Kitchen by BrushStrokes Decorative Painting

BEFORE Photos courtesy of BrushStrokes Decorative Painting

When she moved into her home 10 years ago, Mary Anne Merfeld thought the kitchen, with its white cabinets, looked clean and refreshing. But after while, all the white became too much. As the years passed, I grew to despise the whiteness and set out to make some changes, Mary Anne says. As the owner of BrushStrokes Decorative Painting in Alpharetta, she already had an eye for designthe trick was putting it to work in her own home. I wanted my new kitchen to be updated with all the new stainless steel appliances and granite, but more importantly, I wanted it to be really unique in some way, Mary Anne says.

AFTER

To update the plain, boxy cabinets. Mary Anne teamed up with a young woman who was just out of carpentry school, and together the two came up with some fun ideas for the cabinets. They updated the island with decorative corbels and used 1-by-4s to create a diamond pattern. The upper cabinets were extended to the ceiling and embellished with crown molding, and feet were added to the lower cabinets to create the illusion of separate furniture pieces.

Aside from the island, the tiled mosaic backsplash above the range is a fun focal point. Mary Anne also loves the new lights, which she found at a flea market and painted. Her husband Michael installed them. They are not only functional, but unique, Mary Anne says. The finishing touch was to repaint the room. My skills as a decorative painter were put to the testto create finishes for the cabinets, island and walls that were beautifully aged and durable, but not at all faux-y, Mary Anne says. I am really proud of the transformation.