Revere Pewter Kitchen Cabinets, Quartz, & More
Brittanica Warm, Urbane Bronze, & all the dirty details…
It seems that every time I post a photo on my Kylie M Instagram about our kitchen, I get the same questions: ‘What color are your cabinets? Which countertop is that? Is that your real hair color?‘ So, I figured it was time for a blog post with all the dirty details.
First, let’s take a look at what we started with…
Our home was heavy and dark—dark woods, dark walls, and outdated finishes popular in the early 2000s. While many of the finishes were liveable (like our Santa Cecilia granite countertops), others were worn out and not our style—TIME FOR A MAKEOVER!
And no, the floor isn’t actually faded in front of the stairs; it’s just a little trick the photographer used to make the surrounding areas pop a little more (kinda wish they hadn’t, but whatever).
Now, it’s not often that I let you guys into my wicked little brain. And let me tell you, it’s a scary place if you don’t know your way around (I get lost ALL the time).
I don’t just want to tell you what I chose for our kitchen remodel; I want to explain why.
But first, let’s take a gander at the before photo, which isn’t bad but has several fatal flaws…
- The cabinets are cheap and are a ‘good from far but far from good’ scenario.
- The hardware is dumb. That’s right, dumb. Look at the way they put the handles horizontally on the doors. Sure, they’re great for a more modern style home, but for a more traditional or even transitional approach, they don’t work. Plus, I couldn’t just install standard knobs/handles without seeing two big gaping holes in the front of the doors #firstworldproblem, but moving on…
- The countertop is Santa Cecilia granite, and I could certainly work with that, but the pink undertones in the backsplash clash with the counter and make me want to twitch and cry in a corner – plus, I want to extend the island.
- The previous owners had two large dogs, and the floor was beat and not quality enough to be refinished.
OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW (my motto with husbands too…just joking Tim).
Let’s start with the countertop.
CAMBRIA BRITTANICA WARM QUARTZ COUNTERTOP
When designing a kitchen, the countertop is usually the first thing to consider, short of the actual layout itself (which we couldn’t adjust too much).
Why the countertop?
Well, whereas there are thousands of paint colors to choose from, there are only a handful of countertops you might actually fall in love with. Plus, the countertop is way more expensive.
The second I saw Cambria Brittanicca Warm, I fell desperately in love. It was new on the market, following in the footsteps of the well-known Brittanicca and followed by Brittanicca GOLD, both of which weren’t quite right for us.
You see, I have a weakness for wine, cheese-flavored rice crackers, and green undertones. I don’t like green undertones in yellow; these make me nauseous, but give me a dark green tucked in a warm gray or beige, and I’m one happy little Ginger.
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Brittanica Warm has a soft, off-white base, so it’s not as white as some of the more popular quartz countertops and has a warmer look. It also has that glorious warm gray-greige with the most muted green undertone and subtle taupe. Strange combo, but it works.
The variety in this countertop gives me colors to play with in the future should I want to change something else in the room (which you KNOW I will).
Before…
How to Update Your Older or Outdated Granite Countertops
And after…
BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER KITCHEN CABINETS
I wanted to tap into the countertops’ passive green undertone, and I knew Revere Pewter would do that—it just wasn’t dark enough.
Why?
Well, because cabinets most often have a satin finish, it can make a paint color look lighter than expected where light shines. I wanted a color with a bit more junk in its trunk, but I couldn’t find it. So, instead, I did what I ALWAYS do—I experimented!
I can’t find my photo of the 25% darker sample, but this one will give you the idea…
Paint Colour Review of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
I had samples of Revere Pewter lightened by 25% and 50% (and clearly, 40% because I’m slightly OCD), and the cabinets turned out somewhere in between (they had to be color-matched to the cabinet company’s paint).
I love how it turned out. The green undertone is still passive, and most people think I have gray cabinets when they’re considerably warmer-looking.
Look at my Revere Pewter kitchen cabinets compared to Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray (a more traditional gray with an LRV of 59.36)…
Is Revere Pewter the Best Cabinet Color for You?
If they were both regular strength, you’d see only a four-point difference in LRV. However, this photo helps show the shift with RP being darkened.
