I’ve had dozens of emails asking me about this kitchen remodel from last year, specifically regarding the cabinet color and my answer has always been, “It’s the manufacturer’s color: Oat by Thomasville.” But the follow up question I get is, “OK, well do you know a paint color match?” Now I do! Some might call this color greige, some may call it mushroom, some may even think it’s khaki but I have always called it taupe, a color that’s the perfect balance between tan and gray, and a desirable neutral. On cabinets it looks amazing paired with matte brass hardware. So I visited all my local paint suppliers, grabbed about a hundred taupe-ish swatches, then grabbed the cabinet sample and compared them all. (This image was taken under the florescent lights at Home Depot. Note I brought them all into the natural light outside for a true comparison resulting in odd looks from passersby wondering what the hell I was doing.) :)
The colors in natural light that are closest match to my Oat cabinets are 1) Sherwin Williams ‘Shitake’, 2) Benjamin Moore Affinity ‘Pashmina’, 3) Benjamin Moore ‘Stone Hearth’, and 4) HG Sherwin Williams ‘Loggia’. Finding a great taupe is a tricky but not impossible. You don’t want green or yellow or lavender undertones. I narrowed down a great collection of taupe colors for you to choose from! If you’re looking for a pure taupe, consider these fifteen paint colors:
In addition to cabinets, taupe is a really great color for a home’s exterior! I’m considering doing this paint swatch color matching as a series, is there any color you’re looking for that I can help with? A perfect slate blue perhaps? I’m thinking of that hue for a bedroom so it may be next… . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/04/15-beautiful-taupe-paint-colors/
1 Comment
I’m meeting my best friend from college on Thursday, we’re headed to Napa for a picnic and to soak up some sunshine since spring as finally arrived. Relaxing with wine and good conversation is just about the best thing in life and I’m looking forward to catching up with her, we haven’t seen each other in over a year. Picnics on a warm day also make for a great date! Grab your sweetheart, pack a few edibles, and head into the great outdoors for some sunshine and laughter. Are you picnic ready? I have a picnic backpack similar to this one that I use several times a year for outdoor picnics, I love it! It’s so great to have all the supplies cleverly stored in one place! Here are nine more for your consideration!
two bottle bag / woven picnic tote / red collapsible tote bristol plaid / insulated tote with table / jungle collapsible tote black laguna tote / 2 or 4 person gray backpack / ascot navy
from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/04/picnic-ready/ Weekend hellos! Forgive me for a late post this Sunday, I was attending a dear friend’s 40th birthday party yesterday and celebrating her entry into this decade of life! I feel like my forties have been my best years so far and it’s nice to have close friends joining me! I used to be afraid of getting older but recently I cast that fear aside and decided to look at life with gratitude instead. I’m grateful for good health, a loving family, amazing friends, and more wisdom in my ability to cultivate real relationships, set boundaries, and achieve balance. I wouldn’t trade any of it to be younger! What would you say are the greatest benefits of growing older? Favorite links: Nicely done: the staging in this home by TomKat Studio. I love the modern touches in this Melbourne home decorated in black and white. Spring cleaning: 20 spaces not to forget. Hmmm is this really true? The oldest child is the smartest child. How emotionally intelligent are you? Comfort food in an Instant Pot: spaghetti and meatballs. So inspired by progress made by the Michael J. Fox foundation. Travel tip: take pictures of your Airbnb before you leave. . Enjoy the rest of your weekend! from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/04/weekend-reading-188/ My absolute hands down favorite flooring choice for a home is real wood, even more than engineered hardwood. I love the look and feel of real wood in a home, in family rooms, bedrooms, anywhere. Real wood has the warmest look and a softness underfoot that tile and vinyl can’t really compete with. But today I’m sharing my tale of woe regarding my hardwood floors, specifically in my kitchen. My kitchen addition was eleven years ago and I at the time I chose more traditional style cabinetry. If I was doing it again now I’d go with a different cabinet style like Shaker and quartz countertops not marble but that’s not the point. The focus today is on the hardwood flooring, more specifically, it’s impracticality in kitchens. Because I’m a lover of consistent flooring throughout downstairs community spaces, when we added this kitchen to the house eleven years ago I opted to continue the hardwood into the space for seamless flow. The truth is that over time we experienced water damage in this space on several occasions, first where that French door access has to the courtyard, next under the sink and dishwasher, and this month, under the icemaker. I’m not alone in this experience, my parents chose hardwood for their new build fifteen years ago and when their icemaker leaked a huge section of the flooring had to be replaced at great expense. I’ve heard other stories of water damage from friends and clients too because hardwood flooring’s greatest foe is water. Ever since I refinished my hardwood floors in a dark stain a year and a half ago I’ve been anxious about any water that spills on it, whether it’s from the dishwasher or the pet bowl or any moisture spill at all. Aaaaaand just last month, the icemaker started leaking and now look what’s happened to my beautiful floors… they’re buckling from moisture and I will need to have these boards replaced. This wood runs under under the cabinetry which means the cabinets and countertop next to the fridge have to be removed to adequately repair the floors. UGH.
