Wait on the cabinet changes, but do a tile or stone backsplash.

I actually like your cabinets a lot, they look sleek. I would just try painting the walls a different color, maybe something reddish, or maybe you could try black like that post from earlier today :)

I would agree, paint the walls. The problem is the wall color seems to be not much different than the cabinets, creating a blah look.

I also gree, some nice knobs or handles would be nice, say in brushed stainless or some such. I like a bar type handle over a knob for a variety of reasons myself. Perhaps something simple and on the modern side to give the cabinets a simple dressing up.

But at the very least, repaint with something fun that does not blend in with the cabinets first.

re: "I agree with MrGreen."

Is that the first time that has ever been written on AT?

I like the cabinets also & agree that a paint-color change or backsplash will do wonders. I happen to be a fan of door hardware also, knobs on the cabinets & pulls on the drawers.

i'm not a fan of glass-front cabinets. at least frosted glass-front cabinets. because the contents of the cabinets show through and looks messy and irregular. we have frosted glass cabinets now and i liked it a lot until i put my food in it and everyone can see my oatmeal and soy sauce.

paint the walls, add a nice glass tile backsplash & call it a day. it'll be a huge difference.

and for future reference, you can't just turn those solid doors into glass front doors because "it has a kind of a frame" on the outside. you could, however, buy replacement doors.

I recently moved into a totally renovated condo myself, and have a very similar kitchen/cabinets. I would like to do some tile myself, to liven up the look, but have no idea what's the best way to go about it. The builder cheaped out over the sink area, where there really should have been a glassed in cabinet. I filled that space with a stretched canvas print:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13397653@N00/495048205/

Definately some hardware and a nice backsplash. There are a few places you can find online that will custom make frosted glass doors for your uppers. I'm a big fan of breaking up the new construction or newly rehabbed kitchen cabinet look.

You must paint and do a backsplash. You should also have someone make you a new carcass (or extend the existing one forward) for the cab over the fridge. It should be the same depth as your bottom cabs. It will look much better (the fridge won't look like it's sticking out as much) and you'll have a lot more storage up there.

I can't get a read on your countertop b/c the photos are too small but if it's shiny and black (god I hate granite) you could replace that with something more interesting like caeserstone.

no glass cab doors. they only look good in catalogues.

we have handles on our cabinets and we still end up dirtying the doors. Do all the other improvements first then decide if you really need handles.

moved into a rental with only frosted glass cabinet doors and while everyone thinks it's beautiful, using it is such a pain in the ass. as powkang mentioned you see absolutely everything in there so unless you have a beautiful stack of dishes that you plan to put in that cabinet, DO NOT replace them with glass doors. you might as well just take the doors off.

i'm actually probably going to screen print some paper and fit it behind the glass so you can't see the food/cans/different coloured anything behind it.

i vote for a tiled backsplash and changing the rest of the colour in the apt. that sort of peachy beige is doing you no favours. the kitchen counter and cabinets work well together. although.... i might push for paint in the kitchen more just because the wall behind the fridge is so exposed.

oh also about the fridge - insert a similar piece of wood from the floor to the top of the top cabs that is the depth of the bottom cabs. This, in combo with the deeper cabinet over the fridge will frame the fridge out a bit and make it look more built in. right now it's a bit of an eyesore.

We couldn't afford a subzero so that is how we did it and it looks pretty good.

You have a beautiful kitchen. Here are a few thoughts:

Above the refrigerator, you have a large gap. I'd store some things there that you only need a few times a year, and then I'd put a few large (in volume) decorative items on top of the refrigerator for interest. And/or stuff some faux wheat like frondy things in that gap, again, for interest.

I don't see the paint color a problem, but what I would do is put some artwork up on that wall in an interesting pattern, or even one huge piece, but to me, it's crying out for artwork. Perhaps you can fit a few narrow shelves there, allowing room for the freezer door to open. Maybe stainless shelving of some sort. Maybe have hanging utensils. That's a great opportunity to feature a variety of things.

The backsplash is another area to do something nice. Maybe a wall of mosaic glass tile, as was mentioned above. That color would look great that light green/blue.

I think I would consider glass doors, but with multiple mullions so that it shrinks the width of each door. Right now the doors are quite a bit wider then on the other side of the range. I'd manipulate that look via mullioned doors so that they look closer in size. Hardware is like jewelry, you can add that.

Point is, you can go bold and colorful, or soft and zen like, whatever you want, there are lots of opportunities here.

Long nickel door pulls and drawer pulls would look nice. Maybe a clear glass mosaic tile backsplash. Other than that, I wouldn't change anything.

I agree with snot about the fridge. The kitchen really isn't so bad, but the fridge sort of sticking out was the one thing that bugged me about it. Framing it out like he (she?) says would go a long way, I think.

Ooooh... I think you may actually live in the same building as my friend. You have the EXACT same fixtures, ALL of them: counters/cupboards/appliances/floors/lights/etc. I'll tell you the same thing I told my friend: I would like it better with some more splashes of color-- either through painting the walls or putting in a back splash.

