If you donāt know this about me, yet - I am obsessed with DIY projects in our house. Weāve been in our home for a little over a year and a half and we have added tile backsplash to two bathrooms, smoothed out the wall and trimmed out the laundry room and build out an entire mudroom. Weāve also built a concrete coffee table, build a few wood side tables, build out a wall-length headboard for our bed and built a trellis along the fence line for privacy.
Unpopular opinion, but Iām really not that big of a fan of mid-century. Iām more of a modern gal (hello Bauhaus!). Recently I have been craving more warmth and character in our home, especially given that we live in a new home thatās been built to builder specs.
In my quest for new projects, the kitchen is an easy target. Itās just so white! The cabinets are white, the counter top is white, the backsplash is white! I love the stacked white tile and the simplicity of an all white kitchen. But it feels cold. And Iām really more after ācozyā these days. So I have decided that we should paint the cabinets and bring some warmth in.
Iāve been looking at both paints for coming up two weeks now unable to make a decision. I just keep changing my mind! One day I like the warmth of the left color, then I love that the right color is more classic. Then the right color looks too pink, but the next day the left looks too green. And so on!
BUT the day is finally here! I have come to a conclusion that I am happy with!
Drumrollā¦ Itās Benjamin Mooreās Pale Oak!
It overall seems like a good choice. A classic color, maybe a little bit of a pink undertone but still a warm muted tone that just seems to go with everything. It looks elegant and provides just enough contrast to the light walls and trims and the white tile and countertop.
Here are some images I have found in pale oak that helped me make the decision. Though the color looks different in every image based on different light, the other colors and elements in the room and how the photo was taken.
Next step is to start prepping the cabinets (read: sanding, priming and sanding again) and then actually painting them, sanding them again and painting again. It will be a multi-step process and Iāll check back in here to let you know how it turned out. Keep your fingers crossed!