It’s time again to enter to win ”Love the House You’re In” custom collage by Mel Kolstad. Her latest creation — for last month’s winner, Stacey — is above. Isn’t it amazing…? Imagine what she could do with your house — it’s easy peasy to enter….
To enter this month’s contest, leave a Comment answering the question:
What color paint (or wallpaper design) is on your kitchen walls right now? Optional: Are you happy with it? Please read all the rules here before entering, they all apply.
Just like last month — this contest rewards regular readers, because I’m only leaving it open for 48 hours. I’ll pick a winner on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, here is what Mel had to say about her latest creation:
Look at this little gem of a house! When Stacey sent me the photos, I knew instantly how I was going to create the collage. The house and the surroundings have a very “ecclesiastical” feel to them – that’s the only way I can describe it. There is just something so peaceful about this place, which is why I used the calming greens and browns to highlight the house, along with the “overcast” sky. The tiny stones were a wonderful challenge to recreate, too! So there you have it. I don’t want to play favorites but this house was REALLY REALLY fun to do!
Thank you, Ms. Mel. You can experience more of Mel’s world at her blog: Ephemeraology
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my kitchen is also still in primer, but it has been nicely accented with the stains from a jar of mole that exploded up onto the ceiling.
I am dreaming of a 40s farmhouse kitchen.
We bought our home 15 years. It was built in the 50′s. I love the charm of our country home. Formica countertops- several layers of wallpaper we have never removed. I want to update my kitchen but not in the way most people would. Not into granite – stainless appliances. Just want to paint walls cantelope color and add some green apple color here and there. I have considered french country….I love the style. We paid off our home two years ago. For the first time we remodeled our hall bathroom…..our kitchen is our next project. It may have taken a while but we will get there. I do want to say something about our kitchen cabinets….when we first bought our home the previous owners painted the cabinets BRIGHT orange…….scraping that off was the first thing to go!!!!
We’ve got beige on beige striped wall paper throughout the kitchen and rumpus room. We’ve been in our home juse five months and wall paper removal is low on the list of priorities. In the meantime, I’ve jazzed things up with my collection of copper molds.
My kitchen is wallpapered with and old kitchen wallpaper, probably from the 70′s…I’ve never changed it. It is sage green, harvest gold, and a muted orange and blue , outlined in black. It has: pictures of pitchers, ceramic coffee pots, bowls of fruit, a coffee grinder, a footed basket of bread, a bowl, a sugar bowl. As accents there are flowers and fruit. My appliances are harvest gold. I do like it, but I would be happier with a 50′s pink kitchen!
Aqua! It has a bit of that 50′s Diner feel, but I love the color and have never had an excuse to have it on my walls before.
Vanilla White-a backdrop for the art work
We just bought our 1910 bungalow and the walls in the kitchen were painted a light blue. However, on top of the blue is currently 8 stripes of different shades of yellow as I have been testing to find the perfect color. Next week we are painting – and I can’t wait to have a yellow kitchen!
Mel’s collages are amazing – and I’m so excited for another chance to win!!!
Aw, thanks Shelley!
Best of luck to you! 
I believe the color I painted it a few weeks ago is called mocha. I do like it. It is the world’s smallest galley kitchen that was dark maroon when I moved in.
First of all. I love, love, love that particular collage. Mel does great work on all of them, but I feel like I could walk righ tinto this one and be home!
As for my kitchen. Wow! No I’m not happy with it yet. I’ve lived with it for nine years, gone thru about 4 paint colors, stripped the brown gunk off otherwise lovely 50s maple cabinets. Currently the main walls are a color somewhere between butter and stale cream (if you grew up milking cows you know the exact shade I’m talking about). The backsplash and soffit is a blue/aqua color. I call it my 57 Chevy color scheme. While aqua is my favorite color, I find I don’t like it so much in the kitchen and it clashes with my avacado green stove.
As soon as funds permit I’m going to be painting the kitchen a soft pale green, I believe my color swatch says “lambs ear”. A soft soft color like the garden plant lambs ears.
I am very lucky, I have old formica countertops that are white with the little gold flecks. Love them!!! When I brough home an old set of giveaway cabinets, I was so lucky, they came with countertop that already matched my kitchen!
Ours is “Butter Up” yellow, and the attached half bath is “Wasabi” green. Guess I was hungry when I was at the paint store. Thx!
Our kitchen walls are orange, which we LOVE! We contrast that with red appliances (coffee maker), utensils in a canister (tongs, spatulas) and a red spice rack on the wall!
Our kitchen is now top half tomato bisque and the bottom area white painter wood.
