Before and After: We Could Not Have Predicted This Kitchen’s Paint Job

While some might expect this kitchen’s makeover to involve a fresh coat of white paint on the dark cabinetry, nothing could be further from the truth. Prepare to taste the rainbow.

Stephie Stalker — @stephie_stalker on Instagram — created this playfully polychromatic kitchen with 20 shades of Farrow & Ball paint, some careful painting, and plenty of confidence. The resulting look is fun, bright, unexpected, and, thanks to the seemingly random arrangement of colors, surprisingly sophisticated. And as an Instagram commenter pointed out, the new paint job eliminates all the tedious “Where’s the French press?” “It’s in the second cabinet from the left on the bottom” discussions. Stephie can now simply reply, “In the chartreuse cupboard!”

The bold colors shine against the kitchen’s white walls, and the white-painted cabinetry borders allow the sunny hues to truly pop. Having two planes of white right next to the window also makes a big difference, as they bounce light so much more effectively than the dark cabinets did. The gray countertops are a perfect counterpoint to the rainbow above and below, adding an elegant neutral to the palette and coordinating with the gray-toned appliances. The fabric of the lovely new stools — by LumiSource from Amazon — add another tempering gray element.

Painting the island white was the right move, making it look more incorporated with the rest of the room. Stephie plans on replacing it when possible, so the paint job was a smart stopgap measure to buy some time. The floors will also be replaced eventually, and it’s entertaining to speculate on what Stephie will choose: gray concrete, painted black, or Skittles-like polka dots?

Thank you, Stephie Stalker!

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Before and After: We Did Not See This Kitchen Paint Job Coming

Would you ever do anything this bold in your own kitchen? Discuss in the comments below