To paint or not to paint. That is the kitchen question.

The kitchen in the new house is so similar to the kitchen in our old house.

It has the exact same creamy glazed cabinet and brownish/green granite countertops.

It’s unbelievable to me how many similarities this house has to our old house. I loved our other house, but I REALLY love this new house. I wonder when I will stop calling it my “new” house. We’ve already lived here a year. I guess I can stop calling it that now, huh?

The microwave is still above the oven but that is where the similarities end. This one has a convection oven built into the cabinetry with the microwave built in right above it. I do love having the oven raised up so I don’t have to break my back lifting hot-n-heavy items out of it.

My biggest complaint about this kitchen is the size. It’s a lot smaller than the kitchen in the old house. But, there is a butler’s pantry that gathers all of our junk just down the hall, and a ginormous pantry that leads to a laundry room where I can store all of my big stuff like crockpots and the Kitchenaid mixer and my stockpiles of Vermont maple syrup. So, it’s worked out just fine.

But it is kind of a squeeze between the island and the refrigerator if the door is standing open and a certain kid is digging around scavengering for popsicles.

The other thing that has taken some adjustments on my part is cooking on this electric cooktop. I’ve been a gas stove girl for so long that the flat top electric stove kind of threw me for a loop at first. I have adjusted, but I’d still prefer a gas range over this stove.

I have two things I’m trying to decide about changing right now.

1. The paint color
2. A curtain fabric

The paint right now is a nice cheerful yellow that I would never have chosen for myself but it really works in this kitchen. I’ve flip-flopped back and forth about painting it. I’ve tried to find a good color that works with these creamy cabinets, but it’s hard to pick something that doesn’t make them look dirty.

Any suggestions on a good paint color to go behind those cabinets? I want it as light and bright as possible.

I removed the blinds from the kitchen window a few months ago, and I love how much light streams through in the afternoon. Unfortunately, with the light comes heat, so I’m considering making a balloon valance to cover the top of the window for summertime.

Which fabric do you like better?

If I painted the kitchen a light blue color, I would use this pretty fabric from Ballard Designs.

But if I stay with the yellow then I’m leaning toward this brown toile panel curtain from Walmart. Actually I’m leaning towards it either way.

What do you think?

Paint it or not?

Toile it or not?

ETA: Mindy at Rindy Mae asked me about the herb crates beside my refrigerator. I still haven’t filled them with anything photo-worthy! Here is an up close picture of them. Thanks for reminding me to show them here, Mindy!