Okay, this is less of a tutorial and more of a βshow and tellβ but youβll have to excuse my excitement. Because this is just too easy and tutorials are really completely unnecessary.
If you are familiar at all with my kitchen, youβll know that Iβm not adverse to βletting it all hang outβ β not that I am starkers when I cook (I mean, who wants hot oil splattered on their nether regions? β¦β¦β¦ Oh wait, I suppose some people do) but no, no, itβs not that. Itβs that I like SEEING STUFF. I know that there are many people out there who are what you might call βopen storage adverseβ so if you are one of these people and you want to look away now, thatβs completely fine with me. Everyone else, read on.
Now, as I said in my 2015 Goals post, I really want to go back to giving the kitchen the attention it deserves. The poor thing had a βgood enoughβ stamp stuck to itβs forehead about a year ago and it pretty much hasnβt changed much in all of this time.
One of the things Iβd been itching to do for AGES was to change the finish of the Ikea Grundtal Rails (just Β£4 each guys) where my mugs and utensils hang. I think they are supposed to be installed on the wall but I decided to hang them directly under the cupboards which gives them a slightly different look.
Iβve introduced a lot of brass and gold to the kitchen and while I donβt mind at ALL the look of mixed metals (Iβve certainly had it in here for a long time), I really do want to start considering bringing in more brass/gold and replace some of the chrome/stainless items.
All I did was take down the rails, spray painted them with two coats of Montana Gold Gold Chrome, left them to dry for 24 hours and hung them back up. For those who need more details, here you go.
I told you it was unnecessary.
But my god, I love them. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?
Now, I know this is not exactly a meaty post (βUghhh sure, you spray painted something gold, Kimberly, thatβs great, can we get on to actual real DIYs now please?β) but itβs SO effective that I hope youβll excuse the fact this isnβt exactly rocket science.
There are two other areas that Iβm hoping weβll be addressing rather sooner than later as well β that stainless steel cooker hood (extractor fan for my US readers) and the stainless steel splashback have got to go. It looked fine when we had a stainless steel cooker but now, I look upon it like some kind of demented King: βYou no longer please me! Away with you! Off to the dungeon!β So I donβt have a dungeon but I have a few ideas so thatβs good enough.
The second thing I am desperate to address is the lighting. I get a lot of love for those pendants but the stainless steel βIndustrialβ look is as far away from my style as it really gets and I just feel like they no longer βspeakβ to the rest of the space. I am trying desperately to find something affordable I love but itβs been a little bit of a battle. Trying to find brass lighting that isnβt either very traditional or very industrial is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE in this country. I have actually wailed about this on Twitter but it doesnβt seem to have miraculously birthed a lot of lighting options for me out of thin air (not surprisingly).
So I may be DIY-ing something in the future. I havenβt decided yet.
In the meantime, hereβs a little before and after action because you know how I love me a good before and after.
Ahhh so much better, no?
So what do you think of this simple swap of finishes? Any ridiculously easy DIYs that youβve done recently that have made a big difference? Do tellβ¦
This was actually really useful as Iβm planning on doing something similar with clothes rails, so good to know it can be done! Looks lovely, too. How about these pendant lamps for the kitchen? Brass, under Β£100 and co-ordinate with your fabulous kettle and toaster :-) http://www.bodieandfou.com/products/aston-brass-pendant-light
Ahh good call Alice! They would match really nicely with my kettle ;) The only issue is that Iβm really looking for something that allows more light everywhere β these kinds of pendants will probably create very direct pools of light and as we donβt have any spotlights, it would cast some wicked shadows everywhere else. I know, Iβm a pain in the arse! Now you see why Iβm struggling to find something appropriate ;) xxx
Recently redid my kitchen. Yes, my son installed high-hat lighting in ceiling which doesnβt particularly turn me on. However, what makes the lighting just perfect is subtle dimmable under cabinet lighting β canβt imagine my new kitchen without it!
Iβm tore up from the floor up about mixing metals and your kitchen looks spot on. Itβs a subtle enough change that really makes a statement and ties in with the brushed gold hardware in the rest of your kitchen. The devil is in the details.
And this is giving me the right amount of inspiration! I got Robert a Nespresso machine for his birthday and Iβve been trying to style the damn thing into our kitchen. But I see youβve a dedicated tray for such area. I am stealing this idea. Yes I am.
