The Home Work Journal · By Alyson Rice
You love your kitchen. The layout works. The cupboards are in good shape. There may even be a very nice white countertop involved.
But you’d like a little more you in the room.
You don’t necessarily want a renovation. You want a change. A bit of personality. Something that makes you smile while you’re waiting for the coffee.
May I introduce the kitchen mullet?
Business up top. Party on the island.
Keep the surrounding cabinets white or neutral, and let the island have the fun.
A little colour can be enough
An all-white kitchen can be beautiful. This isn’t an assignment to fix something that isn’t broken.
But if you’ve moved into a home with a kitchen you like, or lived with the same kitchen for years, you might be ready to give it a more personal touch.
Colour doesn’t have to go on every cupboard. An island gives you a distinct place to try a different direction while keeping the rest of the room familiar.
The cabinetry around the walls stays quiet. The island gets a personality.
What kind of party are we talking about?
That depends entirely on you.
Coral brings a warm, playful note. You might not want a whole room of it, but a coral island could be just the amount that feels right.
Turquoise can give a white kitchen a cheerful splash of colour without asking every cabinet to join in.
Cobalt blue makes a confident statement. It’s an option for someone who keeps saving blue rooms but hasn’t quite invited the colour into their own home.
Warm yellow brings a sunny bit of personality to the centre of the room. Morning coffee has enough responsibilities. It shouldn’t have to provide all the cheer.
But those are four ideas, not the entire guest list. We have a whole rainbow to choose from.
Love pink? Deep plum? A fiery orange? Tell me. A colour doesn’t need to be ruled out simply because it’s bold, unusual or absent from somebody else’s list of sensible kitchen choices.
It’s about the right amount, the right tone and the right placement.
Perhaps your favourite colour belongs on the whole island. Perhaps a softer version works with the finishes you’re keeping. Or maybe a smaller accent gives you exactly the feeling you want.
There isn’t a prize for choosing the boldest colour. There isn’t one for choosing the safest, either. A quiet grey can be just as right for one person as a hot pink is for another.
The right colour is the one that feels like you and works in your home.
No island? I’ve still got you.
You don’t need an island to have a kitchen mullet.
A pantry door, a run of lower cabinets, a freestanding cupboard, a breakfast nook or the inside of open shelving could be your place for a little personality. The idea is to choose where the colour has its moment and let the surrounding space support it.
And this isn’t a kitchens-only assignment.
Bathroom mullet? Keep the main finishes calm and let the vanity, a painted door or a colourful mirror have the fun.
Living-room mullet? A statement chair, curtains, a painted bookcase or a piece of art can bring personality to a quieter room.
Bedroom mullet? Perhaps it’s the headboard, the bedside tables or a ceiling colour that makes you smile when you look up.
You don’t even have to keep the rest of the room neutral. If you love a colourful home, we can work with that too. The point is deciding how the pieces relate so the room feels intentional and feels like you.
Kitchen, bathroom, living room or somewhere else entirely, I’ve got you.
Choose the colour with the whole room in mind
A colour you love in a picture is a starting point. The next step is seeing how it belongs in your room.
I look at the pieces that will stay: the countertop, flooring, backsplash, cabinets, furniture and nearby finishes. I also consider the spaces you can see from the room. Your favourite colour doesn’t live in a paint swatch. It lives in your home.
We can narrow the choices, look at samples in the space and see them in your usual daylight and evening light before settling on a direction.
Maybe that means a rich blue. Maybe it means a warmer, quieter shade than the one you first saved. Or maybe the bold colour you thought you couldn’t have turns out to be exactly the right choice in the right place.
My job is to help you see the whole picture and make a choice that feels considered, rather than handing you a fan deck and wishing you luck.
And the cupboards? I know a guy for that.
Choosing a colour and getting a beautiful finish are two parts of the same plan.
I can help you choose the colour. And the refinishing? I know a guy for that. He specializes in cabinet refinishing and can make your cupboards look brand new again.
We start by having him assess the existing cabinetry and explain what’s suitable, what the work involves and what it will cost. The material, condition and existing finish matter.
If the layout and cabinets already work for you, refinishing may be a way to explore a change without replacing the whole kitchen. We’ll look at the actual scope and quote before deciding whether it makes sense for your home and budget.
Your room. Your kind of personality.
You might want a dramatic change. You might want one colourful island surrounded by the white cabinets you still love. You might not have an island at all.
You don’t need to arrive with the answer. A photo, a few colours you’re drawn to and an idea of what you’d like to feel different are a good place to start.
Send me a photo of your room and tell me what you’d love to change. I’ll help you explore the possibilities.
Business up top. Party wherever it belongs. No questionable haircut required.
Home Work OKGN · Kelowna, West Kelowna & Lake Country
Great homes. Less homework.
