apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I would just change the back splash, either with paint or watch for a sale on tile. Maybe freshen up the cabinets with a fresh coat of white. Keep it simple. Best of luck it looks to
be a fun project!

I would leave them white and use the money on new back splash tiles.

You know, I don't see anything wrong with the way it is. Unless those cabinets are unbearable, I would keep them and maybe buy a few small colorful rugs, or towels and potholders, and maybe put out some colorful ceramics on those shelves under the counter. Save the money! Or buy some cool cookware or gadgets you can display, like a tagine on the stove counter.

Chocolate brown for the bottom ones and either ecru or tangerine for the top ones -- depending on how funky you want it -- all in super high gloss; ideally auto-body paint.

I've got to agree with those who say don't paint. You'll save a little bit of money and tons of hassle if you get some matching accessories that aren't stainless steel (maybe some vintage stuff from Etsy).

I like the white personally. Maybe switch out the hardware?

I'm bad with colors so won't recommend one, but consider treating the lower and uppper cabs differently. A darker color on the lower cabs would make for a nice contrast with the counters and the floors, but I would not want solid upper cabs in a dark color. I've seen some clever cabinet renovations in which cutouts were made in previously solid cabinet doors, with either a glass or wire mesh insert added. It definitely made the upper cabs look less heavy.

I would change the backsplash before I touched the cabinets. Painting cabinets is more work (and money) than painting a room and they really need to be sprayed to get a nice coat and of course there is the labor of removing all the doors, removing their hardware etc. White is fairly timeless and those look like they are in good shape.

White!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Have a nice day:)

It's Allison. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I like the idea of not painting the cabinets; however, their current paint job is a bit shabby, so I don't mind painting (even if it is only white). As for the backsplash, we don't plan on updating it until we do a major kitchen overhaul.

I like the idea of two colors... will the teal wall need to be painted as well (to a neutral color)? Since the kitchen has a side entrance, I don't want to overwhelm people with lots of bright color the minute they come in.

Also, I definitely agree with the addition of better, more colorful ceramic countertop containers. The ones we have are from when we first got married.

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions!

I agree with the "don't paint" crowd. If you do, the range hood will stand out and it will emphasize the old backsplash and flooring. Also, the white ties in with your white table. Dash & Albert makes bright, fun rugs that would pick up what you've done with the pendant. And replacing the chrome with colorful accessories was a good idea, too. At the most paint the half wall on the dining room side and behind the shelves, but nothing too deep.

What's that wood-topped thing shoved against the half wall? That and the big trash can make that part of the kitchen look a little crowded.

Agree on not painting, the white is good (even if it's well painted as you state, they are still fine) & the cabinets aren't the problem, as colibri says, it'll just make everything you don't like stand out even more.

Truly, I think you can put a cheap laminate on top of the floor for the same amount of money as you would put on paint.
Also, you could paint the back splash?

if you go want to go with painting (as your question suggests) then perhaps a really pale yellow in a tone that would work with your icon pendant. that way you are echoing the color of the lamp and softening up your kitchen in a way that a stark white cannot.

Duh!
I meant to write vinyl flooring.

...or you could paint the floor.
Sorry, I know you wrote that the floor is not really up for debate, but it's really the only thing that strikes me as in need of attention for a quick fix.

Maybe take the cabinet doors off a few of the flat ones to open up a little space/change things. I'd only take the doors off ones used for dishes/glasses unless you happen to have a colour-coded-and-alphabetized grain collection. And change the backsplash.

I agree with those who suggested putting your money and effort into replacing the backsplash. If you're longing for some color, you could paint the cabinet doors only. Choose a color that complements whatever you do for the backsplash. You could do a fun wallpaper instead of tile to save money and hassle, then pull out a fun color for the cabinet doors. Good luck!

http://inspiredroomdesign.com

Agree not to paint the cabinets... I'm really not a fan of bright colored cabinets... but it would be really cute with an orange back splash... it would look nice with the other bright wall you have... if you plan to redo the whole kitchen later, it wouldn't be that big of a deal to paint over the wall paper for a quick fix, and just repaint the cabinets white. Rugs! Fun appliances! Cute toasters & decorations!

