Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Back To Black

The Kitchen Cabinet Saga - 2


We had a hail storm today. So much for my dreams about beach wear...

Nous avons eu un énorme orage de grêle aujourd'hui. Autant pour mes rêves de maillots de bain...


Anyway, as much as I'd love to look like Marilyn, I'll never be able to wear that swimsuit I love so much... See, I would look ridiculous: that kind of swimsuit would just fall on my hips, due to my lack of boobs... It's not everybody who can look good in a Marilyn Monroe's outfit.

De toute façon, je dois vous avouer que même si j'adore le maillot de Marilyn Monroe, je ne pourrai jamais le porter. J'aurais l'air absolument ridicule, sans compter qu'il risquerait de me tomber sur les hanches à chaque seconde à cause de mon manque de poitrine. Tout le monde ne peut pas emprunter les vêtements de Marilyn.

This of course has nothing to do with this series about kitchen cabinets... or has it?

Mais, revenons à nos moutons, car tout cela n'a rien à voir, apparemment, avec ma recherche de meubles de cuisine.

When my cottage suggested to me to look for wood cabinets (conversation here), I was at a loss. Right now, wood kitchens are totally out of fashion in France and the only ones I could find were so not what I wanted. Then, someone gave me the name of a shop where, apparently, there were some painted wood kitchens.

1.
Quand mon cottage m'a suggéré de lui trouver des éléments en bois (conversation retranscrite ici), j'étais un peu perdue. Les cuisines en bois, ce n'est pas franchement la mode en France en ce moment. Quelqu'un m'a donné le nom d'un magasin où, d'après lui, je pourrais en trouver. J'ai fait un petit tour sur le site Internet, puis je me suis rendue en magasin.

I checked on their website and they had some light coloured kitchen that seemed quite nice... You may remember that I need light in my old cottage that has small windows.

2.
Quand je suis arrivée, j'ai été très déçue: la couleur "blanc cassé" ressemblait à du café au lait et le coloris "crème" tirait plutôt sur la vanille chimique. Par contre, j'ai eu le coup de foudre pour leur cuisine noire.

But when I arrived, the lighter colours didn't appeal to me at all. The "off-white" was more of a white coffee and the "cream" looked a lot more like a chemical vanilla... But I instantly fell in love with their black kitchen.

3.
J'ai réfléchi un instant: le noir, j'ai toujours adoré. J'en porte beaucoup. Il fut même un temps où je n'avais que ça dans ma garde-robe. Et cela va avec tout.

4.
It was really classy. I also remembered reading on some blogs that to find out how to decorate your house, you should look at what's in your wardrobe. And I wear a lot of black. At some point it was even all I wore.

5.
De retour à la maison, je me suis mise à rechercher quelques photos pour m'inspirer: plus je voyais des cuisines noires, plus je les trouvais superbes.

6.
So once back home, I went looking for some inspiration and the more I saw black kitchens, the more I was in love.

7.
J'en touchai un mot à mon cottage...

"T'es pas un peu folle? C'est une cuisine pour Parisienne. Je vais avoir l'air totalement ridicule avec ça! Je suis juste un cottage de pêcheur, moi! Et puis, tu ne cherchais pas quelque chose de clair parce que soi-disant, je n'ai pas assez de fenêtres?" s'énerva Cottage.
 
8.
So I talked to my cottage about my brand new idea...

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! I'm going to look way too Parisian in that outfit. It'll be ridiculous in the fisherman's cottage I am. Plus, wasn't your point to bring some light in?" said Cottage.

9.
Je fus d'abord très vexée que mes qualités de célèbre designer de décoratrice débutante ne soient pas reconnues.

At first, I was really angry that someone dared not to agree with my decorating ideas. After all, I'm a great renowned designer a modest beginner blogger.

10.
Mais je dois avouer que Cottage a raison. Tout comme le maillot de bain de Marilyn aurait l'air moche sur moi, une cuisine noire n'est pas ce qu'il faut dans ma pièce. 

