How to Select Finishing Touches in Your Kitchen

Now comes the fun part. With the main design elements happily locked-in, selecting our paint and other little flourishes was very enjoyable. We felt this was how we could truly put our own personal stamp on the new kitchen. This included picking the lighting, choosing a finish for the sink and faucet, and deciding how best to mount the hardware. Here’s how we figured our way through all the small stuff that packs a big punch. ​

1. Choosing the Paint Colours

Our back wall is visible from almost every other room in the house, so I needed a colour that made sense everywhere (not just in the kitchen). Our foyer is lime-yellow, the dining room beachy-blue, and we have a very colourful rug in the living room. I took home swatches from the green and blue families and even toyed with a purple-plum. But ultimately, I went with a colour that just felt SO aligned with my personal style: BeautiTone’s Fresh-ie C36-5-1572-0. And while it’s technically a green, it reads really blue and turned out perfect. It’s a gorgeous backdrop for our family photos and my little baking rack. We stayed with the same colour card for the accent but went two hues deeper to Tropical Tale C36-2-1569-3. It’s a deep teal that we actually kicked up a notch by using chalkboard paint. It’s a great space-saving solution for our weekly meal menu and shopping list, and it adds a super fun little play area for the kids too!​

2. Choosing Metallic Finishes

Our old sink had long been a thorn in my side. It was too shallow, wasn’t centred under the window, and the faucet was totally dysfunctional. So, I knew I wanted a double sink with some good depth. I mean, who wants a sink that doesn’t fit a pasta pot?! I also wanted a gooseneck faucet to make rinsing and cleanups much easier. We decided on a stunning stainless-steel sink with a modern square design. It includes sink grates that fit into the bottom of both sinks, which I love! The faucet we chose has a sleek design to match the square sink, and the pull-out nozzle has been an absolute game-changer. We went back and forth picking a finish but ended up with brushed nickel. It’s soft, not too shiny, and blends wonderfully with the rest of our new décor. ​

3. Choosing the Lighting

Because our kitchen is in the middle of the house, the window over the sink is the only source of natural light. Ambient light filters in from the dining room, plus a little bit from the living room. Needless to say, choosing lighting that made sense was a priority. We decided on recessed LED lights for the main areas of the kitchen, which made for a massive difference in brightness. A hanging pendant light proved ideal for lighting up the sink area. I chose an oil-rubbed bronze pendant which matches the hardware we chose for the cabinet and drawer pulls. The clear glass shade still allows a view of the yard and water beyond. ​

4. Mounting the Hardware

Who knew there were so many ways to hang cabinet and drawer hardware? With Shaker-style drawers, you can hang the pulls either inside or above the recess. And the cabinet pulls can align with either the corner or the recess of the doors. So many options! We decided to mount the drawer pulls above the recess and the cabinet pulls in line with the corner. The overall effect was to give the space a more modern look. It’s such a small design tweak, but I think it made a huge difference in the look and feel of the whole kitchen!

Read the next installment of Erin & Dan’s Kitchen Reno: < Final Kitchen Reveal >​