CHOOSING PAINT COLORS, COUNTERTOPS, AND TILE in our old house kitchen renovation

Welcome to the continuing saga of our old house kitchen renovation!

I’ve told you about the beginning (when we decided to move the kitchen across the hall), the messy progress, and how we incorporated two old store display pieces into our project. Thankfully, as in real life, things looked progressively prettier for you as we went along. But today, things really start to improve!

Let’s begin by talking about COLOR.

In 2006, when we renovated our first old house—a 1907 beauty a few blocks away from our current home—it was all about reds and greens and golds. But this 1908 small-town Victorian we’re living in now told me from Day One she really loves blues—and brass. 😉 And so that’s what she’s getting!

Click the picture to see the Master Bedroom reveal.

To get on the right track, I started by looking at historically-appropriate colors.

Source: Click Americana It’s a really fun site!

Then I selected a wallpaper (for the downstairs hallway and up the stairs) to “set the tone” for all future choices.

Knowing I wanted to use blues in the kitchen, I went to our local Benjamin Moore paint distributor and grabbed every blue with potential.

And then I deleted all that were too saturated, too muddy, too _____ until I narrowed it down to two options—and then to one.

Then it was time to select countertops to complement the paint selections.

The huge old store cabinet—the one that required us to move a doorway!—will get a soapstone countertop.

Soapstone is a natural stone that comes in a variety of colors. Sometimes it leans green, sometimes blue, sometimes black or grey. I initially envisioned black, but when we found a grey slab (on clearance!) that Renaissance Man loved, it was a no brainer. Bless him. He has so few strong decorating opinions, so when he does . . . Grey it is!

The countertop had to be cut at an angle to make it fit—and it took every inch!

To complement the soapstone, we chose a larger-than-typical subway tile for the backsplash.

When installing tile on a sheetrock wall (the rare flat wall in an old house!), we use MusselBound Adhesive Tile Mat to hold the tiles in place until we grout. It’s much easier than messy thinset mortar.

For the rest of the countertops + the backsplash above the stove and new cabinets, I knew I wanted the look of white marble, but I didn’t want the maintenance! We’ve had quartz in previous homes, and I love it, but this was the first time to choose white. I envisioned a smaller veining, but when I saw this one, I decided to take a chance!

It’s a bit scary making such a big purchase based on such little samples!

When our slabs came in, we went to the warehouse and chose how the veining would run in our kitchen. So much fun!

Next we chose tile for the fireplace surround. I have some antique tiles I thought we might use somewhere in the kitchen, but once everything was painted, I thought they were just too cobalt blue. I could never get happy with them, so I’ll find another place—or sell them. Instead, we chose a small mosaic that I really love. We used exactly half of the minimum required purchase, so this may show up again in the living room.

Finally, the day came to install the countertops!

One big sigh of relief . . .

The upper cabinet would have originally sat directly on the lower, but we always knew we wanted the additional countertop space. Knowing I’m going to fill it with LOTS of pretty dishes, you can imagine how well the uppers had to be supported!

And another big sigh of relief . . .

As you can see, the “new” door to the side porch isn’t really new at all!

One other opportunity for a burst of color in this space is the walk-in pantry floor. It’s not a large space, but it makes a big impression.

Everything’s finally coming together!

Plenty still unfinished in this picture, but coming together.

And in case you’re wondering if we remembered where we stored the little glass shelves for the old store display counter-turned island . . . we did! They now hold my tiny pitchers and vintage planters. The Julien counter-height stools were a lucky find at Grandin Road. Watch for a sale like I did! They push up under the overhang of the countertop and are never in the way.

These super-comfy stools with their gorgeous navy leather, brass nailhead trim and dust are the current “welcome to our kitchen”. That’s just how it is when you’re living at a construction site!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some color and “pretty” making its way into our kitchen renovation. I certainly have! Before I leave you today, I want to show you a slab of marble that was on display at our countertop shop. Can you believe the gorgeous colors? I stood for the longest time looking at it—just like I’ve done with Van Gogh paintings. Incredible!

Thanks for stopping by today. I’m curious . . .

Do you enjoy choosing colors and finishes for your projects—or does it make you nervous?  Do you second-guess yourself?

If you’re enjoying seeing our old house progress, be sure you subscribe to get new post notifications the minute they go live! If you’ve just joined us (Welcome!) and want to catch up, scroll to Farmhouse Renovation in the footer, and you’ll see all of the posts in order.

Related posts:

The Kitchen: Old House Renovation Story KEEPING THE PAST ALIVE: Incorporating two old store display cabinets into our old house kitchen renovation MESSY PROGRESS: Old House Kitchen Renovation Continues FRESH START: Old House Kitchen Renovation Begins