I have a client with a full house renovation right now and she also wanted hardwood in her home and for it to flow into the kitchen. When she asked what I thought I said to her “hell no!” Hardwood is great for foyers and living rooms and bedrooms and home offices or in any space where there’s little danger of water damage. However, hardwood is a terrible choice for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or basements and if you install it in those spaces, you’re asking for trouble. Thankfully in these modern times we have really good alternatives that look just like wood! I’m still in love with the wood look porcelain plank flooring in the Las Vegas fixer upper … and I really love the look and feel of the luxury vinyl plank flooring in my upstairs studio rental (seen below). So the two best and most practical choices for kitchen flooring are tile and waterproof luxury vinyl, and if you love the look of wood these days you can get it in those materials. (There is also the option of polished or honed cement flooring for those who like the modern or industrial look.) But never ever ever again would I install hardwood floors in a kitchen. If you disagree tell me why! Do you have hardwood floors in your kitchen? Have you experienced water damage or have you been able to maintain them over time? . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/04/the-impracticality-of-hardwood-flooring/ There’s a bold blue subway tile at my local Starbucks that I’m in love with and I have to touch it every time I stop inside for a coffee. Bold colorful tile is a major commitment but when it’s the perfect hue in the right space it makes an incredible statement. Have you noticed how wall treatments are trending away from all white and more toward the dark and dramatic? The look can be achieved with paint or wallpaper, but I give a virtual high five to anyone who goes all the way with a bold color tile installation in a bathroom as a backsplash behind a vanity or bathtub and inside walk in showers. Blue and white is timeless as is a classic subway installation, find the adriatic sea tile pictured in this space at Fireclay Tile.
Glossy navy blue is a sophisticated choice and the vertical installation feels fresh.
On a slightly smaller scale the beautiful blue tile in this niche is perfect paired with a contemporary wood vanity and brass accents.
All shades of blue work well in a bathroom especially ones similar to bodies of water like shimmering turquoise or glossy aquamarine. This backsplash appears to be panels cut to different sizes (not tile) and painted a matte blue, but a similar effect could be achieved with large scale navy tile like this cut in an abstract geometric arrangement. Hexagons are another classic geometric shape, these complement the wood frame window nicely.
Olive and moss green have been trending for a year, green is a hue that adds an organic feeling to any bathroom.
This glossy green tile is striking with brass fixtures, don’t you think? I love the skinny tiles installed in a vertical stack bond formation.
Mossy greens are more subtle like the autumn tones in nature. I don’t think I’d ever choose brick red tile for a bathroom, but this vertical offset installation is well done.
Pink bathroom tiles are making a comeback, for the ultra brave go all out with a hexagon installation like this!
A dramatic look can be achieved by choosing black tile instead of color, made more beautiful when paired with white and wood and brass.
Black zellige tiles are imperfect by nature of their creation, the variations in the tiles adds inviting texture.
If a dark or intense color tile on the wall is too much for you, I offer these alternatives… consider it on the floor instead. When tile colors or patterns are underfoot, they’re more subtle.
