Outdated kitchen needs a quick fix!

10 years ago

We are selling our home in the next few months. We have totally renovated both bathrooms and updated everything else….except the KITCHEN. The backsplash & countertops are new but the cabinets are outdated (we put oil-rubbed hardware on but thats it). The worst part is this wavy wood piece over the sink window. Without eliminating something there all together what could we replace it with???

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Sigrid

10 years ago

Oh, and don't paint those lovely wood cabinets to get a boring white kitchen.

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Comments (62)

lc29
10 years ago
I'd talk to a carpenter about taking that wavy trim board out and cutting away the the piece over the window. It shortens the height of the window and makes the area feel cramped. The remaining shelves on each end would then have three usable shelves and adding decorative accessories on the top shelf would bring your eye up to the ceiling and make it look higher.
Kyla Beach
Original Author
10 years ago
I love this website - THANK YOU. So many great ideas, I really appreciate it (and your honesty).
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@Norwood Architects took the words right out of my mouth. I too would not do the open shelves on the base cabinets with the clipped corner. Looks like you are going for a more modern kitchen and those don't fit the updated style I see here. As far as the double ovens, I would move them to the left one spot so they sit next to the first set of cabinets. I would also remove the last upper cabinet (on the right) and extend the open shelving. The shelves look dwarfed as they are now by the large wall of cabinets. Hopefully, removing a bank of upper cabinet and extending the shelves will help balance the proportions. I would also eliminate the shelves on the island too, but that's just more of a personal preference ;) Looks like it's going to be a gorgeous kitchen!
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Geneviève
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Just replace it with a straight piece of wood and paint everything ,if you appliances are staying you could purchase decals for them ,fridge and dishwasher

