This kitchen seems to be suffering from a bit of a brown overload. With the combination of wood cabinetry and hardwood floors, plus the black appliances and dark green paint, this kitchen is looking a little dark. Jessie agreed with that assertion and decided to lighten up the room:
Isn't it amazing what a little white paint can do? Of course, it's a lot more than just a little white paint at work here. Over the span of one month Jessie, from the blog Imperfectly Polished, transformed this kitchen with a lot of little touches. There's the subway tile backsplash, the DIY concrete counter tops, and the addition of beadboard to the ends of the cabinetry.
The addition of the concrete counter tops and beadboard do as much to spruce up this kitchen as painting the cabinetry. The beadboard has a way of making the sides of the cabinetry and island look finished. And the concrete counter tops? Well, they're just plain pretty — and in a sea of granite counter tops, the concrete is a welcome change!
To see many, many more photos of Jessie's kitchen renovation, check out her blog: Imperfectly Polished: The Big Kitchen Reveal.
Images: Imperfectly Polished
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Nice!!
I am in the midst of painting our kitchen cabinets white. I've slowed down, so this is just the inspiration that I needed to get back in the saddle.
Glad to see they kept the old appliances and didn't upgrade to stainless steel like most kitchen renovations
Very nice, and the other touches are simple and cost-effective enough that this renovation really did benefit the most from just painting the cabinets.
Great job. It's even easier to appreciate the transformation since both pictures were taken from the same spot.
Phew...fresh air (light) and freed of the constraints of heavy color. Nicely done!
Tons of people have similar kitchens to your 'before' and the after is an amazing transformation. Painting cabinets must be an insane amount of work but worth it.
So lovely and light - the beadboard is a charming detail.
looks like a completely different room. the wood floors really pop now and those countertops are freakin fabulous!
I'd leave the appliances as is. They match after all and don't detract from the room.
Great work. I love seeing these befores and afters.
Also, thanks for taking the picture from the same spot. It makes such difference.
Well done. I love the blue as well.
I think the black appliances are a distraction, but overall it is a job very well done!
Can I disagree on the appliances? I really like the high contrast that they add to the room. Pure white kitchens are really common now, but they're starting to look...bland. I like the ones with a pop of contrast or color MUCH more!
I love your kitchen! It looks amazing and you did a great job of creating a whole new look on a budget.
*shrug* If you're on a budget, it doesn't matter whether you LIKE your appliances. If they work, and you can't afford to replace them, you work with them and not against them.
Very nice renovation! I didn't notice everything else until I got done admiring the painted cabinets with the new stainless pulls. I'm very happy to see a very successful kitchen re-do without changing the appliances. Good work!
Very nice and I wouldn't paint or panel the applicances in white, it looks fine as is.
The white makes a huge difference, but I love that there was even more detail added-the beadboard, the wood countertop, very nice. Have you considered doing a painted beadboard backsplash?
Perfect! Beautiful! Love it!
We actually did have a white beadboard backsplash for about a year but once we were planning this renovation we decided the white subway tile backsplash would bring the kitchen up a notch. I'm glad we went with the tile-it pops so much more with the new counters. Thanks for all the kind comments! ~Jessie
Nice redo - Looks like a kitchen anyone would enjoy working in now.
I would leave the appliance is as well. I don't understand the practice of making the appliances the same color as the cabinetry or making them blend in. Why disguise your fridge? It is a kitchen. It's like painting your car the same color as the inside of your garage.
much better, but the black appliances in such a light environment bother me as well. thought about painting the bottom cabs a darker color? maybe a medium grey in them, working with the concrete, would help with the contrast... and maybe a silvery blue for the walls... i like the blue, just not that saturated. love the beadboarding, stroke of genius.
all around, congrats.
maybe just the bottom cabs in medium gray and the island and top cabs in white, or just the island in medium gray. or any combo really.
It never ceases to amaze me what can be accomplished with white paint! New counters don't hurt either.
I love that the counter tops reflect the new color and actually look different in the before and after, even though (after closer examination) they appear to be the same. Now that's bang for your buck!
I really like the look of the painted cabinets, I'm just not so sure the concrete countertops go with the traditional look of the kitchen. Usually, I don't see concrete with beadboarding :-/
Love it! I am amazed and humbled by what you got done for under 1k! I really love the new sink and concrete countertops. I'll def. be checking back for the tutorial. ;)
@thorndale: thanks for the eagle eyes. mistake fixed.
Terrific transformation and wonderful job on the countertops!
Count me as another one who appreciates that they kept the old appliances. Black might not be the dream color for this room, but I don't think it looks bad.
Can I disagree on the appliances? I really like the high contrast that they add to the room. Pure white kitchens are really common now, but they're starting to look...bland. I like the ones with a pop of contrast or color MUCH more!
Whew, I'm glad I'm not the only one starting to suffer from White Kitchen Renovation Fatigue.
But I also agree that black on white looks a lot better than black on wood, so despite the fatigue I think Jessie made the right choice here. In addition the white splashbacks make the power points and switches disappear, which is a very good thing.
And the concrete countertops are just awesome.
Great redo! Love the concrete countertops, so much better than granite.
Love the idea of the beadboard, love the butcher block type island, love the non-granite countertop. All great touches, and they break up the white.
I agree with others who aren't wild for the big black appliances. I have white cabinets and white appliances, and like that combination fine (especially given that I have a galley kitchen that gets no direct sunlight).
In my kitchen, the white is broken up by the sandy-color stone countertops and backsplash, plus some blue accents, and the terra-cotta floor tile that extends into the hallway, bathroom and dressing area.
Hmm. Why the 4" (or so) mini-backsplash, ostensibly concrete, then white subway tile above it? It's jarring.
Otherwise, though, what a difference! White paint, a dark, dated kitchen's savior.
this is a great conservative update. that green pain was the pits. the paint took this place a long way. i certainly don't mind the contrast. i don't rather like it when designs try to hide the kitchen items too much. it's a kitchen! show me the fridge! show me the stove! and those wood floors really sing now that the cabinets are painted.
The small details make a big difference.....rid of the white switchplates on green walls and new cabinet hardware.
wonderful job! I have been wanting to try the concrete countertops and this may just convince me to take the plunge! thanks!
The concrete counter tops were a little weird at first but the more pictures that I looked at from her site, the more I liked it. The shine really pulls it all together.