Design the kitchen of a Parisian sweet shop
The atmosphere I was trying to achieve in this traditional kitchen was that of a 1915 Parisian sweet shop. When I stepped into the existing kitchen, I was thrilled to find that the basics would easily transition into the sweet shop look. Wonderful kitchen “bones” included cream cabinets with classic stainless steel handles and pulls, solid black granite countertops, deep crown molding, and finally, great windows including a floor-to-ceiling bay window.
I must emphasize the importance of using classic style, stone, and high-end appliances in a traditional kitchen. These are rarely dated and can be easily “refreshed”. In the case of this kitchen, I took several steps to maximize the candy store kitchen while still adhering to a strict budget. I knew immediately that I wanted the colors to be black, cream, and muddy pink. The walls received a new cream with a slightly pink base from Benjamin Moore called Butter Pecan. The trim painted in White Dove (always a favorite). The overly modern stainless steel pulls and handles were removed and spray painted matte black – voila – instant iron pulls! This single step saved thousands of dollars.
A trademark of my kitchen designs has always been the use of open shelves. Whether it’s modern, traditional, Tuscan, Asian, or French, I feel like the upper cabinets tend to create a claustrophobic atmosphere. A more European approach is to replace some upper cabinets with shelves. These particular shelves were made with Asian-inspired wrought iron brackets, store-bought unfinished pine shelves that were painted deep red, distressed, and topped with velvet pom pom curtain fringes attached with upholstery studs. The red shelves were aged by rubbing and then wiping off a black stain to give them the aged finish you were looking for. With the shelves open, I could now casually display a fake Degas painting (found at a discount store for $ 19.99) behind the antique plates that are now proudly displayed on the open shelves.
Now I turned my attention to the lighting. I replaced the two recessed lights over the island with large pendant lights from Home Depot. The problem was, these steel lights looked too modern so once again black spray paint was used to transform the store bought stainless steel lamps into a matte black iron look that complemented and connected with the black handles. matte cabinets.
Perhaps the trickiest aspect of the redecoration was finding the antique opal-rose chandelier that was installed on the kitchen table and the small version that was placed over the sink. I was very lucky on eBay to find them three months apart and from separate sellers. Other possibilities are Craig’s list, estate sales, and antique stores. My advice is that when visiting a small town, discover your local antique stores and if you see a chandelier that makes your heart race and not too hard on your wallet, splurge! A reputable electrician can rewire and hang it for you. My husband often jokes that “my wife doesn’t have diamonds, she has chandeliers.” This is a bit obsessive, but in my opinion, nothing adds more style to a room than lighting and artwork.
I moved on to the glass cabinets and looked for fabric that could be hung inside to disguise any clutter. I settled on a cream colored heraldic lion pattern on a deep pink background. I choose this over the obvious French toile as I feel like too much of a style can create a theme park vibe, not the warm eclectic look I was looking for.
My last step in creating the best confectionery kitchen was the most expensive and daring. The main kitchen wall was covered in ARTWORK. Some of the artwork was placed in ornate black brackets to add dimension, some framed in thick gold frames, and some were more modern black and white photos. I wanted this wall with all its individual art that when hung in such a massive grouping would become one giant work of art. More IS more when it comes to groupings. Ornate antique silver chandeliers on a large black table complete the elegant feel of a bygone era.
Enjoy!!!