… or try a a softer hue but in a larger scale stack bond format like this contemporary installation. You might also like: creative tile patterns with basic shapes or patterned tile + bathroom vanity combos. Are you a fan of bold colorful tile in a bathroom? What color would you choose? from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/04/bold-colorful-bathroom-tile/ G’day friends! I was in Sydney, Australia in January with my brother and we had an amazing time! It was my second visit to this vibrant city and I got to explore some areas I didn’t see my first time around. Sydney is so full of life with so much to do and see and eat and plenty of water views, great beaches, and good eats! My brother Nate and I haven’t traveled together in over a decade due to family and work obligations, and time had flown by way too fast, so we decided to visit our ex pat Australian cousins but first make a stop in Sydney. The city is spread out around the multiple beaches, bays, and harbors, but it has efficient public transportation, so we found it easy to get around via bus or ferry. Here’s where our three day adventure took us! Harbour WalkNo visit to Sydney is complete without a stroll around the Circular Quay with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. At the Quay, you can take any number of ferries around suburbs and beaches of Sydney and the major cruise ships pull up right here.
The iconic Opera House is stunning from every viewpoint by land and water. Designed by a Danish architect who won an international competition, it’s so beautiful in person! Up close the tiles on the sails form a gorgeous geometric repeat.
If you walk around the Opera House, you can head straight to the Royal Botanic Gardens and then straight back to the harbour or into the downtown area. At night the Harbour and Quay comes alive so take a walk around in the evening too. We did not have good food there (it’s a touristy place) but it is a nice stop for a beer or glass of wine along MacQuarrie street on a balmy night where you’ll often find live music and city light views.
Bondi Beach & Bronte Coastal WalkBondi Beach is world famous for its surf and Icebergs, a public pool right on the south edge of Bondi Bay. It’s cold but it’s worth the experience! Rent a towel and take a dip, it’s not to miss and one of our favorite highlights!
Stroll up and down the promenade along the parking lot to see the artistic murals. Along the street promenade you’ll find all kinds of surf shops and quick bites, but the best is at the north end of the bay, the Bucket List is a great stop for great appetizers and fish tacos.
Tip! An easy way to get to Bondi and also see the sights of Sydney is to book a 24 hour ticket on the hop-on hop-off bus, you’ll get a feel for the layout of the city and it drops you off and picks you up at Bondi Beach too.
While at Bondi Beach, we walked the seaside path to Bronte that I read about and discovered yet another ocean side pool and took a dip there as well before walking back to Bondi, it’s a beautiful hike along the ocean, I highly recommended it!
While in Sydney, you’ll definitely want to get out on the water and the ferry system makes it easy. From the Circular Quay you’ll get water views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and can take off for different beaches, bays, and Sydney suburbs.
Manly BeachManly is a popular destination, I visited on my first trip to Australia a few years ago. You’ll find charming cafes and shops and gorgeous beaches too! Easily accessible by ferry and worth a day trip!
Rose BayAnother quick ferry trip, this bay has a few great restaurants and lovely area to stroll, it’s here you can watch the seaplanes take off and land.
Darling HarbourI visited Darling Harbour on my first visit to Australia, it’s good if you’re traveling with kids, the Aquarium other family friendly activities are there.
The Rocks NeighborhoodMy brother and I stayed in the oldest neighborhood in Sydney, The Rocks, a neighborhood full of history with great nightlife. The first convict settlement began here and there are walking tours you can take to learn more, and you can walk under the Harbour Bridge where open markets are often held. From Observatory Hill you’ll find a panoramic view of the city!
The Rocks district is only a 6-7 minute walking distance to downtown and the Circular Quay so it was the perfect location for exploring by day and also enjoying nightlife too!
Our Notable Food & Beverage StopsThe Glenmore is a popular place in The Rocks with restaurant below and rooftop bar above, it has views of the Opera House, be sure to pop in for a bite and a beverage during happy hour!
Republic Hotel & Taylor’s Rooftop – a social scene in downtown with a restaurant and pub on lower levels and relaxing rooftop bar; this is a popular spot for lunch, after work cocktails, and weekend DJs. Catalina Rose Bay was recommended by a reader, it did not disappoint! Reachable by a quick ferry ride to Rose Bay from the Circular Quay, this restaurant has beautiful water views and uniquely prepared seafood which made for a splurge worthy lunch, plus you can watch the seaplanes take off and land while you dine. Icebergs Bar – casual yet elegant, a great place to have a glass of wine or beer and watch the surfers on Bondi Beach from a few stories up. Bucket List – very hip with a colorful eclectic interior, with great appetizers and beers on Bondi Beach. The Doss House is an underground bar with sandstone walls in The Rocks neighborhood that has a colorful history. If you’re a whiskey fan, it’s a worthwhile stop! Munich Brauhaus is a ton of fun with a lively beer drinking crowd, an entertaining oompah Bavarian band and really great German style food.
