apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love the goldenrod and agree that painting the adjacent room will help with the color.

Is there room to move the table and chairs into the next room? You could use the space for an island to help maximize prep space.

If the landlord won't let you paint the dark cabinets, some curtains could tie in both the white and dark cabinets. These Hedda Blad from Ikea could work: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80117483. The white in them would help balance out the goldenrod.

Sorry, the period in my sentence with the link is messing up the link. Try this to see the Hedda Blad curtains:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80117483

Paint paint paint!!! Beg and plead with your landlord to paint those cabinets. Let him know that it'll help him rent the place if you ever move out. It will instantly change the room.
If you really love the goldenrod, then run with it. But don't be afraid to change it either! And definitely paint the adjacent room.

Painting your cabinets would make a huge difference...tough sell on the landlord though - good luck!

paint the door and cabinets white / repaint the walls a very light, pale yellow (or anything lighter and less saturated than the current color) / remove the window treatments and leave the door uncovered, if you need a shade on the window, use a simple white curtain on a tension rod / place a few small potted herbs on the window sill / add an area rug / keep the counters as uncluttered as possible. I can see that you don't want to move the fridge back to where it was since that would eliminate your dining area--perhaps you could hide the fridge protrusion with a curtain on the other side of that doorway pulled to one side.

Another way to go, especially if you can't paint the cabinets, is to do dark and white. It always looks elegant. You might be allowed to add some knobs to the cabinents to dress them up and make them more functional. You could do a light wall where the dark cabinents are and then a dark chalkboard paint on the wall with the white cabinents and the cutout. Or do chalkboard paint as your backsplash and around the outside door and a white on the upper wall area above the cabinents and hang some pictures up there. Chalkboard paint is a great way to make a rental kitchen look interesting and distracts from cheap cabinents. Also some curtains with a nice modern pattern with some color would make a huge difference. If you are doing black chalkboard paint I would do something with dark blue in the curtains.

I would second the idea of seeking permission to paint all the cabinets white. I'd also paint the baseboard white. Leave the door, though--it looks like the original finish!

A large area rug to cover most of the not-so-sexy vinyl floor would help, too.

My apartment's kitchen is a similarly, um, vibrant yellow. I plan on painting it at some point because it looks awful with the tiling in the room, but I think yours can work.

This is the color of my kitchen too! If you love it, keep it. This color looks great with bold black and white geometrics. I have black and white checkerboard tile set on the diagonal. I decided to use plain white curtains but I can see a black and white pattern for your windows. Make sure it is a bold pattern or it will get diluted by the goldenrod. Good luck and show us what you decide!

My first thought when looking at these pictures was "get rid of the table". It takes up a lot of space and I bet it's really awkward to actually use in such a small space. That kitchen is really not "eat in" sized.

Your landlord seems very helpful, and even not totally averse to spending a few quid. I think it's a bit unfortunate that what he did do was put in those white cupboards right beside the back door, they are too big for that corner, open shelves would have been much better.

Would it be possible to get rid of your table and replace the counter in the pass-through with a deeper one that could double as a breakfast bar, with stools on the living room side? If so you could use the space where the table is now to put a trolley/butcher block, which would give you both more storage and worktop. You could also move the new white cupboards to over this new work surface, and put up just a few open white shelves beside the door. I really think that would open up that side of the kitchen. As your landlord seems willing so far, maybe he would pay for some or all of this, as it would definitely upgrade his property for future rental.

I agree that the strange pink colour is clashing badly with the yellow. I also agree that the yellow does not look great with the dark wood cabinets, but does look great with the white. If you can't paint the dark cabinets white then I think you should wallpaper that wall (or those walls) in a wallpaper that is predominantly white but has a small yellow pattern. Then it will tie in with the yellow on the other walls.

Matching blinds for the door and window would also help to pull it all together, again I think a yellow and white fabric would work well.

Good luck!

If you can't paint the cabinets...try white contact paper. It comes off really easily & I'm sure your landlord would have no problem with you using it.

