Modern Country Kitchen Colour Scheme

We chose Farrow & Ball Blue Gray as the main colour for our Modern Country Kitchen colour scheme but knew that, although it was the perfect colour for the room, there just wasn't enough natural light coming in to stop the room looking gloomy if we used that colour alone.

I wanted a paler colour too.

{Mr Modern Country laughed at me choosing between Cream or Ivory or Off White or Alabaster or Chalk or Almond or ..or...a million others.

What a cheek that man has.}

This is what I chose.

Details to follow soon....

Here's a reminder of how oppressive the colour was before.

It makes such an enormous difference using the paler paint as well as the Gray Blue. It gives the impression of a much lighter, airier room.

The remaining pictures were the images that I used to help me narrow down my final colour choice for our kitchen. I think the creamy-white works so beautifully with the gentle sea tones of the soft greys.

Looking at them now, you'd definitely be excused for thinking that these images were all from one kitchen.

But no.

I just scour and search and look and read and devour and scratch about and hunt and rummage and seek out until I see exactly what I love.

I'm completely obsessed with narrowing down what I want to nth degree. I think it's one of the best way of being sure about what you want to achieve in a room.

Some days, ideas come to me out of nowhere. But on the days when they seem to have dried up a bit, returning to pictures that inspire me really helps get me back on track.

I'm betting that you have some pictures that you return to again and again for finding your va-va-voom again.

Am I right?

Or am I right.

Well, I think you know what I'm going to say next.

I want to see your pictures.

Yup, I'm nosy like that.

Which means I'm having a party. Yay!

I've called it an Inspiration Journey Linky Party. It'll be a party where you can link up WHATEVER images have given you inspiration on your quest for the prettification of your home.

And not just for interiors. I have inspiration files for crafts, our house, the garden, my wardrobe.....

Really. Whatever. You. Want.

It's going to be next Friday. And I'd love YOU to be there.

You want a button, you say?

Comin' up....

<a href="http://moderncountrystyle.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Modern Country Style" src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd436/Sarplowman/Inspire20me.jpg"/></a>

Or you can get it over on my sidebar if you'd prefer....

{Have a lovely Friday.}

Images: Decodir, Our Kitchen, Our Kitche, Our old kitchen, Our Kitchen, Period House, Kitchen-Paint, Cheverellwood Kitchens

I'm linking to my favourite parties in my sidebar.

Dark and Sultry in the Kitchen plus Linky Party Idea...

Before I completely write off the idea of a darker look in *my* kitchen, I wanted to show you that, providing you have masses of natural light pouring into your room, dark and sultry really can work in the kitchen.

What I love about Modern Country Interiors is that there's such an eclectic mix of opportunity. 

A Modern Country kitchen is *not* a look that's has to be fiercely prescriptive. There's plenty of room for you to make it your own.

{And if that means a dark and sultry then this post is for you, baby cheeks.}

Ooooh, news flash, news flash....

I met up with Laura from Happy Homemaker UK yesterday. This is she:

Grab a cup of tea and join me in my journey as an American expat mom living near London. I'm passionate about my family, eclectic vintage design, and a good story. But not much of a speller-er.

I can't even begin to tell you how nervous I was beforehand. Well, alright, I can. Very, very, very, extremely, humungously. Soooooo nervous.

We had lunch together at a funny little cafe halfway between where we both live. We sat and chatted and nattered and chattered so easily. Just like I'd love to do with so many of you. I could hardly believe we hadn't met before.

She's gorgeously lovely and I'm guesting over at her blog today.

Go on, have a peek.

Now then, I have an idea to put to you.

Modern Country Style is all about Inspiration, Creation and Renovation, right?

 See up there on my blog header?

One of the frustrations that I've had with link parties is that, although there are loads of parties for crafts and house makeovers, there are none, as far as I know, for linking up fantastic Inspiration posts.

There are sooooo many amazing blogs out there that post awesomely inspiring images, and I don't think they get the exposure they deserve.

So, here at Modern Country Style, I was thinking I'd like to begin an Inspiration Linky Party.

Starting next week. For a trial run.

Are you in?

{Hint: Feedback encouraged. ;-) }

Images: Living etc, Living etc, Jessica Helgerson, 25 Beautiful Homes, Thirty Duo, Modern Kitchen Interior Designs, Country Homes and Interiors, Modern Country Style, Hashai, Living etc

Gwyneth Paltrow's Kitchen

This is Gwyneth Paltrow's kitchen in the Hamptons.

Yup, a bit of celeb snooping today.

Black. Gwyneth.

Who'd have thought?

So it *is* possible to do dark in the kitchen, as long as there's lots of natural light that comes flooding in.

Which there is here.

Which there's not in our kitchen.

No, siree....but more on that next time.

In the meantime, how can I possibly mention Gwyneth without reshowing Gwyneth Paltrow on Glee.

Let me here you say 'Brella, Brella, Brella...' 

It's half term this week so if I'm being super-duper quiet, which I have been, then think of me neck-deep in Lego and Barbie.

I'll be back before you can say 'If I've picked that up once, I've picked it up a thousand times'....

Kitchen of Serenity

First, let me apologise for my husband's disgraceful behaviour. Hijacking my blog? Who does that rascal think he is?

♥ ♥ *swoon* ♥ ♥

I felt such a lovely mixture of extremely embarrassed and extraordinarily happy. I'd say this would be an accurate portrayal:

Are you feeling it?

The blush? The giggling? The lurrrrve?

Anyway, ahem....moving swiftly on, now that V-day is over, shall we get back on track with a bit of Kitchen Delectability?

As a little reminder, here at Modern Country Style, we're going through, step by step, how to makeover a kitchen on any budget....with plenty of other delightful distractions along the way.

We've looked at:

Step 1: Kitchen Foraging

Step 2: Narrowing Choices

and I do believe we're currently stopping off at:

Step 3: Colour Inspiration

I want the feel of my final colour choices to be calm and peaceful and this Kitchen of Serenity sums that up perfectly for me.

The Kitchen of Serenity has a very limited palette of white, pale grey and charcoal. So restful and gentle.

{L:O:V:E those pendants.}

The Kitchen of Serenity is spacious and airy. No clutter at all, apart from carefully placed objet de gorgeousness, as I like to call them, in an unbelievably pretentious fashion.

But, for reality's sake, I feel I have to ask 'Where's the kettle and the toaster?'

Is it a little bit *too* clean and clinical?

A bit *too* lacking in any colour or personality?

{What do *you* think?}

Images via Plain English

Something's Gotta Give Kitchen

Hello honeypops.

Now, where to start with this incredible kitchen?

And it is utterly incredible, isn't it?

It's from the film Something's Gotta Give.

I was so impressed with all the people that guessed correctly on Friday when I shared a copycat kitchen.

Round of applause for the film buffs!

I've gathered up all the pictures that I could possibly find of The Kitchen so that we can ♥swoon♥our little hearts out together today.

Group swoon....?

It's all so elegantly understated.

I love the matte soapstone worktops and the white Shaker units.

The subway tiles and the hardware.

The inset sink and the pendant lights.

The books in the island and the moulded top-cabinet supports.

The taps and the windows.

La-la-love.

Yeah, I'll take it. Thanks very much....

Now, about yesterday's garden post, I've been thinking of throwing an English Garden Party for people to link up their gardens or flower-related ideas.

I'm just desperate for Spring to come and I thought it would be such a perfect way to herald it's coming.

I'm just putting the finishing touches to the button.

Speaking of finishing touches, I've just completed the most lovely Valentine's gift idea.

Wanna see?!

I'm a big tease, I know....