Hi, friends! I took most of this month off because between managing a new house being built, work, physical therapy for my knee, and life, I just needed a break.
But I’m back and there’s been soooo much progress. We now have drywall, trim/moldings, paint, interior doors, and I believe tile starts this week.
Now, I will admit my paint choices may seem a bit out there, but there’s a method to my madness. In our housing allowance, I got to pick just ONE color for all the interior walls…so I chose my favorite trusty white color—Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams in a matte sheen. I chose this color because any décor looks great against it, and because I didn’t want to commit to a certain gray or greige for the whole house. White is a lot easier to work with, and I can paint later if I want.
We also have four tray ceilings in our new home (foyer, dining area, living room, master bedroom), and I chose a really unconventional color…Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams in a flat sheen. I wanted the tray ceilings to really pop/contrast. I love how the living room tray ceiling looks and am so pumped about having a super tall Christmas tree in here this year.
The dining room tray ceiling makes the area defined and cozy. The chandelier I chose is going to look amazing here!
And the foyer really looks amazing! It’s about a 20′ long stretch, so the impact is grand.
To keep the black and white theme going, Tricorn Black in a satin sheen was used for the interior doors.
Polished nickel/chrome hinges add a shiny touch. For the crown, trim, baseboards, etc. a pure white (untinted, off the shelf) semi-gloss paint was used.
I especially love how the closet doors look in my office. In. Love.
I know some people are going to hate it, but I love it. I think this palette offers a lot of room for flexibility in terms of home décor. And if I do live with it for a while and decide I hate it, well, it’s just paint.
Another big thing that has been accomplished this month is the cabinetry. We are in love, love, love with our kitchen.
The decorative vent hood was an absolute must for me. Well worth the splurge to have this beauty in the kitchen.
Another must was to have a ton of drawers I can organize stuff in rather than a bunch of deep cabinets.
We went back and forth on those tiny drawer spaces for spices and baking sheets, but ultimately decided against them since we have such a large pantry to easily store those items.
And finally this lovely 9’ island which will feature an apron front stainless steel sink, dishwasher, pull out trash, and some smaller drawers perfect for all my napkin rings and other decorative table type stuff.
I guess the next major thing that will happen is the flooring and granite will go in. My next few posts will be about the tile, plumbing and lighting selections we made for the house. The tile and plumbing selections are 100% done, and the lighting selections are about 95% done.
Can’t wait to show you all more pictures and thanks so much for following along this process with me. Your comments, advice and well wishes mean the world to me.
Melinda
Wednesday 16th of August 2017
Thanks Monica! How did you decide if that would go with your white kitchen cabinets then? Or are they the same white?
Mark and Kristi Carter
Monday 23rd of July 2018
What color are you cabinets? Looks gorgeous!
Monica Benavidez
Wednesday 16th of August 2017
They are different whites, but I had used alabaster in a few rooms at my previous house so I was confident in how clean and neutral of a color it was no matter what it was paired with. It's a no fail, classic white paint color in my book.
Melinda
Wednesday 16th of August 2017
Sheer drama! Can't wait to see it all come together. Does the Alabaster have more cool undertones?
Monica Benavidez
Wednesday 16th of August 2017
Hi Melinda! I would say alabaster is almost as true of a neutral white as they come, but I will say in my home (which has a lot of natural light) it tends to look a tad on the warmer side.
Dee McFarland
Tuesday 1st of August 2017
Great choices! Untinted white straight from the can is exactly what I used for trim paint choice. It seems to be a secret. I also used the Tricorn black for exterior trim paint choice. Can't wait to see the choices for other surfaces.
Lisa Irene Serrano
Tuesday 1st of August 2017
Monica! Every bit of it is gorgeous! Oh my goodness, I want to be your first houseguest, but never leave. Just make me a bedroom, Lisa’s room... Lisa & PeeWee. You are a fantastic designer, I can see it now, “Monica Designs Your Home” I love it!
Monique Henderson
Tuesday 1st of August 2017
oh my. so. swoon. worthy. I love the black on the tray ceiling. I cant wait to see more and how you decorate it!