turn up the heat

i wanted to give you a sneak peek of the paint job we've been working on...and by "we," i mean "mitchell." we did the entryway and the kitchen the same color...benjamin moore vibrant blush. and we love it, especially now that we've started to break it up with the artwork we're hanging and objects we're shifting. sophie and alice like it too, i assume, because they won't get off the counters!

at first i wasn't crazy about my mostly green and yellow french advertising prints against the wall, but i really love them and spent a fortune framing them a million years ago, so i reserved judgement.

and over these past few days i've started to really like the tension between the colors, which underscores the edict i've learned in recent years that you really have to live with something for a little while before you decide to keep it or get rid of it. hmm...maybe that's why they advise you live with someone before you marry them :)

the kitchen is becoming warmer, compared to how it was before, and it's a pleasure to be in.

it's a work in progress...it was so white white white white to start, that i think it's going to take a few layers of color and texture to truly warm it up. i think the next step is a curtain or some kind of textured panel and maybe a few textural floor mats like these, in lime (though i do love the amazingly comfortable one from costco i have there right now).

i've started to add the wood tones back in, as i banished them when we first moved in, going for a much more modern, monochromatic vibe. but i'm realizing...that's just not me. or us. in fact, mitchell was calling for the return of color long before i was. in every room, i'm now experimenting with finding the perfect balance - a modern, clean sensibility with texture and color to spare - that's what i'm going for.

here are some textiles i'm thinking of adding to further warm things up, and i'm loving the little parisienne vibe i'm feeling as i browse through these ideas. hook it all up with some springtime in paris while i'm prepping our meals, and c'est bon!

crate and barrel

anthropologie

if i had my druthers (yes, i said druthers), i'd add in some of these objets for good measure. of course, some are more attainable than others, but just for fun...

anthropologie

pottery barn




paris market

cb2

oh, and a bigger kitchen would be nice. how else am i going to fit a fantasy this size?

all non-original photos from linked sites