How to be Proud of Your Pink Kitchen

Photo: Imani Photography

To say that my house is unique is an understatement.  When I get an idea I tend to do it without too much thought or approval.  I've painted my living room turquoise, put a Mondrian mural in my basement, and put black wall paper in a bathroom.  But maybe the boldest move I have made in my home was to paint my kitchen cabinets pink.

I will forever remember the look on the paint desk clerk's face when I presented him with my selection of yellow, turquoise, pink, and black color chips.  His shock was more apparent when I told him I needed a gallon of each.  He asked what type of finish I would like and I replied that whatever he thought was best for a kitchen, oh.... and the pink was for my cabinets.  Now, I'm pretty sure at that moment he saw my wedding ring and immediately felt sorry for my husband.

Photo: Imani Photography

I could not wait to get started and as I painted over the white and replaced the contemporary neutral pulls with retro diner style ones I never once thought, "what will others think?"  I finished just in time to debut my new kitchen at my daughter's 1st Birthday.  Most of my friends are nuts like me, but I suddenly realized that I was going to have to justify my color palette.  W.W.O.T....What will others think?  The question that now seemed to follow me.

Soon after I finished my dream kitchen my dishwasher broke and a repair man had to come, then the sink was clogged and the plumber came, then the cable guy, and so on.  Each time a new handy man entered my home it was the same look at me, and then the same look of empathy for my husband.  I quickly realized that what others thought consisted of me being nuts and my husband being suppressed.

Now, I am fully aware that my tastes are not exactly the norm, and I am not at all surprised by the general shock about some of my decor and fashion choices.  The thing that really does surprise me is how afraid people are of standing out.  We live in a world where housing developments are told to choose earth tones, and there are 50 shades of beige to choose from when you want to redecorate.  Color is simply an accent, and standing out is almost always thought of as scary.  Our society has placed so much value on blending in that we are now offended when someone decides to take a risk with color and/or design.  What would others think?!

As I continue to decorate my house, and now try my hand at retro landscaping I am completely aware that my home is a realtor's nightmare.  But it is my dream.  And for me, it is much more fun to live my dream and be proud of my pink kitchen than to just blend in.