KITCHEN MAKEOVER; before . . . (but not after, yet.)

Hi Girls!  What an August!  And here we go again.  This time it’s a Kitchen Makeover instead of a party!  Thank goodness I have you, my girlfriends, with me; so much more fun when there’s public lamenting!  Ahhh, soothing musica!

Here’s what our kitchen looks like this morning!  Notice anything missing?  The floor man is coming today to sand down and refinish our poor old floor!  Which means there will be sawdust everywhere!  Joe says the workmen will cover the dish hutch with plastic … so we don’t have to move all the dishes out right now, thank goodness.

But we had to remove everything else in the kitchen; everything off the walls, off the shelves.  For the next week there will be no cooking, no making tea, no getting to that fridge or the sink!  The only downstairs bathroom in the house is off the pantry in the back, which would have given us a downstairs sink, plus our other fridge is out there too . . . but the only way to get there, once they start working, is to go out a side door and cross through the garden, and come in the back door of the pantry.  Which would be good, but not that great at 4 am, which is when I get up, when it’s dark and skunks and maniacs are roaming the neighborhood.

Once the floor is dry, we are repainting everything!!!  It’s going to be so clean!  I guess this isn’t much of a “makeover…” Nothing is going to change all that much.  I’m even kind of leaning toward keeping it this color; it’s cheerful, I’ve always liked it, and it goes with everything.  But my girlfriend Elizabeth is here . . . we picked her and her husband Chris up at the ferry yesterday; she’s a decorator and thinks it might look good in light brown.  What do you think?

Right now the dining room is filled with everything from the kitchen, my cookbooks, teacups, wine glasses, wooden spoons and cutting boards; all in the dining room now.  Kitties have to eat in the dining room too.  I don’t know how I’ll be handling that since I can’t get to the sink!  Like camping; soon I’ll be outside washing dishes in a tub with the hose!

We knew we’d never remember where everything went, so we took photos of the kitchen before we took it apart so we’ll know how to put it all back together in a couple of weeks when it’s all done.

Joe put an ice chest in the living room, for the seltzer water and lemonade and ice which we drink all day, plus it has the cream for the coffee and all the tea things.  My studio is in the very next room, so it’s handy.  I’ll just have to fill the kettle from the upstairs bathroom!

We’re lucky to be doing this on just the most gorgeous (dry) summer day!  All the doors and windows are open; the floor should dry very quickly.  I got all our laundry done too since it will be hard to get to the washer and dryer this next week . . . we are ready, and when it’s done I get to decorate it for September!  Oh Boy!

  Besides periodic trips to fill the bird bath and visit the garden, I am painting every day, painting and writing, and making a beautiful book!  I think you are going to love it!  So I’m still in England, basically (in my book-writing imagination), and I promise, I will be taking you back there again very soon!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, happy Monday! 

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749 Responses to KITCHEN MAKEOVER; before . . . (but not after, yet.)

  1. Judy Nevins says:

    I vote for a very pale yellow. It’s always so cheery and would go well with your floors, appliances and wooden shelves/cabinets.

  2. You will love your new floors and a new coat of paint is always wonderful, it just feels so fresh and it gives you a new outlook on everything in the room. I’m not sure if I would go with a light brown, but paint is easy to change if you don’t like it. We just updated our 30 year old kitchen and it is wonderful, and a couple of months cooking on the BBQ was just fine and I discovered that a couple of stores sell some very good frozen dinners or just have take out. Before we knew it the kitchen was done and everything is wonderful. Enjoy and be happy when it is all done.

  3. Linda says:

    Been there, done that …..remodeling is a test of your relationship! You don’t realize how much you will miss it till it isn’t there…..we do tend to take our luxuries for granted! Color—either white white or if choosing a color color make it intense–be brave it is only paint and the cheapest way to do dramatic things to your home is with paint. I love the color it is now but try to intensify the color and really make a statement…it might surprise you how a bolder choice will really make all your darling dishes pop! Good luck! Thanks for asking our input!!!

    • sbranch says:

      I have to admit, I’m a little surprised at how easy we had it (in the old days, 3 days ago!) when we had access to the one-third of our downstairs that is now missing. I am coming out the side door now, with my basket of dirty dishes (from the tea set-up in the living room, from cat feeding set-up in dining room), walking all the way around the house, under the dogwood and through the hedge into the back door of the pantry, to wash them in the bathroom sink! Thanks for color input!

