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Design Dilemma
rebeccagood37

Any Help with updating kitchen greatly appreciated

Rebecca
9 years ago
Hi everyone. Myself and my family (husband, 3 kids & dog) have bought a new home and are trying to update it's dated kitchen on a shoestring budget. The kitchen cabinets are very 70's and a beige and brown colour. We have already ripped 2 large cabinets down from the walls as we felt they were sucking the light away and they were quote unsightly!
We would love your ideas for colours on the walls and for updating/refreshing the cabinets. We are thinking possibly of putting stainless steel shelves on the walls for spices and jars etc.
I should also mention that the kitchen opens up into a living/dining space too and that the kitchen widows look out into brick walls! Thanks for all your expertise, time and help :)
Featured Answer
  • Rebecca
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    Heres an update of the kitchen wall with the green paint and stainless steel shelves. We bought a stainless steel vent for the hole that was in the wall but it didn't fit so stuck a picture over it instead :)
    The jury is still out on those cabinets an worktop! (The cabinets and top are melamine)

    Comments (27)

    • PRO
      Patricia Colwell Consulting
      9 years ago
      You could for sure paint the cabinets, what is the thing above the sink? Is the counter laminate or real wood it's hard to tell. Even though the windows look at brick walls I think I would not cover them so you get some natural light. I think i would run a piece of stainless up to the hood fan instead of whatever that is now, that would then tie in the stainless shelves, make sure you find a home for all the clutter it will make the space feel larger and as far as color it would help if we knew what is in the other spaces. I think since the upper cabinet is gone and the shelves are going in why not hang some great art work above the shelves and then maybe choose a neutral wall color from the art work and a new laminate counter would be a good and inexpensive change.
    • PRO
      Rebecca Mitchell Interiors
      9 years ago
      I can't tell from the photos if your cabinets are melamine or wood? But I would recommend that you add more subway (metro) tiles all the way to the ceiling to give it a more polished finish. Can you get more of these tiles? If not, there's only three rows to remove so you could choose something else. Definitely you need some blinds too. Not sure what's above the hob but a custom cut piece of stainless would look good with the exhaust fan. Hope this helps, Rebecca in Dublin. From Rebecca in Montreal!

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    • PRO
      VT Industries
      9 years ago
      Hi Rebecca. We'd recommend taking a look at your countertop options. A new countertop can add a lot of character and elegance to a kitchen space. Laminate is a very affordable option, with many different design options, including color and edge profiles. Take a look at our Dimension options. There are definitely some great options that would fit your space! Let us know if we can answer any questions. www.vtdimensions.com
    • PRO
      User
      9 years ago
      I really like the idea of the stainless steal cabinets for storage, it will complement the stove and other appliances. The lower cabinets I would paint white, if possible for a fresh and crisp look. Ideas for wall colors, if you wanted to do something bold I would explore your options with blues or if wanted something simple stick neutral colors.
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Hi everyone, thanks so much for the comments and advice. We are gonna be bold and go for a citrus green on the walls with the stainless steel shelving. We will put some art up too to soften the look. I've attached a pic of the tester piece painted. The photo looks quite dark but actually the kitchen is light so it's just my camera phone! Regarding the cooker - there is a piece if stainless steel already running up to the extractor but actually I've discovered that the hood is not working so I'll have to get a new one :(
      The work tops and cupboards are not wood they have a veneer on them (I think??). We were thinking of tinting the work tops and tops of cupboard doors a rich brown colour - similiR to the colour of the fireplace in the living space & then painting the cupboard doors white. Do you think that will work? I love the idea of the veneer or laminate cover you mention. I will define tilt investigate this because I don't fancy painting everything ( I don't think I'd have the patience).
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Ps the ugly thing over the sink is a 1970s water heater aka wall mounted kettle!
      I've attached a pic of the other corner part of the kitchen too
    • PRO
      Mary Dancey Interiors
      9 years ago
      last modified: 9 years ago
      Love the green wall colour! As for painting the cabinet doors check with your local paint store to see what your options are. While you may not like the colour of them in their current state you will like them even less if the paint starts to chip and peel. Prep will be a huge part of the project in this kitchen but well worth the effort. There are products available on the market, but I don't know what is available in Ireland (was in Kinsale last spring and fell in love!!) Same goes for your countertop. If it's in reasonably good shape I would leave them.
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Hi Mary,
      Thanks for the advice. Glad you Kiel the green :) I painted one while last night & it looks pretty good. I think it will look when better when the shelves are up.
      The cabinets really are so ugly but I get your point that the quality of the paint job will have to be good. I'm going to do a little research on veneers today because I think that would be a lot easier!
      I'm no surprised you fell in love with Kinsale - it's a beautiful part of the country, especially when the sun shines :)
    • sarainitaly
      9 years ago
      I suggest logging on to ikea.com and using their kitchen planner, which then allows you to see the price of what you designed. It doesn't look like your kitchen is something expensive (no offense) so it might not be a bad idea to scrap the whole thing, and put in something that is really what you want, and custom for your space and taste. Might be a lot easier than trying to fix what is there. You can probably reuse the counter top, if you build the kitchen the same size.

      You could do a corner sink in front of that window. And you could move your stove and hood down a little away from that window.