The tricky thing is that when you get a professional photographer (hallelujah) to take the photos, the color can look a bit different than in person (she obviously didn’t take this fugly before photo…
Ideas to Update Your 2000s Kitchen
But she definitely took this one…
But it’s everyday living that makes our kitchen look beautiful…
The New Era of Laminate Countertops and Why They ROCK!
And yes, I always leave cupboard doors open, which is one of my many bad habits. Thank you, ADHD.
OUR URBANE BRONZE ISLAND
No, it’s not an island with waterfalls overflowing with wine, free Starbucks, and Ryan Gosling in a Speedo. It’s my island painted in Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze. I love contrast and wanted to hit the island hard with a killer dark paint color (but I didn’t want black or navy blue).
Urbane Bronze is the perfect choice, being a dark greige with a green undertone. Not only this, but I chose it BEFORE it was Sherwin Williams Colour of the Year (2021) – it’s like I know what I’m doing.
Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
I love how the green undertone plays with the warmth of our white oak flooring and Revere Pewter.
THE SUBWAY TILE BACKSPLASH
I love the timeless look of subway tile, but I’m not really a ‘white tile’ kinda gal. Instead, I chose a gorgeous glazed subway tile in Ames’ Manhattan series called Mang412 – a super romantic name, I know. I can’t find it on their site, but apparently this guy has it. The color is ‘GRAY’; however, we all know that grays have undertones, and guess what THIS gray has? Green, of course!
Tile installation by BE Tile
I love that the tiles blend with my cabinets, creating a low-contrast look, which I HIGHLIGHTED with dark grout (Truffle, I believe). I love contrast, but only in specific places/doses, and I didn’t want my backsplash poppin’ hard with my Revere Pewter kitchen cabinets.
4 Ways to Add Style with Subway Tile
UPDATED CABINET HARDWARE
I went with cabinet hardware supplied by the cabinet maker, which made life easier than ordering two dozen different styles from Wayfair. However, you can also get them at Wayfair.
The key to picking hardware isn’t just in the finish; it’s in the fit. This means that a handle or pull needs to FEEL good. It should have a tactile element so that when you grab it, it feels solid and quality (just like a good husband).
If you need hardware ideas for your own kitchen, I’ve got some beauties HERE.
WHITE OAK FLOOR BY GOODFELLOW
I’ll say it time and time again: OAK IS TIMELESS; it’s all about the grain and the stain.
This is why I wouldn’t look at anything but oak when choosing new flooring for our home. I also chose a stain that isn’t super light or dark, giving it more longevity and flexibility.
We used this same floor in the ‘natural’ look in my sister-in-law’s home…
This is an engineered wood product from Goodfellow. Many confuse engineered and laminate, thinking they’re the same thing—they’re not. Laminate is not real wood, and engineered wood is real wood on the top—just not all the way through.
THE PENDANT LIGHTS
While I didn’t want frosted shades or fabric-covered ones, I also don’t love seeing a bare bulb. With their unique textured glass, the shades I chose hide the bulb a bit more than clear shades (no longer available on Wayfair – insert sad face HERE).
The above photo also gives you a peek into our living room.
So, there you have it, all the dirty details and THEN some! And yes, my hair color is real.
READ MORE
Our Entryway Remodel: From Dark and Dismal to DAMN GORGEOUS!
Our Open Concept Kitchen and Dining Room Makeover
5 Ideas to Update Your 1990s Home
4 PART SERIES: How to Create a Timeless Home
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Can you update the link for the pendant lights please? I get an error message.
Hmmm, that’s weird, because when I click it on my end it’s working!
I’ve added an extra link, hopefully that helps!
Beautiful!!!! Love the counters, , love the floors, love the cabinets, love everything. Are the kitchen wall also Edgecomb Gray with White Dove?
Hi Kathryn, of course, the one thing I forgot – THE WALLS! They WERE Edgecomb Gray 50% lighter and now they’re White Dove :). And the skylight was already there!
Does your trim (windows, baseboards) match exactly to your countertops? If not, what color is your trim?
Thanks for asking! It’s pretty close – our trim is Benjamin Moore White Dove. It’s a touch whiter/warmer.
