Don’t get me wrong. I like color. I really do! As an art major and a watercolorist, just using the color white isn’t really an option. But when it comes to our home, there is something about a coat of fresh white paint that makes everything feel clean and makes accessories and art sing.
When we bought our home, I thought it was fantastic just the way it was. I even loved the Hollingsworth Green color on the living room walls! However, the exterior stucco was a pale yellow and a few of the interior doors were painted a bold red or blue. The fireplace surround was a dark taupe and the kitchen cabinets were maple that had oranged a bit. Still, I considered it almost move in ready. I kept the green walls, and painted the doors, fireplace surround, and the exterior white (I did use color in two of the bedrooms!) The white exterior combined with the silver of the commercial doors and windows, made the house look like a stunning piece of modern art. What a difference!
The house is blessed with abundant light but the kitchen had always seemed a bit dark compared to the rest of the house. It may have been the black linoleum floor or the wood cabinets, but it just didn’t feel quite right. I thought a skylight would be the fix. It did bring in much wanted light and I was satisfied….for a while.
kitchen before skylight, new floors, and white paint
Fast forward 4 years and my husband and I decided to bite the bullet and install new wood floors throughout the main living area, kitchen and two bedrooms. They would serve to unite the spaces and make the rooms feel larger. The third bedroom/office has cement floors which we decided to keep. Since we were going to be moving the furniture out and basically creating a colossal mess, why not give the walls and ceiling a fresh coat of paint?….white paint. Oh, and while we were at it, how about painting the room divider/media cabinet too? And of course we couldn’t leave the kitchen cabinets that orangey color, could we? My husband was dubious. Wouldn’t it just look sterile and boring? Um, no.
The project was now going to take a lot longer and cost a lot more. My husband decided to stay back in Connecticut during the reno (see blog post “loving the new floors“) and I moved into the third bedroom which became my makeshift kitchen, closet, and storage unit all in one. As stressful as the process was, when I saw that first white kitchen cabinet, I knew it would all be worth it. As for my husband, he was happy when the last invoice had been paid and relieved that our home didn’t look like a laboratory. There is plenty of color with our art and belongings. However, it is the landscape that is like a virtual painting, seen through the many glass doors and windows, that really makes the house come alive.
When I see the light bouncing off all of that white, I appreciate the beauty of the California light and the peace I feel each time I walk into The Little Glass House.