  4. Dorothy Ann says:

    * Hi Susan * Good Morning…

    O.K. You’ve chosen August for your Kitchen Makeover. I think it’s perfect timing! The month is almost over and with it, so is summer. What better time than now, to give your floor a brand-new-beautiful new look, along with re-painting the kitchen too.

    I do like your original colors…I call it a “hush-hush blue” with white trim, but if you want a change, tag some large paint swatches on the walls around your kitchen. Choose a few of the colors the girlfriends suggested…like lemon yellow, soft green…I’m thinking…also bluebell blue, which is a bit darker, just a bit, than what you have now. After a few days, when the floor is dry, you’ll know exactly what the colors of your new kitchen will be!

    And yes, I am, we all are, here for you…during this somewhat, dare I say it…busy time? And, “the floor man did say it would be just a week, right, Joe”?

    What is it that they say in England, during times of strife and stress and kitchens being remodeled? Oh yes, “Keep Calm and Carry On” or something like that. You can do it, sweetie, you have Joe, your friends there, Jack and Girl Kitty and all of us to cheer you on.

    By the way, you are so clever to take those “before”photos of your kitchen, so that “after” you will know where to put everything back.

    Even though, the kitchen will be “off limits” for awhile, I know you will think of happy and fun ways to come up with alternative dining plans. I’ll leave you with one word now, oh maybe two…”Take Out”.
    Hugs from me:
    * Dorothy Ann on Cougar Mountain, Washington *

    • sbranch says:

      Good Morning Dorothy Ann! Yes, we are half way today! I peeked in the kitchen window last night, the floor looks wonderful! Supposedly we can walk on it Friday!

  5. Paula B. says:

    I,too, love the color you have now, it is such a nice backdrop for all your kitchen decor. However, as a yellow lover from way back, and if yellow would blend nicely with your other downstairs rooms, it is a great kitchen choice. (Said as she sits in her home where all the main walls are painted, yellow!) It is a color that changes and deepens as the day progresses: warming you, cheering you, comforting you. Just don’t see the brown, although it can certainly be fashionable! I like what someone already posted – about the adventure of the floor/painting situation and the stories you will have from here on in. Looking forward to the progress in the kitchen, good luck!

    • sbranch says:

      I had a yellow wallpapered bedroom once, I’ve never gotten over it, it was so cheerful to wake up to!

      • Pat Mofjeld says:

        That is why I am thinking of painting our bedroom walls yellow–a soft yellow-gold–as I think it would be good to wake up in and as we are in a townhouse and the bedroom only has one window, it is kind of a dark room. But in my heart-of-hearts, I keep thinking of a light blue… 🙂 Or would the blue be better in the bathroom? Any comments out there on bathroom color choices? Unfortunately in the townhouse the woodwork is brown so there isn’t that nice white trim to give contrast to but I suppose the tub, sink, and “facilities” would provide that? Again, no window in there so it needs to be a light color.

        • Pat Mofjeld says:

          Any comments would be welcomed… 🙂

          • Linda says:

            I love white white in a bathroom as it always seems so clean and bright……I am a huge towel buyer and because the bath is small compared to other rooms in a home it is easy to redecorate with the seasons if you have an all white base. Currently my bath sports brown zebra striped shower curtain with matching towels , dark brown framed blue photo and touches of blue here and there–it is stunning. With all white you can use everything!

          • sbranch says:

            That’s true about all white dishes too, they go with any table setting! I have a bathroom that I wallpapered years ago in kind of a putty color paper with tiny white stars all over it.

          • Judy from Maine says:

            My all time favorite bathroom ( or bedroom, for that matter) is called Appleton. It is a historical color from California Paints. It’s a pale greyish blue that is very spa like and soothing. I did my bathroom in it, with white trim and accents of black. I think your dark woodwork would go perfectly with it, the color would pop some.

          • Tawni urrutia says:

            Good morning Pat!
            I must confess, I am a yellow lover! It reminds me of Spain, so I always feel charmed and relaxed surrounded in all shades yellow. That said, Benjamin Moore makes a beautiful light blue called Paradiso. I’ve used it for many clients, and everyone has always been delighted with the outcome! Best wishes to you on your painting!!!:)
            XOXO, Tawni

          • erica says:

            Hi Pat!

            I’m thinking a lovely shade of blue. There are so many, I know, so hard to choose right? I think blue can be calming….serene. It would also be lovely to have the same color in the bathroom, because blues play off nicely against wood, which is brown. The color would look different in the bathroom
            because of lighting, windows….etc.

