back in black

This is my first chance to blog in a while, and can I just say how much I've missed it! There have been a lot of things going on in the nerdy nest and I've got a ton to share (I just need to organize all the pictures I've been taking!). We are right in the midst of the kitchen renovation and are still living under dropcloths and dust. If I had to make a prediction, we'll be working on this for quite a while... it's true what they say about home projects. They just keep growing. We started off planning to just open up the wall between the kitchen and living room and now our renovation to-do includes: tiling the floor, painting the walls, painting the cieling, replacing light fixtures, and painting the cabinets.

Speaking of painting cabinets: I was in Lowe's yesterday to peruse their lighting options and meandered over to the paint counter for some advice. When I asked the kind man behind the counter if he could tint primer for me, and what primer he'd recommend for painting cabinets-- I got the same response I always do when I mention that I am painting our kitchen cabinets

(Cue AC/DC's Back in Black.. if you don't have it on your itunes, click here and open in a new window to listen while reading. It'll make you feel like kicking cabinetry ass!)

Yup, you heard me. Black kitchen cabinets.

So my question is: Why does everyone seem to respond the same way.. with that same perplexed and doubting face? "Black, really? Won't that be terribly dark?" they say. "I hope you have a lot of natural light," they add, trying to cover their disbelief.

"Yes, black." I respond and I truly feel it's going to be awesome.

Let me clarify on a few points:
+ Our cabinets were laminate covered MDF. The laminate covers are peeling off the drawer faces and cabinet doors. Peeling off.. I can't take it.

+ Since they are MDF-- staining is out. Trust me, if we had glorious wood cabinets I would stain those mofo's a dark, rich cherry and call it a day.

+ The Man loves all things dark. His uniform is a black t-shirt, black boots, and dark grey sunglasses. His bike helmet is black, his dream bike is flat black. We won't buy a Wii until we can get it in black. Seriously.

+ I'm a beige person. I love beige and white. I think cottagey white cabinets in shades of "dove" and "bright white" are beautiful, but our home isn't very cottage-esque. I love it, but we want to have a cozy somewhat traditional home with a dash of modern style (to go with the electronics the Man adores). I could get very girly very quick with white cabinets and the Man doesn't seem to like florals that much. And besides, with our builder's grade monsters which were already white, it all seems so blah and drab. Yes, we'll be adding some color-- but I prefer a neutral wall and I think black will be the punch of personality we need-- a little unusual, somewhat rebellious, and ultimately classic.

+ Finally, after seeing some of the pictures below, I knew it had to happen. I was officially inspired. I did a Google search for the images, but it was a hot minute ago-- so my apologies for the lack of credits.

I love how the cabinets look flanking the bright window. This is close to what I imagine my kitchen window might look like.

This one was from chezzizi.blogspot.com. I really like the molding on the tops of her cabinets. I don't plan on distressing mine too much since there isn't much pretty to show through. Love the pulls though!

This one came from designmanifesto.blogspot.com. I really like the clean lines. I know I don't have the patience to tape everything off, but I imagine this might echo what the cabinets might look like if I distressed to our tinted dark grey primer. That could be interesting.

This one is also from designmanifesto, which by the way has some amazing kitchen design eye candy. I adore the glass paneled cabinets and the yellows and greens are just so refreshing against the crisp black and white in the space. I hate that I can't remember where this one is from. I love the arch over the window, it just seems so grand and simple at the same time. It even has my favorite cup hooks in brushed nickel on the drawers. I hope I can find a few reasonably priced ones down the line. And finally, the picture that started it all. One of my favorite bloggers, Layla from The Lettered Cottage posted this picture of her kitchen ages ago. Her blog has served as a total inspiration to me in many ways and this picture really prompted me to go for it and paint our cabinets black.

Love it, love it, love it!
Layla has such a funny and interesting writing style, I adore her home, and I really consider her to be one of my blogger friends even though I've never even mustered up the courage to comment on her site. She has such a zest for life, and I really connect with her way of making her house a home-- classic, relaxed and on the cheap! Plus, it doesn't hurt that she's also thriving in the Deep South, Alabama to be exact.

I really recommend checking out The Lettered Cottage if you need some inspiration, a laugh, or a reminder of what love looks like. There is no doubt in my mind that her home is a happy one, filled with all the things little girls, like this nerdy bird, dream of: love, laughter, and amazing style.