But I had to admit, for once, I was wrong. As much as I love black kitchens, I won't choose one for that cottage. Just like Marilyn's gorgeous swimsuit would look ridiculous on my body, the black kitchen won't fit a fisherman's cottage.

11.
Have you ever had to change your choices because they were not right for your current home?

Avez-vous dû parfois renoncer à certains choix car ils ne correspondaient pas à votre maison?

Et alors, qu'est-ce qui est plus clair que le noir pour ma cuisine?

Now what's lighter than black?

See you soon for the answer to that so difficult question!

A bientôt pour la réponse à cette épineuse question!


PS1: All the sources to those images and more inspiration can be found on my Pinterest board.
Toutes les sources de ces photos se trouvent sur ce lien vers Pinterest.

PS2: There's no way you'll see me in a swimsuit here!
Vous n'êtes pas près de me voir en maillot ici!

PS3: You can play the song below as a "good bye" to my black kitchen.


To any die-hard Amy Winehouse fan, I'm sorry, I know the cover by Naya Rivera is probably an insult for you... But I happen to love her clearer voice.

PS3: I'm seriously thinking about creating the first PS Anonymous meeting.

PS4: I'm joining some great parties and I hope to see you there!

Lavender Garden Cottage        home and garden button           




44 comments:

  1. I'm loving these PS's! lol

    In answer to your question...ABSOLUTELY! I am constantly walking away from items I love because they don't work for the house. Right now, we are renting plus we have a log cabin weekend place. We are moving out of the rental soon, so our main decorating focus is the cabin, and while I enjoy some rustic touches, it really is not my decorating style, but I do believe we should decorate to compliment our homes, not fight with it.

    So I'm thinking maybe you're going with grey??

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  2. My daughter calls black kitchens, piano kitchens, if they have marble. Very dressy. I can see why that would be Parisian. I do think it would of be dressy for your cottage.

    For a few months Ikea had one with faux marble stone, but they took it out quick; I saw it a couple of months later and it showed everything. If it had been distressed black paint it would of been fine. (We had to stop by and look at it every time we went, because my daughter liked it so much.)

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  3. Good morning Magali,

    I love the way you and your cottage talk to each other! What a pity, our Old Cottage is so far away from here, so I can not talk to it. Perhaps next week, when there are holidays. Until then I can only talk to the Impressa, and she is miffed again and very monosyllabic...
    Those black kitchens are gorgeous, but for a little white house... No, if you are a famous blogger and have your holiday-apartment in Paris, then perhaps you may think of a black kitchen again? I am looking forward to your next post (on the lighter side of black, I have an idea....).
    Yours Sarah

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  4. As you know women can change their mind on a dime. As quick as you get an inspiration it can go out the door. I am sure what-ever you choose it will be very lovely and to your liking. Can hardly wait to see what you do.
    Have a great weekend. I am excited - we are getting two rain storms that we need so very badly.
    Mary

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  5. So....."I am Magali, and I'm a PS-aholic"?
    I have a feeling that a lovely muted French grey might be one of the colours that you considered?

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  6. Ben oui, "noir c'est noir" comme dirait Johnny !... et "gris c'est gris" aussi (il le dit). Alors entre noir et gris... reste le blanc... mais il y a blanc et plus blanc que blanc... là, il faudrait demander la différence à Coluche !!!

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  7. I think you can definitely go with black Magali !!! Black can be deceiving and scary as a purchase but they're gorgeous and I don't think they'd make your house look darker ( buy better lighting lol )
    I once painted an entire dining room black ( with white molding ) and it turned out gorgeous - hard to imagine but it was so classic looking - after seeing this post I wish I'd bought black now!!!
    AND I ADORED AMY WINEHOUSE !!!!!!!!!
    XOX

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  8. Wow.... beautiful kitchens on black. Look so elegant. Great!

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  9. love both black and grey kitchens, this one from house to home is one of my favourites, a bit darker and city chic, but still... http://1910housetohome.wordpress.com/after/kitchen-diner-2/

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    1. The link was really interesting, but you're right the look is a little too "city chic" for a cottage surrounded by fields!

