apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Tan counter a little darker than the cupboard finish, tan paint on the walls to knock the cabinets back (okay, okay, I have a thing about that cabinet style), and a colorful backsplash to put the focus there.

Alternately, go beige and gray throughout, but again put your dramatic accent color in the backsplash.

Paint the walls a neutral color, put granite tiles on top of your old cabinet, paint the cabinets in flat colors (doors a tad darker than the frames but the same hue) new hardware/pulls of your choice and finish the floors with cork or floating type wood/laminate (depending on the budget).

It's a lot of work but cheap and you can do it all in 2 weekends. I know, since I did the same...

I hope this helps!

regards,

Joel P.

I would suggest painting out the cabinets in a beige/brown hue that coordinates with the floor tiles, and make them look better. In order to not clash too much with the fridge & DW, I'd probably go lighter rather than darker (but darker than the stove) for the cabinets. You might even have some fun and paint the routed channel a contrasting color. I'd love to see a really nice glass tile backsplash that would bring color into the mix, and I agree with the corian suggestion.

Is the sink not working or something? Do the countertops not counter? How wasteful...

Depending on what you mean about what to do with the cupboards, I'm with Wende about the style of those doors. For me, that cottage style is not my cuppa, and if that's what you're referring to, I guess you could replace them, because just getting new doors isn't nearly as expensive as replacing the cabinets, themselves. If it's just the wood you object to, then paint suggestions of the other posters sound good to me too.

Corian? That's pretty expensive, isn't it? Just because you hate the current formica, don't rule out the idea of maybe a new formica, because it really is affordable and they have some amazing new colors and textures these days.

i agree with wende about the colorful backsplash. i also think you have a very warm and inviting space already, so unless you are a diehard minimalist and know you want to go cooler, i'd try to keep the feel of the space, but update the features and maybe play with color a bit. i like the balance of wood, glass, and ceramic tile especially -- it really grounds the space, which i think is important for a kitchen which is all about nourishment and taking care of one's basic physical needs. it feels substantial and tactile and REAL rather than minimalist and ephemeral, which i think would keep me feeling hungry all day long. if you are replacing your appliances, i would avoid the stainless steel look.

i have similar kitchen questions, but in a much smaller budget range AND i'm a renter. so i'm curious to see what advice others give you. i'm also having counter top and cabinet issues -- the counters are formica and hideously stained, and i have similar cabinets to yours which make the space feel very dated. i'm looking for ways to either fix those things or distract, but on a starving artist budget (willing to do some DIY, though) and a renter's scale.

I'd say that if you did want to lose the routed arch motif on the doors of the cabinets and if you wanted it to cost less than even just new doors, you might be able to glue on some luan onto the front of that, so it would just be a flat wood-textured front, and then perhaps paint that. You'd have to be VERY careful at all the edges of it, though!

You could also play up the cabinets, but with paint---either a light brown all over with a dark chocolate to emphasize the design, or a black and white. I think if they weren't oak, but painted, they might look cool...and at the very least, you could try that before gutting them.

For the floor--what about flor tiles...they say some of them are as easy to take care of as tile--or easier. Maybe someone out there has had them in the kitchen.

I think you could do something similar to my kitchen with the black appliances and such.... I have warm honey brown cabinets, black granite countertops, grey granite (?) tiles (backsplash and floor) and black and stainless steel appliances... somehow it stays warm, I think.

I didn't choose this (bought the apartment a few months ago, with a relatively fresh renovation) but I like it quite a bit.

see photo via link
http://homepage.mac.com/swasilausky/PhotoAlbum9.html

I like a faux/engineered soapstone for countertops, a stainless steel or soapstone farm sink, and a tumbled stone backsplash, laid on the diagonal, with small insets of a darker stone to tie countertop to backsplash.

Undercounter lighting will help with the (new) dark countertops.

Unless you are trying to do a total modernization, I'd leave the cabinets alone, or perhaps add some pulls that tie into the leading of the glass panels.