            Quite a few years ago, I simply NEEDED to have some yellow in my bedroom. I craved yellow. I think it must’ve been psychological as I was sad about the beautiful little shop closing, which I was working in. So, I went out and bought all new bedding in the most beautiful shade of yellow! After 3 months of blissful sleep and happiness with surrounding myself in yellow, the color was beginning to bother me. True. In another month or so, I HAD to take them off…. just had too. Silly thing that a color can be so troubling.

            All this talk of painting, re-decorating has gotten me looking around my house which has ALOT of paneling (yikes). I know it can be painted but I must have blinders on, because I don’t really notice it anymore. I have people in my life who say…”your place would be really nice if you updated, and changed the paneling.” Well, they are probably correct but my answer is “if one can put it on the floor, then whynot the walls?” And…..I really don’t mind the paneling. Strange, I know!

            Good luck with your project. Let us know what your choice is!

            Girlfriend,
            Erica

          • Pat Mofjeld says:

            Thanks for all the ideas! This weekend we’re hitting Menards and Home Depot to check out my list of colors from Susan’s blog girlfriends’ suggestions!!! 🙂

  6. Christine from Lafayette, CO says:

    Personally, I love your kitchen as is, even the “worn” floors! So much character and personality. Regardless if you painted it brown, orange, purple, lime green… it would be adorable because of your personal touches! You would decorate it, love it and have wonderful smells coming from it! Garden secret please: What do you feed your flowers? They are so colorful, healthy and sweet smelling ( I scratched and sniffed the screen) The next few days will be like “Camping Indoors” but so worth it. To take the edge off, a bit of whiskey in your tea will do the trick 😉

    • sbranch says:

      I feed them our kitchen compost! It really works! You are probably right about the whiskey, or maybe some pear cider, I could use a little mellowing out! 🙂

      • Christine from Lafayette, CO says:

        I am going out to buy myself a little pail for the kitchen! Thanks!!

        • sbranch says:

          I use an old soup pan, you want something with a lid. I keep it under the sink.

          • Christine from Lafayette, CO says:

            ooh! ooh! ooh! I just found a compost pail on your website!! Its beautiful! “Gotta git me one of those babies!” PERFECT!! Thanks Susan!

  7. just tami says:

    Hi Susan…..

    Please leave your kitchen the same color……it is a cheerful color…I vote leave it. 🙂

    Your Best Friend,
    Tami

  8. Gail says:

    I love the shade of blue in your kitchen, would never do brown or beige. I would also consider a pretty shade of yellow as it is so cheerful.

  9. Kellie Badger says:

    I really like your kitchen. The stove is great!! The stairs behind your dish hutch, just don’t find new houses like that anymore. We live in a converted store/gas station that was running in the 1950. Paint is a great way to change a room. Be daring, you can always change it back!! 🙂

  10. Marty says:

    We have a 100 year old cottage home in New England that we use for weekend. When we re-did the kitchen, I decided since I do not live with it evryday, why shouldn’t it be fun? We have wooden floors, white cabinets and when removing a stainless steel sink (ugh!) I decided on a medium blue enamel one and just love it.
    Nancy Luce would be very happy in my kitchen. I collect chickens, roosters and other like memorobilia-have a poster on keeping eggs (before the days of refrigeration ) before taking them to market in the half-bath off the kitchen. The best is my kitchen wallpaper-white background with sketches of hundreds of hens an roosters in subtle blues, reds, mustard yellow, sage green. They stay in the background but compliment all of the colors in my accessories. — not conventional, but makes me ve ry happy-guess that is the advice. Make it yours, and everyone else can admire it and know a little bit more about you or the house from what you have doone.

    PS it looks like you are planning to stick with your beloved blue, but remembering how much you like the “modern cozy” that Mozart’s Girl had in her room,. maybe a light mauve would also have been nice. Looking forward to seeing you all back together (and secretly happy that I do not have that difficult job) and wishing you and Joe all the best in finishing up your wonderful Kitchen.

    • sbranch says:

      I looked at that, loved it at Rachel’s, but my house just doesn’t have a modern bone in its body, I’m afraid it wouldn’t go! Your chicken kitchen sounds wonderful and full of fun!

