Design by Erin Feasby, Photograph by Angus Fergusson for Style at Home
Blue + Brass: Tray Makeover
All the time I find design pictures that totally inspire me. Like this one:
Photographer: Michael Graydon, Designer: Stacy Begg
It was featured in the February issue of Canadian House & Home, and it hit on a colour trend I LOOOVE: dark blue and brass. But what can I do about it? I’m not going to paint my kitchen cupboards and replace all the hardware to live with the look.
One thing I like to do is to find small ways to inject trends or create a similar look in accessories, art, or things that are more affordable or changeable (like my agate and malachite art projects).
When I found this tray at Value Village for $2.99 I was sold. The friend I was with seemed a bit quizzical at the choice. It had a muddy gold colour with a scratched up bamboo design in the centre. It was pretty ugly. But here’s what I saw: a great size, shape, and depth for a tray AAAAND the great gold hardware on the corners.
Luckily for me the corner pieces popped right off, so I could spray paint the tray in a navy blue, and pop the corners back on. 
And voila! Dark blue with warm metal accents in my home. For $2.99 plus some spray paint I already owned.
AYA “BlogPodium Bound” Contest: My Dream Kitchen Design
- Chesapeake Shadow Oak Door, AyA Kitchens & Baths
- Antique English Knob, AyA Kitchens & Baths
- PARQ Wall-mount Bridge Faucet, Kohler
- SR13 Cashmere, Para Paints (wall colour)
- SR55 Convertible, Para Paints (pantry door colour)
- George Industrial Single-pole Pendant, Rejuvenation
- Gray Marble Wall Tile, Lowes (backsplash)
- Sunflower Mosaic Tile, Saltillo Imports (tile boarder around island)
- Banda in Navy, Tonic Living (counter stool upholstery)
- Vintage French Square Counter Stool, Restoration Hardware
- Custom Range, Viking
- Boudoir Vanity Tray, Urban Outfitters
- Artisan Stand Mixer in Cobalt, KitchenAid
- Bella Porte in Twilight, Dwell Studio (Roman window shades)
- Vintage Linen Sailboats Tea Towel, Belleocchio on Etsy (framed for wall art)
- Vintage Linen Port Townsend Tea Towel, Time Valley on Etsy (framed for wall art)
There you go, folks! My dream kitchen! (Or one of them…) ;)
Like I mentioned yesterday, I was inspired by Mark Challen’s great dark wood kitchen from House & Home, and the beautiful pendant light from Rejuvenation.
I love the look of white or painted cabinetry, but I think wood cabinets are under appreciated these days. And in a space like this with high ceilings, plenty of windows, and open concept, why not? The touches of cobalt blue, the dark wood, and the brass accents all lend themselves to a sort of boat-builder aesthetic, so I added the nautical vintage tea towels from Etsy as artwork, and the wide blue stripe on the counter stools to tie the look together.
Here’s a closer look at my illustration:
What would your dream kitchen look like?
(This is my entry for the AYA Kitchens & Baths “BlogPodium Bound” Contest. You can also see it on my Pinterest board here.)