Get your color from a new window treatment... a tailored fabric Roman blind, wall-mounted so its top line continues the line of your cabinet tops.

I think a large scale crewel fabric on a canvas -colored background would be awesome here.

Just to play devil's advocate: To me, the only thing worth saving in that kitchen is the magenta countertop. ;)!

I am moving into a place with similar cabinets, and would also like to do some color therapy. Any tips on how to paint cabinets, ie what sorts of paint? Are there any types of cabinets that CAN'T be painted?
Thanks,
Rachel

Jeffery, I agree that the countertop is a great color but it does not go with anything else so the cheapest option is to swap it out.

I am searching for a site that had granite countertops that fit over formica counters (end up using thinner granite so you save on cost and mess) and meant to look for it when someone asked about prefab granite countertops but was too busy to do so then...

Jamie Pup, I am very interested in that link. I also have a magenta countertop which TOTALLY clashes with my terra cotta color linoleum tile floor.

Rachel, I think you can paint either wood or melamine cabinet doors as long as you either sand them a little and give them a really good prime coat.

jamie pup--
Pretty sure that product was featured on HGTV's "I Want That!". If not that one, it was definitely on an HGTV show.

curtis -- if i'm painting stained/varnished wooden cabinets, do i need to completely sand away the varnish and stain, or can i just grit it up a bit with a light sanding, prime, and go?

i'm really interested in Christine in DC's black and white idea...

if you're into some DIY, you can add a new color to your floor without ripping it up by regrouting. it's really not that hard and it would be an added complement to the new color scheme you choose on the counters.

granite tiles: http://www.benissimosystems.com/

FYI-Use Bejamin Moore Fresh Start Indoor/Outdoor Primer and formica can be painted. (But I agree that the countertop is the best thing about the kitchen.)

You could paint the kitchen walls, cabinets, and counters the same color, and then glaze the cabinets, and put a faux finish on the counters. Tile can be painted (if sealed afterword) or glazed.

If this was my kitchen, I would paint everything tan, glaze the cabinets, and save the magenta countertop. The tile is fine, I would just make sure I picked a tan that made the floor look good.

TIP: To make old formica look like new, use paste wax made for good furniture. Apply the wax. After it dries to a haze, buff. Repeat. You won't recogize your counters. A contractor who was working in an old house for me, came to work the morning after I had done the counters the night before. He was so shocked by the change in appearance, he offered me a $2,500 discount to tell him how I did it.

I understand, Jaime Pup, but can't you just picture it? Magenta countertops, white cabinets, white walls, white appliances, chrome hardware, zebra-striped flooring, a checkerboard window treatment . . . and Sparks' "Cool Places" playing on a loop in the background. Sometimes I miss the '80s. But I digress.

Hi-I'm not Curtis, but an indoor/outdoor primer will allow you to paint over a gloss paint. Paint with prime, let dry, sand lightly just for smoothness, and prime again. With Bejamin Moore, you only need one coat of paint, and make sure you use a gloss paint in the kitchen.

actually it's not a gloss paint i'm painting over -- i know how to prime and deal with gloss paint.

my cabinets right now, much like Regan's here, are wood that has been stained and sealed with a poly varnish or laquer. maybe high gloss paint and poly varnish are basically the same, i don't know, but i didn't want to assume that one could just prime and paint over it like gloss because i'd hate to ruin my cabinets even further. better to do it right the first time. i know when refinishing wood (i.e. if i wanted to restain them or something) you have to COMPLETELY sand every bit of everything away, which is a bit of a chore as, like Regan's, my cabinets have all sorts of grooves and trim and such that will be difficult to sand out.

so is re-doing stained and poly varnished cabinets the same thing as painting over high gloss paint?

Rachel, most anything can be painted. The trick is to prime properly, so the paint will adhere. Benjamin Moore is by far the best paint. Once you are primed and ready, you'll only need ONE coat of paint. I am painting my house now, and have learned a ton from my Benjamin Moore paint store owner.

