apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hi Debbie,
Congratulations on your new home! If you don't like your current cabinet fronts but the insides of the cabinets are in great shape, you could always replace just the cabinet fronts. An even less expensive option is just removing the fronts and having open cabinets and painting the outside (white might be nice).
There was an article (I think it was in Domino) a few months ago about ripping out the top cabinets and replacing with open shelves and then using fabric in front of the bottom cabinets after removing the doors.
I have never owned my own place so I've never redone a kitchen myself, but IKEA seems to have a lot of inexpensive kitchen cabinet and shelving options and I've seen many IKEA kitchens in AT house tours and contests that look great!
Good luck, have fun and congratulations on the baby!

Debbie,

If the cabinets aren't in great shape...you can still consider using IKEA bases (there've been some articles about the construction being pretty decent...search the AT:NY site for that) and doing custom doors. as for a counter top...butcher block from IKEA...

AT:SF posted a link today to a DIY project for covering ugly countertops in copper.

Debbie,

I couldn't tell from the photo: are the countertops in good shape? You might be able to get away with keeping them if you just address the cabinets - turning dated into vintage charm.

From the photo, it looks like the tiles have a great goldish hue - play it up with some rich reds.

Just a thought.

I agree with you Thew. From the picture the counter tops look neat - if you ignore everything else around them. I was thinking you could play it up with yellows but red sounds great too. Would depend on what is outside the frame of the picture.

As for the floor - get a rug until you can do what you really want to do to the floor.

This kitchen has a lot of potential and you can probably do a lot for a little money and time. Good luck with all the new adventures that await with the home and the family :)

People will perhaps cringe at this idea... but...
Painting out the cabinets all white would really open the space up. Replace the hardware on the cabinets with something more modern in a silver tone. Flooring could be a really nice looking peel and stick- i've seen some lately that are much more realistic-less-tacky looking.

Hi Debbie! Congratulations on the new house and the baby on the way. I've redone a few kitchens that started out like yours. If you're wanting a "quick fix" to just get you through the next few years without breaking the bank, I'd echo what some others have already suggested: sand down and paint the cabinets, replacing the hinges and the knobs. Use an oil-based primer and oil-based paint -- it's a pain to clean up after, but it will last so much longer! (Have the primer tinted to match the paint so any scratches won't show.)

I'm assuming you really don't like the tile tops -- grout on the countertop is so difficult to clean -- so the cheapest, prettiest way to go is butcherblock tops from Ikea. I like the oak ones, which are more substantial. They look great with painted cabinets, are easy to install (you just need a saw to cut them to size) and while there is some maintenance involved, they would be a big improvement over the tile.

If you have the opportunity to spend more money, just buy yourself some nice new appliances and a few accessories.

My recommendation for the floor would be to ignore it for now, possibly covering it with a rug or carpet tiles. It's usually better to address flooring throughout the living area at the same time -- and when your budget isn't so stretched. =)

Good luck and enjoy your new home!

Debbie,

Further congrats on the new place and the impending baby.

I'm going to go against the grain and suggest that you live with the cabinets and the counters for a while.

You just moved and you're pregnant--you've got quite a bit on your plate already. Further, your finances are still recovering from buying the place and they're about to suffer the shock of the baby's arrival.

There's also something to be said with living in the space for a while and seeing what works and what doesn't work about the current layout. It would suck to sink scarce resources into a big project only to find that it's totally unworkable for how you live.

Paint is cheap, but doing all those cabinets will still be quite a project and you may not want to be breathing the fumes just now. Maybe get a fresh coat on the walls and ceiling--that's fairly quick and easy and also will make a big impact.

I like the suggestions of changing the door hardware, and putting down a rug. Way less expensive than new cabs and fixed flooring but can make it liveable til you can really do it how you want it!

Best of luck--and for sure let us see any "after" pics.

Tile countertops are a really bad idea, and I can understand why Debbie wants to get rid of them. Grunge collects in the grout lines, and if you're a baker, you can't knead or roll out dough directly on the countertop.

There are companies that make granite countertops that you can install directly over old countertop if you don't want to go through demolition with a baby on the way. Also, I've heard that you can get a machine shop to make stainless-steel countertops that install easily over the existing surface, so that might be an option for you, too.

Also, with a baby on the way, you might not want to be messing with the nasty chemicals you would need to strip and refinish your cabinets. If you really can't live with them, I'd remove the wall cabinets and replace with open shelving and live with the base cabinets for a while.

Moi,

I'm with you, I would sand and paint those cabinets white. They look great that way and completely change the look of that room.

I agree...paint the cabinets, apply some peel-stick flooring and the countertop tiles will be actually cool. And hopefully you will be able to afford new a countertop treatment in the near future.

And YES the key is the color scheme selection.

