Swan Studios Mural and Faux Finish Adventures: A Kitchen S-O-S

Sunday, July 23, 2017

A Kitchen S-O-S

A Kitchen SOS

I received an SOS call concerning color selections for a home. It seems that the homeowners had spent months trying to select wall colors for a home remodel. The contractor was at his wits end and was willing to paint anything from day-glo pink to blinding yellow if a color could just be settled on. I walked into a scene that was a spectacular rainbow of color choices across five walls. But this is where the artist shines. Colors and coordination are our expertise. Having an artist guide you can save you hours- or in this case, months of anguish. It took mere seconds to realize where their project had gone off the rails. A gorgeous quartz counter top had been selected and installed in their kitchen. It contained deep rich tones of olive, umber, cream, a hint of apricot. Mexican tile had been installed on the floor. I guided them to a neutral tone for the walls and steered them away from the day-glo peach (have mercy!) Then came the big question: what to do with the cabinets. What cabinets? There weren’t any yet installed. To my horror, they showed me a cabinet door that had been made with a white pickling finish on it. Yes, they had thought a bright white wash on top of a yellow based wood would somehow in some universe look good. Sweet mercy! They could tell it was a horrible choice but had no idea what to do. Faux artist to the rescue! I’m happy to report the kitchen has been saved from total disaster.

An aged crackle finish has been applied in neutral tones. The cabinets now have character that coordinates with the feel of the remodel and other finishes. The photos below show the kitchen still in progress and you'll see glimpses of the rainbow of colors that had been splashed across the walls. When completed I'll post up photos of the final wall colors. Meanwhile, the new faux finished cabinet doors look amazing !