As always it is perfect!! You are the bomb!!
Well, thank you Mary 😉
I love your kitchen remodel! All your choices look so good! We gutted our kitchen in 2018 and loved our results also! We have leathered granite and love it! I agree with you on the hardware, the feel is important! Love Revere Pewter and have it on almost all our walls. It just looks good and goes well with our furnishings! We actually did do it on some bathroom cabinets in a guest bathroom!
Oooo, I LOVE the sounds of your kitchen! And isn’t REvere Pewter just wicked gorgeous? It doesn’t work everywhere, but when it DOES work, it’s just perfect.
Looks beautiful! Do you have info on your barstools with the wood tops – I can see them in the photo with your finished stairwell. Thank you!
Hi again! Those were GOOORGEOUS (but did cause a few bum cheeks to fall asleep ;). They were from Wayfair. My father-in-law complained enough that I switched to soft top ones ;).
Your kitchen is beautiful, and the article is timely for me. Love the island colour for the pop! You are so talented and i appreciate everything you write (and your sense of humor).
Linda, THANK you for that note. I get a lot of requests for advice, which I don’t mind, but sometimes it’s just darned nice to hear a compliment ;).
Love your blogs & home!!! You mentioned you used BM White Dove for the trim – did you also use that for your ceilings? And did you use that trim/ceiling color in all your bedrooms too, or switch it up depending on the wall paint of the bedrooms?
I was considering BM Dove Wing walls (which looks like a similar color to your walls) and White Dove for trim, but thought White Dove trim might be too limiting compared to Simply White. – meaning if I want to carry the same trim color to all the bedrooms – so I’m curious what you did. Thanks 🙂
Hi Kylie! Your new kitchen is amazing and your decisions, so well-thought-out! Thank you for all the detailed info you provided (and explained so well!), including details about undertones. I’m wondering, what is the “exposure” of your kitchen? I’m very new at this – I know that sun exposure is a key factor in certain decorating decisions, and I wonder what type your kitchen has. If I had to guess, I’d say ….. southern?? I love learning from you – Thanks! 🙂
Hi Jane – GOOD GUESS! While we don’t have a ton of natural light, those two windows give us a glorious south (slightly south-west) light. From the back we have a very dominant northern exposure and I MISS having the warmth of that sun! I’m so glad you’re finding it all helpful :).
Thank you for all of your helpful advice! I love decorating, but paint colors have flummoxed me on more than one occasion–in fact, one of the signs that my husband truly loves me is that after I painted my two-story stairwell THREE different colors of green within a week’s time, he didn’t mock or berate me once. Ha! So far, I have only had one misstep this time around as I work to move my home into the 2020’s. I am slowly in the process of painting our home full of cinnamon wood trim and green/brown/rust tiles (oak? teak? not cherry) the lovely BM Ballet White after your reviews of the color. On one feature wall, though, I’ve added in Copley Gray for fun but am now wondering if my original idea of painting the dresser that sits in front of that wall Urbane Bronze. Can I ask what you think of those two colors buddied up together?
Ooooo Amy, now you’re talkin’ my LANGUAGE! I think that sounds like a wicked gorgeous combo – well done! I double-checked with my fan decks and have NO PROBLEM! You may find Copley looking that wink warmer compared to UB. You should send photos when it’s all done!! BTW, SW Pro Classic is a nice finish for furniture 🙂
Your countertops are beautiful. Would it be overkill to use them too as backsplash?
Hi Jeffrey, not at ALL! Just make sure they map it out for you, to show you how the vein will flow. It’s a different vein on this one and could be tricky to get it looking natural.
Hi Kylie, Your blog is my go to for awesome design advice. I recommend it to anyone who will listen to me!! Your kitchen remodel is beautiful and brilliant. Revere Pewter is such a classy color. I am in the midst of our own kitchen remodel at the beach and am in love with Cambria quartz Summerhill…. reminds me of the churning surf. The walls are already painted Mindful Gray. The perimeter cabinets will be white shaker, the island will be dark gray and the flooring will be white oak in a shade similar to yours. My dilemma is… my husband and my grown daughters are rooting for Cambria original Britannica. Their reasoning is Summerhill is very busy and reminds them too much of the black granite countertops we currently have… yes.. in a beach house!! Britannica is beautiful but I am afraid there will be too much white. Of course, I am grateful for the kitchen remodel. It will be a thousand percent improvement from black granite countertops and bleached cabinets. Do you think I should just give up the ship and go with Britannica? Or, should I stage a mutiny 😉 !! Thank you.