I have a light blue/gray hint color on the walls. It is nice, but I’m not in love with it. We just bought our house in January and realized that the color used to be yellow. I wish the previous owner kept it, but we’ll probably end up painting it aqua or maybe seafoam green
Our kitchen walls are a tricky blue–tricky because when we bought it from the “Oops” paint at the big box store I was convinced it was a light gray. As the paint went up it quickly became apparent that the gray was really more of blue. Happily the blue looks great with the yellow stove, green fridge, and coral boomerang countertops–we’re embracing our colorful retro kitchen!
We have a 1957 ranch & last year we installed in our kitchen the Formica Atomic Turf countertop & put yellow tile for the backsplash with the metal edging between the counter & the backsplash. We were painting the walls using the yellow off of the Sherwin Williams mid century paint chart. When the contractor removed the 1990′s countertop & backsplash, we found pieces of the original yellow tiles & paint color. It was the exact same color that we were using to paint the kitchen. In fact, one really could not tell the difference between where the old paint ended & the new paint began. The kitchen must have been talking to me when I choose the color.
We’re kind of in transition at the moment…
Old base layer: Terra Cotta/Cream (Ugh!)
Woodwork: Primer (To be Studio White)
Color test patch: A bright red gloss by Miller Paints
Right now, we’ve got the dingy off-white (with patches of different yellow sample paint) on the walls of our in-process kitchen remodel. There’s not much wall space — it’s a tiny, tiny kitchen — but the walls will be an alabaster white with gorgeous creamy yellow floor-to-ceiling cabinets, a red linoleum floor, and the same creamy yellow on the breakfast nook walls. Can’t wait, can’t wait, can’t wait!
When I bought my 1904 home 10 years ago, the kitchen had a floral wallpaper that was the color of cardboard with little red and blue flowers. The foyer and bathroom had the same color family wallpaper with slightly different designs. Dark and Heavy! (there was filthy berber carpet and 4×4 harvest gold tile to round out the look) The paper came off easily, and now my kitchen is a wonderful shade of green – maybe avocado, with a subway tile backsplash. I love my kitchen!
The color of my kitchen walls are “Beach Sand” and yes, I am very happy with the color — it reminds me of home (San Diego).
Our Kitchen Walls
Our kitchen walls are good times and grease stains
Fried chicken with all the fixins
Christmas dinners, Thanksgiving feasts
The occasional wine stain.
Our kitchen walls are not the ones of dreams
They are the walls of sweet home and comfort
To be a fly on white cinder block
Much good news is shared, heated debates waged and love expressed
Our kitchen walls are heavy, sturdy
Our kitchen walls are home.
I love your kitchen walls, Liz!
The wall color of our kitchen is a Tiffany box blue. Am I happy with it? I was, but am leaning more toward chartreuse so that it flows with the color story present in the rest of the public rooms.
The cheery and bright kitchen in my 1960′s North Vancouver B.C. Canada Post and Beam was not always thus. When we moved in, we replaced the dark green wall to wall carpet with cherry red Marmoleum and removed the rainforest scene wall paper (that took the idea of bringing the outdoors in to a whole new level!) painting the walls a pale sunny yellow with white trim.
***THIS IS NOT A SUBMISSION***
That is my lovely home up there, as created with Mel’s amazing vision. I must say, she got the details spot-on, down to my bullet planters, the winter treeline, and yes… the rock garden of ‘landscaping’ that I have left. I was VERY self concious over sending her a photo of the house in the dead of winter, when you think that everything looks ugly but she created a collage that literally caused the house to pop out from under grey skies and sparse foliage. I literally see something new in it each time I take a look.
I highly advise everyone to take a minute or two to enter this lovely contest that Pam and Mel coordinate. To win would not only get a lovely original piece of art, but a family keepsake.
Thank you ladies !!
Mel, I agree: This is an amazing collage!
Pam, you are so sweet! Thank you so much for all you do for me, which is a LOT. Making these collages for this wonderful blog and meeting you and all of your fabulous readers is such an amazing experience!!
Stacey, it makes me jump for joy that you like your collage. I can’t tell you what it means to me to hear you say all those nice things about it. I LOVED the photos that you sent and I fell in love with your house instantly! You have a real gem and it’s obvious how much you love it! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to make the collage for you!
I was so shocked to see the collage of Stacey’s house because the roofline is so similar to mine…but please don’t let that stop you from picking me this time! Shortly after moving into my 1957 house, I realized why the former owners had put textured wallpaper on many of the walls. The plaster underneath was pretty rough in spots. I’m sorry to say, I painted over the wallpaper (not ready to deal with replastering yet) with Behr’s California Dreamin (yellowy-green) and a nice aqua on the soffits. I still love it 4.5yrs later.
