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melissastar

Design around this, pink, part 2....

melissastar
12 years ago

Pricklypear was encouraged to start a part 2 thread of the pink DAT, but as it hasn't been done yet, I hope no one minds if I do. I don't think some of us are done with pink yet. Here's a link to the original

thread.http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1223195928212.html

Isn't it odd, how the pink thread seems to have inspired more ideas? (or maybe just more posts). Perhaps it's just timing...more folks becoming interested and confident enough to post. Or perhaps pink speaks to something in us?

Anyhow, here's my second try at a pink kitchen. Clearly, not for everyone. But I had fun and this one has a background story...

Nina and Charlie honeymooned in India, a few years ago and have retained their fondness for the country and the culture. They loved the intensity...of smells, food and color...everywhere. Now, in their late 20s, they've bought their first house, a one story fixer-upper in So. Calif, and are hoping to infuse their new home with some of the colors and textures they loved in India (not to mention, some of the passion they recalled from their honeymoon!).

The house they bought had little real character to it and needed a lot of work, so they felt they had a more-or-less free hand to go whichever way they wanted. So they smashed down non-loadbearing walls, replaced small windows with large ones, opened the little kitchen into the dining room and living room areas and took advantage of the one real plus the nondescript ranch offered...the ability to walk out of the dining room into large backyard that offered privacy and an opportunity for Charlie to turn the outdoor space into a showplace for his landscaping business. And Nina wanted a big patio, allowing the to of them to enjoy the moderate weather most of the year.

As they started to plan the kitchen, Nina dragged out the box of stuff she'd saved from their honeymoon...postcards, pictures, some brightly colored embroidered fabric,a print of a wall mural on a temple she and Charlie had loved visiting and two statues of Ganesh, the elephant headed god of beginnings. One was a rather tasteful bronze of a happy, dancing Ganesh that she had picked out. The other Charlie insisted on buying...probably because the relaxed Ganesh looked rather like a corpulent elephant-headed floosie.

Nina decided to use the print as a jumping off point for the kitchen, and keeping in mind that "pink is the navy blue of India", she convinced Charlie that it would NOT be atoo feminine. But to get him to go along, she did have to agree to put his Ganesh in the kitchen, along with hers.

Here is a link that might be useful: original pink DAT thread

Comments (59)

  • cawaps
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think I must have been unclear, too. I just meant to point out that if you wanted to swing your design more to the masculine side, the hardware is what I would change up first. I was envisioning a married couple where there was some yin vs. yang difference of opinion between the spouses.

    Anyway, here's another that I worked on early in the Pink thread that took a long time to gel. I started with the wallpaper, which I really like, and found the fixtures, which I also really like. In pretty quick order, I picked the cabs, counter, floor and furniture. But the backsplash! For a while I had a Bisazza floral mosaic, which was pretty but the white background was too white. I wanted ivory, or even beige. So then I looked at a bunch of different tile and hated it all. I was in despair. I almost threw up my hands and put in a creamy subway tile, even though it wouldn't have gone. And then, I remembered that I hate tile in general and started looking at sheet materials. And THEN, I realized I had two counter materials and really liked them both. So I retrieved the second one from my discard pile and it became my backsplash.

    Viking range (chocolate)
    Jenn-Air Fridge and range hood (oil-rubbed bronze)
    Floor American Olean Avenue One Designer Leather from Quality Flooring 4 Less
    Cabinets Shaker, custom paint Benjamin Moore Brighton Rock Candy
    Counter Silestone Gedatsu
    Backsplash Silestone Toffee
    Wallpaper from Wallpaperstore.com
    Vintage Seguso Glass Pendants (1950s) from 1stDibs
    Brownstone Wilshire Circle SideChair from HomeFurnitureShowroom.com
    AshleyBassello Bronze Plank Dining Table from NassauFurnitureOnline.com

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Funny the pink DAT was cont'd. it was my least favorite (though I admit ive not looked at it for a while).

    This time I like Pricklypear's, but to me it is a grey kitchen with "pops" of pink. Very lovely though (i owned those pink mercury knobs in one of DD's BR until they came off in her hand, broken).

    I really like the Indian kitchen, but I would never actually put it in. And I do not care for the granite - would put in carrera I think. But I love the traditional Indian navy-hot pink.