      Or (which would cost more) you could put your sink on your bar, facing the living area, and move your stove/hood to the center between the two windows.

      If I had your measurements I would do it for you. I love doing that kind of stuff. We put in an Ikea kitchen 12 years ago and it has held up very well, and turned out quite nice. (we went off the path, and used different elements to truly do a custom kitchen to our liking.)
    • PRO
      Mary Dancey Interiors
      9 years ago
      Rebecca, I'll take Ireland rain or shine! We decided after spending 12 days there that next time we'll go for a month or more :)
    • sarainitaly
      9 years ago
      rough idea
    • PRO
      Solace Cabinets LLC
      9 years ago
      If you are going with stainless steel shelving (which I love btw), the first thing I would consider is changing up that countertop. With the newer HD laminate countertops, you're options are almost limitless for color combinations. That having been said, with the green you have chosen I would stick to a solid color countertop or even splurge a little for a stainless steel top which I believe are available through IKEA as mentioned above. The cabinets themselves could use a little hardware updating and perhaps some replacing a hinge or two to make sure everything is nice and straight. You could easily use a battle ship gray color on the cabinets to go along with the steel top and shelves. The doors appear to be basic slabs, these can be easily sanded along the edges to give them a slight bevel to allow the light to catch the profile of the door a bit better to eliminate some of the clinical feel by going stainless/gray.
    • flopsycat1
      9 years ago
      Love your green paint! Can't go wrong with stainless, white subway tile and Ikea anything. Very clean and modern.
    • apple_pie_order
      9 years ago
      Hi Rebecca, glad you are getting settled into your new place. The citrus green is a bold, fun choice. Perhaps the same shade could be used to paint over the wood trim on the cabinets. Does the 1970's water heater stay or go?
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Hi guys - such great ideas & advice, thanks! Thanks sarainitaly for the design ideas - the only thing about corner sink is I will be facing away from the living area which isn't ideal. I like the cooker idea. I will definitely log in to ikea tonight and have a go at the kitchen planner!
      Thanks for the advice on the HD laminate counter top. I will look that up. Would it be that I replace the whole counter top or just fix something to the top of the old one? We had actually considered the Battleship grey colour but I thought it might look a bit cold?
      Hi Apple pie! The green trim is good idea but it may be a bit too much green then.
      I'm finishing the painting of the walls tonight so will post a picture then :)
      Thanks again everyone - you're great!!!
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Btw - we will be getting rid of the 70's water heater..
    • sarainitaly
      9 years ago
      Yea, I can understand not wanting to have your back to the living area - especially if that is where everyone will be, while you are slaving away in the kitchen! haha I currently stare at a wall with no window, and my back to the living area, which is why I was trying to get you either in front of the window, or suggested moving sink to the bar. Although I see now that the left side of your sink is in front of the window, couldn't tell from those first pics that it was a double sink.
    • leelee
      9 years ago
      Your counters look like they're in great shape so concentrate on seeing if you can paint the cabinets.

      The green paint will look great but why are you painting around the hot water heater if you're going to remove it?

      Add some vintage champagne posters to the walls.
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Hi guys,
      Leelee we are definitely doing the vintage bits on the wall. We actually have some vintage cereal boxes that we are planning on displaying on the shelves (filled with cereal of course)!.
      Sarainitaly - I'm investigating thenIkea planner but it's painful to work (or maybe it's just me!).
      Here's a pic of the walls totally painted green now. Think the shelves will look great along with some pictures dotted around. It's the cabinets now that will b a pain!
      BTW it was pure enthusiasm that stopped me waiting until the water heater came off the wall to paint - lol. I will have to paint the patch when it's off.
    • PRO
      Mary Dancey Interiors
      9 years ago
      Still loving the green! I would have done the same as you Rebecca and not have waited for the heater to come off the wall. :) I would paint the wee upper part above the window if it's not part of the trim and the white vent on the wall. Take it down and paint it separately so that it doesn't get painted to the wall and be hard to take down when you need to.
    • PRO
      Ozark Concealment Furniture
      9 years ago
      Rebecca, I built a house one time with floor to ceiling clear windows in the bathrooms for admitting natural light. For privacy on the outside we built a small Western Cedar fenced in area and put a gate and shelving in it for growing plants. Maybe you could do something similar to improve the view out your window. I like Sarainitaly's suggestion of a corner sink cabinet. It's a shame the builder placed it so tight in the corner.
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Hey Mary - yeah maybe your right about painting the trim under piece. I thought it may look brighter if I left it white. I'm taking down or covering that white vent ( there's another in the room too) so won't need to bother about that :)
    • Rebecca
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      Hi Curt - the view is certainly not the best! But out hope is to knock the garage that we look on to and have a view of our garden. The guy that lived here before us was a builder. I think he enjoyed throwing up buildings anywhere & everywhere & enjoyed admiring them - from the kitchen particularly!
    • PRO
      Ozark Concealment Furniture
      9 years ago
      OK, I thought maybe it was a neighbor's home. They wouldn't take kindly to knocking down their home most likely! :)
    • apple_pie_order
      9 years ago
      Huge improvement, good for you.
    • PRO
      Ozark Concealment Furniture
      9 years ago
      Looking good Rebecca! ;)
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