Didn't we see this kitchen already in another post recently? Or was it a kitchen that just happened to look almost exactly like this one?

Wait... is that not wall paper for the back splash?? If that's the case... you might be able to find a cute contact paper that could easily be covered for a super quick fix.

Another for keeping the white and as mentioned, repaint them to freshen them up.

New back splash and you don't have to go all out on tile there are a lot of fun options at the big box home improvement centers. Some are sticky "tiles" that come in various materials and colors which a lot of renters use. Another option would be to simply get rid of the wallpaper and paint it and hang fun accessories as mentioned.

Also, you may want to look at new handles/knobs for the cabinets. There are a lot of fun knobs and handles available so you can get very creative with those.

I have this exact kitchen, except a white tile floor as well! White on white on white. You're a step up from where I am! I was thinking about going a steel gray but someone here pointed out that the hoodrange above the stove would stick out with any color on the top cabinet!!! This is reason enough to leave well enough alone for my kitchen! My cabinet color usto be a bright yellow, so it could be worse!

Thanks again for all of the suggestions. Finding a covering for the backsplash (which is laminate) is an option, and new cabinet hardware would also be a nice change.

I'm a big fan of those old-fashioned white cabinets, so I'd keep them white. If you want a little more color and warmth, since everything is pale and cool, you might consider painting only the long, exposed back of the peninsula, the side that faces the table, or use a fabric panel to add color and texture to that blank white expanse. A colorful tabletop runner on that white table might be nice too.

That's a very pretty kitchen you've got there.

I like white, but that is a lot of it!

What I would do (this will probably not be popular): faux bois. Paint your painted wood cabinets to look like wood! Any color combo would be fun, but to keep the color light and the work minimal I'd leave the turquoise walls and the white base on the cabinets then do the wood grain in a light aqua that would complement the walls and provide low contrast with the white cupboards.

They sell tools for this:
http://www.everydayartiststudio.com/Toolbox/ViewTool/tabid/63/smid/442/ArticleID/20/reftab/62/t/Faux%20Bois%20Tool/Default.aspx

You can seal it when you are done to keep things nice and neat. Sounds like you are planning a kitchen remodel eventually. It might be nice to do something fun and a little funky in the interim.

Yellow.

I would keep the cabinets white and paint any walls and replace the backsplash with something a little more funky.

I agree with the other commenter that said "too much white". There is no visual contrast, and everything blends into everything else. You have such lovely color on your walls, and in your pendant light fixture - you need to make those colors sing!

I would paint the lower cabinets a medium value warm gray, not too dark - I think that would look great with the yellow wall and light fixture, as well as the aqua wall, work well with your wood chairs, and also relate well to your warmer backsplash and flooring tones. It would work as a neutral bridge between the warm and cool tones in the room. Perhaps then a lighter value of the warm gray on the upper cabinets. I would also replace the pulls on the cabinets - remove the pulls on the upper cabinets, fill those holes, and move the hardware location down to the bottom corner of the cabinet door, and replace with a knob - maybe something contemporary in a bright yellow glass to relate to your light fixture - a little sparkle and color? The hardware on the base cabinets would not necessarily have to match, but again, the pulls on the doors are too low. You have a great start, and a cute kitchen - keep going and do not hesitate to paint over the white on your cabinets!

Paint the lower cabinets in a yellow/gold that works with the backsplash and echoes the pendant light. Repaint top cupboards white so the stove hood won't be an issue. Change handles, get some funky accessories and cover up the floor with a great rug. Try Flor tiles. Very hardy and easy to replace a single when you dump the lasagna on it.

I love the idea of a chocolate brown for the bottom, and then either leave the top ones white or paint them a toned-down version of the blue accent wall. Chocolate white countertops blue accent wall would be a great match.

I vote to keep the blue accent wall...love it!

Oops, my "plus" signs got stripped from my comment. I meant to say "choc plus white countertops plus blue accent wall would be a great match"!

How about a faux tin (plastic) backsplash? It's cheap and can be installed with the provided double stick tape. It can be left in the silver/pewter tone or painted a different color. I think that would provide a good contrast between the white cabinets and countertops.