http://www.applianceart.com/category_s/94.htm

Barren Plain 2111-60 Benjamin Moore · More Info
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shopgirl1414
10 years ago
Have a contractor change the wood trim above the sink area, new stainless appliances and nickle hardware on cabinets, I think right now it Is very country but has lots of potential (:
Nancy Randall
10 years ago
Remove the wavy board and paint the cabinets a nice grey white.
decoenthusiaste
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Check out remodelingmagazine.com. They say home maintenance pays you back more than remodeling in most cases. Siding 92.8 return, kitchen (modest $15K remodel) returns 92.9.
Sara Forsythe
10 years ago
I would replace the valence with a padded cloth valence, something that brings all your colors together, with out being to busy.
lupita74
10 years ago
I would actually replace the valence/window treatment with a woven blind to let in the light and modernize the look.
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HERE Design and Architecture
10 years ago
The National Association of Realtors collects data on the return in sale price produced by spending on upgrades.
mimilotus
10 years ago
I'd just paint it white the the decorative (wavy) trim and the cabinets. Not a blinding white, but it will tie in the appliances and the window which don't match right now. Leaving the stained wood it too dark for such a small space. who cares if its "boring" it will sell that place, especially in summer.
Marna Obermiller
10 years ago
I agree with Sigrid. Despite what others say, don't paint nor lose the "wavy" valance. A buyer is going to change things to what they want. There are still people who like wood and "quaintness" and character. If a buyer doesn't like it, they will change. But once painted, nearly impossible to get back to wood. Same with that wavy piece. My sis and I just went through selling our Mother's house a year ago: RE agent wanted a LOT of work and updating done. Long story short, we didn't. The buyer saw potential, gave a very good price and basically gutted and remodeled.
msmliss
10 years ago
The wavy wood MUST go! Eliminating it will draw the up, making the room feel bigger, as well as making the top of the windows look better. I cannot tell what is behind the wavy board above each of the shelves that flank the window and cabinets, but it they have a "ceiling" then just finish those edges with a small strip of wood stained to match. If it were my kitchen project, I'd consider removing any "ceiling" over those shelves and opening them all the way up. But the wavy wood is truly outdated, and brings a heaviness/weight to the window area. Shouldn't cost very much, and the pay-off would be priceless, and will likely have you wishing you'd done it years ago! Good Luck with the sale!
Tina Hou
10 years ago
yes...well the right kind of remodel will be more appealing to buyers....but the wrong choices of remodel will just be a waste of money. I recommend you look at some home magazines to see what minor things you can do that can make a big difference. That way you are not going in blind sighted
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HERE Design and Architecture
10 years ago
Also, painting oak cabinets is tricky if it works at all.
Tina Hou
10 years ago
HERE design@ why is painting oak cabinets tricky may i ask?....because when i moved in my house i hired someone to come in and paint my oak cabinets...and i noticed that the paint comes off easily....is it because they need to strip the cabinets first?
Vivian
10 years ago
I would paint the shelves white to broaden the window space because the window is the biggest problem for me. I would just hide the board with a long sleek valance that brings the brown wall, gold cabinet and white together. Clear the shelves and counter top of and place a few dark brown like the blinds on the white shelves. You can just paint some old stuff. Overall impression is what people notice not all the little detail. Remove anything that is not brown, blacks, charcoals and white.
whiskeys_girl
10 years ago
If it were me, I would remove the wavy valance (is there a reason why you can't? Does it hid an ugly light? Replace the light.) Paint the cabinets white so the appliances "retreat" and the base cabinets become one visual line. It looks like a small kitchen - you want it to look as big and bright as you can. Unless you have a horrific view out the window, I'd leave the window naked. You've got enough going on with the little shelves (unless you take them off and replace the window trim - not that hard) - then you can hang a little valance above the window to soften the lines). You want to appeal to as many people as you can and most can't see the potential and possibilities. Oh, and if you do paint, take the doors and all the hardware off. It just makes me nuts when people paint over the hardware. Good luck!
Lynne Rose
10 years ago
I had the very same item in my old house and I couldn't stand the wavy board either, but it was kind of part of the whole built in thing so tearing down was not an option, but we did paint everything and added a crown mouling to the ceiling. Then we put a piece of trim (colonial trim about 5 inches wide by the width) painted it and it looked amazing. Then I put a small valance behind it for the window and it really looked smashing!
Amy Stanley
10 years ago
Is that the entire kitchen? I honestly think painting the cabinets white, wavy piece and all will lighten up the room and tie in your trim and appliances and draw the eye away from that window which the white trim is pulling your eye to right now. They have kits to help you do this with step by step instructions, considering the small area you have to do it seems like the least expensive way to update the kitchen- the appliances look new- the paint is nice and neutral and the counters and back splash are done so this would complete the look to a re-done kitchen too!
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HERE Design and Architecture
10 years ago
@Tina Hou - if you are trying to paint over any existing finish, you will have some trouble. They typically need to be at least sanded and if you are using water based paint over a non-water based existing finish, you can have trouble with adhesion. Aside from that, the structure of oak makes the surface very uneven in a way that corresponds to the grain. If you can see the grain, then it isn't a problem. With a paint finish, however, it just looks strange and uneven. I heard from someone on houzz that they either found or make a prep product of some kind that diminishes the grain somehow. I have not used it myself but I have been told by a number of contractors that they do not like to paint oak because it is so hard to get a good finish.
psusanh
10 years ago
I didn't read all the comments so sorry if I repeat what someone else says. I would remove the wood awning and have a simple valance installed from the ceiling so that it comes down just slightly covering the window trim not the window itself. The width of the valance should be no more than 4" beyond the sides of the window on either side. Don't replace your white appliances, paint the cabinets white also. The new buyer may want to choose his own appliances. And with the cabinets white they will all blend in. Put only one decorative item on each of the shelves. Feature a color that you like such as blue or red or whatever blends in with the rest of your house or room. Put your coffee away, but leave the pot. I know it is handy but not good for display. Put a couple of green plants on top of cabinets. Put your paper towel on a holder under the sink. Knives should be closer to the stove and bowl of fruit in the corner.
About painting oak cabs. You must remove them, sand them good and spray on a primer and then spray again with the paint. sand lightly. Will need more than one coat of paint. I had mine done by a professional at my house. Turned out great and lasted for years. I used high gloss white, because the new paints these days dull down faster than in the old days when there was a lot of lead in the paints.
onthefence
10 years ago
I know there have been a lot of suggestions to paint your cabinets white but I'd really urge you to NOT do that.

Some oak tends to get that orange tone. It doesn't have a lot of fans and painting is often the best option. Your cabinets don't look that way at all. At least in the photo, they seem to have a dark oak Mission feel. They're truly beautiful as is and I think they'll find fans.

The mission feel is the reason I suggested earlier to have the wavy valance cut in a straight line. In the couple pictures you've shown your cabinets do have mission lines to my eye and straight simple lines work best.

