Michelle's Design Works

New look for a kitchen island

Many kitchens have an island that’s a bit boring. This is one I recently worked on that received a makeover to add some visual punch. It started out as a basic light maple wood, just like the rest of the cabinetry. Some molding was added to frame it out.

Then I painted the area inside the frames a dark taupe. Base cabinet color is a warm black. I prefer a warm, brownish black to a black black. Does that make sense? A final glaze of walnut stain glaze was brushed on and wiped off to add more dimension. All of the framed areas received a tip of antique gold.

Now the island cabinet really stands out as a piece of furniture in the room!

Marvelous Monograms

I’m always drawn to monograms on just about anything. Maybe it’s the graphic designer in me. I think they make a nice statement in any room and add a personal touch. What a great gift idea too!

Here’s a few pieces that I’ve recently painted, incorporating monograms.

This 12 x 12 canvas is hot off the press, and was painted as a birthday gift for a dear friend. It has a honey linen strie background, warm brown damask stencil, and doodle-style frame to highlight the monogram.

I’ve made several color versions of these tongue-in-groove boards. This is the walnut glazed one with ivory plaque, warm brown damask stencil and black monogram

Here’s another version of the same tongue-in-groove in distressed ivory with a taupe plague, and ivory fleur-de-lis. It’s just waiting for a home so I can add a black monogram

And here’s one last version in a cherry finish.

Any of the styles can be customized for any decor. Mix and match colors combos, stencil styles, etc. If you are interested in purchasing one of these, please contact me and we can talk about all of the options.