I vote do something with the kitchen using the same color aqua as the opposing wall, such as the backsplash, the bottom cabinets, cabinet doors, inside of the some of the upper cabinets, if you choose to remove some of the doors, or something else. It seems that your main colors are aqua and white with yellow and wood accents. I'd keep the kitchen the same way, with aqua and white as the main colors with yellow and wood accents. Perhaps you could have yellow dish towels, tea kettle, dutch oven, glass cabinet handles, flowers in a vase or lemons in a bowl. Perhaps you could have wooden cabinet handles or a big wooden fruit bowl as accents. However, if you don't use the aqua in a big way in the kitchen and stick with all white, I would definitely use bold aqua accents.

If you plan on re-doing the entire kitchen at some point I wouldn't bother with painting the cabintes now. It dosen't look horrible. I would focus on getting updated, modern knobs and pulls. That will make a huge difference alone.

I think if you really want to paint the cabinets, a soft cornflower blue would look really nice (maybe just on half the cabinets, though - top set?). Especially if you give it a distressed or weathered look. I also like one commenter's idea of changing out your hardware with more adventurous, colorful hardware, but I know what you mean about wanting a change. Sometimes you just need a little color in your kitchen!

Eggplant. That's it. Eggplant.

Orange is too 'seen that done that'. Yellow is too redundant, green to Easter. Robin's egg blue is kinda, well... yawn. Eggplant would look sharp, elegant, and cutting edge all at once.

Nice clean kitchen!
All it needs is a few finishing touches.
I wouldn't paint before I tried some changes in the lighting. A yellow lamp can make the surrounding white look shabby. I would hang a more discrete lamp over the dining table, something that wouldn't hurt the eyes when you are sitting for dinner. The height of the lamp looks ok. Just make sure it is centered. A dimmer would be nice. The lighthing above the range also looks yellow and maybe another lightbulb, in soft white, would do the trick. I would add some under-the-counter lighting or other type of lighting near the sink or a small worktype table lamp on the long dividing counter where the juice processor is standing. Finally, the windows need some form of treatment. Try bamboo blinds in a turtoise shell motif that would mix well with the backsplash, floors and your lovely wooden chairs. A big bowl of fruit - orange juice anyone? - on the long dividing counter would add a splash of colour. Have fun!

After thinking on this for a while, if you are looking for a lower budget makeover, I would remove the upper cabinets from the rangetop over, as well as the backspace. You could get some modern white shelving and pick a medium tone paint in a modern palatte, maybe a pale spring green or anything really. You could paint the walls above the lower cabinets, maybe put in a mosiac tile backspace that is only a couple of inches high to border the countertop, and then put up the modern white shelving on top of your new paint color. You could repaint the lower cabinets white and I agree that you should hold out for the hardwood floors.

Id paint the back wall a really bright color that goes well with the YELLOW lamp. And then paint the INSIDES of the cabinets a color, or wallpaper them.

Then paint just the tops, bottoms and inside wall of those shelves on the end, so that the white trim shows on the outside.

Get a colorful rug to match the color of the wall, and get some kitchen appliances/accesssories that would sit on the surfaces.

I am dying to have a completely white kitchen so i can paint the wall robins egg blue, have some dark blue vases, and then contrast it with my red appliances.

Sounds like you are really set on painting the cabinets. As far as the contrasting colors, I wanted to let you know that I had come across some pictures of darker bottom cabinets and lighter upper ones, but I really couldn't get a good sense of what it actually looked like. Yesterday, my mother-in-law and I went to our local Homearama and one of the homes had a kitchen with white upper cabinets and dark brown lower cabinets. The back splash was white tile, but I understand you do not want to address that now. In any case, it was stunning (the lower cabinets were probably a tad darker than I would prefer, still beautiful nonetheless). My mother-in-law actually loved it as well. I took a picture, though I haven't looked at my pictures yet, if you are interested. I noticed the last post on this was several weeks ago so you may have already done something. Good luck!

Looking at the picture I'm thinking dark beige. Would look good against the backdrop and will be easier to maintain than a pure white. I'd also recommend adding some new accessories to match with the changed look. I had seen these fake chillies and peppers that looked really good hung against a wall at a friend's place. She had some more food related knick knacks well placed around her kitchen cabinets.