  11. Lori says:

    Dear Susan, I hope that your kitchen makeover is going well and things will be back to normal for you soon. I must tell you that last night I was in a used bookstore and the woman in front of me was holding some of your books. (Gasp, what were they doing there?!) We struck up a conversation and she is a “Girlfriend” too. What fun! We also discovered that we traveled together to England with you. Thank you for letting us know there people like us out there … it is a comfort. : )

  12. Diana - Highland, IL says:

    LOVELOVE the blue.. my whole house would be blue and white if I could get away with it… but hmm, I think I could…. Ha!! LOL… I waiting patient for the time I can redo my kitchen from its eighty’s dark green and burgancy…. I pretend it isn’t there because everything I have is white and blue.. so soon.. very soon it will be my vision come true!! Hope your place will be back to “normal” soon..but only shiny bright and fresh!!! Thanks for the kitchen tour!! Are your floors going darker?.. am musing on what to do with kitchen floors.. have tile now and am very dangerous on it!! Any suggestions out there girlfriends??? HAave a great day!!!

    • sbranch says:

      Wood is so wonderful! It doesn’t show dirt, it’s quiet, things aren’t as likely to break when they fall on it (compared to tile), it’s easy to keep clean with just water, and sometimes wood soap. I love it. I’m keeping the floor natural, so it’ll have a slightly yellowish look to it. You too Diana! Have a great day!

      • Diana - Highland, IL says:

        We have only been in this house, gulp 3 years!! YIKES.. why haven’t I gotten more done????? oh well, but the day we moved in a bottle of wine fell out of the fridge and broke and it has been downhill every since.. I was thinking wood or bamboo…something natural.. the tile is easy to clean but for clumbsy people… not so good!! :-)… thanks for your input…love your style!

  13. DebbieS says:

    Hi Susan – Love the “before” pictures of your soon-to-be-refreshed kitchen. But what caught my eye was your pantry doorway. Would you ever consider giving us a tour of your pantry?? I love pantries, and bet yours is as special as the rest of your lovely home. Just a thought……. with love.
    Debbie

    • sbranch says:

      I’ll do that as soon as I get it cleaned up again!

      • Ruth Hoffman says:

        ..I was going to ask the very same thing…for a better look at your pantry. Do I recall that checked floor from one of your paintings? Would love to see more of it when you get things back together. The end result of “sprucing up” is worth the
        temporary mess and inconvenience…hang in there. I think it is a great time of year to do something like this too. I can’t wait to see more.

  14. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK (the Cat) AND MANY MORE!!! Susan, what a fun year we have all had with you sharing your sweet boy Jack with all of us!! I hope you have a small party planned for him he does deserve something special. Give him a hug and pat from me and my two kitties!!!

    • sbranch says:

      We sang to him!

      • Deb from Dixie says:

        Happy Birthday Jack…..sending meowy good wishes that you have some extra special fun today…..and hopefully a few special “treats” are in store for you too!
        Maybe some tuna or salmon, a new ball with a bell, or a furry little mouse…who knows…birthdays are full of surprises!

        Happy, Happy Birthday,
        Your friend B.K. ……… aka The Bean
        ( I wrote to you when you took over the blog for the day…what FUN!)

  15. Judy Ann from Georgia says:

    You will be so glad when your kitchen is clean and fresh, however, I have a suggestion….change the color just a little!!! I have the perfect color…See the gorgeous green on those little green glasses with the little yellow trim in them at your shower you gave in the last blog. That green would be a perfect color for your kitchen! It’s just a little different than the blue and it goes perfect with all the pinks and greens and blues and colors of your dishes! Just look at that gorgeous green in those glasses and see what you think. I just love that green. And besides it is just a little different than the blue. You don’t want the same ol thing. Be bold and step out! You are doing the floors and you will be so happy you made just a little change! Also one more thing…could you post that picture of the back of your house one more time so I could put it as the wallpaper on my computer. I messed it up and lost it. I just loved looking at it on my computer when I turned it on everyday. It was on the “free stuff” and I went to download it and it wasn’t there anymore. Thank you so much. I love your blog Susan, keep up the good work making us happy and cheerful with your recipes and ideas and flowers and taking us on your vacations with you! We love you! Don’t forget to venture out and try that gorgeous green in your new kitchen!!!

    • sbranch says:

      I would do it, but the living room is green! Even tho’ the kitchen would be a different shade, I just can’t bring myself to paint two rooms green! Otherwise, I would . . . green would be perfect!

      • Judy Ann from Georgia says:

        Susan: Even though your living room is green, if I remember, it is a lighter kind of a minty green. And if you painted your kitchen that deeper richer green like on those glasses it would flow so nicely into each other. It would look entirely different, but it would have to be in the same family of greens to blend, but yet go together, you know what I mean? That green on that glass with that yellow lemons is “knock your eyes out” gorgeous with your pinks and your blues and your greens and all of your little flowers in your dishes. Paint all your trim in your kitchen stark white glossy finish with that deeper, richer green with the stark white trim and you would love it and it would flow so well into the lighter green living room with that pink and green flower chair and your white sofa! I know what I am talking about. Make your wood floor just a little tad darker in the kitchen but not too dark, just a little darker and richer. Just try one wall and see from the living room…. if you don’t like it, do something else….go with the yellow….
        Just do something else besides the blue………
        Love you lots!!!
        Judy from Georgia….

