When I’m decorating a room, I first decide which existing aspects I’m keeping and then figure out where to go from there. In the case of the kitchen and breakfast nook, the untouched pieces included white cabinets, black countertops, stainless steel appliances, and the taupe wall paint color that serves as the neutral, yet unifying, palette of every room on our first floor.
One new item that coordinated seamlessly with the existing wall color was a taupe toile tree wallpaper, Brewster’s Walllcovering’s Blyth. I’d had my eye on for the pattern for a long time, and I decided to install the wallpaper on two accent walls in the breakfast nook. I carried the tree theme over to the nook’s flush mount branching chandelier and the subtle leaf-like pattern of the backsplash subway tiles in Emser’s Motif White Lace.
To furnish the breakfast nook, I found a beautiful antique church pew. I placed a sofa table behind the bench to add space for plants and decorations. The sofa table pushed the pew out from the wall to make the wood carvings visible on the side. I used a taupe colored French ticking fabric for both the French tufted pew cushion and the faux roman shade window treatment above the sink. A medium-sized Duncan Phyfe style table fits the space, and I’ve paired it with a contemporary acrylic-legged velvet-tufted bench. I love this bench because it adds a surprise texture to the area, and it does double duty as both breakfast nook seating and a place to put on shoes before heading out the door. The clear legs create more visual space, allowing the beautiful legs of the table to remain visible. It’s a great example of how I’ve paired contemporary pieces with antiques.
To round out the room, I’ve included lightweight aluminum counter-height chairs. These chairs were a special request from my modernly-inclined husband, and they tie in nicely with the stainless steel appliances.
Light yellow pops of color on the countertop are courtesy of an antique enameled British metal bread box, and a modern coordinating dog treat canister. Other neutral colored accents include neutral colored plants and moss balls that play up the tree theme and white accent pieces harmonize with the cabinets. A mirror reflects the morning light into the breakfast nook of this modern kitchen with antique accents.
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