{Coloring in my Kitchen?}

i don't know if it's the fact that it's gotten so cold outside
(which means i'm spending more time inside)
 or that we just renewed our lease
(which means we'll be here for at least another year)
but lately i've been itching to make some changes to the apartment.

 i can't keep our home looking the same for too long before i'm ready to change it up again.

what i'm pondering right now is what to do to spruce up our "typical" renters kitchen.

here's what it looks like now:
(excuse the photo quality, just snapped these on my phone really quickly)

(nothin' too special, but it works)

i'm really debating between two different inspiration photos right now.

#1: i LOVE the chalkboard wall combined
with the white cabinetry and bronzey gold pendant in this first look

{via}

i've been drooling over the dark chalkboard wall+white cabinetry+great hardware combo
 for quite a while now.
not only do i love the look of the chalkboard wall,
but my mommy self is thinking it could account
for hours of fun for the little one once she's old enough.

now, our cabinets go to the ceiling, so i won't be able to add the decor up top
(total bummer :( i like how that looks)
and our counter tops are a lighter speckled granite,
so we won't have the same effect as the dark counters do here.

i'd love to add a hanging pendant too if we could figure out a way.
our ceilings are concrete and we aren't allowed to drill into them,
so anything hung from the ceiling has to be done in a creative way..
if you have any advice on this issue, i'd love to hear it!!
(none of our bedrooms/living room have overhead lights,
so this problem is pretty annoying!)
i'm also not sure if i'd paint just the far wall and leave the rest white,
 or go all out and paint them all...


#2: i love the personal, inviting feel this homemade photo wall creates

{via}

(as you can see from my kitchen pictures above,
 i already threw a few photos up the other day that i had lying around)


this second inspiration comes from natalie
 and her cute lil nyc apartment over on natthefatrat.
(sidenote: i love her blog!)
i love the idea of creating a one-of-a-kind
personalized "wallpaper" out of our photos.
i don't think i'd add the animal head being that we
already have a purple moose head hanging in viv's nursery.
(definitely don't wanna go all "hunter's lodge" vibe)
(although i guess a most hunter's lodges probably don't have a purple moose head!)

ok, so this is where i'm a little hung up regarding this look:
i hate clutter...
like despise it with a passion...
so as much as i loveee the whole 'photo wallpaper'
i'm just not sure if it's going to make me feel like it is just visually cluttered,
especially being that our kitchen is pretty small to begin with.

but on the flip side, because i don't like clutter (i might be borderline ocd about clutter)
i don't ever keep picture frames around with photos,
 so to have a designated area that i could have all my pictures up
(especially ones of the family to help viv learn all her family members names)
(and to put pics up of my precious lil one, but that's just a given)
would be simply wonderful.

i have thought that i could possibly do the chalkboard walls in
 the kitchen and then create a photo frame such as this one:

{via}

 or this one:

{via}

 to put up next to the desk for all the prints i want to have on display...
decisions, decisions...
oy..

i also would like to switch out the hardware on the
cabinets and drawers to help freshen up the space as best we can.
the hardware would depend on which look we go with.

i need your help!!!
 what do you think i should do??
chalkboard paint?
 if so, just the main wall or all of them?

no paint and make a photo wall??
sheesh, this is such a tough decision for me for some reason..

your feedback is much appreciated!

xoxo