stand out in the previous color scheme and decor from before.
These changes may seem small on their own, but together they’ve given our kitchen a whole new look. By combining fresh paint, repurposed hardware, antiques, artwork, and thoughtful lighting, the kitchen has become welcoming, homey, and distinctly cottage. I hope you found this post helpful & inspiring!
Warmly,
Rachel