Great info as always! I’m considering Revere Pewter for my new kitchen cabinets (east-facing room with lots of windows) and heather gray for the large island!
Wahoo, I LOOOOVE the sounds of that!
I cannot find the Ames Mang142 subway tile you used for the backsplash. They do have a Mang412 series that has color tones similar the images posted. Can you reply with a link to the specific subway tile you are using? This is a beautiful design, and we are planning to do something quite similar. Thank you.
Hi Brenda, yes, it IS the 412 series, I’m sorry about that! We did the ‘GREY’ colour 🙂 http://www.amestile.com/collections/manhattan
Hi Kylie,
I love your kitchen! My question, would all your choices work if your floor was a light beige with a pink undertone? To me my floor looks like a light sand color. To me when putting colors with a pink undertone they do not seem to go but people tell me not to use green with a floor with a pink/red undertone.
Appreciate your opinion.
Thanks
Hi Judy! That’s a GOOD question. Would I normally? No. Could you? It depends on the exact tile, but here’s the main thing to consider – warm colours (or finishes) don’t always love being partnered with colours that are lighter AND cooler than them. So, the goal would be to get the cabinets AT LEAST the same depth as the floor, if not a bit darker ;). And yes, the green undertone will enhance the undertones in the flooring, but if you have the right countertop/backsplash and it all works, it can look pretty!
Hi Kylie,
I have learned so much following all your Pinterest post. Thank you so much. I am currently in the middle of a kitchen, living room and dining room remodel. The end result is an open concept and I’m loving it. I now have to provide paint colours….yikes 😳. So I have new cabinets in white dove (not installed yet), shiplap fireplace white dove(framing done, walls edgecomb grey(hoping I love it)and I’m struggling with crown moulding color, ceiling color and remainder of trim and doors. Any small suggestion would help….
Thanks
Mona
Hi Kylie, could you please tell me what colour you painted your ceiling when the walls and trim are painted Whit Dove?
Hi Heather, I did White Dove on the ceilings! if it looks a bit different in some photos it’s just because ceilings reflect light so differently, often looking lighter/darker than the walls right beneath them!
I love your blog and have relied on it this past year for 4 bathroom remodels. My husband calls 2021 the Year if the Bathroom. Can you explain what I should tell my hardware paint mixer person when I want Revere Pewter 50% darker? Do they literally put in 50% more of each pigment? Thank you!!
Hi Kim! You really shouldn’t have to tell him anything, he should know right away what you want, which really IS like adding another 50% of the recipe :).
Can you tell me more about which type of floor you used from goodfellows? Love them, (and all the rest) did you end up going with 40% or 50% darker with the revere cabinets? Thank you!
Hi Sarah! It was from the Riverside collection and the colour is STONE – I love them :).
As for the cabinets, they’re APPROXIMATELY 50% darker!
Approximately 50% darker? Really? Wow, the sheen does seem to have lightened the color up ALOT!!
And the photography 🙂
Such a pretty and inviting kitchen! One thing I’m intrigued by is that you have knobs on your upper cabinets and handle pulls on the bottom. Is this just to break up the visual appearance of the cabinets or is it a functional decision? Or perhaps a little of both?
Hi Kylie! I love the colors you’ve chosen for your kitchen. I have a north-facing living room and kitchen that I’ve painted BM White Dove and now it’s time to boost things up a notch. I’ve been holding onto my Urbane Bronze paint chip for almost 2 years and thinking I would place it somewhere. However, I came across BM Kendall Charcoal and my husband fell in love with it. We’ve considered painting the ceiling with it and doing our lower cabinets in Revere Pewter playing with the actual versus the 50% darker. Do you think Kendall Charcoal is a good substitute for Urbane Bronze? Do you think Kendall Charcoal can play well with Revere Pewter?