Benjamin Moore – The Kitchen Reno! – Feisty Frugal & Fabulous

Of the painting we have done so far with Benjamin Moore Natura Paint, the kitchen has been my favorite project. This probably has everything to do with the fact that it’s the project I’ve been the most involved with so maybe that’s why I take such a sense of pride from it. The kitchen is probably the first room a guest sees when walking into our house so it’s important that it makes an impact. The impact it made when we first looked at this house wasn’t wonderful. This photo was taken on our last look at the house when it was on the market.

While I don’t necessarily mind green shades, this green was far too bright for me. The sunflower wallpaper border really dated the room and since it’s one of the first things you see when walking into the house, it dated the entire place. Thankfully, the cupboards, counter tops and flooring are all great so it was just a matter of the walls….ohhhhh the walls. My first step was to remove the wallpaper border which I did over the course of two mornings (a friend suggested a mixture of liquid fabric softener and water in a spray bottle which worked great and made my house smell good too!)

Natura by Benjamin Moore Once the wallpaper border was off, the room didn’t look that bad, though the green was still not the right color for this room. When discussing colors with Sonu Mathew, Senior Interior Designer for Benjamin Moore, she not only took a look at the kitchen but at the other areas that connect to this room.
We discussed what the kitchen would be used for – would it be a meeting place for family and friends like it is in many houses, complete with bar stools and a large eating area? Would I be spending a lot of time in there with a love of baking? The answer to both those questions was actually no. As you can see from the picture, the kitchen is relatively small – there is a larger dining room area that would be more suitable for guests. I don’t have a love of baking or creating lavish meals so the kitchen wouldn’t be the place the kids would look for mom first. Rather, I wanted to the room to make a modern, tasteful (excuse the pun) impact when people walk into the house. I wasn’t concerned with using a darker color because the room receives a lot of natural light and is very open. Sonu suggested a few different colors, all the while combining them with possible shades for the entrance and living room as well since they share some space.

The color I decided on is called Flagstone. Now, sometimes the names of the colors vary between the Canadian and American Benjamin Moore sites, and I’m not sure what the name of this color is in the US. Hopefully Sonu Mathew will comment here and tell us because I’m sure she will know (thanks Sonu!) I am so happy with this color on my walls – so much so that I’ve decided that this is the color I want for our master bedroom as well!

Edited to add, Sonu found the color! Flagstone in Canada is known as Beigewood in the US (thank you Sonu Mathew!)

Isn’t the change beautiful? It’s remarkable how much a little paint (and a switch out of old knobs on the cupboards to new ones) can make such an impact. This photo was taken at night so the color does seem a little darker than it is. I adore it and love the warmth and modern look my kitchen projects now!
This is the first painting project in the house my husband and I did together so it was literally the first time I had my face right up against the walls painting. I was doing the trim/edging which means it was me up on the counters painting above the counters (and trying not to paint the ceiling). With regular paint, being in a tight spot with a smelly product would definitely result in a headache but Natura Paint by Benjamin Moore has no odor at all. Being completely free of any VOCs (volatile organic compounds), I don’t have to worry about what I breathed in while painting those tiny areas. Our kids checked in on our progress without me worrying and we didn’t have to open any windows to get rid of strong paint fumes. Natura Paint by Benjamin Moore truly is family friendly – it easily washed off my curious son’s hands when he came to check on our progress and touched the wall behind the fridge without thinking. He was actually quite fast considering this paint is dry to the touch within 30 minutes and a second coat can be put on later in the same day (we did a morning and evening application).

For more reno coverage, check out my post about my children’s bedroom reno featuring Benjamin Moore Natura paint!

For more great painting ideas, tips and discussion, check out Sonu Mathew’s blog, Living In Color With Sonu, and when you’re ready to start your painting project, check out the Benjamin Moore website. Their website actually enables you to be able to upload a photo of your room and try out paint colors, which is really cool!