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  10. Plus clair que le noir???????????????????? Le noir clair!!!!!!! Non sans rire , j'écoutais parler David Gaillard célèbre décorateur qui disait que lorsqu'on a une pièce qui n'est pas bien éclairée, il ne fallait pas forcément mettre du très clair & que jouer la carte du gris foncé était une très bonne option car de toute manière il faudrait dans n'importe quelle couleur avoir une source lumineuse artificielle, alors pourquoi se priver d'un ton élégant.
    A++++++++++++++. Bises. Babette

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  11. I love the black cabinets too, but I know (now) from trying black out in my kitchen that it is WAY.TOO.DARK. Sigh. Oh for big bright windows letting lots & lots of light in. Keep up the good work! lol

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  12. I second-guess EVERYTHING! I never know if I'm making the right choice or if it's going to look right! You're smart in taking your time and listening to Cottage.

    Can't wait to see what's up next....
    -andi

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  13. Oh I love the idea of black. But, hey, let me start with your P.S. obsession.... I love Amy but I had never heard Naya Rivera sing that song. So true, nice and crisp! Okay, back to black. ;) I LOVE black cupboards. I think it is sort of like have a white ktichen. It can be a strong statement and relies heavily on what you put around it. Image # 10 is an old kitchen belonging to Canadian designer, Tommy Smythe, and what surprises me is that it does not look TOO dark and he even used black ceramic floors and black painted french doors. Kind of surprising but it works beautifully. I think that the trick he used is in the lighting and the fact that he used black on the bottom and creamy white on top. Are you going to have many upper cupboards? That might be where you can experiment. Personally, I love my open shelves which replaced our upper cupboards. I could easily see an arrangement which allows the black to ground the space with another paint colour playing off of it.

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  14. Blue!! Blue is lighter than black! Look how much lighter than black blue is!!!
    OK, I agree that black is too sophisticated and too dark for the cottage. Blue, however, is also sophisticated yet charmingly dressed for the country. Blue is elegant with fresh flowers. Blue looks wonderful with white. Blue is serene. Blue is at home in all seasons. Blue echoes the sea. And the blue I am thinking of is exactly the color of your shutters, only just a shade lighter, perhaps. I see the bottom cabinets in that blue, with butcher block counters, and open bleached wood top shelving with beautiful china and charming cook wear displayed. Meanwhile, in the closed blue bottom cabinets, the not so charming practical stuff is hidden away. Blue looks great with rose patterned china, also. :) Can't wait to see what you are thinking, even if it's (sob) not blue!! :)

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    1. Blue is one of my options... You're right I want something that'll look good with all my dishes, including my pink transferware!

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  15. I change my mind everyday so your A OK with me!

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  16. You really do find the most inspiring pictures!!! One good thing about painted wooden cabinets is you can always paint them if you feel you made a bad decision!!

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  17. On this one Magali, I agree with your kitchen. Although as you've shown here Black is so elegant and beautiful, I don't think it can go well in your space. How about grey?

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  18. When I first started reading this, I though nooooo, not black, not in your cottage kitchen but then I saw your lovely inspirational pictures and tried to imagine it. I was thinking pale cupboards above and black below (like No 2) might work. However it seems your cottage agrees with me so I'm back to imagining it all nice and bright with pale colours.....whites, greys, a bit of marble if possible !!

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  19. The black, as well as Marilyn, are both high drama, so I can understand the appeal.

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  20. Great post Magali, I knew you would tie in Mariyln at the end : )
    How true that some styles just do not work everywhere. I have learned that lesson several times. lol!
    I have been dreaming of a new kitchen too, and I must say, I do love those black cabinets!
    Wishing you the best with your kitchen choices.
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  21. Oh how I love black cabinetry, but I have black appliances so that would never work for me. I agree that with your small kitchen, lighter is better. Maybe a little black somewhere though...:) There are so many beautiful options to choose from these days. I think that just makes the decision making process even more difficult though...lol! So looking forward to a reveal!