I can now paint wood, mental, plaster, and concrete with the best of them. And I have learned how to stain wood and concrete.

I have done a little glazing, but I am getting ready to paint and glaze my cabinets. I am doing mono gray (the color of my grout) in my kitchen, and then I am going to glaze the cabinets and wood trim in black.

are you, like, a stealth marketer or something?

maybe you weren't talking to me, but as i just said twice, my question doesn't pertain to whether one can paint cabinets (i know that one can, and yes i'm sure that any benjamin moore product i could choose would make the process just that much easier). it pertains to SANDING pre-existing stain and polyurethane varnish from my cabinets before i prime and paint them.

having never painted over POLYURETHANE VARNISH (not pre-existing high gloss paint), i'm not sure to what extent i need to SAND the cabinets in order for the paint to adhere properly and go on smoothly.

sorry if you weren't talking to me.

Yes I believe gloss and poly are the same. At least in terms of the need to "cut" the gloss so the new paint will adhere. This can be done three ways as far as I know. The easiest is to seal it off with a primer, if you are going to paint again. (This requires a special primer. Not just any primer will do it.) If you need to remove the gloss or poly to stain again, this can be done by sanding, or with a product called Liquid Sandpaper. Liquid Sandpaper is easy to use, and not toxic. I paint it on with an inch wide paintbrush, then wipe it off. I use it to remove layers and layers of paint even when I am repainting. In the house I am doing now, I discoved what I thought was plain wood trim had nine details in it over 3 1/2 inches.

hm. the Liquid Sandpaper sounds interesting. is this something i can get at home despot or my neighborhood hardware store?

No, I just come from a family that restores houses. I learned about B. Moore paint from the professionals before I started painting for myself. The house I am doing now has been in my family for 53 years, and my mother also painted this house herself in the '50.

I get it at Home Depot.

Without knowing your budget, I'd suggest picking up the gray grout color and doing everything in a warm gray and white, with accent color in the back splash. Paint and/or reface the cabinets with a warm, glossy white or a (light)glossy dove gray. I'd suggest a gray counter top as budget permits -- Silestone, Ceasarstone, or honed granite or slate. I assume that your budget is limited, or you would be redoing the floor as well, so you probably want a manmade counter (Corian, though is as expensive as natural stone slabs). My preference would be for a stainless steel sink, but if you prefer porcelain one I'd suggest white. For the back splash, I'd do a glass tile or tumbled stone (depending on the slickness of your counter top) with a mixture of warm grays, beiges, whites, and perhaps golds and russets -- you should go inthe direction of whatever the undertone of your floor tile is -- and a bit of black if you are keeping the black appliances. I've seen tumbled marble tiles that would look great, as would one of the lighter slate collections. You have to be careful, in this color range, to have enough contrast somewhere so that it doesn't look like a one-tone kitchen from the early 1990's. To do that, I'd suggest doing the counter in a dark tone, and putting plety of color in that back splash.

I agree with Jeffery, I love the magenta...it would be great with white and stainless....

I replaced my counters with silestone, an engineered quartz that was cheaper than granite and corian (purchased thru contractor) and easier to maintain. Really like it, can put hot pans on unlike corian, cleans like a dream and comes in lots of finishes and colors. I also refaced my cabinets rather than replaced, but I think yours would look fine with a paint job. Highly recommend undermout sink in stainless (I'm always going for the least amount of maintenance). Like you I didn't have room for double sink so got the deepest sink I could get away with, can fill with pots and it doesn't show. The floors not bad, you could always regrout with black grout to be more dramatic, but I think they are a nice neutral that would go with any color scheme you choose. And one last pointer from this low maintenance loving neat freak--I think tumbled marble tiles great but several friends say they are a little harder to clean. Glass tiles, though pricey, are beautiful and easy to windex. Tile easy and cheap, but keep grout lines as narrow as possible.

I just wanted to suggest a taunton press forum for these sorts of questions--ditto for the window thread. If that violates tou, I apologise.