I feel strongly that you should paint over the goldenrod with a neutral, almost white color. For one thing, when you use color as strong as that any flaw in the surface of the walls or any little bleed or mistake that occurred during painting jumps out. Also, the area is tiny. I would paint the walls perhaps a creamy very light buttery yellow. Ditch the bamboo shade and get a simple pull down blind and cover the inside panel of it with a bold graphic print. Do the same for the door. Sorry to say this but your kitchen looks very mish-mash and what is up with that shredded washcloth? Get some coordinating kitchen accessories and a nice dish drainer, maybe you want to go with a stainless theme for the accessories. The cord hanging down over your sink looks dangerous.

I agree with idontdobeige...the first thing I thought of when I saw the pictures was a missed opportunity for a breakfast bar...then the space is freed up where the dinette set was. If you get permission from your landlord....the breakfast bar would really add value to that space.

That and the paint suggestions above to tie it all in would make quite a difference. Good luck!

Agree with earlier comment about the back cabinets by the door. Perhaps you could remove the doors to make them open shelving?

I also think you should paint the dark cabinets white if possible to lighten & brighten the space...as well as make the cabinetry seem more uniform.

The flooring is awful...but replacing it with new vinyl squares wouldn't be very costly or difficult. You could update that for maximum impact with minimal effort.

Also, definitely think you need to switch the window shades to either a) nothing or b) white to help them disappear. I hate mini-blinds, so I won't recommend them but you could try 1" plantation blinds or Ikea sells an inexpensive sheer fabric window shade that is quite nice and looks like custom ones I've seen for major money.

Lastly, although I can see why you like the Goldenrod color to brighten the room, I have to say that I think it's a little too punchy and acidic for such a small space. A paler yellow or grey/blue color would work much better.

(Oh, and agree with the editor that the pink color in the other room has GOT to go. It's too flesh-toned.)

I'm on the "paint the cabinets white" bandwagon. As for the yellow, I love it, but I like JenB's suggestion of going with white and elegant knobs if painting the cabinets doesn't work out.

Can you put some narrow little shelves or some hooks or little wall-mounted baskets on the right-hand side of the doorway behind the fridge? That way you could get some use out of the area where the fridge juts out into the doorway. It wouldn't work well for storing spices or anything, but maybe you could find a home for dishtowels or a broom or the mail or something.

I think moving the dining set into the living area would also be smart. You could arrange the furniture to make the dining area look deliberate, and this would also give you a nice place to sit and pay bills or write letters or do the crossword puzzle. It's too crowded in the kitchen with the whole dining set in there. Maybe replace it with a teeny tiny island cart on wheels for added storage/counter space?

i vote for:
- keeping the yellow paint color if you love it. we just painted our kitchen a very similar color and think it brightens the place up a lot!
- painting the peachy pink in the living room, though.
- trying to convince the landlord to paint the cabinets white (then doing a good job of it so he doesn't regret his decision afterwards). will look better with the yellow and match the new white cabinets.
- removing the table which is too much for the space. can it go in the living room instead? if you need more storage space, you could potentially put in a low set of shelves in its place. maybe even running along the pass-through wall, which looks very empty at the bottom to me.
- rug(s) to cover up the linoleum floor.

Cheap? If you can't paint the cabinets, cover some foam-core with a nice yellow and white paper or fabric, and use double sided tape to fit into the insets in the cabinet doors. Another option is to take cabinet doors off and paint or line the interiors with yellow and white paper.
You could also wither tile the back splash area, or continue with the foam-core trick.
Spray paint those matchstick blinds with white paint, or stencil a design on them. That might hold you for a bit.
If you can fit the table in the other room, maybe the fridge would be better where it used to be, with a table where it currently is to extend workspace and storage.

I always love reading these idea boards here at AT :)

I especially agree with comments about the dinette set. I think you either need to move it into another room, or replace it with a bistro-sized table - or better, bar height table - or turning that kitchen opening into a breakfast bar! You could put stools on both size and even bring up a drop-leaf shelf on the kitchen side, like the drop-leaf table they sell at IKEA!