    Blessings, Vicky

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  22. I'm listening to the music as I'm typing this. I have to be honest with you, I was relived when you home spoke to you and said no black. I think with the size of your kitchen light and bright is the way to go. Now you said a color lighter than black, grey? Now grey would be a great color. We redid our kitchen 8 years ago and I went with cherry cabinets with a mahogany stain. They are beautiful, but if only.. I could do...again. I'd have gone light and airy! But if I touched those cabinets I would be a divorced women! I remember remodeling our kitchen was very stressful. Now we'll be remodeling our bathroom.

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    1. We do change our minds a lot, it's one of the thing that worries me about choosing the kitchen. One of the advantages of wood is that you can have any colour around it, it always looks great.

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  23. Maybe a combination would work? You see that a lot here in country kitchens - the island or lower cabinets different than the top. Those black cabinets are very lovely! But I like white too.. that is my problem - I like so many things I can never decide.

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  24. Dear Magali,
    Honestly I don't even know what to say other than I love your blog, and this post was sooo funny, and I also would love to look like Marilyn, and I am actually happy that you listened to your cottage and you won't choose a black kitchen, and ... I am looking forward for your next post.
    Hugs,Izabella.

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  25. Oh wow, I never thought of black cabinets but aren't they classy? Can't wait to see what you go with!

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  26. This is such a creative post. I enjoy reading along. I live black cabinets but they would look too dark in my house. I know you and your cottage will make a wonderful choice.

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  27. Dear Magali,

    I enjoy reading your posts, and I like your cottage very much. Happy to hear that black is out. I imagine white, or white off kitchen cabinets and may be aqua or blue island. Blue like your shutters. Can't wait to see your new kitchen!

    Greeetings from Nada

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    1. Thank you so much for being such a faithful reader! White is very high in my list of choices... But I also love aqua very much!

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  28. Goodbye black kitchen. I didn't think you would look bad in a cottage, but I'm sure Magali will do something amazing in your place.

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    1. I think it would look perfect in a "chic" cottage... It might seem weird to say that, but I'm not going for a "chic" look.

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  29. Hi Magali,
    What a pleasure to find your fun and beautiful blog! Visiting from Home and Garden Thursday and will be a new follower.
    I love black kitchens but I think they only work when the room has lots of light. The images you chose are fantastic and I can see why they would seduce you!
    Maybe you could add some black and white in the backsplash? I have done a very large remodel and I loved it but wow, it could be exhausting at times and leave your brain a little muddled, lol.
    Have a great day.

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  30. There are so many gorgeous kithchens available, it is almost a pity we don't own more than one home :-) One in the city -a black one which is a chique style- and a "country-seaside" one, which is simple and light and cosy...I understand your dilemma, living in a village myself which is next to a big city and also next to the countryside. Ahh, so many choices drive us mad !! Greetings, Marcy

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  31. maybe a grey? lol just guessing cant wait to see

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  32. Yes, I've had to make those changes. I'm guessing you're going with a grey. I LOVED the black kitchens that you showed, but I would have to nix them in my house, too. It would be too dark, but they sure are beautiful.

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  33. Yes, I have to respect my home and make choices that fit the style, lighting, etc. I do like the #11 kitchen. It's not entirely black, and I love the rustic style and the mixy/matchy way it looks. =)

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  34. I too want black kitchen cabinets but I live in a very dusty place and my kitchen is rather dark so I have had to give up that dream as well. Can't wait to see your other color choices.
    Traci

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  35. These cabinets are quite striking in their color - very dramatic! I am delighted that you shared with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  36. I love black. I wear a lot of black and we have quite a bit of furniture that is black. I've been wanting a black kitchen for a while. But I have come to the conclusion that when we build a house in a few years (hopefully, fingers crossed) that I won't be opting for black cabinets. As much as I love black, I keep imaging my kitchen a lot lighter in color. White seems to be more classic and may just show dirt a little less. (Maybe, not real sure about that one. I do know that black shows dust and fingerprints and drives me mad.) I love following your Pinterest boards and i am getting a ton of ideas from them.

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