I do know that when painting cabinets it is best to spray paint them with melamine. Hate the stuff, but regular paint--no matter how it is primed or sanded (sorry, don't know the answer to that one!) will eventually wear off. :(

Oh and I love the pink countertop. So refreshing! As for the cabinets--I'd take most of the doors off the top anyway--and then if I got tired of that--put up green frosted door fronts. Paint what's left white. But then I love pink/black and white combos!

Ok--just had another look at the countertop.
Pale-hardly there--whitish frosted--NOT green, lol!

I WISH this was my kitchen. I have a terrible kitchen though the cabinets are a darker brown and not ugly. It's just worn out like me. If that were my kitchen remembering how worn out my real kitchen is, I would just be grateful and paint the paintable part lilac. Is that so wrong, so terrible? Maybe but that's what I would do just to save money not because I was abiding by any aesthetic. It would be a very pretty muted but deep lilac. If I were CHANGING the kitchen, well my least favorite part is the color of those cabinets. They're icky and look like those flipper kitchens on tv. Sorry, Maxwell, I know you came to the world's attention through the boob tube. Flipper kitchens gross me out and I am so sad when I see them in apartment for sale photos.

opoponax -
team decor is right. I think a light sanding just to give a little tooth, and then a really good primer. I like Kilz and BIN, both. Actually, the water-soluble versions of both are actually pretty dang good for such projects.

cool. for whatever reason i have a really hard time understanding what team decor is talking about.

so i just give it a light sand and just the regular kilz? sounds so easy... i was sure it was going to be a huge chore with hours spent sanding out all those little grooves.

I love Jj.

Hey, just as an fyi, Dwell magazine has an ad (in the back, where they have tons of modular-style ads) about a self-stick laminate that you can use to redo counters and other things.

I have no idea how well this works, but you may want to investigate. I can't remember the company name, but I can look it up if it's of interest.

It's of interest to me, Fiona. I would like more info if you can find it.

Sure--I will look tonight. If it actually works well, it's a cool idea!

An option for covering existing countertops. http://www.granitetransformations.com/

by the way, wtf are flipper kitchens?

i'm guessing it's related to the notion of house flipping and not dolphins but help a girl out here?

Yup, house-flipping. Put in a cheap kitchen with snazzy finishes because it only has to look good for the open house. Alternatively, put lots of silk-purse finishes in a sow's-ear house, because it's easier to upgrade finishes than to deal with problems with the shell or roof, and many buyers won't have the necessary inspections done.

Yes, I know some house-flippers are ethical people with great contracting skills. They're the ones who'll still be flipping successfully when the boom cools down.

I agree wholeheartedly with Patrick (the other one). I'd also paint the cabinets, probably white.

I never thought I'd like white cabinets until I moved into a place with them, and they're fantastic. Not a sterile bathroom-y white, but a warm decorator white.

A carpet cleaning company with steam machine can clean that grout for you too, then you just need to seal your floor.

And the top edge of whatever window treatment you go with should line up with the cabinet tops. Cleaner line. I'd probably have a shaped cornice with an interesting curve at the bottom.

Here's the laminate info. It's called FX Sheeting.

www.alsacorp.com

Next time I am at my sister-in-law's, I'm going to take a photo of her kitchen cabinets for this place. She painted them two pastels, and while that sounds weird, it's really cute. Not for everyone, but it definitely works and is so her style (she is an art director)

Stain the cabinets to a really nice deep coco color almost ebony; replace the sink - a black sink to work with the appliances (or stainless steel). Back splash can stay just regrout to freshen it up. The flooring: dark wood floor (by Prego) its can be installed over the existing flooring and just fits together like a puzzle. And finish the look with a creamy Roman Shade for the Window with a deep magenta trim.
You will have a very sophisticated high end look. for little expense and effort.