We don’t have much actual wall space in the kitchen (mostly cupboards) but what little we do have is painted in Dunn-Edwards “Opaline”, a beautiful aqua. I originally painted the walls pink to coordinate with the pink sink, but it turned out too Pepto-Bismo-ish, so I changed to the aqua. The cupboards are D-E “Cottage White”.
What color is my kitchen????? Funny you should ask. I’m in the process of re-doing my kitchen and we’re almost done. I knew I wanted to paint my cabinets a creamy white but there was no question as to the wall colors. I painted the whole house 5 years ago. I can’t go with just one color, so I picked 3 shades of the same color – Green! Technically it’s Lowe’s Eddie Bauer collection colors Curry Green, Patina and Pine Needle. But basically it’s comfy green, home green, calming green. With the re-do we’ve added the last shade – Gelato – to the wainscoting we put up. I loved it when I first painted 5 years ago, and I love it even more now. With new countertops and my island painted Sienna red, schoolhouse white globes with red stripes, it’s more fun to come home to than ever. It’s not my “vintage” project – that’s at our river cottage – but I’ve added lots of vintage touches. My kitchen is happy green!
Pick me! We have a reptilian back splash. No kidding. It looks like a snake shed it’s skin right on my backsplash.. :O
We also have a mustard oven. Not the original to the house (1956). I think the previous owners updated the kitchen in the late 60′s
May you live an interesting life, like the Chinese saying….
Well, when I moved in the kitchen walls were white and the chair rail in the corner was screaming yellow to match the 57 yellow countertops. When I had the countertops replaced,(badly worn) and electric coil cooktop shot, it was a beigy color with specks and the new cook top was electric coils also. Even though it was updated, the overall 50′s feel is still there with the birch cabinets and through the wall exhaust fan. Oh yeah, the walls are a pale yellow with a hint of green. I like it, it’s all easy on the eyes. I just need to get the shelves up to display the old pyrex.
I have white wainscotting up half the side of the walls and a creamy latte color above that (it’s not greige). The walls are decorated with cherry chalk ware pieces and a lovely 1940′s bird house clock. And today I just ordered a red kitchen hutch! I can tell it was originally wall papered but I don’t know for sure with what – I think it was a brick pattern ala the MadMen kitchen. I did contact the relatives of the lady who originally had the house built (she just passed away) – they stated they’d be glad to send any original pictures when/if they come across them. As you all know I have a cherry theme in the kitchen -
The color in my kitchen is Sherwin Williams’ Hubbard Squash. It is actually an Arts & Crafts color & my house is a 1957 L-shaped Ranch, but chose the color it four years ago when I moved in to cover the two-toned grey sponge painted walls. That’s because my cabinets are two-toned grey, my countertops are grey, and the floor is grey. It was a really depressing color scheme when I first saw it.
A light lime green, and yes we love it, just talking to my husband about repainting the same color – kids have been scratching it up. yet another project to add to the list.
Main kitchen wall is now “Marina Isle” (Behr color), to coordinate with the Aqua Boomerang countertops (with chrome edging) and green/white checkerboard VCT flooring we just put in. (Just finished a big retro kitchen re-do!) Love it! Love it! Love it!
Just got this 1952 “plain jane” and plenty being done. The new pluming and heating are in now and next, with the warmer weather, we’ll cut some new window and door locations. The lower kitchen walls are a soft yellow on 4 in. tile-like wall board( maybe original). The upper halves are a soft/aged white- not bad really and definitely good for me for a while.
Currently, we are in the midst of repainting. There are areas of HOT PINK, left over from the previous owner and Primer in other areas. Can’t wait until we can get our *new* Retro Kitchen completed!
My kitchen walls are olive green (yuck) but the lemon yellow paint and primer is sitting on the back porch ready to go. I just went through a divorce and moved into a tiny 50′s ranch. I was delighted to discover this blog and am getting many good decorating ideas.
I’m so happy to have my own home I would love one of these beautiful collages to celebrate my new life!
Ours is the dark-ish wood paneling. It goes from the kitchen into the dining/lounge (?) area. Is it unusual to have the paneling in the kitchen? I didn’t notice anyone else that had it in this thread.
I like it ok, it’s definitely grown on me a lot, I used to hate paneling of all kinds. It’s just that the cabinets are pretty close in color to the paneling and it feels like there’s not enough contrast. Too much brown!
NOT AN ENTRY–The 1964 ranch that I am still trying to buy has walnut paneling throughout, including in the kitchen. The cabinets are white with a very pale aqua glaze. The backsplash is a silver foil with blue and green bubble print. The countertops are white formica with a pale blue pattern. The white, to me, is too white, and I am trying to decide what to do if I ever get to move in. I’m thinking live with it awhile and see. I love yellow in the kitchen, but aqua could be a choice that wouldn’t clash with the original theme of the house. The lady loved blue in all its permutations.