        • sbranch says:

          I think it’s going to be the pale blue, I just love it too much . . . I’m going to paint a strip of Benjamin Moore Summer Shower on the wall and see how close we come . . . it’s such a pretty color!

          • Linda in Texas says:

            I’m glad you’re staying with the blue. I love it, but oh so much more important–you love it. And it is after all your kitchen. I’ve loved reading as many of the comments as I can. (I’m serving on a jury this week-whew! so tiring. So I haven’t had much time here.)

            Thanks for this post. And I can’t wait till we get to tour the pantry. You are so generous to share everything with us. That’s why we love you so much.

  16. Robin Hughes says:

    I love all you share with us. It is such a respite to the day and so very welcome. It is so gracious of you to share it!

    Thank you so much!

  17. Marilyn Ducote says:

    No lighter nor darker!…it is just perfect as it is.

  18. Candice from Ohio says:

    Hello Susan,
    I can remember when we completely gutted our kitchen, it is like camping! We used a folding metal TV tray (remember those?!) and our electric skillet! And I did the dishes in a pan in the sink which was on wooden legs with the drain still hooked up! Plus I had broken a bone in my foot and I had a plaster cast up to my knee! CRAZEEEE! Brings back memories!! But it is all worth it for the end result!
    You will LOVE your new kitchen! So much fun to re-decorate! I would go with the light brown color, but very light. I always go for the neutrals on walls and then add the color with accents. Have a great week and Labor Day weekend!
    Warm regards,
    Candice
    P.S. Just wondering….how are you going to keep the kitties off of the floor while it is drying?

    • sbranch says:

      We have kitchen doors, they are closed, there is plastic over them that’s sealed with tape! They were keeping out the sawdust, but it’s working really good on the cats too. The only problem is the back stairs, which is harder to close off, although they tried with more plastic and tape . . . so far, I’ve caught Jack in the kitchen once. I was looking through the outside window to see how the floor looked, and suddenly he appeared inside on the floor looking confused. But the floor dries really quickly between coats, so it was dry at the time. He is the funniest person I know!

  19. Doreen Strain - Florida says:

    Susan, please give kitty Jack a big birthday hug from me! Happy 1st. Birthday Jack…sure such a good little kitty! FOSB 4~Ever! ~ Doreen ~

  20. Heather H. says:

    Your kitchen “remodel” sounds like so much fun, but what I really want to know is where you bought the gorgeous gladiolus bulbs you show in the last picture on this post? I have never seen any that color. Any idea where to get them? Thanks, Susan!

    • sbranch says:

      We have a farm store here on the island called SBS; in the spring, for maybe three weeks, they carry glads. Never, it seems to me, the same colors twice. I get them there, whatever they have. I’ve seen catalogs with them though, in every color under the sun. Google gladiolus and see what you get!

  21. judi says:

    Happy Birthday, smooch, smooch, Happy Birthday smooch smooch…Happy Birthday KING of CUTE Happy First Birthday Dear Jack xxxooo

  22. Susan, Summer Shower is a lovely shade of blue, and also look at #1660 (Polar Ice)?? it is in the same hue you are looking for.

  23. Rhonda Ripplinger says:

    Dear Susan and friends~
    Thanks so much for your warm words of welcome (*sniff…*) when I wrote saying I’m new to Susan’s blog. Wow. What a terrific bunch of women! Living in the middle of nowhere is wonderful in its way, but there are times when I feel a bit lonesome for the companionship of kindred spirits. Thanks, all of you, for making my day. Cyber hugs and smiles for ALL of you!

    And, by the way, Susan, my hubby and I built our home with our own hands and moved into it before the roof was yet on. We had a porta-potty in the woods, and a camp stove for cooking in our non-existent kitchen. So, I can empathize with your temporary lack of convenience. 🙂 Hang in there! You’ll be enjoying your lovely blue, cozy kitchen in no time at all.