    The last version I like, but I'm a bit tired of the chocolate/pink, chocolate/aqua, chocolate/lime colorways in general.

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  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Athelstan is a die-hard fan of the 18th century. He has commissioned a dressmaker to make him his own 18th century kneebreeches and embroidered waistcoat (which won't be delivered for another two years at the rate she's getting it done) and he's already bought himself a powdered wig. (His wife has yet to choose a costume pattern and a silk fabric; in fact she'd rather get a simple wench dress and spend the rest on a Mediterranean vacation.)

    Three years ago at the height of the market, they bought a 1750 house in Maryland which immediately needed a set of new Marvin windows. The new kitchen windows gave the house a large bay for a banquette, which Athelstan demands must be done in Carleton Varney's fabric version of a "tobacco leaf" China trade porcelain pattern. Varney does two versions of it and Athelstan can't decide between them so he's going to get one for the upholstery and one for the drapery. He also has a set of Mottahedah reproduction dishes in this pattern, which he claims he will use for everyday (she sez "fat chance" to that). He likes silver, she likes pewter so they're using both. They've agreed on zinc countertops because their household staff will ruin a fine wooden countertop.

    They would like to use real brick for their floor but the staff threatens to quit if the owners actually do this because it is so fatiguing to stand on (the staff are mumbling about ruining the room with Gel Matts in bright red), so the owners have compromised on Mannington "Eagle Pass Hickory. Now Athelstan has begun to mumble about putting a Czar Floors border around the island like a frame. He and his wife are still arguing about the faucet but they've agreed to a couple Elkay copper sinks.

    He is attracted to Redoute flower prints in fancy gilded frames and mounted in strict rows. She would rather get a brutally ugly John Singleton Copley with a mannish woman to glare at him while he sips his cappuchino.

    Although a classic brass chandelier would be fine for over the island, he wants this Restoration Hardware small "French Baroque" chandelier (or an even larger one) but his wife sez it'll be a bummer to dust so how about three of these tin strap historically accurate babies instead? ("Dream on" is his reply. There is a limit to his dedication to accuracy.)

    The range is the "Anthracite" color of the Lancanache Chagney. It's the closest thing to a Franklin stove that he has found in a practical modern unit that will also please the caterers. They've agreed on cabs in the Shiloh "Montgomery" beaded inset medium finish maple with a little glaze. After a major squabble over the hardware they compromised on very affordable Decorite Iron Forge 7296 in "Swedish Iron" finish and hinges by Rejuvenation that have sufficient cache and aren't as weird as the accurate ones. They will camouflage their refrigerator and dishwashers with matching panels of the Shiloh doors. There will be plate rails near the ceiling to hold their pewter, silver, and other collected antique pieces.

    There is an 11-foot trestle table they stole at an auction
    and she has killed some major money on authentic Windsor chairs to group around the side of the table facing the banquette. Athelstan demands the faux Queen Anne-Chippendale Sears stools for the island (he conceded there are no authentic 18th century bar stools).

    Besides the fabric's pink, there is a heavy dose of pink in the backsplash, which is terra cotta "Antique Dark" by Ann Sacks in 6.5 inch squares. Paint is Sherwin Williams "Faint Coral" which is used on walls and window woodwork.

    Much of this will be paid for with his bonus check from one of the lesser New York financial companies [name withheld] whose stock has recovered nicely and which holds no Greek, Irish, Spanish, or Japanese bonds. South America has done them proud.

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago





  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pricklypearcactus, I like this kitchen of yours. The pearly and the gray intrigue me. Same with the mirrored ornament in Palimpsest's above.

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ah, I lost my descriptions
    Corian Witch Hazel
    Plain and Fancy Maple Pearl finish
    Ann Sacks Hacienda Tile in Hacienda colorway
    Farrow and Ball Bone paint
    1st Dibs painting
    Currey and Company pierced metal light fixture
    Wegner Wishbone Chair through Room and Board
    Knob in Silicone Bronze from Rocky Mtn Hardware.

  • shmeal
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been lurking on these threads and have thought about designs in my head and finally decided it was time to see if I could actually put something together. So here I go...

    This is a small kitchen in a small bungalow on a small city lot so there isn't any room to expand. Fewer cabinets means a little more money to spend on a couple of splurges. Hardwood floors run throughout the first floor and the tile is inset in front of the cooking and cleaning zone (which are on the same wall).