Aww thanks my dear! And yes β thatβs my little βcoffee/tea stationβ, somehow created just by corralling it all in a tray. TRAYS ARE MAGIC. Do it! xxx
Itβs the little details! The rails look so perfect in gold! Gild all the things!
Love it! I love how gold spray paint makes everything just that more beautiful :)
Such a simple idea, yet a world of difference! Iβve just bought some copper spray to transform a white Ikea clothes rail and a shiny silver wire wall unit in my sonβs room, hope they turn out as well as your little project! x
Glorious if you asked me. I love how bright and happy your kitchen is.
Sometimes the quick simple DIYs are the best β such an effective change!
I love your open storage, but donβt know how you keep it so neat and pretty looking. So organised!
I hope you find the right lights (although Iβm very fond of the current ones!) β so frustrating when you canβt find what you want.
Maria x
Love it and I need to come up with some easy DIYs again ;)
Love this Kimberly. I love that you hung them under your cabinets too #rebel. Also might I add I adore your kitchen. Im completely and totally a fan of βletting it all hang outβ. Im in the middle of reno-ing our little bungalow kitchen and all of our upper cabinetry is open as well as a portion of our lower cabinets. Your kitchen def makes me happy:)
I absolutely love how this looks!! I am planning on doing the same in my kitchen! I was just wondering did you need to do anything special to hang the rod due to the weight of the mugs? Are just screws enough to hold that weight?
thanks!!
The screws were absolutely fine for the mugs! They are nice and sturdy, no issues at all. It might depend upon what they are screwed into (this is MDF) and if you are nervous, you can always use a rawl plug but these ones are holding up just fine :) HTH! xxx
Thank you so much for getting back to me! I am excited to try this in my own home! I will be installing this soon!
Hi Kimberlyβ¦.just wondering where you got the brass hooks from? Also has the spray paint lasted ok? I was worried the hooks moving around on it would eventually chip the paint. Anything Iβve ever sprayed gold (as I spray so much ikea stuff gold haha) has always ended up chipping. Maybe you know of a way to stop this!? Thanks!
Hi Diane! I bought the hooks originally from Cast In Style but they donβt seem to do the brass ones anymore. I have, however, found them on eBay here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-X-3-75MM-Brass-S-Hook-Hooks-Kitchen-Clothes-M2661-/251160998232?hash=item3a7a5cb158:g:nSMAAOxylwpR5Uyi
and here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-BRASS-PLATED-75mm-3-S-HOOKS-Kitchen-Rack-Pots-Pans-Utensil-Hanging-Storage-/191878656764?hash=item2cacdbf2fc:g:5bcAAOSwfC9XPI8Q
Although those are a little bit smaller than the ones I have (mine are 3.5β³ and these are 3β³ but theyβd do the job!).
As for the finish β Iβll be honest, I thought the rails would chip eventually as well but they really havenβt. I think thatβs because I donβt really move/slide the hooks around that much β I simply take things off them and put them back! ;) So theyβve held up remarkably well! The only thing I will say is that the gold paint has darkened a bit over the years so they arenβt as bright as they were when I first did them! I might end up respraying them purely for that reason alone eventually :) Hope that helps! xxx
Thank you so much Kimberly! And for finding me the hooks which are perfect. I just felt like my kitchen was really lacking something it looks so plain. I also want the exact same cups as you have on show haha. Iβll have to teach my husband that itβs the nice cups that hang on the hooks haha! Iβm also gutted I hadnβt seen your diy faux marble shelves last year before I hung plain thick white floating ikea ones in my alcovesβ¦.very sad :(
Haha! I got rid of most of my βuglyβ mugs so he knows now which ones go where although he doesnβt always put them up in the right order!! LOL! But then Iβm bit OCD about stuff like that ;) As for the shelves, why not cover them with the marble contact paper anyway? Might make you love them again ;) xx
Haha thatβs hilarious! My husband never really gets it. I love my cushions neat or I feel stressed, yet he comes along and throws them all off into a pile grrr! That is a good idea yes! Thanks again!
Loved the whole idea of it. Thanks for sharing these good staff! Keep up the good work!
wow. Thanks for sharing the ideas.
βthis is less of a tutorial and more of a βshow and tellβ β- I think you know how to play with words. Awesomeβ¦.
Can you tell me where you got the beautiful drawer/door pulls from, on your lower cabinets?
Sorry, it was so long ago and the kitchen has been updated now but at the time, I got them from eBay! Alas, I canβt help more than that! xx