Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Wednesday's What If's…What If You Had A Yellow Kitchen?



I must admit that my first thoughts when I hear the word yellow are these….
"You never want to paint a nursery yellow because it makes babies cry much more than usual"
( I filed that one away for sure and steered clear of it after Design 101!)
The other is this and much more close to home….
"Wow, that kitchen sure is yeller!" to which my friend's child replied…"No, grandaddy, it's Y-E-L-L-O-W!" as her precious hands cupped his face so many years ago to make sure he knew how to pronounce the word correctly! Even in her 4 year old state of mind she knew the difference between 'Yeller' and "Yellow"!
And let me tell you, there is a HUGE difference!! Even in the South!


And I for one knew it when I saw it!!! Holly and Brad found their first home in New Orleans and we got to be a part of that discovery! How fun!


Holly's one statement as we peered through the windows in the rain was, "The kitchen is yellow!"


My first thought when I heard her say that was "Oh, good! I bet it can be cute!" However, at that point I had to get over the fact that it was raining and my hair was frizzing at lightening speed and  go with her and Jim to look inside and see what we could see. I saw yellow and it made me happy! I saw a great first new home and I was excited! I wrote about it on my other blog HERE so I'm not going to bore you with those details again! 


I just decided it was time to help them fix up a yellow kitchen and enjoy their first home!



There are so many wonderful kitchens that are adorned with yellow…I can't wait to see how this one turns out! I have so many thoughts swirling in my brain!



I would love to know if you have some to add to them! We can use all of the help we can get to make this into a dream home! Truth be known, it's really already a dream and I just want to sit back and enjoy it!



Holly's biggest fear is that it would look like a bumble bee! I quickly assured her that it definitely would not!! Even with our McKenzie Child's plates and her Juliska I feel sure that we can pull this off!



Once I saw a few of Barry Dixon's kitchens I knew it could be done! Truth be known…I'm dying to do a Wednesday What If post on him! He's probably my most favorite designer of all and has been for years! I've steered away from this post on purpose! I'm so afraid he will see it as he has been gracious enough to be my Facebook friend! I don't think I can hold out much longer, though! His work is just too good and he has absolutely NO idea just how long I've admired his work! Just look at these kitchens! You can see his website HERE!



Not only do Barry's interiors glow with his talent...


So do his fabric designs….they are from the heart and soul of his country estate in Virginia.
(trust me when I say, next week…it's ALL Barry!!!)


I'm already picturing some great fabric to make curtains with or even a cute wall to separate the laundry area from the kitchen….but when I see these kitchens I'm fully aware that just because it's yellow doesn't mean it can't be great! I mean, seriously…I fell in love with their house BECAUSE of the yellow kitchen! Yellow is in!! In fact, for all I know…
Yeller may be in as well!



Look at this incredible yellow kitchen from a beautiful home in California….Sunny, yellow California!


And this one above has been one of my most favorites from Pinterest for months!!!



You will always find me being a fan of hanging creamware or ironstone in any kitchen…
No matter the color!


I love the country french feel in a kitchen that yellow only enhances!


And I certainly love the timeless elegance that any of Barry's kitchens bring to the table!


When I think of a yellow kitchen…I picture Provence…or Tuscany…I picture olive jars from days gone by…confit jars…transferware platters and fabulous stone floors….


Just like you see in Charles Faudree's kitchen from a previous post I did which you can see HERE.


I even picture a softer yellow…a buttery yellow that works with any design scheme. I'm pretty sure I saw this picture from my friend, Tina's blog, The Enchanted Home. If you don't know about it…you really HAVE to! Make sure and check it out HERE!


And I certainly envision fabrics like this that bring the whole picture together!



And fun, bright colored tiles and checkerboard floors that make me wish I had a yellow kitchen!


And then I picture myself with Barry Dixon helping me pull it all together with the many different hues of yellow that he seems to work into his fabulous designs!


Just look at this bright, cheery, fun, kitchen! With yellow tile!
Just like Holly and Brad's new house!


Who wouldn't love this!


Oh, and the oven and cooktop, wow!!! The couple renovating the house did ask Holly what kind of oven she wanted! I jokingly told her to say this exact one….then I quickly told her I was kidding?


I can see her cooking in it now! And then, I see me….alot! And I'm looking forward to the many meals we will prepare in this beautiful, yellow kitchen!



"What If" you had a yellow kitchen? Would you like it? Would you have fun with it? Would you be thankful that it was cheery and it was new? That it had just been renovated? Would you understand and be grateful for your very first home that has a yellow kitchen?


I bet you would! I'm sure I would if I was still young! I would be plotting and planning away at all of the possibilities to get it into the first magazine possible! I would be decorating it to my hearts content! At least until Jim said that was enough! There does come a point in our lives, young or old where we just have to be happy with yellow kitchens…just as they are!


Is that really so bad? I don't think so! I think yellow makes the world go round and yellow makes us smile and feel glad! It made me ecstatic when I saw it through rain soaked hair and eyelashes! 
I feel quite confident that Holly and Brad will grow to love their yellow kitchen…and who knows, in a year they may be even calling it their "Yeller" kitchen if they stay in LA too long! 
( just kidding! I couldn't resist the Southern humor!)
Hope you have a wonderful week! 
I will be thinking of anything and everything yeller and yellow all at once!