    Floors are Appalachian Hardwood Natural Brilliance String Quartet and Casa Dolce Casa Belgique in Natural Matte
    Cabinets are Kraftmaid Cherry in the Vintage Canvas finish
    Viking Range (and hood) in a biscuit finish
    Counterops are Corian Sand and Ecru
    Backsplash is Bisazza Mosaico Opus Romano with a copper half-liner
    Chairs and Table are from Dwell
    Lights are 16" pendants from Lumens Lighting in copper mesh

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Update on the Tobacco Leaf kitchen above and the trestle table shown...Athelstan and wife paid $900 at auction last night. I think the auctioneer was very surprised by what locals consider a high price--after all, the auction was in Podunkville. Marylanders with an absentee bid were in the after-auction gossip.

    Mrs. Athelstan is celebrating by commissioning a custom woven runner in pink. He is threatening to buy some more silver pieces and a second, larger chandelier to preside over the table.

    They have no children but the dogs will love it all.

  • cawaps
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Shmeal, welcome and congratulations! I love the cream/pink/copper combination. I regret that the resolution isn't letting me see the detail on the Bisazza, but their mosaics are fabulous. I think that the raised panel cabinet style is too traditional for the table and chair (or the reverse). I like both sets of elements, but I think the kitchen would be more harmonious if either the cabs were transitional to modern OR the table and chair were a bit more traditional. The lights are great!

    Florantha, that is so far over the top! (in a good way)

    Pal: this one I really think pushes the boundary of the definition of pink, although I will cocede a pinky peach on the floor and artwork. The beaded knob reminds me of the hardware in my house.

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mtnrdredux- I was thinking the same thing. There have been some lovely pink kitchens and some memorable ones...but how many, would people actually choose to have in their home?

    And, even if you like the design board...is it just too pink? I still wonder how many people would put pink marble countertops (just one example) in their kitchen. Even without resale concerns...would you really want pink countertops? Or pink cabinets?

    I'm not trying to discourage anyone's creativity, just asking. There are a few I would consider using, IRL...but only a few :)

  • shmeal
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks cawaps. I appreciate your comments. The backsplash mosaic was what really drove the design. I was trying to make the mosaic fit appropriately with the cabinets and range on OB and didn't even think about including a full size image. Bisazza Mosaico in Beatrice


    (sorry it's so big)
    I kept looking at the design trying to figure out what wasn't quite right with it and the only thing I could think of was the table. I thought I'd have to go to a more traditional table. I really wanted to keep this table if I could as the kitchen is quite small and the glass keeps it feeling open and light. Plus I just liked the way it played so nicely with the other components. I hadn't thought about switching out the cabinets. For some reason I had the traditional cabinets stuck in my head because of the age of the home that I was imagining. I think these work better.
    Square Recessed Panels

    Kraftmaid doesn't offer these paneled cabinets in cherry so I went with maple (which as I remember from the 80's throw a definite pink tone if allowed).

    Here is a quick redo with the upper cabinets changed out. Better? I don't like the color as much as I did the cherry cabinets, but I do like the style better. We will probably have to play with a light paint wash or glaze to soften the color and bring it back to the creamier (duskier?) look.

    Actually, looking at the two individual images above the tile and the cabinet seem to look quite nice together but they look more peach than pink on my moniter screen. So then we may have to adjust the color of the countertop. I pulled the original mosaic from OB and the larger image from google. I wonder which is closer to the real color?

  • marcolo
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Shove that thumb, zxcabinetry. That's a good boy.

    Where was I?

    Oh, yeah. Following up on lavender's comment, this is the only design challenge in which I do not like a single kitchen. The ones I sort of like, I like everything except the pink. And I am not normally a complete hater of pink when used judiciously.

    This is no criticism of anybody's ideas. The executions were great. I just feel like I've been force-fed five pounds of ocean-fresh, expertly-seasoned cod liver oil. It may be good, and good for me, but I don't want it.

    I wonder how many of the creators feel the same way. The majority of the kitchens in these two threads avoid using pink's complements as if people were trying to de-emphasize the pink. We got pink and gray, pink and taupe, more pink and gray, pink and a grayed-down complement. Even in my own half-finished design, where did use bright complements, I felt that I wanted to use as little pink as possible--it wanted to be a blue and white kitchen with pink accents.