And then, the most important thing I think that's "off" with your kitchen is the placement of the fridge. It's better than before, but it's still just not right. It is so visually huge where it is. It looks like from the pictures you could move it to the corner on the left side of the window, where the table is currently. A lot of its profile will be hidden by the corner, and it will just make more sense, and make the great working triangle kitchen that just feels right!

Then you have a fantastic opportunity to put some narrow & high shelves where the fridge is now, with some cool, colorful jars, pots, pans, plates, whatever! You can probably get some Target closet organizer shelves that will look just as good as something expensive.

Good luck! Oh, and I also like the yellow walls with black/white patterns in a rug and curtain ideas!

Just to add to my previous comment about moving the fridge to the same side as the window: This might (MIGHT) have a cool effect that won't even need a cabinet painting, where you have all white on one side (cabinets and fridge), all dark wood on the other. I don't actually mind the cabinets the way they are (but I've never loved painted cabinetry!)

My first thoughts off the bat before you do anything is clean the counters and declutter.

Then paint.

Then finish the rest. Everything will look better then.

I'm thinking maybe wall decals:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24459612&ref=sr_list_12&&ga_search_query=wall decals&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Maybe some that even wrap from the wall to around the edges of the cabinets:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28128384&ref=sr_list_14&&ga_search_query=wall decals&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

I think 1987 called and it wants it's peach color back, so I, too, think the peach should go...

Have fun!

A deeper counter to create a breakfast bar is a great idea! I wish he would knock out the wall all together so you could accomodate a mobile island/dining table (stainless steel restaurant table on casters). Anyway....

Painting both rooms is a must. Two shades of the same color would tie the rooms together. The goldenrod is further dating the kitchen imo. I happen to like the darker cabinets and would opt for painting the walls a lighter color to complement the dark finish. A cool blue, grey or green would be nice and suprisingly cheery.

I agree that open shelving would have been a better choice than the cabinets he installed. They obstruct yet another doorway...

Open shelving over the stove....

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S69851470

Also a cover for the stovetop to not only hide the unsightly burners but offer an additional work surface is key...

http://www.stovetopper.com/product.html

I would take off a couple if not all the upper cabinet doors (put the hardware in ziploc bags taped to the fronts and store under the bed or closet for when you move) and invest in simple white dishes, bowls and serving platters (IKEA 365 works). They will provide contrast, lessen the intensity of the dark cabinets in the space and give the appearance of an extremely tidy kitchen (even when its not).

You can wallpaper (or use vinyl contact paper) on the back panel of the cabinet and shelves to add interest and color. Target has a great selection.

Another thing about white dishes...you only need one set. White dishes work for elegant as well as casual occasions. When space is limited, store your grandmother's china or the wedding set away and rock your white dishes.

For a back splash, Home Depot sells a great product that resembles tin and stainless steel in various textures and finishes, is peel-n-stick and durable.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100521697

If you must cover the door and window, I would choose blinds or roman shades. I feel like curtains in such a small area would be too much. The light coming into your kitchen is really great!

And if you want to tackle the floors, Home Depot also sells a resilient flooring product by Allure Traffic Master that floats over the existing floor and realistically resembles planks and tile. Its extremely easy to put down and rather affordable.

I hope all our ideas are helpful. I'm excited to see what you guys decide to do. Please submit the "after" photos.

Good Luck!

i used to have the same horrible color cabinets, in a kitchen half as wide! AWFUL. my landlady was immediately on board with painting them, and the room looks adorable now.

color suggestions: do the bottom cabinets in a dusky dark blue-gray, like Old Navy by benjamin moore, which would offset the yellow beautifully. then do the top in a crisp white. the contrast makes the top cabinets seem even lighter and more open by comparison, and you can do cute graphic print curtains.

I have the exact same dark cabinets in my rental kitchen. I tried putting contac paper in the insets as has been suggested above, but the problem was that there was just still so much space that the doors don't cover. The result was a completely cluttered look. I left it up for a couple of days and then pulled it down because a monochromatic ugly cabinet was way better than jumbled ugly cabinet.

Since you don't have too many cabinets, I'd go for getting the landlord's permission to paint, although if they are as cheap as mine, they have vinyl laminate on the sides and painting that will be tricky. Good luck!

