One of the first things I noticed when I toured my soon-to-be home was the wall colors throughout the house. The kitchen was no different. It reminded me that the ways in which we decorate our homes are so unique to us. The Avocado Green of the 1970s has made a big comeback in recent years, and I have friends whose taste tends toward the mid-Century modern look and use the color beautifully. For me, I know that the decor I choose tends to be a bit busy, so I like to choose very neutral wall colors. More about wall color later, but as you can see from the included photos, the kitchen I inherited was painted Avocado Green.
My kitchen space is small, which is just perfect for me. I have a limited palette and just a few things I enjoy cooking, so I felt that this was a good use of space for me...still large enough for full-size appliances, a couple stools at the island, and a small kitchen table. The home has a separate dining room to use with company.
Many home renovations devote the lionshare of the budget to the kitchen, but to stay within my budget, I wanted to limit the kitchen remodel to between $5,000-$7,000, including appliances. I had to reimagine the kitchen with only a few changes that would yield an entirely new look to match the clean French Country look and feel I was after.
When remodeling a kitchen, I learned that there are a few general areas to examine:
| Grey, black and white flecked solid surface |
| Wood; oak color |
| Mismatched; not working |
| Laminate |
| Avocado green |
| Some track florescent lighting; some large can lighting |
| Popcorn ceiling |
In the age of amazing do-it-yourself projects and access to materials, it is fun to explore Lowe's, Home Depot, and other flooring and tile retailers to gain ideas and bring home samples.
Armed with my target budget and knowing that a whole-house remodel (kitchen, two bathrooms, upstairs flooring, washer/dryer relocation, electrical and lighting upgrades, interior paint throughout, interior and exterior doors, all ceilings, exterior paint, and some landscaping) within about $50,000 was my goal, I headed out to local stores here in Georgia, as well as my favorite magazines: French County, French Cottage, Romantic Homes, and Bliss Victoria. I also sought out a few Pinterest favorites for their inspirational images and started to build my Dream Boards.
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