    I thought the other threads opened my eyes to ideas I might not have considered before. I feel like these threads confirmed I never, ever want a pink kitchen.

  • melissastar
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I completely get that most people (probably 9999 out of 10,0000) would never actively choose a pink kitchen, and many of those designed from scratch, I couldn't live with...including my Indian kitchen. But two observations:

    First, it strikes me as interesting that so many people seemed to want to create a pink or partially pink kitchen...in theory. I wonder if that might be because we don't see them often in real life and wouldn't actually want them, but enjoy the fantasy...a bit like trying on hats we'd never wear.

    And second, I learned from this particular thread, that though at the start, I couldn't imagine even seeing a pink kitchen I would like at all, there were some designed that I actually loved. And loved them enough to NOT change them in a house I bought, and maybe to even create something much like them, if the rest of the house seemed to demand it. (Among these, Schmeltz's first kitchen, Pal's colonial, mudhouse's tudor and beach kitchens, Sochi's Russian apartment, schmeal and pricklypear's kitchens and the Japanese inspired one I worked on...but mine only with necessary improvements from the far more talented crowd here).

    In fact, I have felt that way about several of the threads, but most noticeably this one and and the animal print one. Assumed I would find all repulsive, but discovered that done right...yeah, it wouldn't be the kitchen I'd design from a blank slate, but I'd be happy enough to live in it if pink was the hand I was dealt. And to me, that's essence of the challenge, isn't it?

  • skyedog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I was surprised this thread had so much interest, especially since there is so few pink items out there to work with.

    IRL I think pink is best used when it enhances something else, not when it is the star. In my living room the pink walls make the woodwork and brick fireplace look fantastic - so much so that I don't think the pink is really that noticeable until you start to really think about it.

    In general the kitchens that used stronger pinks worked better for me (Marcolo's blue/white/pink comes to mind as does the first darker pink backsplash). Not a bubblegum or dusty rose but more of a saturated pink. Many of the projects here trended towards a softer, more pastel pink and pastels seem hard to work with. I would call out more kitchens but since I lack decorating finess I don't know if it really adds much to the conversation.

    I'm guessing most agree with Lavender about not wanting a majority of these kitchens but in reality a lot of the rooms are probably much more liveable in person than many people realize.

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'd probably be more likely to have a pink bathroom, than a pink kitchen, but I don't mind pink accents, with my blues and greens. I did like the little light I used in my kitchen, the backsplash and the fabric...but two of those things could be easily changed. I didn't 'commit' to pink, except for the backsplash, which was not ALL pink.

    Would it be this hard to live with a blue or yellow kitchen? I don't think so...maybe that's why pink is such a challenge. I love pink roses and I have lots of pink and purple in my garden, but with all the shades of green, it's much more subdued.

  • cawaps
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think I could live with a lot of these. I probably would never choose to do one from the ground up, since there are other colors I prefer, but (as someone said) one came with the house, I probably wouldn't change it out.

    I guess it isn't time yet for pink to be redeemed.

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cawaps- Your flower pictures/tiles in the next to last kitchen...I really like the one on the left. That, I would put in my kitchen! :)

  • sochi
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't much like any of them either to be honest, although many were interesting and well done. Pricklypear's come closest to something I could live with I think.

    I could live with a nice pink bathroom too lavender. My dream house (that we didn't buy because it wasn't in the dream neighbourhood) was a 1961 sprawling bungalow with one full original pink bathroom and another full original teal bathroom. They were in near perfect condition and IMHO were fabulous. We ran into a real estate agent a few months later who had shown the house - he said that everyone who looked at it said they would tear out those two bath rooms. Broke my heart. I still occasionally drive past that house, dreaming. I'm so tempted to ask the new owners if they kept the bathrooms. But the answer would probably break my heart.

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sochi- Too bad we can't do pink bathrooms! Although I'd probably end up with some green and purple, mixed in with lots of white :)

    I love this claw foot tub and the beautiful windows...even the little chair, but maybe just one set of drapes and one light fixture, hanging over the tub! LOL Even the little hex tiles in white and pink are pretty. {{gwi:1626230}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

  • cawaps
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My grandmother's bathroom was pink (not the grandma with the pink kitchen, the other one). Pink rug, pink walls, pink dressing table. Huge bathroom. I'm pretty sure it was the same size as the kitchen, maybe 10 ft wide and 15 feet deep. The house was Victorian, from the 1870s. Fond memories...