P.S. I'm extremely glad that Yellow has made a comeback! To my sweet designing friends I'm sure I sound silly! However, to a young married 24 year old…old tile from the 70's is not exciting! To me, it was spectacular and very exciting!! My first home had pink tile in our master bath and hideous green tile in the hall bathroom! (We actually painted our pink tile a bright shade of coral on the advice of a very well known Birmingham designer! To this day I am still finding pieces of chipped paint in my old shoes!) All of that to say, I am extremely grateful and excited about yellow tile in the kitchen and beautiful, pale blue tile in the two bathrooms! I can't wait to be able to post pics once they've moved in and made it their  very own!

18 comments:

  1. I love yellow accents, but not so much the woodwork or backsplashes. I want to have the ability to change an entire room depending on my mood, and having a focal point like yellow cabinetry is difficult to blend into other color schemes. Have a great day! - Tonya

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  2. I think that it will be pretty!
    I lvoe these images here. I lot of rooms to use for inspiration!
    Have a great day!
    Teresa
    xoxo

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  3. How exciting for them to have their own home. If I were them and assuming there isn't a big budget.I would add black and white. Maybe a black and white stripe wallpaper. Adding fabric to the windows. This might sound crazy, but if they cant change the black oven and dishwasher to a white, paint the bottom of the cabinets black. Buy white knobs for the bottom cabinets and black for the top. I think it could be charming!

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  4. I love yellow in clothing and as accents but to much yellow repels people. You should always paint a guest room yellow because it will make them want to cut their holiday in your home short. This is why babies cry when they have yellow rooms, it repels them.

    XX
    Debra~

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  5. I love yellow too. A little bit does go a long way however! You certainly found some lovely examples! It is a happy color.

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  6. Hi, Carolyn - I loved our former kitchen, which was yellow. You can see still see it online at Traditional Home's site. We chose yellow because we wanted something sunny as that kitchen was always dark. To offset the yellow, we had grey limestone floors, grey countertops and stainless steel appliances. I hope Holly and Brad will love their yellow kitchen as much as we loved ours.
    Hope you are doing well, and having fun styling your shop for fall :)
    xoxo
    Loi

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  7. Well.......if THIS doesn't make a believer out of how beautiful kitchens can look in yellow...don't know what will! Absoluetly beautiful...though I favor the milkier softer buttery tones of yellow, I see so many fabulous spaces here. For more traditional kitchens I like a softer yellow for more modern/transitional, its fun to get a little funky and add a shock of bright yellow. It is very happy and uplifting...so think your daughter and husband are in more than capable hands if they listen to you:)

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  8. Yellow is a happy, cheery color which can make yourself, and others feel good! 

Although, lot of people are cautious about choosing yellow, and so they should be! Some people avoid the colour all together, because it can be tricky to get it right. But with your fantastic selection of the most gorgeous sunny kitchens, wel, they can't go wrong!
    My first house had a turquoise and black bathroom...I still have some nightmares about it!

    Big hugs!

    Inés
    SimplyClassyMe.blogspot.com

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  9. I would LOVE a yellow kitchen! I have a lot of yellow tones in mine, but not bright yellow like these.. There are just too many looks for to have them all.. I have such a hard time choosing! I think you have found some of my new favorite kitchens of all time.. what a wonderful and thorough post! My goodness! Thanks for such cheery inspiration!
    XO
    Jan

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  10. I could cook in any one of these delightful yellow kitchens!

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  11. i am sensitive to yellow....light ones un-nerve me.
    but....MARIGOLD which is the color of my kitchen is the fave room in my house.
    it's warm and happy.
    the the counters are blk & whit checker-
    then there is red accents.

    when ever someone comes to visit..............we hang there.
    xox

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  12. My walls in my kitchen are painted yellow. I had the color in my last home and liked it so much I had to do it again. I LOVE buttery yellow cabinets and would replicate that look in a heartbeat!! xo

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  13. I LOVE the more modern ones with the touches of yellow, but don't thin I could do bright yellow cabinets! Interesting post!!
    Stacy

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  14. Such a dose of happiness in these rooms! You certainly make a good case by showing so many beautiful examples of yellow kitchen areas. :)

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  15. This is the most fabulous round up of yellow kitchens that I've ever seen...Great job...They are just making me smile...I may need yellow kitchen! Have a great weekend. Mona

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  16. I love yellow too and these are all such great examples! Perfect for the cloudy day we have here today. Thanks, Carolyn!

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  17. Carolyn, you've shown how bright, happy and sophisticated a yellow kitchen can be!!! I know with your help, this new homeowner will be signing, You Are My Sunshine, in her precious kitchen each morning!!!

    Here's to the cheeriest color on the color wheel!
    xoxo Elizabeth

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  18. my kitch walls are a deep marigold yellow, with black & wht checked backsplash.
    with touches or red, and green.

    everyone loves it.
    as a matter of fact i haven't served an informal meal or a formal meal in my dining room since!!

    xox GO YELLOW
    {just not a weak one}

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