Pasted from HGTV website...
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_kitchen/article/0,1793,HGTV_3375_4299953,00.html

Countertops–$38
To give the appearance of concrete countertops without the high cost, epoxy grout is used to resurface the existing countertops. The first step is to rough up the countertops with sandpaper so the epoxy will easily adhere to the it. Step two is spreading epoxy grout over the existing Formica countertop. While the epoxy is still wet a large board is scraped over the countertop to level the surface and keep the edges smooth. When the epoxy is dry the countertops are sanded again with electric sanders to give it a concrete-like appearance.

epoxy grout: Tile X Design – 178 black orchid ZCCB00000E

I love pie's

Does anyone know where to find that epoxy grout featured on HGTV? I tried Lowes and Home Depot and all salespeople I asked looked at me like I had 500 heads. Thanks.

HGTV, Decorating Cents, Episode 2512

Greetings,

Thanks for watching the show. This is great for a quick fix. You can get the Epoxy Grout at most tile distributors or home improvement centers (Lowe’s). It can go on any surface as long as it has a rough texture to adhere to. You can also rough up the surface if smooth, with sand paper or a wire brush. It’s great for that industrial concrete look.

What’s great about this product is that it comes in many colors from black to grey, and white to red. It is used for commercial kitchen floors, so, you can use any chemical to clean it. Because it is a plastic base material, you want to use it like Formica, and not cut or place hot items on the surface.

Wear clothing to get messy in. Tape around fixtures (sink) so the epoxy doesn’t hurt it. Spread the Epoxy evenly over the countertop 1/8-1/4”. Wrap Epoxy over edges. It’s alright if edges are uneven, we will sand them smooth later. Pull tape off before material dries. This stuff dries quickly, about and hour after mixing in the bucket, so work fast, or have extra hands helping. 1 gallon of grout covers about 25 square feet of surface. Let dry 24 hours before sanding. Sand to desired texture (Use standard 100 grit sand paper). You will run through lots of paper, so have a lot on hand. After sanding wipe clean with a damp towel. To bring back the luster of the epoxy use an oil base cleaner (orange glow, Lemon cleaner, etc.).

The intended use of this product is for grouting tile not manufactured for covering full surfaces. C-Cure can not be held responsible for malfunction of this product when used as a counter top material. The manufacture used in the show was provided by C-Cure, Epoxy Grout. Do an internet search to find a local vender. Or check out C-cure.com. We can ship orders for a freight charge.

Thanks,

Todd Kukral

Thanks Todd, Lowes over in Southeastern Mass. does not carry it and C-Cure's closest distributer is in Chicago. I'd love to get my hands on a gallon of their #51 Sand though. Any suggestions how I could order it and how much it would cost? Or is there a similar product that typical stores in the Northeast carry that would offer the same results? Thanks

I know lowe's has a epoxy gorut but not by the same name that i used for the show. But it works the same. otherwise check local tile distrubuters in your area, or you could order it from tile x design in MN. (736)551-5900. You would have to pay shipping though. good luck, -Todd Kukral

I gave my tile counter and backsplash a makeover using a method called "Miracle Method". It came out fantastic. They come in and fix any imperfections in your tile and you pick your finish, I chose black stone finish, it is applied over your tile countertop and your grout.
No more having to seal groat it is great. Very inexpensive compared to removing and replacing your countertop. Still working on my cabinets..I have painted them a Clamshell color but would like to get more info. on glazing them.

Hello, I am trying to get in touch with Todd Kukral. I just saw his wonderful work on bedroom makeover on Decorating Sense. I loved his fresh ideas and wanted to know if his services are for hire. I am interested in redoing my master suite which includes a bathroom and separate sitting room. Of course, I need to do all of this on a "BUDGET". I would appreciate either Todd or someone on his staff contacting me at mtinsley5@kc.rr.com. Thank you so much!!!

Todd dose have his own practice. It's called Interior Stylist, based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I know he's in the works of launching a web site but i don't think it's going to be up for a while longer. Check back for more information. You can get in contact with him by eamil at: cruxton82@aol.com.