Refreshing The Kitchen Countertop
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I am refreshing the kitchen countertop today after Kendra and I DIYed this room a bit ago. I’d painted the inside of the kitchen cabinets when I first moved in. I don’t think the inside had ever been painted, as it was pretty rough.
Some of you have wondered about what I did about dust inside the open cabinets. Well, I’ll be honest with you. I just don’t worry about it.
I never see dust inside the cabinets, so I just leave things be. If I ever see dust, then I will take things out and clean the inside. But so far, I haven’t had any issues with dust in the open kitchen cabinets.
In the photo above, I just changed things up a little and took the pitchers out of the tray. Then I put them on a dough board while refreshing the kitchen countertop.
White Against Wood Contrast:
I like the contrast and warmth of white against wood. As in my new white faux subway tiles with wooden dough boards in front of them.
I have moved these two wooden cutting boards around the kitchen countertops many times, but I always bring them right back to this spot.
This is just where they look best. The tallest cutting board is too tall to go under the cabinets, so this little spot is really perfect for it.
I went through my things in the closet and came up with these two galvanized containers that I have used in the past to hang on the wall.
But you know what? Just because that’s the purpose of the hole at the top, it doesn’t mean you have to hang it.
Some might say the galvanized look does not go with the more feminine gold cabinet pulls. But I like to mix elements up.
Instead, try arranging it in a vignette on a flat surface. I actually like it better this way.
After all, there are no rules in decorating. There’s just how you define your own personal taste.
Adding a Touch of Green:
Every area, I think, needs a touch of green to lend a natural feel. And so I added greenery here and there in the kitchen.
I’m still in love with my red-and-white kitchen. With the faux white subway tiles, it always looks so clean and crisp in here. Kendra installed the subway tiles.
Most of all, though, I love the countertops that I epoxied myself.
What it’s Like to Pour Epoxy:
It was a project that made me a nervous wreck. Because you have to pour the epoxy and let it settle. It comes out fast, and it’s rather unsettling to watch it puddle so quickly until it reaches the edge of the counter, where I had plastic that reached the floor.
Pouring a good amount of epoxy that dries fairly quickly can be kind of scary. It can always drip, and the plastic I put there for protection only reached so far on the floor.
I managed to keep it where it belonged, however. That was my first time working with epoxy and probably my last!
I just adore the shininess of the countertops. To me, white and shiny means clean! I will probably always choose white for my kitchen countertops.
My little tomatoes are growing faster than I can eat them! But of course that is a good thing. I will be giving some to my next-door neighbor and my daughters.
So I didn’t do anything drastic in refreshing the kitchen countertops in my little apartment. I just took everything off, cleaned the countertop, and rearranged things a bit.
Then I added a few different elements, like the galvanized containers and the dough bowl, which I bought on Etsy not very long ago.
I don’t think you can ever have too many wood dough bowls or cutting boards, as there are endless ways to use them.
I like to change things up to refresh the kitchen I use every single day. It is pleasing to get up in the morning, go to the kitchen, and see little changes I’ve made here and there.
I have been following your blog for over 10 years. You inspire me to start projects, go wild with projects, and enjoy the little things in our everyday lives. I decided that my old laminate counter top needed some color change after I repainted my kitchen. I got a laminate countertop paint kit
and proceeded. After I was finished, it didn’t look like I wanted. Do you have any suggestions on creative ways to redo the counters without taking out a second mortgage? Are yours laminated or painted?
I used the GianiGranite marble kit and didn’t add the marbling. It is I think $179.99. I love my white counter top!
Thanks I love kitchens!
The tips you and Muz gave Susan to help her get organized are inspiring. I especially like your tip to get a bin and put everything in it for a quick pick up. I’m definitely going to use that tip today. Thanks! Your use of trays to corral loose items is genius. Also, LOVE your pops of red. It’s so bright and cheerful.
Brenda, your kitchen is the definition of charming.
I love your pops of red! And a little green always makes things look better . I have the same color scheme in my kitchen. But I do need more red! I enjoy reading your blog everyday
Red and white is so cheerful and with your mix of textures, all the more interesting.
Not color shy, I have red and white Buffalo check curtains, yellow walls and open cabinets with a touch of cobalt blue here and there. Not for everyone, but goes well with my morning coffee!
Good antidote to NJ winters!
I am always amazed at your cute arrangements especially all these years of red and white and the open air cupboards. When I start to feel anxious or nervous about something, I find rearranging and cleaning settles me into my nesting serenity.
Love all of these vignettes and your open shelving (almost as much as I love your philosophy on dust)! I, too, think trays are a must-have when decorating and arranging, and you, sister, use them fabulously!
