Things Are Cooking in the New Kitchen (and I’m Not Talking About Food)

Happy 2010, everyone! I hope you had a fun night ringing in the new year. We had a nice dinner out and then it was pretty much early to bed for us old folks!

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Earlier in the day though there was a lot of activity in our new kitchen. (Again, sorry for the crappy pics.) It’s a perfectly nice kitchen but after obsessing over gray all year, I decided to bite the bullet and have the cabinets painted a dark gray. I looked at so many shades of gray, I was having dreams about it!  It took me days to narrow it down, pick one, change my mind several times and then finally make a decision.  In the end I went with my first choice – Benjamin Moore “Trout Gray.”

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My painter brought the paint over yesterday and I loved it more in person. I can’t wait to see how it’ll turn out!

The oven area also got reconfigured yesterday:

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You can’t really tell from this pic but it was a hot mess. It’s much better and more user-friendly now.

I’m also going to replace the sconces above the sink – again, there’s nothing wrong with them, they’re just a little on the fug side. Here they are yanked out of the walls:

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Oh, and we’re going shopping for a fridge this weekend. I told you things were cooking!

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish you all much happiness, love and of course, good design in 2010!

53 comments

  2. Jacqueline

    It's a wonderful kitchen and is going to look even more wonderful when you've finished with it. Is that a welcome to your new house gift that I see on the work surface ?

    Have a fantastic New Year's Day. Perhaps you could find five minutes to put your feet up.I think that you need it!! Enjoy the day and many thanks for your great posts and your support over at mine. With love. XXXX
    .-= Jacqueline´s last post ..AFTERMATH ………. =-.

    Reply
  5. Things That Inspire

    Love to see pictures of your new house! Once you start using the kitchen, let me know what you think of the sink. I am leaning towards a single large sink in my new house, IF I have a prep sink too. If there is no room for the prep sink, I will probably do one big sink with two large sections, similar to what you have in your new kitchen.

    2010 is going to be a great year!
    .-= Things That Inspire´s last post ..My Virtual Home 2010 =-.

    Reply
  10. Raina

    I had to run an get my Benny Moore fan deck to check the color out. IT'S DELICIOUS! And you know that's high praise from me.

    Are both the upper and lower cabinets getting the dark gray or just the lower? Inquiring (OK nibby) minds want to know.
    .-= Raina´s last post ..Happy birthday, my Sweet Pea! =-.

    Reply
  12. Janell Beals

    Okay, I hope you don't mind if I stalk you vicariously as you go through the process of tweaking and designing your new home!! You are living my dream, I'd move every 2 or 3 years if I had a choice, and did until recently. Once I'm done with a house I'm ready to move on, however…my family has grown tired of this habit of mine. :(

    Happy Painting!! Janell

    Reply
  13. Ally

    Jackie: Yes, that is a welcome basket! Very observant of you!

    Jenny: !!!

    Raina: Oh man, why don't I have a BM fan deck?! I'm so glad you like the color b/c I AGONIZED over it. Both top and bottom and the molding around it are going gray. The walls and molding beyond will be BM White 01.

    Janell: I'm flattered to have you as a stalker! I feel exactly the same way about moving and houses. Although I have to say this move was kind of painful so I'm off of moving for now. But just give me a little time(!)

    Reply
  17. Jessica

    Is it totally twisted that I knew exactly what color "trout gray" was? I've been pouring over my own set of paint chips for my boyfriend's kitchen, dining room and bathroom. And I've settled on gray for the kitchen/dining room walls. But I'm still deciding on the perfect shade …
    .-= Jessica´s last post ..Two Thousand Ten =-.

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  18. christina

    It's looking good. And I love the idea of gray cabinets. I saw a photo of some gray cabinets a year or so ago and it's definitely on my must-have-someday list. Congrats!
    .-= christina´s last post ..Resolutions =-.