Kansas City Shuffle – find creative and savory concoctions in The Rocks neighborhood, the avocado toast with egg and brisket waffles —> yum! There’s a walk up window or sit down and relax to enjoy their unique breakfasts or an excellent lunch. Creperie Suzette – a tucked away French bistro in The Rocks, we had such delicious savory breakfast crepes we came back a second day! Fish at the Rocks – a local favorite, fresh seafood and wine in a boutique setting. ____ If you’re a first time visitor to Sydney I’d recommend at least three days, preferably four, you’ll want to explore the beaches and bays mentioned and stroll the historic The Rocks neighborhood. I raise my glass to the Australian people and their welcoming nature! Everywhere we went, bars, hotels, restaurants, the locals were soooo friendly and social and the talk always turned to the comparisons of our two countries. Australia and the USA have many similarities, a few differences, but one thing is true, the more I travel the more I realize that good people are all the same regardless of geography or culture.
I can’t wait to return again someday. :) What are your favorite places in Sydney? . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/04/seaside-adventures-in-sydney/ We’re closing in the spaces in my client’s home in San Francisco, and as a new addition, I suggested we add an electric fireplace on her blank family room wall. She didn’t want to go through the hassle of adding a gas line, and since modern electric fireboxes mimic the look of a gas fireplaces, and take up just a few inches of wall space, I had her contractor frame one for her.
Traditional wood burning fireplaces or vented gas versions are often designed with a hearth or a mantel which guarantees they’re the focal point (and major heat source) in the room. We modeled my client’s new fireplace after more modern looking versions that are recessed in the wall and lack a mantel altogether. A shallow floating console below will hide her internet and electrical boxes. Her new electric fireplace is across from her sofa and she intends to hang her flat screen TV above, similar to this style:
Today let’s take a look at other minimalist modern fireplace designs. As previously mentioned, they often lack a hearth or mantel, but I love their contemporary appeal. I like how this framed version allows for a niche inset for a dramatic piece of art above.
This fireplace box has the additional trim which frames it nicely and is also paired with large scale artwork.
When wall space allows, adding built in shelving to one or both sides allows for decorative objects and functional storage too. That stone surround is subtle but beautiful!
And speaking of slab stone installations, how gorgeous are these floor to ceiling installations? Wow.
sources unknown
This design incorporates a dramatic angled large scale stone tile which draws the eye up. Striking!
While not an electric fireplace, this plaster fireplace surround is very minimalist in its design, I find it calming yet it still holds the room’s focal point.
I had big plans to build myself a DIY small electric fireplace surround for the winter months at my studio but never got around it, and since spring is near I put it off until next season. I did find some DIY tutorials online, so if you’d like to add the ambiance of an electric fireplace to your home and a moderate amount of heat and only steal a few inches from the wall, bookmark these tutorials!
DIY electric fireplace – Chris Loves Julia
DIY electric fireplace – Kismet House
I’ll share my client’s family room space and new fireplace wall when complete. How about you? Have you installed an electric fireplace in your home? What do you think of them compared to vented gas versions? . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/04/minimalist-fireplace-design/ Yesterday I spent the day in San Francisco with my client, her full scale home renovation is underway and we’ve made some exciting progress! The bathrooms are nearly complete and the kitchen cabinets will be installed soon, it’s all coming together beautifully and I cannot wait to share these spaces with you! I have a few local projects in the works as well, a patio makeover for a good friend is in progress and a DIY shelf project for me! I’m off to gather the wood to my design come to life, stay tuned! Meanwhile the favorite links from the week…. I love the mix of materials in this kitchen renovation. Black and white and brass looking so good in this kitchen. This custom marble entry floor is stunning, don’t you think? I bought this bedside charging vase for a friend’s birthday, but now I want one too! What to do when your airline goes bankrupt. The beauty of taking a social media break. Having fun is a virtue, it is not a guilty pleasure. :) The anti-aging effects of running and high intensity interval training. “…love later in life [at 82] has been every bit as enthralling as when I was young.”