What most people would consider a tiny kitchen is one of my favorite places in our 1957 home. The walls are a pale gray, but the majority of the kitchen is taken up by the our pink cabinets. When we moved in everything was boring and white, but the original gray cracked ice formica was there to work around. We laid black armstrong tile, got a steal on my pink Frigidaire Custom Imperial range (purchased the weekend we closed on the house), accessorized with my many vintage aqua, pink, and black accessories, and went from there. I love my tiny pink and aqua kitchen. It’s functional and adorable. What more could you ask for?!
Ice floe! That’s the name of the icy blue color by Behr on our kitchen walls. It was late June when we moved in, and July was hot and muggy when we started picking paint colors. It meant we leaned toward cool tones, which was a mistake in the kitchen since it’s on the northeast side of the house and doesn’t get much sun. We should have picked a sunnier color for the kitchen, and maybe we will change it at some point. But we also used the Ice Floe in the hall bathroom, where it seems just right.
godawful brown paneling and even godawfuler brown woodgrain contact paper… yeah. not happy with it.
Sherwin Williams “Biscuit” with a blue crab border. Thinking of trying something more retro in the future. We remodeled the kitchen about 6 years ago. When we bought our home it had the original 1962 kitchen including “copper” appliances, orange speckled linoleum, bird and flower wallpaper, and hickory cabinets.
We have a small house built in 1874 & remodeled in the 50′s. The bottom half of the wall is tile design wallboard that was white with black “grout” & a black strip across the top. A renter (long story) painted it all white so no more “grout”. We repainted the strip dark green & the upper walls are a buttery yellow but I would prefer light lemony yellow. Some day. We have maple hardwood floor & I painted the ceiling a very pale blue so it almost disappears. Overall I give my kitchen a thumbs up.
I have a burnt orange paint on the walls of my kitchen called “Mexican Chile.” I LOVE it! It is so warm and rich. On the complimentary wall that leads into the hallway is a refreshing cool mint green sort of color, with a retro wooden-ball clock. I’m so happy with how our kitchen turned out! We have white cupboards and birch countertops and black w/white speckles Armstrong tiles.
our kitchen has a TON of windows, so we went with a light gray that reflects the sunlight beautifully. we chose a stark white trim and the combo helps all of our colorful kitchen knick-knacks stand out. after gutting and restoring the entire downstairs of our house with new electricity, plumbing, insulation, drywall, etc. four years ago we are still thrilled about all of our color choices
i LOVE her collages! this would be a wonderful anniversary present to my husband…we’re coming up on five years! yay!
By commenting, have I entered the contest? I would like to…
We redid our kitchen 8 years ago. We kept the 1957 cabinets but had them spraypainted a wonderful olive-y moss-y green and on the walls , we used a Brunschwig and Fils vinyl grasscloth in the same tone.
I just said today that the kitchen needs to be repainted. I would use the very same paint color but I think that I would have it brushed on this time…
I still like my color choices very much…
In my Queen Anne Victorian, three walls are yucky white semi-gloss enamel with generous layers of cooking grease and grunge, and the fourth wall is ca 1974 cheap dark wood paneling. At least we’ve gotten rid of the green shag carpeting (not kidding). Poor house; she needs so much but gives so generously!
Blue sponge paint with some turquoise paint sample papers posted waiting for me to pick the right shade. I also want to paint the diamond trim on the exterior side of the front door in turquoise.
That’s a beauty! I want to live in that house, As for mine, my 1964 colonial has a pale yellow butter cream color for the kitchen, with walnut cupboards. I love the color, we put it there. It was off white before.
Kitchen was the 1st thing painted in April of ’09 when we moved in, it is Behr frosted lemon with Ace popcorn kernel soffit .The soffit matches my cook-top, eye level oven, and 40 inch ge range all from the late 50′s early 60′s, I love the colors!! I also have a pink sink, aqua counters, and a blue and yellow checkerboard floor..it all works!
The kitchen in our 1959 ranchette currently features dead white walls with a hunter green border featuring pears and random flowers. The border looks like it dates from the late 1990s. But we love the pine cabinets and I love the original green Formica countertops with stainless steel edging. We plan on removing the border and painting under the chair rail an avocado green and the upper wall Milk Pail by Martha Stewart. It’s an unbelievably pretty bluish green color.
The kitchen of my 1971 modern house is currently red. The countertops are black tile (not original) but the cabinets are a lovely honey-colored wood (original). The best part of the kitchen is the ceiling which is stained redwood. The original countertops were black matte Formica and we intend to replace the tile with them in the future. Otherwise, it’s all original and we love it!