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  19. nkp

    Sounds like a recipe for one delicious dish! I'm so going to love living vicariously through you. I want to paint my kitchen cabinets and hopefully this will be the year I take the plunge. Keep that painter's number handy, will ya?

    Happy New Year Ally! I hope it will usher in a wonderful decade for you and your husband.
    .-= nkp´s last post ..Friday Fixation: Andrea Ferrari =-.

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  21. Averill

    I love your farmhouse sink and faucet — gorgeous! And I can't wait to see what you replace the sconces with.

    And kudos with going with your first choice of paint color…I'm convinced that 90% of the time, our gut instinct is the right one!
    .-= Averill´s last post ..Happy New Year! =-.

    Reply
  24. desiree

    That color stripes or however you call them in ENglish , could be the ones I have in my cabinet over here ;)

    Love it and looking forward to see it all finished.

    Happy new year!

    Reply
  25. Audrey Crisp

    Hey! Thank you so much for the sweet

    comment! As you could probably see, no one

    EVER leaves comments! Haha… Your new house kicks ass and I love the kitchen! Happy New Year!

    Reply
  29. Wendy Sice

    The grey will be stunning! I'm loving the look of the rest of your house – huge! The perfect canvas for the wonderful painting I am sure you will produce. Have a great 2010! Wendy xx

    Reply
  31. Melissa A.

    Oooh, I like the gray color. I can't wait to see what it looks like. Seems I am grativating towards that color lately too. I have an Ikea corner sofa and after having my white cover for about 6 years, I decided it was time for a change and just bought the new gray one. I have been wanting to paint a few walls in my living room a light gray as well.
    .-= Melissa A.´s last post ..Happy New Year! =-.

    Reply
  32. Jenna

    Your kitchen looks dreamy as is! I cannot wait to see what you do with it. The Gray is going to look GREAT. Your apron sink is lovely!!!

    Good call on the sconces;) Happy Fridge shopping!
    .-= Jenna´s last post ..HELLO 2010 =-.

    Reply
  36. mise

    Well, I'm proud of myself. I looked at that first photo and said to myself "what a beautiful window, but Alek won't like those lights At All". I scrolled down, and voila, you've already removed them. The kitchen looks great, and snap, I have that same sink. I'm so looking forward to seeing the grey transformation. Thanks for your kind wishes and may your 2010 be full of laughter, delightful design and fun.
    .-= mise´s last post ..don't stop, don't stop the dance =-.

    Reply
  37. Ally

    Thanks, everybody! I'm so glad you like it!

    Jessica: I would expect no less! ;)

    nkp: Will do. So far, I love him!

    bananas: It's not for everyone. I didn't tell my mom because I know she won't like it. She's in for a surprise when she comes to visit!

    mise: Can you tell me what lights I would like because I am stumped!

    Reply
  45. Mia

    Hi Ally! Hope you have a great start of 2010 and thanks for 2009. What a nice new house you have, the kitchen is really nice. See you!
    .-= Mia´s last post ..2010! =-.

    Reply
  52. Kate

    it looks like we're on the same page re kitchen colors. I'm still months away but thought I'd share my color pics. Was going to go darker but am chickening out.

    Cabinets-gray horse/ 2140-50

    Island-Abalone/2108-60

    Walls-white dove/OC-17

    (all benj. moore)

    Thanks for sharing your rehab.Cant wait to see what it looks like!

    Reply
  53. kristin

    hi there! i love your blog and landed here via katy elliott…

    we just closed and moved into our first house (we think a late 1800s/early 1900s new england colonial) and spent a few weeks agonizing over various shades of gray and white. we redid about 90% of the house before moving in and used all benjamin moore colors – shoreline, light pewter, simply white, edgecomb gray, vapor and montgomery white. the latter two is what we did the walls and kitchen cabinets in. i never thought i would fall in love with freshly painted walls like this!

    good luck! looking forward to reading more!

    Reply

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