  • sochi
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lavender - without the pink heart pillow - maybe. ;) I like the light fixtures best.

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I can live with a pink-rust red or a coral or a copper. A kitchen with a strong dose of one of them wouldn't be too much of a stretch for me. But then, I'm the one who launched a Red Freaks thread backaways.

    Cawaps, I _think_ that you complimented my kitchen above, but "over the top" isn't quite the prize I was hoping for. I actually started designing some stencils based on Tobacco Leaf to make a border along the floor of our new lobby but then I lucked into an affordable marble trim and the project swung into a different direction so I no longer have a place for the stencils and I won't have a Tobacco Leaf room. Sigh. And after working so hard on that fascinating (cough cough) story in my posting above, I now learn from the explanatory thread that we are better off with less fiction and more ordinary "I chose X because Y" narration. Oh, well, back to the wine. [Have you tried 14 Hands "Hot to Trot" red?]

    Thanks for all the PINK efforts, everybody. It's good to see the color combos. This was a hoot to try myself. And the Olioboard website has become my latest timewaster to ween myself off of.

    Have fun stormin' the castle, GW'ers! You're all brilliant human beings with great taste and splendid vision.

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't know that I would live with more than about half the kitchens I did in pink but, I would probably do Any of them for someone that wanted it and be happy with them.

    I am surprised though that the people who don't like pink as an overall thing will like some of the super fussy chandeliers and backsplash patterns. I would personally consider those much more "feminine" than the color pink. Just observing, not criticizing.

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think that the strong pink and charcoal schemes are quite masculine, especially when done with spare-lined products.

    When I was young, I grew up in Midwest. Absolutely NO pink or purple cars. Then, I moved to the West Coast and I saw men driving both. It was a shock at first, but in time it became very normal to me and I quit having an internal monologue whenever I saw pink or purple cars in motion. This was long before pink cars were associated with Mary Kay Cosmetics.

    Often these were luxury cars. The California look.

  • mudhouse_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nope, I wouldn't build a pink kitchen for myself. I enjoyed playing with these ideas, but mainly because I had fun stretching to meet the challenge of working with a color I that has never been my favorite. I noticed I had to push myself to find ways to include pink...I never reached for it easily as a pleasing material/choice. I think that's just a personal preference, though, and not really a comment on the limitation of the color itself.

    Many of these boards have given me new insight into the varied role that the color has played in different cultures and periods. And, I'm now completely convinced that pink can truly be elegant, interesting, and sophisticated, instead of kitschy or tacky.

    If I bought a house with a well-designed and pleasing kitchen that incorporated pink, I could live with it. (But if you could see what I'm living with now, you'd know that doesn't mean much.) ;-)

    Sochi, I so wish I could donate my own Pink Overload 60's bathroom to someone who would love it. Pink tile walls, floor, tub surround; pink tub, toilet, two sinks; cultured pink marble counter. I feel bad about disliking it, because I'm a usually a big fan of keeping original character in homes.

    The hard work that everyone has put into this thread has helped me realize that the worst problem with my own ugly pink palace is not the color (that's a revelation to me!) It's the total lack of thought that went into the design. Tossing one color at all available surfaces is no way to end up with a successful space, so one day our pink bath will meet with a sledgehammer. But at least now I will know I'm not doing it because I'm unfairly prejudiced against pink; I just dislike thoughtless and lazy choices.

    Who knew this thread would be so therapeutic?

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mudhouse, you're 100% right. I have a horror of a 1950s pink bathroom as well that's scheduled to meet its demise soon. There are many charming and well-done pink bathrooms from the era that I've seen and would salvage, but sadly, mine isn't one of them. Three different colors of pink--fixtures, floor and wall tile--and while I like the wall tile and fixture colors, the floor color is nauseating, and the fixtures have GOT to be replaced.

    Years ago I posted in another forum about replacing the original 1916 door hardware in my former home with hardware that was different, but period-appropriate and much nicer. Another poster shrieked at me to SAVE THE ORIGINALS!!! But why? The ones I put in were much better quality. Just because something is old doesn't mean it wasn't crap to begin with.