First, clear away the clutter on the counters, the plastic paper towel holder, the stuff on top of the fridge and all the papers stuck all over it. That giant vase on the counter is especially ill-suited for such a small space and should be moved elsewhere.

I agree about asking permission to paint the cabinets a nice, crisp white (or glossy black, or a combination). If you can't, I'd change the wall color. It's a great hue, but makes the cabinets look even more unattractive in comparison. It also makes the floor look a little dingy. Perhaps you can go with a milky blue or a light aqua/turquoise color. White kitchen towels and curtains. And a floor mat (not a rug), either a plain natural bamboo or an interesting pattern. Worldmart has a number of these that are affordable.

I wouldn't put contact paper on wood cabinets. It will be a huge PITA to remove when you leave and might damage them.

Whatever you do, please paint over that horrible fleshy pinkish nightmare color in the adjoining room.

You need to get a smaller fridge! It sticks out and looks dangerous! I don't think this would pass the apartment safety inspecion in Los Angeles. Each town has different laws, but is this SAFE?

Is the living room paint PINK? Or does it just look that way?

If you're really going for New Orleans pink, try a banana-leaf green in the kitchen, and perhaps some tropical barkcloth curtains.

Huma,

Thank you for submitting your kitchen. I have the exact same problem! Old appliances, an off wall color, ugly cabinets (that are falling off the wall) and countertops, a door or window on every wall...and a small, small budget.

I'm planning to redo it now, so I'll post pictures in a few months after I've fixed it. I hope you post pictures of your redone kitchen, I'd love to see what you do.

I really love the goldenrod, you shouldn't be ashamed! I agree that the pink in the other room doesn't look great next to the yellow, but it sounds like you're working on re painting that area too. I would get rid of that ikea table chair set you have in there now and get something that fits two seated against the wall, maybe counter height so you can use it for prep too.

I'm really not about this yellow -too hard on the eye for me. But I do like the subdued earthiness of that vase on the counter. If it were my kitchen I would do it in sage green and slate blue - then you can leave the wood cabinets alone. I'd introduce terracotta orange-red to liven the room up, perhaps in some artwork or a fabric runner over that white fridge.

If you want to redo the floor, vinyl squares are inexpensive and come in a broad variety of colors.

Also, move the big clock between the cabinet and door so it can be read from the other room, and over the door and cabinet display something interesting to appreciate from the other room as well.

Because we all seem to hate the peach, almost anything you do to cover it will be an improvement!

Paint! Anything bright--even white. What about turquoise, bright green, a brighter, prettier yellow. Check out the Cambridge house tour kitchen for inspiration and great use of bright color.

Completely agree with getting rid of the horror that's the paint in the living room; painting the cabinets white; moving the fridge back where it was; and a bit of a tidy-up.  I love the yellow, also. A more substantial pot rack/hot pad holder over the stove would be nice, getting rid of the 2 that are there. Another issue is the countertop, about which I doubt there is anything that can be done. But perhaps it will be nicely offset by the other changes. Good luck with it! Please post after pictures.

Peachy, fleshy pink must die! Like, today! Argh!

Painting the cabinets would help the most, I think. But a lot of landlords are not down with it. And I can understand their point of view, since sometimes people really don't do as good a job as they should. If he won't let you, you could take all the doors off and put light-colored shelf paper down with light/white dishes to break up the darkness. Then put some cute curtains or fabric panels on tension rods across the cabinets that have unattractive kitchen stuff or odds and ends in them.

If there really is no other place to put the dinette set, then so be it, I guess. But it doesn't look very inviting or comfortable. I think it should be something smaller, like a bistro set, if it's going to stay.

I would run into the corner of that fridge sticking out every freakin' day if I lived there. Would your landlord maybe be willing to swap it out for a smaller, compact fridge? They make some that are bigger than dorm fridges and have separate freezer space, but are still smaller than a full-size fridge. These are usually very economical, too. And he might be down for it if he's able to sell the big one or if he has another property that needs it.

If you like the yellow, keep the yellow. I think a paler shade might make the room look a little bigger, but it is very sunny and warm. Good luck! Rental kitchens--argh!