    Cheers! Rhonda from Wyoming 🙂

  24. Carol C says:

    You have to go with your own perfect instincts on the color! Each of us has our own perfect idea of what looks good for us. My kitchen has beadboard wainscoating and I painted it and the trim the yellow of old yellowware bowls. I actually took the bowl in and they matched it. The cabinets are wood with doors patterned from pictures of an old cupboard, the walls white with a small stencil that matches the blue of the yellowware bowl and the countertops are that color, too. White porcelin farmhouse sink. I am probably the only one who loves it but that’s what counts. That’s what makes our homes special and unique—they reflect the one who lives there. My sister is painting her kitchen cabinets a putty color and the walls cream. It will be beautiful. Yours will, too, whichevear color you pick!

  25. Pam T. says:

    Hi Susan,
    I am writing you again because I just saw something that completely brought you to mind. Since you have two adorable “Tuxedo” kitties, I think you might like this– bigelowtea.com/​Catalog/Product/74/75/466/​Chester+the+Cat+Teapot.aspx I just saw it in a Facebook post and immediately thought of Jack and Girl. Maybe something fun and new to add to your “new” (refreshed) kitchen? Or…just something fun to look at and make you smile. Either way. Hope the kitchen is progressing well!

  26. Joan Lesmeister says:

    Meow Birthday Boy, Happy Day – sorry I almost missed it! My granddaughter’s Birthday (26) is today too Jack, now I’ll try to remember! Poor Kitty, looking for all his favorite stuff in the kitchen, where’d it all go??? Hugs & scratches behind the ears, to you Jack!

  27. maryb says:

    thinking of new colors reminds me of the movie Mr. Blandings builds his Dreamhouse when the painter is following Mrs. Blandings around while she describes in detail what color she wants the rooms painted!! i love that movie! maybe your kitchen would look beautiful in the color of “a pound of the best butter”! mb

  28. TeriGrace says:

    I would go w/ the light brown….. your fabulous stuff would ‘pop’ against it and it would add warmth. Not that it isn’t cozy and darling the way it is…. Whatever you decide will be great and the floors will be fabulous. Someday I’d like to redo ours. And someday… I want beadboard on the ceiling of my kitchen. We have a little ole boring ranch that I feel compelled to add any charm and character any chance I get. Love your blog….. Have a great Holiday Weekend!

  29. Wendy says:

    I have always loved your stove, we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago, if I could have found one and fit in my stove space, I would have! I like the blue color best!

  30. GardenGirl (SouthEast Massachusetts) says:

    Hi Sue,
    Sounds like the color decision has been made. Hoping that you are going to be sticking with the black-check curtains-love those. Especially when you do your fall decorating with the hits of orange, red, gold and brown – it’s fabulous. Good luck with the process – it’s great to refresh things every now and then. You are so brave to have company visiting during this transition!
    -Kathy

    • sbranch says:

      It’s a big holiday weekend coming up and it seems there’s an island convergence right now! Must get in those last summer parties, lobster rolls, dinners on the beach before it’s too late!

      • Joan Lesmeister says:

        I see we missed Illumination Night, I’ll have to go back & look at yours from last year! Lobster rolls? I’ll take 2! It’ll be so quiet in your neighborhood next week when all the tourists leave! Your biceps must be bulging, what with all the baskets of dishes lugging! Camping was a lot more fun when we were kids! Wait though, my grown kids laugh at me now when we camp because I love washing dishes in my blue graniteware dishpans…………!! Take care! xoxo

  31. Yvonne from NC says:

    Susan, I adore your lovely home on Martha’s Vineyard. I would like to suggest two color choices for your charming kitchen. The palest of butter cream yellow or Behr paint color “Restful” which is the prettiest shade of a soft pale green. Either one with white cabinets and trim look absolutely beautiful with hardwood floors. I know because I have both in my home. :o) When the sunlight streams through the windows, I feel like I’m in a cozy cottage in the English countryside.

  32. Barbara T, Wolverine Lake MI says:

    I think that you need to remember you have so many dishes with pink so you need a color that coordinates with the pink in the dishes (since you have them prominently displayed). I love seeing the 360 degrees of your kitchen and was so intrigued with 1) the stairs in back of the cabinet 2) the pantry with the table in there 3) now we know how the driveway ties in to your view! and 4) let me say, OMG my husband would have knocked a dozen of the Emma Bridgewater cups off the wall rack over the years if they were on a shelf in a hallway!!!! I’ve got pictures on the wall and they are askew more times than not!!! Plus the dog’s dishes are in the corner of the hallway, and the water is constantly spilled (and NOT by me). Another reason to appreciate Joe!! Thanks for letting us see the “before” pics – it’s soooo exciting to re-do. (another thought – walls a pale yellow with some hand-painted edging at the top – afterall, you are the artist!! hand paint some flowers, birds and what not??? like a stencil)

  33. Jen Krein, Warrington, PA says:

    Susan,
    You have a beautiful kitchen just the way it is. Thank you for maintaining the old character of your home. Nothing saddens me more than someone buying an old house and modernizing and opening up everything. So much is lost in that.
    Good luck with the floors!

