Let there be light!

Recently, my sweet cousin came over for a mid-day visit.  About halfway through our conversation, she said, "Do you realize you have SEVEN lamps in your living room?"  Well, yes.  Yes, I realize...is that strange?!  Let's be honest, I am obsessed with light. In fact, if I had room to add a lamp or two more, I probably would. 

When we bought our home several years back, one of the first things I said to my hubby was, "We have to add light to this kitchen!"  Within the first month of living in our house, we had replaced the kitchen light fixtures, and I may have even added a lamp or two on the counter tops to brighten it up.  However, it still didn't feel bright enough to me.  Here are pics of the kitchen prior to us doing much.  

As you can see from these "before" pics, the cabinets felt heavy.  The stain definitely pulled orange, and along with the floor color....I felt like I was living inside a pumpkin! (without enough lamps to light the way!!)  

After several years of putting off the "remodel"...okay, six years to be exact....the first thing we did was paint all of the walls gray. My favorite gray is Dovetail by Sherwin Williams. It doesn't have blue or purple undertones, and is truly just gray. I love it during the day with natural sunlight coming in, and I love it just as much at night when our light comes from the chandeliers and table lamps (7 table lamps to be exact!).

Next, we had the cabinets painted. Trust me. I worried about this a lot, and I maybe even lost some sleep. What if I didn't like it? What if I missed the....orange?! Nah....I was ready for the change! Anything would be an improvement from the current color.  With the gorgeous gray on the walls, the orange-ish cabinets looked even more dated. I knew I didn't want to go with white cabinets because I have 2 boys who are five and under.  I feared ketchup finger-paint on stark white cabinets. I decided on a light gray...almost as light as a white, but without the stark feeling of a white.  To me, the light gray feels much warmer than a white or cream.  We went with Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray.  The swatch looks a lot darker than what it actually is.  I adore it even more than I thought I would. 

Next, I chose light fixtures that would add more light because, well...you know me! In fact, I went with TWO chandeliers over the kitchen table. Why? Mostly because two chandeliers are brighter than one, and the two lights have served as a conversation piece when company is over.  It is an added bonus that I love the way two chandeliers look too.  Here are the links for very similar lights to what we chose. Just click the pics to shop.

Last, the old 12 x 12 tan tiles didn't blend with the new gray paint and off-white granite. I knew I wanted something, but I wasn't sure what.  I shopped around for MONTHS! When I found these glass tiles, I immediately knew they were EXACTLY what I had been looking for.  The mirror tiles put off lots of light, sparkle a ton, and feel glamorous.  Click the picture below to find similar tiles. 

Next, we added under the counter lights, and later decided to put them above the cabinets as well.  This saved my hubby some time because I was considering 4-6 more can lights in the ceiling!  These easy installation lights did the trick, though! Click the pic below to find similar lighting from Amazon.

Last, I spray painted my wicker chairs a light gray and painted the legs navy.  I also found this AWESOME pink, turquoise, and blue rug on Amazon, and it truly completes the look I was wanting to achieve. The white and gray polka dot curtains are also fun and brighten up the space as well. We also just recently got our concrete table. It is a mama's dream come true! Paint, marker, sticky who knows what.....all comes right off, or just gives it more character! Click the pics below to learn more about my three favorite kitchen decor items: the rug, curtains, and kitchen table.  The rug is even on sale right now!! 

So....remember the "before" photos that I shared above?!  It felt similar to "James and the Giant Peach", only it was "Anna and the Kitchen Orange".  Time for the before and after pics!

​I can't wait to hear what you think! 

A special thank you to my husband and his company Comodo Heating, Cooling, and Contracting for assisting with my kitchen vision. Let us know if you are in the Kansas City area and would like for us to help with YOUR next remodel.  

So, what do you think of our remodel?  What is your favorite part? If you have any questions about products used or decor I chose, let me know! 

***All pics are linked to the product pages on Amazon. These are affiliate links, and I may receive a small commission should you choose to purchase any items. This does not change the price for the items you are selecting. Amazon simply rewards me for referring the products I love.