Just for reference, here's a mission style kitchen in oak and a less curvy wood valance.
Mack Kitchen · More Info

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psusanh
10 years ago
It will not get an orange cast if you prime it with an oil base primer first. Use good paint. Ben Moore is a great paint and if you live in CA you can use Dunn Edwards. Spraying is the best for several light layers. Mine is over 20 years and it is great. But must be done right.
tennischik
10 years ago
I agree with the group - remove the wavy header and also the shelves around the window. This will open up the space and make a huge difference. Simply paint it to match the wall paint to add visual space. Good luck!
quinciettajane
10 years ago
Don't remodel!!! You don't have time!! Use what you have and play it to its advantage. The shelves by the window? Use only white pieces one per shelf of various textures: ceramic, wood, straw, glass, and vary the shapes. Maybe a ceramic white owl, a white milk glass vase with a fresh flower, a tall white narrow wooden box with an interesting carved design. Use sheer natural fabric white curtains and use the inexpensive tension rod hidden by the decorative scallop. Ikea carries them in cotton for a low price. Lighten the floor with a rubber easy on your feet mat in white or even a thin cotton rug in white with a pad below (very inexpensive for the 2x3 size). Since everything is dark, play up the white like it is done purposely. Add a white table runner to the table with a tray of assorted white vases with white baby's breath. I've even spray painted various vases I had mixed with thrift store and Dollar Tree vases in white gloss and the assorted heights clustered on a tray looks fresh and the baby's breath in a few of them added to the light look. Hang a kitchen towel, fresh white flour sack type, from the edge of the sink, edges to center of towel or on oven door. Ikea and even Target or World Market are good places to look. None of these accessories are pricey! Put a white tea kettle on the Steve's burner. I found four white plates at the dollar store. Set the table and use white napkins, and centerpiece of a main white look. I know I'm rambling but its true that if you spend tons of money it may not sell the house. For example, I saw your wavy over the sink piece and it made me think of home. It would be a selling feature!! Best to you ! Oh!! Get a new rug for the front door and have white flowers (vinca) in a pot or along the walkway.
stepcild
10 years ago
Wow! all that verbage -- Just take down that wavy board, have someone run it through a table saw and get off the wavy part. Sand it smooth and put it back up. Easy fix. The rest - I love QuinsiettaJane's ideas. You can usually get flour sack towels at any five & dime or grocery store. White paint on the cabinets would be very nice too, and would make the white appliances stand out less, but painting takes time to make it look good. Sand, paint, sand, paint.... Mainly, you should declutter everything. You can/should rent a storage locker to make the place look really streamlines with a place for everything and everything in its place. You are not selling a house, you are selling a "lifestyle," so decide what your house is best at. Is it a woodsy cabin, a traditional 3-bed family ranch, a "dollhouse," a professional's home? Once you know the main thrust of your home, make sure it looks its best for that job. Ours was a beachy condo, so we put cute flip-flops by the door, and new plastic outdoor furniture on the patio, picked up some flowering plants, and set a table for two with candles and wine glasses. Have music softly playing and all the lights on when you show it. Good luck!
stepcild
10 years ago
"streamlined" in above
quinciettajane
10 years ago
Oh! I relooked at your picture and put away your coffee pot and all those favors. Put away your paper towels. You have very little counter space. Maybe put out a thin white cutting board and a couple lemons? The thin cutting board should be small but just to stage it a bit and detract from the dark counters. Also include a white ceramic soap dispenser at the sink. Ross, Marshall's, target, Kohls...once again, think staging. Do not have anything that looks like you have no room out on counters. Go through your cupboards and box up anything you do not use often so your cabinets when opened look spacious. Add a wire rack inside a cabinet door for spices to free up the cupboard. If there is a larger cabinet, do the same for the narrow pantry items like soups and cereals. People will see it as a bonus and these wire organizers pre made for inside your cabinets are also inexpensive and give the feel of more space. Clean out closets. Store your off season clothing in your suitcases to make closets appear spacious. Keep a white palate throughout the house no matter what color your couch or tiles. Hang fluffy white towels, roll washcloths in a white basket (spray one from the dollar store) to add a couple pretty wrapped white soaps, use a white shower liner and pull it back to show white candle in corner and white bath salts in a cute jar (spaghetti jar you just spray the lid and glue on a finial sprayed white!), use other jars to hold white cotton alls and white Qtips...spray paint your wastebasket.in excited for you and hope that you can see that playing up what you have and set a budget and stick to it for your entire house for staging (I'd say $250) and your house will sell!!
PRO
Affirming Kitchen Clarity
10 years ago
Quick fix was your request, you have already spent on tops and backsplash, so do as identified, rip the valance down to a heavy 3" height and put back up..........option: another few hours of work, after ripping valance build a top for the angled open shelves, this will be the quickest best solution opens the small space up and will not be a "jump out at you" moment to potential buyers