  34. Gail Bussi says:

    Hello Susan
    Love to see your kitchen – it makes me dream of the kind of kitchen I would love to have one day, a place where I could set out all my wonderful floral china and special dishes. My really secret wish is to have an Aga, maybe in a gorgeous duck egg blue – but I think I will have to win the lottery for that to happen. Keep smiling, and enjoy the rest of summer on your beautiful island.
    Gail

  35. Anne says:

    Decorating is sooo fun – what a great time of year to do it! I like the idea of light brown/tan – it would really add alot of warmth and connect w/the floors. You could do light blue curtains! Don’t get me started – I love this kinda stuff! Have fun w/your cozy kitchen – can’t go wrong in there 🙂 Happy Bday to Jackieboy!

  36. PauliJ says:

    Oh, Susan, I vote for the color your kitchen is now. You are a light and cheerful girlfriend, and your kitchen reflects YOU! I pray you will have much grace during this inconvenient time; I am sure the “new and improved” kitchen will be worth it. 🙂
    My blog time has been limited lately, and I see that I have some lovely pictures and good blog entries to read in order to catch up; what a lovely anticipation I have.
    Thanks for blogging so beautifully, Susan.
    Big hug, Paula from Central Oregon

  37. Catherine says:

    I’m in the process of painting my kitchen cabinets. They were knotty pine and are now a lovely white. Is it possible to be in love with your cabinets? I used a paint that leaves no brush strokes and is soap and water cleanup and they are so pretty! I’ll just be glad when I’m finished and can put everything back. We also have moved everything to the dining room. I also need to refinish all the wood floors in the house and I’m not looking forward to the mess and moving all that furniture. Our old house sure is a lot of work, but it’s home!

  38. Carol from Connecticut says:

    Dear Susan, Renovations tax the soul … and then they do end and all is well and beautiful. This is the perfect time to ‘touch up’ the home. Open the windows wide and let the fresh air in to dry everything and give you a huge lift ! While you’re in the process of re-painting your walls and in the interest of keeping your newly painted walls clean, I thought I would share this article from YANKEE MAGAZINE on-line that I read just this morning about burning paraffin candles inside our homes. I had heard warnings about paraffin by-products sticking to our walls, didn’t believe it, and then started to hear and read much more about the issue. Here is the website for reading the YM article. Are the soy candle companies trying to push their product? Could be but it’s time to formulate our own opinion/s based on the evidence: http://new.yankeemagazine.com/blog/enlightened-about-soy-candles . Would girlfriends who know about this write in to Susan’s blog? Many thanks. Every affection to you, Susan, and a tra la la, Carol

    • sbranch says:

      All I know is that I LOVE Yankee Magazine!

      • Pat Mofjeld says:

        Me, too, and I live in the Midwest!!! 🙂 Also love Midwest Living magazine but love the regular writers in Yankee like Eddie Clark, etc. I always look forward to finding that in our mailbox…

    • Margot in Virginia Beach says:

      I love Yankee Magazine, and I am a Wisconsinite who ended up on the east coast. I used to live in NH and now in VA. I have been using soy candles for years. I also use bees wax tapers at the table. I have learned this sootless thing years ago, but there is also a candle company in OH that makes spotless candles and the company is called ROOT.

    • Janet says:

      Hello everyone! I can personally attest to the fact that burning SCENTED paraffin candles will leave gray sooty smudgy deposits around your home. In my younger days I lived in an apartment [all walls eggshell white] and often burned scented candles – and began to notice these odd smudges in corners, behind furniture and bathroom hamper, even in kitchen drawers on plastic dividers storing flatware etc. Most visible on whatever I had that was white. Didn’t find out what it was until I was talking with the service person who was changing furnace filters one Saturday. I asked him if it could be some type of residue from the heating system and he asked right off, “Do you burn candles with fragrance? If you do that’s the reason for the soot.” Apparently this is not an issue if the candles are not scented. It must be true because I changed to using unscented candles right after that and have not had a problem with “smudging” anywhere I lived after that. Hope this is helpful.

      PS – love “Yankee Magazine.”

  39. Carilyn Wolski says:

    Hello Susan! Can’t wait to see your beautiful kitchen face-lift! Hope the progress continues smoothly for you! I love the blue as it’s though you have brought the outside sky inside!!!!!! Enjoy the blessings of the fresh newness of it all!!!!