J-fer in DC,
This is pretty much the standard setup for most new construction condos, townhomes and apartment rehabs in Chicago too. In fact, those appliances are considered upgrades because they will be listed as stainless steel appliances. So what we have is the realtor's magic formula, "hardwood floors throughout, granite countertops and stainless appliances." In most cases the hardwood floors are not really hardwood but a pre-engineered wood laminate. Sometimes if I'm in a car at night I look into the windows of new buildings and all the kitchens look exactly like this (mine included).

hello
i have the exact same cabinets in maple and stainless steel apppliances, just got done with the hardware-european bar pulls!
Also planning on painting a wall in black- chalkpaint!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9892940@N04/764408160/

Your kitchen is nice, and I'm jealous! If it were mine, I'd paint it a lime green color, add a fun, multi-colored, tile backsplash, install some under-cabinet lighting, hang a large piece of art on the wall by the fridge (or a big clock), get a cute rug, and call it a day.

Take a look at this kitchen wall colour. I don't think this is exactly the right shade for you: but it will show you the power of paint!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cantmakethisstuffup/687881337/

Look like many of us in new units/rehabs have similar kitchens. I can't wait to get some tiles in mine.

I think that you should paint the walls and the backsplash. BUT... for the backsplash, you could think about some other interesting material that you could EVENTUALLY put on it.

In other words, once you install a backsplash, if it's tile or something, especially, you'll not want to rip it out, because it will be expensive.

So... do your color experiments with paint. Think about painting the backsplash a different, even slightly different color from the wall color you end up choosing.

THEN... once you really love the color of the PAINT that you've put on the backsplash, then go find some gorgeous tiles that are that color.

Hi, and thank you so much for your responses. I should say--these are the pictures from the real estate listing, so yes, everything is blah, blah. We are DEFINITELY painting, so no worries on that. I'm really looking for some tile ideas, and whether everyone thinks subway tile is the way to go ...

I agree with everyone on the standard rehabbed look, and am just thinking of a few ways to jazz it up.

Thanks all for your help!

just realized the backsplash part of my question was left out...but that is what i'd most like to do: 1.) paint, 2.)backsplash. how does everyone feel about a bolder paint color and then a white glass subway tile?

The backsplash tile will depend a little bit on the paint color, or vice versa.

My intial though would be an off-white subway tile. That would go with many wall colors

Or 2"x2" multi-colored slate, with the walls painted one of the slate colors.

I meant " My initial thought."

spend some money on gorgeous tiles for the backsplash, all the way from the counter up to the bottom of the cabinet.

Maybe something like this:
http://www.annsacks.com/onlinecatalog/program.jsp?cat=268004&coll=268304&prg=274004
lots of other ideas from ann sacks that you can replicate more cheaply by combining tiles from other manufacturers in creative ways.

Then spend some money turning the peninsula counter on the left into an actual counter -- get a 24 inch wide granite or corian or butcher block or stainless or zinc top for it (if granite, have it match the other stuff, which can sometimes be a challenge).

Get a great stool or two to put under the counter
http://www.homeportfolio.com/catalog/Product.jhtml?catId=161&selected_anId=&prodId=61186

now you've got more counter space, a buffet, or a place for friends to hang out when you are cooking for them.

and think about painting the ceiling a cool color, inside the outlines of the soffit. pick up a tone from the tile, not the most dominant one.

and if you wanna get CRAZY cool, tile the big wall to the left of the fridge, floor to ceiling.

One of the things I've heard Candice Olson talk about regarding backsplashes is using that area to bridge the colors of cabinets (here, a mid tone) with the counter top color (here, dark, duh). And the other opportunity is to address the "color" of the stainless steel.

Using that formula, I'd be inclined to do a mid-to-dark slate tile, that picks up the warm steely gray of the appliances.

And the slate (perhaps installed in a subway tile fashion) will give you some more organic warmth which the kitchen may feel like it is lacking, in spite of all the wood.

I'd also really wait to do hardware til you've made some other decisions about the kitchen and the adjoining spaces.

A previous poster mentioned using glass panel on the back splash. The glass could be painted on the back then mounted. I'd suggest using decorative screws and appropriate rubber washers to prevent cracking. A good template for the glass shop would be required.
An interesting trick could be to put lighting at the back of the upper cabinets and tilt (slightly) the glass so the light flow behind the glass and radiates from the wall. There very thin led strings which could be used to do this. Obviously, I've been reading instructibles.com too long.

I'd mix the tile up somewhat. You could put a border of subway tile on the bottom, then a small border, then all mosaic tiles. I'm so tired of subway tile everywhere! Why not do something new/different? OR, do subway tile in a block pattern, meaning all butt up against one another as opposed to the running bond pattern, that would be different. You could also make a grid amongst the subway blocks with a single mosaic tile running up and down and side to side. I think subway tile will date the kitchen, I don't necessarily see it as classic, I see it as a trend, but that's just me. Whatever you do, I wouldn't use 4x4s, unless you mix those up too with mosaic tiles. Just some random thoughts!

Speaking of putting lights under the cabinets - that's another thing I would like to do to my place - does AT have any good links for DIY on this?