  • mudhouse_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lol, Anna, you have no idea how much better that makes me feel.

    If my pink tile floor looked like the one in the pink bath posted by Lavender Lass above, I would defend it with my last dying breath, and build a room around it.

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Look at the India-themed kitchen above and my Tobacco Leaf plate. Note the strong jolts of a non-pink iron red or orange. It's something that is apparently a traditional way of de-fusing the cutesy pink. Now that I think about it, that's very common in Chinese decor, isn't it?

    I also want to say that gentle pinks are terrible for some complexions and Schiaparelli pink and raspberry are terrible for others. Personally, I can only wear corals or cherry reds [I'm a "spring" according to one color system]. That may be part of the pink avoidance--we choose things that we like for ourselves, including for our clothing and the image we see in mirror.

    Do you picture blondes in the gentle pink kitchens or dark brunettes in the strong pink kitchens above?

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I dunno, I think I came to the conclusion that I would rather have a pink kitchen than some of the bilious-colored or mucky-beige-umber colored kitchens that are popular in my region.

    I could take my own pink neoclassical or pink sgtg kitchens as well as some of those done by others pretty much "as done" for this exercise.

  • sochi
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    mudhouse and Anna - I've seen some awful mid-century pink bathrooms too. I wouldn't feel bad about renovating them either, so don't worry!

    The house I fell for wasn't your average mid century bungalow - it was built for a well known radio icon here (and friend of Paul Anka, Liberace and that crowd). Legend has it (according to the real estate agent at any rate) that Liberace once visited and the owner renovated the powder room in anticipation of Liberace's visit. It was almost entirely gilded, with an elaborate swan faucet (like my Tsar-wannabe kitchen). Over the top for my tastes, but a great story nevertheless.

    This house was clearly built and designed by an excellent architect/designer. The bathrooms are well designed, fantastic and of very high quality. And probably in landfill now. sniff sniff. The only reason we could have (barely) afforded the house was because it wasn't downtown, but in a central(ish) suburb. It would have been way out of our price range had it been in our downtown neighbourhood. I still dream about that house. :(

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Pal- I like pink, as an accent...and I like (sometimes fussy) chandeliers and bunny/flower tiles for backsplashes :)

    I don't love pink, probably because I do love purple...and pink was always more available, when I was young. Purple and lavenders look really nice with leaf greens and morning glory/sky blues. A little pink looks nice, too...but I'll always like purple and lavender more...which explains my GW name :)

  • mudhouse_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I had decided not to post this because I still can't get parts of it to work, but Florantha's comments about using reds to diffuse pink prompted me to post it anyway. I did find that adding red made the color range more comfortable for me, although my use of red was very heavy-handed, compared to the boards Florantha mentioned. I suspect it wouldn't appeal to many, but thought I might be able to get away with it in an artsy, over-the-top space.

    The walls and floors of the loft are simply plain gray concrete. Amanda, the young artist who lives here, has always loved rough-textured materials with a hard and raw edge. She ordered the 6' by 8' graffiti wall mural from a company that makes custom murals from any Shutterstock photo you choose. The pink-grouted tempered glass mosaic tile, by Ellen Blakeley, was to be used as a backsplash, above a concrete countertop, with cabinets largely consisting of repurposed industrial cabinets, and salvaged metal cabinets imported from India.

    She had a blacksmith friend make the range hood from a rusty pink steel barrel, framed by straps of riveted steel. She painted her used refrigerator with chalkboard paint, and scribbles designs when she feels like it.

    Amanda was disappointed to discover the tempered glass mosaic tile didn't work well when repeated as a backsplash across the room. So, she used one panel as an art piece (which was probably the artist's intent anyway.) Amanda plans to purchase a kiln and make her own series of funky pink tiles for a future mosaic backsplash. Or, she may make her own mosaic backsplash out of pink marbles and rusty bottlecaps. All she knows is, she is really, really tired of trying to find cool pink stuff that already exists.

