Chateau kitchen cabinets arrive!

I'm stoked about the JBM kitchen cabinets I ordered! This is the first set of finished high end kitchen cabinets I've purchased. I love the detail - they really make the room come alive. 

Not sure about the arrangement/layout, though I will have the corner L and the uppers will project out into the room, hiding the window in the back a bit (like I did in the French Country)

I've been playing around with wallpaper, and just like in the French Country, it's been very hard. I was still on the fence about flooring, tossing between a terra cotta and tile. I think I'm settled on the tile now so it will be easier to lock in on wallpaper.  

I don't want the paper to be the focus, but rather the cabinets and the effect.  Here are some of those photos. 

I also located a textured RL wallpaper and ordered a sample. Did you know you can't go to a store and look at wallpaper books anymore? All online and that's hard to really tell what the effect will be. This RL paper is beige but has some sort of 'glitter' effect, or maybe I'm just imagining it. Oh and its wide enough that I don't have to seam it.

French Country kitchen cabinet back trim

 I found a solution for the back of the kitchen cabinets - trim from Miniland.  Here's a cabinet they have that they applied this trim to. That's the plan - 3 up, and 3 down. On order now. Stay tuned!

Random photos in French Country

 What bedroom isn't complete without If you give a moose a muffin" or "cat in the hat" or a slinky?

Much happier with smaller newel posts on these railings. I also added the finishing baseboard and white trim to cover the spot between floors where wallpaper doesn't meet.

Potential picture, and will need to start filling the bookcase with all those books I made a couple years ago.

What do you think about the parsons chairs here?

Need to figure out what I want above the LR and DR fireplaces - I have some resin mantel frames...I should get them out to see if they work.

Kitchen from the actual front of house. Think I want to put some plants on top of the cabinets and have vines hanging down. Any other ideas? Maybe a picture? Would that look odd?

Interesting view.

I gave up on my idea of a shower curtain - I am terrible at hand-sewing, and this was silk, not easy to work with. I used a different silk as a test...I have the silk that is the fabric match for the wallpaper but am really not looking forward to trying it. I may try with a cotton to see if I get better results.

I am starting to think about draperies for this house. This rook would look good with beige silk that would blend and pull out the silk in the headboard. Something very simple - draperies and a cornice probably. Wouldn't have to worry about sewing rings like the dreaded shower curtain and could hide edges under a cornice.

Maybe light pink draperies for this room?

Living room and Dining room - something neutral - beige for draperies again?

Finished backing on needlepoint rug.

French Country enhancements

 Some things I've gotten done over the last few days and/or am in the process of. 

The cove molding I was adding to the kitchen cabinets looked a bit too small....

I ordered and am now painting 1/2" scale crown for this. More pictures as they get done. 

I also was missing a knob for the stove, so ordered a set from Kathleen's Miniatures. They are so cute! I'm waiting on some grates before I glue them on but here's a picture with one placed, and the set.

The stair landing railing had newel posts that were both big and extended into the stairway too much, and I got some narrower ones. Need to get them cut, stained and glued but here's the effect. 

The second floor crown molding is just not grand enough, especially since I added the doorcases. I found a Unique Miniatures trim - came today so I painted and glued it in the master bedroom. I am very pleased with the results and will do the same for the other 2 rooms on the second floor.

French Country Kitchen cabinets finishing touches

 Now that the exterior finish is all done, I've been focusing on the countertop. I had planned on gluing all the pieces together and then finishing it, as I have done in other houses. This makes me commit to the L shaped layout. 

While it was drying I started testing different finishes. I have used Fleckstone spray in both my B&B and Thornhill and have been pleased. I pulled them out, and bought some Krylon that is finer than the Fleckstone. I ended up buying 3 colors...yeah, undecided. I also had a texture paint, and did samples of that too.

The newer Krylon fine texture seemed much better suited to the scale and I used Pebble for this. 

I did like it...but was drawn to the Charcoal color and so bit the bullet and re-sprayed with several coats. Once dry, I coated it with matte Mod Podge. Seemed too flat...added a spray of a bit of gloss sealer. That is what you see below. 

I now needed a better faucet, and ordered it...and promptly glued it on the moment it arrived. I love it! I've ordered some new stove knobs, as I'm now missing one. Will have to see how easily I can get the old ones off without damaging the surface of the silver top.

I've got the cabinets and counters glued together and am retouching paint, especially on the back side of the island cabinet that had less attention in my cabinet painting escapades.

I'm also considering a crown for the top edge of the upper cabinets. I found a tiny cove molding I have and may use that. It's small enough that it fits flush with the top of the cabinets and the cabinet doors will still open. Yes, that one photo shows the cabinets upside down - they were being glued.

French Country Kitchen is illuminated!

 Couldn't wait to connect the chandeliers in the kitchen!

French Country kitchen cabinets finally done

 After viewing the newly yellow tinted milk paint on the cabinets, in the daylight today, I was satisfied. Well almost. I decided that a very light antiquing color wash was in order. I used the Folk Art Chalk Paint antiquing wax, watered down. 

This allowed me to control the amount of wash I wanted to add. Painting it on and then wiping off with a cloth. Voila! I even did the oven door and the refrigerator....all is good now!

Here's the final effect, and I love it! I'm now moving on to installing the chandeliers, drilling holes, gluing on ceiling rose, gluing on chandeliers. Having the wing detached has made this process much easier than doing all with it secured, and my head deep inside the room upside down!