  40. Carole K says:

    I think it would be amazing to have red walls, and all the white woodwork and natural floors!

  41. Kathy Phenix says:

    Hey, Jack–“old man”! HA! We are so sorry we missed your official birthday but even though our parents are retired and home most every day–they don’t keep up with all the dates they have to remember. They say they are getting old. They should try dog years or cat years. Did you know that you are really about 5 yrs old for every year that you live?? Now that’s aging!! But, anyway, Jack, you are wished a fabulous day. Just be patient–once they get the kitchen back in order, I’m sure the kitties treats will be served more regularly. Have you tried just staring at “them” with your saddest eyes and softly or loudly mewwing? It seems to work for my brother “Charlie” Happy Days. Love, Wendy Sue and Charlie Phenix

    • sbranch says:

      I already pretty much get away with murder, but I do appreciate any hints that will help me control them better! Thank you Wendy Sue and Charlie!

  42. Sheryl from Chico,CA says:

    I must put my two cents worth in here. In our 74 year old home we painted the cabinets with a soft moss green and the walls with a ultra light green. The change from white to this rich color changed the room tremendously. We have a wood floor also. Jusy saying……good luck to you. Hugs, Sheryl

  43. Judi D. says:

    Keep the kitchen the color that it already is, because it’t beautiful!

  44. Barbara (WA) says:

    I can’t quite read all 725 comments at once (!!) but I wondered if you ever found the name of the existing kitchen paint color? If you do, can you include it in a future post, please? That way we can more easily see what you say. Hope it all turns out just as you wish!

    • sbranch says:

      Yes, found it, but haven’t got it yet, it’s in the basement … I’ll be sure to let you know when I know.

  45. violet says:

    Summer shower, it looks like the color you have now, not too adventurous.
    Why ride a stationary bike ,when you have that beautiful island to ride outside.

    Violet

  46. Cynthia says:

    It will all be worth it….we have done floors in our house…not without a few errors….(such as ROLLING on the varnish AFTER we shook the can vigorously!) and then got it re-sanded and sealed….and it is worth it! Carpet ruled in our house….now there are only a few rooms left with it….yep….you will love it! P.S. I am partial to the current color because it is neat, it suits you, and it goes ever so nicely with all your dishes and kitcheny things!

    Cynthia

  47. barbzie says:

    Love the whole peeking-in at the project that you and Joe are working on, Susan! I know what you mean about liking the existing color, even though we know there are a myriad of colors just begging to have a chance to switch-up the look. Years ago we repainted our ranch-style house and shutters and most people were so surprised at our decision to stick with the tried and true. But the thing is, the brick on our home is a pretty rosy color with a creamy whitewash effect, and the color scheme we had on the outside of our home was: peachy-colored paint on the siding, which replicated the brick-through-the-whitewash color, and our shutters were a medium-toned rose. It just felt like every surface was intertwined, like clasped fingers, and I had no trouble revisiting that color scheme. I also liked that when people were coming to my house, and I had to give directions, my standard description was: peach-colored house with rose-colored shutters. It just made me feel cozy to even say that out loud! Funny what makes us artists happy and content!
    Thanks so much for sharing, Susan,
    Barbzie

  48. Kati says:

    Ooohh…Your kitchen is so pretty! I love the color you have now (I have a color similar to it in my bedroom) but the other color would look good, too. I think it’s so hard to pick a color.

    • sbranch says:

      We all want it to be so perfect! But everyone’s given me such good advice about following your heart.

  49. I too love the current blue, but maybe do something soft and interesting on the ceiling. I just painted my dining room ceiling Farrow & Ball’s Borrowed Light–a soft, soft, barely blue color that changes with the light. Gorgeous at night. The paint is amazing and they are very proud of their paint–hence the price. So I just put it on the ceiling. My favorite part of the re-model. Love their English inspired names also.

    us.farrow-ball.com/colours/paint/fcp-category/list?resetFilters=true

  50. carol ahlgren says:

    I stumbled upon your blog from pintrest. The style of your site looked familar, then I saw the Susan Branch recipe posters and remembered that I have a few that I had clipped from Country Living many, many, years ago. Love your site and will be checking in often.

  51. Maxine Boyce Buckman says:

    Hello Susan,
    I can’t begin to tell you how much your website cheers me up! I let a few days go by before opening it up and am continually surprised by the wonderful new things you have posted. Absolutely LOVE Jack, your new kitchen and get caught up in your old postings. You are one appreciated gal.
    Maxine

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