Color Palette for the Duplex

As we finish the final touches, I thought it would be nice to share the color palette that we chose.

I think most of you know that I have a step by step approach to decide on colors for wall, trim, tile, etc.  I start with something I love (fabric, artwork, favorite pillow, etc) and build from there (for more how-to, see this blog post How to Choose Paint Colors).

For the duplex, we got off to an easy start! The gorgeous stained glass in the living room of both units gave us our starting point.  It has a beautiful color palette with earthy colors - golds, creams, green and a bit of aubergine (aka purple).  

After looking at the space and paint chips during different times of the day, we decided to go with the golden tones and chose a creamy neutral for the majority of the walls - Muslin by Sherwin Williams.  It warms up the space and provides a nice contrast for the bright, extra white trim work.

Oh, and remember the plaster repair that was being done all over the 2 units?  Well look at the difference in the ceiling!

In the kitchen, the Heavy Cream color of the cabinets didn't give us enough variation from the Linen color in the rest of the first floor, so we went one shade darker on the color chart with a Sherwin Williams color called Netuschke.   With all the white subway tile that's going in there, it will provide a nice pop in the space - especially with all our inset tile that we're adding.

Kitchen Cabinets and Glass/Marble Inset for Backsplash

The tile in the Owner's Kitchen still needs to be grouted.....but I'm loving the look!  Can't decide what I like best:  spherical pendant, tile or industrial style faucet!!!

We went with a marble tile in the Tenants Kitchen - but with the same inset style and a chicken wire and glass pendant. Still a little work to do, but once the tile is finished and the open shelves are installed, it will be great!

The first floor bathrooms already had quite a bit of the creamy color with the tile, so we wanted to go with something a bit more monochromatic.  We choose Shoji White in an eggshell finish (eggshell is much more durable in a bathroom with the high humidity).









And in the upstairs bathrooms?  We wanted to have a little more color!  So here we went with a color called Mild Blue.  It's a great companion for the tile floor, with its glass and marble mini mosaic.

Finally, we had to choose carpet color.  We wanted to do the master bedrooms in wall-to-wall carpet.  I know, I know, carpet isn't trendy these days.  But I still like it for a bedroom.  It warms up the space (particularly for bare feet!) and absorbs a lot of sound as well.  We went with a mini pattern, low pile carpet in a color called Hazelnut.  It's soft underfoot and looks great in the Master Bedroom of each unit.

The guys are finishing up the painting now.  We're in the home stretch on this project.  Can't wait to see it all finished!

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Kitchen(s) Update!

The kitchen in each unit is coming together quickly.

Remember the plan for the Tenant's kitchen?

Well the guys made great progress last week and it's looking good.  We used Martha Stewart's Maidstone cabinets in Heavy Cream.  I love the Shaker style door and the warm off-white finish.  We're complimenting them with a new paint color we haven't tried before - Netsuke, from Sherwin Williams #6134.

I especially like the stove and peninsula wall.  It's going to work really well for Kyle & Sam.  A cooking station with a couple of stools to pull up and watch the chef!

Dining Room View to Kitchen - Before

Best of all, I like how removing the walls from the dining room and hallway have linked the rooms and made it feel so much more spacious.  Now the kitchen feels like it's integrated with the rest of the living area.  

View of kitchen from Dining Room

Tenants Unit - Sink and Window Wall

The Owner's Kitchen is also moving right along.  The only challenge?  The cabinet over the refrigerator arrived damaged.  But they  will replace it and we're just waiting for it to arrive.

This kitchen has a slightly different floor plan, since we removed the wall to the dining room to give the living spaces better flow.

I always love how the guys do the crown moulding.  It adds such a beautiful touch to the room.  This cabinet will create a built in furniture look, with glass doors and a lighted interior.  Oh, and see how they were able to reuse the antique rosettes around the new door and window trim?

It gets dark early this time of year!

But of course installing the doors is a critical step - they make such a difference!

The next step is to make the template for the new quartz countertops.  It's all done with a laser, for a perfect, precision fit.  

We are using a quartz countertop for both kitchens.  I love the combination of colors and quartz elements in this pattern.  It gives it a unique 'texture', without overpowering the room.  They are made with 93% quartz - which is stronger than iron or titanium!!  They can handle temperatures up to 360 degrees and require no sealers or maintenance.  And they're made in the USA!

Quartz Countertop - Solar Canyon

It will be two weeks before the counter tops are ready.  Then it's time to install the tile, sink and open shelving.  So still lots to do, but it's looking good, don't you think?

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