I just love red and white together.
Hi Brenda, may I cry on your shoulder for a moment? This pandemic is beginning to take its toll on me. My mail is piling up, my craft spplies are all over, my kitchen is a mess. I want to clean it up, but I cant seem to get to it. And when I start to I cant decide what to do first blah blah blah. So my cute little house is an embarrassing, overwhelming mess. I need help.
Susan
Susan, I know EXACTLY how you feel. I’ll give you some tips that have helped me. I’ve used them individually or sometimes combined them. 1) I choose one little spot to clear off, clean up, or “beautify.” (Sometimes it a small piece of my kitchen counter or the coffee table; it’s okay to start very small!) sometimes that all I can make myself do, but other times it inspires me to go a little farther. Either way, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. 2) Sometimes when the thought of putting away a small mountain of odds and ends is keeping me from even starting the clean-up, I put all those little bits and bobs in a plastic bin or a basket of sorts just to get them out of the way. I can always tackle that bin or basket later, but meanwhile, my chosen small space is cleared off so I can clean and beautify! I’ve discovered a bin or basket — even if it’s full of stuff — looks neater set aside than all of that stuff loose and strewn all over the place. 3) Cleaning out that bin or basket: Not my favorite task, but one less painful way to do it is while watching TV. I clear off my coffee table, sit on the sofa, and as I’m take out the items I set them in like piles on coffee table, i.e., measuring tape, spoils of thread, fabric scissors would go in one pile (to be put away in my sawing drawer), craft paints and brushes, scraps of sand paper in another pile (for the craft cabinet), etc. Once most things are in the appropriate pile, I wait for a commercial and then see how many piles I can put away until my program starts again. (If I’m watching a recorded show, I let the commercials play, so I can do this.) 4) Sometimes I set a timer for a short period of time (10-15 minutes at most), and tell myself I only have to do something (clear or clean) until the timer goes off. (Then I do something I WANT to do.) It’s amazing how much you can get done in 10-minute increments spaced throughout the day. 4) often when I’m doing a short-timed, small-space clear and clean, I put on my favorite upbeat music, and it helps me get into a groove that helps me keep going. 5) I shop the house or look through my “stash“ for some fun, decorative things I haven’t used in a while, and I try to use them somewhere I haven’t had them for a while or display them in a new, fresh way. Making a few small changes — restyling a small area — often gets me going enough until, before I know it, I’ve revitalized an entire room! (Don’t forget the bin-or-basket trick if you find yourself inspired to work through a larger space I know what it feels like to feel overwhelmed — I hope this helps!
Great tips
Nice of you to try to help Susan
Hi Susan, I think this pandemic is having this effect on many of us. Our normal schedules have fallen by the wayside and there are a lot of days when I have to think what day of the week it is. Although I have always enjoyed being home and puttering around my house, C’mon! I often have the same feeling that you express: everything is an effort and I don’t know where to start. I find it helpful to make lists. I usually do this for a few days at a time, so that if I don’t finish Sunday’s work, I can do these tasks in the next couple of days. I try not to beat myself up when everything doesn’t get done, though. If I can complete one chore, then it spurs me on to the next. Most tasks (with the exception of painting a room) don’t take as long as you think, anyway. Last month I decided to choose one project to work on while I am quarantined, and because it had sat on my dining room table for weeks, I made the decision to spend only one hour a day working on it and this helped me complete a lovely doll for my granddaughter. Another thing that helps me is to follow Fly Lady’s rule of getting dressed first thing in the morning right down to the shoes. It somehow gives me the impetus and the signal that I’m ready to take on the day! Some days I congratulate myself for just making my bed and putting laundry away. There are days when I’m only motivated to sit on my porch with a good book, and an iced coffee, while listening to music. Take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself. It’s all good.
I just love red and white for the kitchen too.
The backsplash and decor look wonderful!
I always love looking at your rearrangements! Isn’t it so much fun and satisfaction to shop in your own closets! I really like the two galvanized containers ! Have a great day !
Brenda,
just looking at your pretty kitchen makes me smile! I love your mix of red and textured white dishes with the carved wood trays and bowl. I like the addition of the galvanized vessels with the green; so attractive. Anyone would feel happy and inspired to cook there!
I hope the weather is cooler for you and your garden.
Blessings and good wishes to you and the fur babies
Susan
Love, love, love everything you have done (and do, on your counter tops). The galvanized containers with the greens in them are my favorite. Are they some of your Herbs? Very nice display either way. Hugs from Sunny WI. Bonnie