Kitchen updates Dec 09

I admit that I have an issue - I can't seem to stop tweaking this house.  For instance, the kitchen before I came home this December looked pretty darn good.  But I can't help myself.  It bothered me that the walls and trim were the same color and lacked contrast.  And I've been seeing subway tile backsplashed in old houses all over the design mags and was itching for my own.

So, as soon as I landed back in Beantown I ran to get a gallon of Aura paint in Carrington Beige (had tried a few samples on the wall already in November) and got to work.  Between 7pm one evening and 9:30 am the next morning, the kitchen had a fresh new coat of paint on the walls which provided a little contrast to the woodwork (which you now notice) and still blended with the crazy color of the tin ceiling as well as the granite and cabinets.  Still subtle though b/c there is a LOT going on in this room.

Next up I bought some white subway tile and gray grout for the areas between my counters and the upper cabinets.  White subway tile is SUPER cheap ($.24/tile) and I was able to do the whole area for about $75.  To me, it makes a big difference in the space and really finishes it off.  Looks like it's been here the whole time.

I subscribe to House Beautiful magazine which I LOOOVE.  Many of their featured kitchens had this element.  Like this one and this one.  It is something that is particularly common in old houses and it's a classic feature that never goes out of style.  This appealed to me. I didn't want to choose something that would be out of date in the next 5 years or with a color that I would get sick of.

I've seen the white subway tile backsplash both with white grout but was really drawn to gray.  It allows the tile to be more of a focal point and hides dirt and grime much better - which is the point of a backsplash after all!  To see a few photos I loved of the white tile/gray grout go here or here.  The great thing about the subway tile look is that it works in multi-million dollar homes or in really humble homes and costs almost nothing. 

So, that's the last project at 101 Upham of 2009!