    Pink graffiti mural from www.wallfactor.co.uk, made from a Shutterstock image
    Tempered glass mosaic by artist Ellen Blakeley
    Mig Pendant Light from barnlightelectric.com (made from salvaged tops of compressed gas tanks)
    Factory Overhead Six Light Industrial Chandelier, barnlightelectric.com
    Victory Pendant Lamp, cb2.com
    Vola(?) Red and Chrome Faucet (A blog included it under the heading "more from Vola," but I can't confirm it on the Vola site.)
    Concrete sink by concreteageartworks.com
    BlueStar stainless range with pink knobs
    Heavy steel 1930's industrial French table, firstdibs.com
    Industrial sideboard with numbers, weylandts.co.za (Amanda covered the blue-green doors with rusty pink steel.)
    Small metal table with wheels, ogtstore.com
    Industrial stools, indusindustrialfurniture.com
    Pink island table, red drawer metal chest, tarunindustries.com
    Five-drawer metal industrial chests, selectism.com
    Chalkboard paint for refrigerator, Rust-Oleum
    Graphic red letter image by Shutterstock
    Santa Clara pot (possibly Effie Garcia)
    Striated Raku Vase by Marge Lurie

    Okay, I am so done with pink!

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Interesting choices, Mudhouse! It's fun to see another use of red with pink and I think that the pink prevents the room from seeming harsh. (Tho I like your last try better. I guess I'm not artsy enough to love a black refrigerator and industrial salvage is not a turn-on for me.)

    When I was a (really broke) college freshman in 1965, I learned that I was assigned a pink dorm room. I spent the first week gagging. Then my grandmother gave me a very worn Turkish carpet with some pastels and some strong colors. I found one of those party decorations of honeycombed tissue paper, a pink and red clown, which I hung from the ceiling in a corner. Mother covered some pillows for me in red and pink corduroy and I must have found some blankets in red and pink and we got a bedside lamp from the Greenstamps catalog with a red glass nightlight. Anyway, my room was wonderful. And the pink was very warm and comforting as compared to my nearby neighbors' blue or green or beige rooms.

  • angie_diy
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mudhouse: I opened the thread, hit a keystroke combo to take me to the bottom, and saw you red/pink kitchen. Out loud, I exclaimed "Oh! I LIKE it!" (Good thing I am alone tonight!) I admit I wouldn't actually install it, but I LIKE it.

  • mudhouse_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Florantha, I have not thought of Greenstamps for years; I remember sorting through the completed books of stamps. No wonder you have such a great sense of design, starting out with such a supportive and creative family. That dorm room sounds wonderful to me.

    Thank you Angie. This odd kitchen is probably the one I'd most like to imagine living in, of the three I did. (Be afraid, be very afraid!) Sadly DH will not go for a graffiti refrigerator.

  • marquest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am a lurker and not good at design. I did not think to even lurk at anything that said pink. It is not my favorite color and I had to live with that color bathroom due to finances for 5 years. It was bad enough it was pink but this bathroom was trimmed in baby blue. Every time I went to the bathroom I thought I was doing some thing unholy in the baby nursery.

    That said....I have a new like for pink because of the creativity of the people that submitted designs. I did say "like" I still do not love pink but I could live with your designs. Great vision you all have.

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    These pink threads were mentioned on the Home Dec site, & I had to come check them out! What amazing work you people did on these projects! Really amazing. I am truly surprised that the pink theme garnered as much attention, enthusiasm & effort as it did, but I certainly am so happy to see the results!

    See, I have a pink living room & dining room! Not an orthodox or certainly popular choice in home decor, lol! Have had my moments of angst & have shaken my head, asked my self, "What was I thinking?" more than once!

    Just wanted to share my delight in finding your pink designs! It was a fun treat for me.

    I know this is "kitchens" but here are some photos of my pink decor outside the kitchen. Hope it's okay for me to post them here. Certainly, some of the rooms you all designed would look quite compatible next to my lr & dr!

    This is a link to my photobucket album. Click "view all" for an overview, or "view as slideshow" for clearer pics.

    Here is a link that might be useful: More pink for you!

  • mudhouse_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm glad you posted here, stinky-gardener. This was an interesting thread for me because it helped me to explore some of my own unfair "baggage" about the color pink. You've managed to use pink simply as another beautiful color in your pretty rooms. I love your sofa and I know I'd enjoy your rooms!

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    O.T. to Stinkygardener...

    It's fun to see a room that is pink without being cloying. Good job!

    Is that a Catesby print on the wall? Original or repro?

    --Florantha, who actually lives in another century

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mudhouse, thanks for the warm welcome! I loved your Tudor cottage kitchen... really beautiful, charming & very special! I appreciate your feedback about my rooms.