Art,
Yes, I'm with you that this type of stuff is very standard. But I am very detail oriented and I easily looked at more than 50 buildings with my friend before he bought his unit, and I never saw another (except for other units by the same developer) with the EXACT same combo of light fixtures/floors/trim between the floors and the walls/cabinets/counters/appliances, etc. Same wood, same finishes, same sink, same paint color, everything. Not to say it couldn't happen ;)

I would not do white subway tiles. That much contrast against the dark counters, cabinets and stainless steel will not look good.

I think something in a midtone, like slate would be nice and would bridge the colors together.

Find a paint that you like, that compliments the cabinets better first. This will help direct you to find a nice backsplash tile/stone.

I like your cabinets. I would leave them alone. Kitchens can get easily cluttered with your appliances, utensils etc.. so it's nice to have a sleek backdrop without alot of visual clutter.

No hardware. It would just add visual clutter.

I'd strenuously suggest a stainless backsplash. It would look great with the black counters and stainless appliances, and would make the cabinets stand out a bit more.

Formica makes a series of metal laminates called DecoMetal, one of which is a very good looking brushed stainless steel. A ten foot long sheet shouldn't cost much more than $100, and you could have it cut to fit the entire wall between your counter and the bottoms of the cabinets.

Add some under-cabinet lighting, replace the plastic electrical covers with stainless ones, and you'd have one snazzy kitchen.

If you were to consider glass panels in the doors, I'd suggest you consider fluted (Flutex) glass instead of frosted. It's got a dressier, more sophisticated look and should present less of a problem of the cupboards' contents showing through.

>>>"and for future reference, you can't just turn those solid doors into glass front doors because "it has a kind of a frame" on the outside. you could, however, buy replacement doors."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Actually, you'd have been correct if these were solid slabs of wood, but they're not. As is commonly true for standard kitchen cabinets, these doors are made of thin sheets of plywood in a solid wood FRAME. Anyone who's reasonably handy could remove a band of wood from the interior perimeter of the frames, allowing the wood panel to be popped out and new glass panes clipped in.

Snot - can you post pics of how you framed the refrigerator from the floor to the top of the cab? I'm doing the exact same thing to my place in the next couple weeks.

thanks

Congrats on the condo!

I bought my first place a couple of years ago and the kitchen was in need of sprucing. Since, like you, the kitchen wall of cabinets can be seen from another room, I made a radical decision to remove the wall cabinets. I painted the wall a bright color and did a clean row of open shelving - stainless shelving with some bamboo bowls to mirror the front of the lower cabinets would look great. It was a really inexpensive way to have a more modern looking kitchen. All my plates, bowls and glassware look great on the open shelving.

I agree with most everyone here. Fortunate for you, the most inexpensive way to resolve your "style" issue is to possibly do some mosaic work (small charcol, black and white perhaps) It appears you have a very functional floor plan the way the kitchen is positioned. That paint color is AWEFUL! Beige is lame no matter what you do. Both in the kitchen and in your dining/living room. Whatever is adjacent. The appliances are stainless, stay away from hardware it will be overkill. Just stick to paint and tiles. Get some colored bowls for the counter, etc.

I wish I had a link to add, but I saw this amazing kitchen, quite similiar in that it was boxed off from the rest of the condo but still open to, like yours. They painted the entire kitchen 'box', including the ceiling, a really dark and dramatic color (they picked a glossy chocolate brown) and then did glass tiles in shades of the same color along the entire wall (backsplash)...the end result was gorgeous. When not in use it sort of faded away but when lit up it just glowed.

kerry0 -

I think that subway tile is really, truly, sincerely NOT the answer here. I had subway tile in the 1926 bathroom of my last apartment and it looked fantastic there, and it would look fantastic in any place that had some kind of historical bent of almost any kind.

But I think that if you don't like the direction that your kitchen is going in, there are better ways to warm it up than subway tile. There are so very many wonderful choices in the modern kinds of tiles that you could find some very interesting kinds of textures and styles even if you wanted the color, itself, to be neutral. For instance, there are glass tiles, and metallic-finish tiles, etc.

Please do eventually post the results!

Thanks, everyone. I guess I will save the subway tiles for my bathroom, since we're going for black and white there anyhow :)

I'm leaning toward slate now and maybe even recycled aluminum tiles--have you seen them? they look super cool. i just don't want anything too shiny.

Is there a way to do slate and not have it so gray-looking? I suppose variations of gray would be good, for a variety.

As far as paint, the living room is going to be lots of greens and browns, so what would be bolder than that but not really clash a whole lot?

glass was my original idea, but if not white, then what?

snot? bruised? poopmama?

Seriously?

Kerry,
Slate comes in a variety of colors and types. It doesn't have to be gray at all. Check out these websites and see the variety that slate comes in.

http://www.walkerzanger.com
(go to online catalog/ stone tile/ slate)

http://www.arizonatile.com/
(go to natural stone/ slate)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajftuba/524021252/

Here's a pic of my slate, lots of variety in color and a really good deal price-wise! I could see a slate backsplash looking great, maybe the 4" squares would work, the color variation gives a great mosaic effect.