Best of MI...5 Tips for a Kitchen Facelift...

How much snow did you get if you are in the Northeast?  We got about 5" in the New York metro area, and I understand parts of New England got a foot.  Well, on this snowy Sunday, I thought I would share a post from August 2012 giving you some great tips for a kitchen facelift.  If this is something you need to do in the new year or are just starting to think about, go for it.  Your kitchen will not only look better, but, if you plan on selling your home, it will boost its overall value.  
Have a great Sunday!! 

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Time to give your kitchen a face lift instead of an all out reno? Well, you can do a few relatively easy things to make it look pretty again. Here, I will share 5 great tips to give that kitchen a face lift, as well as suggesting popular products that are selling over and over again in the showroom. Not only are they functional and pretty, but, they will give you the updated and fresh look you want in your space.

Kohler has a great faucet in Vibrant Stainless that has a pause button and two different sprays. The single hole on your counter will give you more room, a less cluttered appearance and its easy to keep clean.  This is a great choice if your appliances are all stainless.

I know I have featured the Bellera before, but what a great faucet and 

its under $300!

Kohler Bellera

For the sink: this is a really beautiful and functional undermount sink that is a standard 33x22 size for your cooking and cleaning needs - it has a pretty 'v' detail on the bottom and looks like a commercial sink without the price tag:

For about $600 this can be yours - it is available smaller and

as a drop-in -

Kohler Vault

For a great looking counter that you don't need to do anything with, such as treat it with sealant, look no further than Caesarstone Quartz - I chose a pretty neutral that is also recycled material to help keep your living environment clean and toxic-free:

Oyster 9601 - a gorgeous neutral to go with light or dark cabinets -

Caesarstone Quartz

Need an island but don't have the space or money for a large size? Check out Ikea's Bekvam mobile cart - I had this and it was really useful. You can stain or paint it any color to match your decor and at less than $60.00 its a steal!

Great for storage, moving around and extra space for cutting or cleaning veggies -

Ikea Bekvam Cart

Last but not least, the paint color to give the kitchen some added 'oomph' right? I like Benjamin Moore's VOC-free Aura collection. Tons of colors to choose from so you can go light or dark. I chose a pastel green and to keep the environment clean, this paint is non-toxic so its safe and won't harm you or your kids:

Benjamin Moore Parkside Dunes 568

Benjamin Moore

I hope this gives you some inspiration for the kitchen project you've been thinking about doing but didn't want to spend a fortune. You can do one of the tips, two or all five!! You don't have to do all of them. 

Have a great Sunday! What is your favorite go-to tip for fixing the kitchen? Paint? new faucet? sink?


If you need help decorating your kitchen or bath or just need a face lift with a mood board, please contact me!! I can help - email me at monacointeriors76@yahoo.com. ;-))


(images courtesy kohler, ikea, caesarstone and benjamin moore)

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Best of MI...Saturday in the kitchen...

Happy weekend!  Thought I would post from my archives today...this was from 6/19/10 three years ago. What a great kitchen and very patriotic don't you think?

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and Father's Day!





From July 2010:

Inspired by this cottage kitchen with a beautiful red wall and stainless units...IKEA no less! It has a camp-like look and I love the lamps and chairs (made for the US Navy in the 1940's) -



Design by Amanda Kyser...

(original image by Ngoc Minh Ngo for House Beautiful)

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Tour my cottage...

I recently downsized from a 2,000+ square foot home to a little over 600 feet of living space. With this change, I had to get rid of a lot of furniture, stuff, lamps, knick-knacks, clothes, shoes, handbags...well, you get the idea.  It was a very cathartic experience and I am currently living in about two rooms. I had most of the furniture here, all I brought were my two favorite rugs,  (from my mother and grandmother) a chair, two ottomans and some pillows. Welcome to my little cottage by the lake!!:

Living room rug my mother gave me -

Bedroom vignette with shabby dresser bought for $95

and Anne Harwell print -

Sitting room (and guest room) with Chinese art deco rug that belonged to my

grandmother, $69 IKEA chair, vintage leather stool, fabric throw

 from Israel and Scooter the cat

sleeping...;-))

Hallway with IKEA mirrors bought years ago, vintage sign...

View into the living room with a wicker chair bought for $10 and 

painted bright yellow by me...

Hallway with Scooter who wants to go out...;-)) the floor

is brick -

Reflection in vintage mirror I painted yellow...settee bought

at vintage store for $125 -

Rug details...curtains from JC Penney bought years ago...they are

blue + white check -

Print by Gray Harwell and a thrift store mirror -

(images by me)

My favorite plants and view out the kitchen window - woods

and more woods - perfect for 'serenity now!' - a view of

woods is supposed to be great 'Feng Shui' -

I painted the cottage white and added lots of yellow, blue and 

turquoise...gorgeous colors that I love to live with -

Thanks for joining me on my little cottage tour - I didn't make the 

photos look too 'glamorous' or stage it too much, so you will

notice shoes, a wire and a box for Scootie to sleep in - ;-0

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!

If you would like help decorating your home, I would love to help, so please email me for pricing and details at monacointeriors76@yahoo.com.

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Saturday in the kitchen...

Hello Blogland! I hope everyone here in New England is enjoying fabulous spring weather and that everyone around the world is having a fantastic weekend and enjoying the weather too. I am posting a great little kitchen that just happened to be in the 'Coastal Living' magazine that I bought about a year or so ago. I loved it so much and when I was researching a kitchen for today's post, I thought it would be perfect. I am so late posting because I had to work today and it was hectic!!! What recession?? We are soooo busy, its crazy! Its a good thing, but we need more help in the showroom.

Here is the little redesigned cottage on an island off the west coast of Florida:

BEFORE - it really needed help...

AFTER

This is a 1960's kit house and was redone on a budget. Note the plywood floors that have been painted with a white satin enamel - they look so cool and modern now. The fridge is concealed in a custom-made built-in that keeps it hidden on the side. My favorite piece in the room is the groovy fireplace! My uncle actually has one in his lake house - I think these are so stylish! When I was in design school, I designed an ADA residence with a bright orange one! I couldn't resist...what do you love about this little gem??

Have a great weekend!! See you tomorrow!

(image by David Anger for Coastal Living)

Do you need help decorating your house? Please contact me for my reasonable pricing and we can discuss what you are looking for at monacointeriors76@yahoo.com.

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