Raise your hand if you’re ready for warm weather! Spring is my favorite season, all the trees and plants are just starting to bloom, promising months of outdoor relaxation! If you have a pergola or cabana, check out this tutorial I recently wrote for making your own outdoor grommet sheer curtains, find the step by step on the Arrow Fastener Projects Page.
I’ve also made outdoor grommet curtains from drop cloths, you can see that version in this older outdoor makeover post. I was going through the blog archives and up popped a few other other outdoor projects, so I thought I’d give an update on how they’ve held up over the years. One of my favorite building projects was making these criss cross outdoor planters six years ago. They are still in my courtyard, but they have weathered for sure. It’s mostly just the paint that needs some maintenance, I need to sand it in the places where the paint has come off and give them another coat of primer + paint and they will look fresh again for another few seasons.
Two years ago we built this outdoor wall trellis with an X motif and it was the perfect project for adding both a decorative element and a functional trellis to a blank wall. Despite months of rain it still looks amazing and I’m excited for the vines to bloom again soon!
Back in 2012, we built this redwood potting bench and it still looks great, however it will need to be treated with some oil this spring to prevent the redwood from drying out or cracking in the future. (Notice how the wood has weathered over time in the picture below.)
I love this bench so much, but truth be told I use it more for summer entertaining then I do for its original purpose, it is the perfect surface for propping drinks and appetizers.
Waaaay back when I started blogging in 2009 I made these little cement tea light candleholders with plastic container molds and you know what? They’re still so awesome for outdoors! Find the step by step here.
Back in 2013 I had an idea for a custom coffee table in a rectangle shape so I designed this mosaic tile outdoor table, and while it looked great the first year I made the mistake of leaving it outdoors during the rainy season and it got moldy underneath then the little tiles on the edges started peeling off so I got rid of it. (Insert sad face). I still like the idea of this project, but if I was to recreate it I’d choose a more contemporary tile and leg design, and be sure to protect it from the elements in winter.
This gray and white planter bench was not something I built, I bought it in a raw wood state and then gave it the stain/paint treatment six years ago, but I still have it and it’s held up well! Thumbs up to the brand of gray stain I used, it has stood up to many years of weather and it looks great. I could give it another coat of water based polyurethane and replant it for spring!
This rocky bucket DIY was so popular when I made it back in 2012, it got featured on just about every garden website and surprise, I still have it! It’s held up all this time, so if you want to add a coastal vibe to your yard, grab a few sheets of river rock mosaic tile at your local home improvement store and give it a go!
I have a few new ideas for DIY outdoor projects to feature this spring and summer, stay tuned for those! from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/outdoor-projects-from-the-archives/ I’ve just returned from a week on the Big Island of Hawaii and it was a great adventure, I’ll share pictures soon! I love to visit the resorts and walk around the lobbies then enjoy a cocktail at the bar and stare out at the ocean views. I’m always inspired by the resort decor, the way they’ve decorated in island style textures and motifs, and the way the designers blur the lines between indoors and out. In every hotel I visited last week I noticed so many stylish woven chairs, I’m featuring all the ones I saw in my Insta stories today! I’ve already added a rattan papasan chair to my office earlier this year, it gives the space a little vacation vibe.
Woven chairs make great textural accents in residential spaces too, think about placement in offices, bedrooms, dining rooms and living rooms. Woven chairs in rattan or bamboo are an easy way to add texture and also inject a resort style vibe into a room.
rattan chairs from serena & lily
Every now and then you can get lucky and score a great rattan chair at a thrift store or vintage shop like I did with these chairs. If you’re not up for the hunt or simply can’t wait to add a great chair with a resort vibe to your home, consider these!
cocoon chair / barrel arm chair rattan lounge chair / pierce wicker woven (set of two) / lily rattan arm chair . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/resort-vibes-at-home/ |
About MeHi I am Albin Adamski from Brynrefail, I am 32 years old. I always surf web for buying antiques for home decoration. Archives
April 2019
Categories |