Here is an idea:
Does anyone know of a product for dying the grout....hmmmm. Maybe a yellow to match the new cabinet color??

In teeny tiny Sydney there is a company that regrouts tiles - there has to be one in great big LA. If you've steady hands you could DIY this. Or glue more tiles over the top.
The thought of carpet or rugs in a kitchen always turns me off - think of the ground in mess. How about loose laid vinyl or glued down marmoleum.
Rip out those cabinets surrounding the fridge and put in as many drawer units as you can afford - I think there is more wall we can't see - from Ikea with a laminate counter. You can reuse them later.
Haeffle make counter height legs - bolt them to tops and slide drawers (any kind) underneath.
In Sydney there are a couple of companies that supply cabinets to the building trade. You have to pick up & assemble them yourself. Must be similar in LA.
Buy a second hand kitchen - rich people dump new kitchens from apartments or when they buy a house to do their own fantasy. Keep the bits you want & sell the rest.

Congrats on the condo and expected baby!

I have the same countertops and budget for my kitchen. I suggest replacing the countertops first because they are the most used space in the kitchen (chopping meat, slicing vegetables, drying dishes, etc.).

I am following the suggestions please post more! I will also note that the counter lip is raised above the title surface. Placing stainless steel (expensive?) or butcher block over the existing title may not work. Removing the title before installing new tops is a better option.

I agree, paint those puppies white, and consider putting in laminate flooring that snaps together. it's cheap and easy to install.

You'll be able to redo the kitchen in a weekend without spending too much $$

i haven't gone yet, but Habitat for Humanity has stores in Gardena and Orange County which sell donated, v. discounted home improvement materials:
http://www.restoreoc.org/. also check out recycler.com, sometimes contractors/homeowners sell and give away building surplus materials.

If you need to find a local countertop pro, you can try
ConstructionDeal.com and post your request. It's free to find someone to come out to do it. And you won't have to call a bunch of companies, they'll see your project and contact you. Which can save you time. You can choose how many you want to contact you, too.

i try to avoid white-whites unless the architecture or design is flawless. the style of the cabinets seem traditional, so it might feel "hospital/clinical/institutional". try:
• paint walls a sexy dark gray with green undertones and cabinets a fresh neutral-sagy-green. or vice versa, but use flat enamel. you can adjust how saturated and intense you prefer your colors. they could even be those shades but in the "off-whites".
• search websites for inexpensive pulls and hinges in warm bronzes. they're like jewelery for the room and will freshen up any room. try dlawlesshardware.com/index.html (we got the twigs and spray painted them glossy coral red)
• redo countertop tiles yourself (like slate tiles) or check out ikea's wood counter tops, which are very nice and wears well. the warm tones work great with the neutral/gray/green-s.
• there are some amazing woodgrain vinyl flooring. maybe something in white-wood. avoid the tiles-- they never look convencing.
• leave an area available in the kitchen to put fresh flowers or leaf-arrangments. that's always nice.

Good luck and congrats!

wow thanks for the great ideas everyone! after watching countless hours of HGTV, my first instinct was to paint the cabinets white & replace the door hardware, but I thought the fresh white cabinets (modern) would clash with the current tile countertops (70s). The tile itself is in ok condition, it's just so dirty and ugly :( It might look better to sand down the cabinets and stain them a darker wood color?

I love rocky 323's post. I couldn't agree more. I love white kitchens as well but I think in your kitchen it might be too blah. Gray, cream, black, etc. would be pretty. However, if I were you I would leave the kitchen the way it is for now....you might change your mind a few more times and just living in it for awhile might gain you more good ideas! I am also in the middle of updating my 1988 built kitchen, which has bland wood spec-house cabinets and a pasty gray countertop. I am going to paint my cabinets a light gray with hint of green, the countertop a dark charcoal gray, and the floor a dark brown pergo. I have read that you can paint ceramic tile and laminate countertops....(google "painting ceramic tile") so I am going to give it a try on mine. Maybe for now you can just paint the tile a cream or tan color until you figure out what to do with the rest of the kitchen. If it works with future plans, great! If not, you have nothing to lose! Good luck!

hi,

sometimes on a tight budget you can do wonders.
perhaps, remove the vinyl floors and see what's under, concrete or wood. create the mood of space with how the floors look. if its concrete chances are the subfloor is smooth really only need to be sealed and this you can do yourself.
if the subfloor is wood, try nailing long sheets of plywood or another material in a tile form.

cabinets and countertops. look for display sales or work with a kitchen desginer with your max budget to meet your needs. a good designer will work with you to meet yours goals.

peter
poggenpohl los angeles

New hinges, drawer slides, and knobs might be in order. You can get all of these things really, really, cheap at D. Lawless Hardware. They will go a long way in making sub par cabinets look quality, especially if you plan to paint them.