    Florantha, wow, good eye! Yes, that's Catesby's Mockingbird. It was a gift, so I don't know the vintage. I assume it's a reproduction. I do know it was purchased in an antique store. It has an "old" look about it, but I'm guessing it's most likely from the 1940's. (Thanks for the encouragement...glad you like my rooms!)

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mudhouse, I love your pink and red kitchen. I was looking at the "should we continue DAT thread" and decided to look back at some i'd missed. I am such a sucker for industrial. I really love the uneven patina and the juxtaposition of masculine materials and feminine palette.

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Okay...I'm just going to do a 'girly' kitchen with pink :)

    Jack and Michelle just bought this cute cottage, with quite the front garden. Michelle is planning to put lots of pink roses in the garden and would like to put some in the kitchen, too. {{gwi:1626235}}From Pink kitchen

    The kitchen is not in bad shape...and they really can't afford a major remodel right now. Jack wants some kind of wood floors, but otherwise only asks that she not paint the cabinets pink.

    So, Michelle finds an inspiration kitchen (on Gardenweb) that she loves and knows it will look great with the wood floors. It's a bit fancy, but they don't have kids...and they have a separate family room, so Michelle wants this to be her 'girl space' for tea with friends. {{gwi:1626236}}From Pink kitchen

    She finds a similar chandelier and decides to go with the antique brass hardware, like her inspiration picture. {{gwi:1626237}}From Pink kitchen

    If they install the flooring themselves and paint the cabinets, the backsplash and marble should be affordable! So, Michelle's thinking of using roses on the backsplash. But not just any roses...finally she finds something she likes. {{gwi:1626238}}From Pink kitchen

    They have a dining table from their previous house that they want to use in the kitchen and Michelle finds some chairs at an estate sale. They even came with the pillows. {{gwi:1581594}}From Pink kitchen
    {{gwi:1626239}}From Pink kitchen

    So, now for some more roses...maybe some wallpaper, not too different than those cute little pillows. {{gwi:1626241}}From Pink kitchen

    And some pink crystal knobs for the cabinets...on sale, no less! {{gwi:1626243}}From Pink kitchen

    Now, with her painted hutch, white table cloth and bouquet of roses...she's finally done :) {{gwi:1626245}}From Pink kitchen

  • mudhouse_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    mtnrdredux, I'm glad you liked it. I'm bugged I wasn't able to finalize a backsplash for that kitchen, but I did have fun with it.

    Lavender, I can visualize Michelle's girly kitchen, and those elements work together well. Did she keep the checkerboard floor pattern, as in the inspiration photo? I like it because I think it adds a bit of pattern and weight to the room, and it seems to complement the house exterior with the contrasting colors, but I wonder if it would overpower the floral theme...what do you think?

    I am curious about the appliances too, do you think stainless would be too modern/masculine...or would you use white? A pink Big Chill refrigerator? (I don't think Michelle would like my blackboard refrigerator at all.) :-)

  • cawaps
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lavender, very pretty. And girly. I also think she should keep the floor. The geometric is a nice contrast to the florals.

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lavender I think this would fit in the house you have chosen. If you look at some vintage books there were some pretty girly schemes presented at the time, as if the house was the "woman's domain" --so it would be period appropriate, I think.

  • melissastar
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Man, this is the thread that just won't quit, will it? Love the recently added kitchens.

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Michelle put in wood floors, since that's the only thing Jack asked for...besides NOT painting the cabinets pink. The black and white is pretty, but probably would clash with the wallpaper...and this is her inspiration kitchen, not her actual kitchen...although she does have similar windows and layout. Convenient, isn't it? :)

    It's been so much fun doing pink...maybe we should think about yellow. Not only is there a ton of interest in yellow kitchens on the forum, but I am SO ready for some spring color, right now!

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just stumbled upon this in Houz and couldn't let it remain undiscovered by the DAT crowd:

    [

    [(https://www.houzz.com/photos/decorate-by-holly-becker-and-joanna-copestick-contemporary-kitchen-phvw-vp~218431)

    [eclectic kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104)

    Here is a link that might be useful: pink kitchen by Becky Harris

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Florantha- LOL! Sorry I missed this yesterday...it's the perfect Valentine kitchen :)

  • lavender_lass
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bump