Rhode Island Kitchen Recent Updates (2022)

I took a little trip down memory lane recently reflecting on the transformation of our Rhode Island house. We bought it 5 years ago which somehow feels like a lifetime ago. The kitchen was the first project we tackled in that house and it has been through a few evolutions since then. We decided to give it a little refresh and a few updates including paint, lighting, refinishing the countertops (we still have to do the island) and some new dishes and flatware. We paid to have the cabinets sprayed by a professional paint company and wow, it made such a huge difference. They look brand new and I definitely feel it was worth the investment.

I have been so impressed with the quality of Clare Paint and I love that it’s a Black woman-owned brand, GREENGUARD Gold certified and zero VOC. Every paint color I’ve chosen from Clare has been amazing (love Beigeing in our Vermont kitchen and living room). We also used Timeless, their creamy off white, to paint walls in the RI and Vermont house. In the RI kitchen we decided to go with Current Mood, which is very similar to our old paint color but slightly more green. The shade really varies throughout the day and depending on how sunny it is outside.

I love how this space has come together and I think I can finally stop messing with it, for now. I’ve linked to everything in the space below for easy reference. I’ll share the updates I’ve made to our living room and dining room soon too! If you have any follow up questions let me know in the comments.

Rhode Island Kitchen Updates

New Cabinet and Wall Paint

We decided while we were out of the house to have a professional painting company redo our cabinets and wow what an incredible difference. It was an investment but it truly looks like we have brand new cabinets and I think it will increase the longevity of them over time. They removed all of the cabinet doors and sprayed them front and back, and they repainted all the trim and woodwork on the actual cabinets. The painting company suggested we use trim paint because it’s more durable for high traffic areas like kitchen cabinets. The cabinets are Current Mood trim paint by Clare and the walls are painted in Timeless (wall paint).

new tile backsplash

Most of you have probably seen this update because it’s not “new” but I haven’t posted about it on the blog. We decided to put in a tile backsplash the summer I was pregnant and I love how it looks. We used the Makoto Tiles from Bedrosians Tile and Craig did this project himself. It took about a day. The backsplash was plastered before we tiled over it, as are all the walls in the kitchen. We’ve since sanded the walls and repainted them but the plaster gives it a nice textured look.

new dishes and flatware

I’ve mentioned Casafina a few times on the blog and discovered the brand when I was looking for dishes for our kitchen in Vermont. The quality is fantastic and I’ve been so happy with them I decided to replace our old dishes in RI with the Casafina Pacifica line. My favorites are the pasta bowls. I also got new flatware from J.A. Henckels and it’s by far the nicest silverware I’ve had.

Flushmount lighting

You might remember the lighting we had before, which were hanging pendant lights. I liked them a lot but over time I realized they weren’t practical for a kitchen. The rope they hung down on would accumulate dust and look dirty and there was no way to clean them. I decided to get flushmount lights and I really like the ones I found from CB2. Honestly you can’t beat the price on them either, lighting can get so expensive.

windsor barstools

These windsor barstools aren’t quite a “new” addition but I don’t think I’ve officially shared these on here either. We had metal barstools in the kitchen before and I loved the look but they were super heavy so we decided to make them outdoor stools. I wanted to make the space feel a bit more cozy and warm, and these barstools from Target were just the right addition, and the right price. I think the quality is fair. We had to add some glue to one, but it wasn’t a big deal and has since solved the issue. These are restocked all the time so add your email to be notified if you are trying to snag some for yourself. I’ll probably add some chair pads this summer but otherwise these are comfy to sit in. We have the dining chairs as well.

Rhode Island Kitchen Details

• Windsor Barstools
• Teak Step Stool
• Cabinet Paint in Current Mood and Wall Paint in Timeless – gifted
• Cabinet & Drawer Pulls
• Café Appliances
• Butcher Block Countertops
• Flushmount Lighting
• Living Room Ceiling Light (visible from kitchen)
• Similar Pot Rack (actual is sold out Anthropologie)
• Tile Backsplash
• Farmhouse Sink
• Delta Kitchen Faucet
• Bar Sink
• Magnetic Knife Rack
• Artwork: Landscape Painting by Helen Hadley; Oysters from Kristen Coates