maryfl
10 years ago
I agree that the wavy valance is the only thing you really need to address. You'll never get your money out of major renovations or appliance replacements, and your kitchen looks tidy. (If you wish, you could include like a $2000 new appliance allowance to sweeten the deal and take 'dated appliances' out of the equation.) I would have a good finish carpenter take the existing valance and make it a straight line with perhaps a small finished edge. Since you can't remove the little shelves because of the trim around the windows, I'd take all the personal and practical items off and decorate them with small white décor items -- maybe a salt cellar, a small fat white vase, etc. Don't use tea cups or other things that might seem dated, even if they are cute.
Nancy Randall
10 years ago
Take off the valance and the little side nick nac shelfs. Replace the valance with a simple edge cap molding. Paint the trim around the window a mellow warm color and paint the surrounding wall a darker version of that color. This will refresh the space and make it feel bigger. This will be a much faster and inexpensive fix then painting the oak cabinets. That wouid be pretty time comsuming. But if you wanted to do it I would go ahead and add that to the list.
Jen
10 years ago
Take the valance off and shelves! If you can bring the backsplash up the wall that would look great. That valance looks outdated and you can't see the window. Your cabinets are great I think you could get new hardware and hinges. And depending on how handy you are you could probably do this yourself.
mrs_flowerpot
10 years ago
I like the timber cupboards. Just remove the wavy board. Can you put some light coloured lino on the floor? That will lift the room.
User
10 years ago
We just got rid of a wavy board in our kitchen, it made a world of difference!! Light came flooding in, that's really all you need to do, other than de-clutter and don't spend a lot of money!!
Madeline
10 years ago
This is not your typical wavy board. What does bother me somewhat is how it looks in front of the white trimmed windows. Maybe you should consider painting the board, whatever shape you decide upon, the same white as the window trim. Also I couldn't help but notice your faucet. You can find a new modern high spout faucet for a great price on eBay, and other plumbing websites, (just make sure the guts are made of brass) and I suggest you invest that money because it is a wise upgrade for your kitchen and cost with a plumber should be $200 or less.
stepcild
10 years ago
Back to basics - just remove the wavy board. No new faucet. You can replace the heater vent opening in the floor with a brown one from home depot. Measure carefully or take old one with you.
Kim D
10 years ago
Don't laugh, but I would box that wave in with heavy duty cardboard to make it a smooth straight edge and then wrap it with a nice fabric, especially if I was moving. Other than that I would not make any changes.
Kim D
10 years ago
oh I forgot you will need a little batting around the card board and under the fabric then use a staple gun to secure on the inside that faces the window.
mrmiz
10 years ago
pull the wave board out cut it straight off and the route the edge with your favorite detail then nail it back up. If you wanna get crazy paint it . You could even paint in to make it look a little like wainscoting or actually add some trim to do the same. Google wainscoting and select images for some ideas or just try and make it match the current cabinets.
whiskeys_girl
10 years ago
One more idea and it might be schlocky. Buy beautiful upholstery material that brings all of the current colors of your kitchen together (try Hancock Fabrics). Wrap it over the wavy board securing with a staple gun (be sure you turn the edges under). The only thing you'd have to do is add a piece of wood to the bottom of the board so you get a nice straight edge - maybe screw a couple of yard sticks onto the bottom if it's thin in width enough or have the lumber yard rip a piece of wood for you (better choice).
geotone
10 years ago
Consider small upper cabinets above the window, use glass or frosted doors to lighten the space, also More storage. Long Island Realtor
stepcild
10 years ago
Rereading all comments - about the floor vent, follow above advice and paint rather than replace. Sand first! :-)
janette914
10 years ago
To go very cheap, paint the cabinet frames the same color as the wall above, and the doors a slightly lighter color (just add a little white to it). I would leave the curve trim over the sink, paint to match. You can always remove it later.
janette914
10 years ago
Print the photo on plain paper and color the cabinets with crayon to see if you like the look before painting.
Rio Brewster
10 years ago
I think you should just leave it as is - maybe update appliances, but that's it. There are people who will like the wavy wood piece.
kathyr48
9 years ago
you could use a cleaner to refresh cabinets BUT do NOT cover that lovely wood. straight instead of wavy piece & maybe a plantation shade over window.
raineycarole
9 years ago
Old post
quinciettajane
7 years ago
Haha. I wonder if they ever sold this house??!!!
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Bloc Blinds USA
7 years ago
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yvesun
7 years ago
Remove wavy valance and paint the cupboards white. Leave the counters & appliances alone. White is the new black.

Outdated kitchen needs a quick fix!

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Kyla BeachOriginal Author

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