apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

How long are you going to be in the house?

Painting the cabinets gray would be shooting yourself in the foot if you need to be flexible at all in terms of housing. Resale value would most likely go down.

Paint the cabinets white. Put on nickel knobs. Add a new floor of polished cement or slate. Change the counter top- to stainless or zinc.

IKEA, IKEA, IKEA!

Paint!
I'm sure you are going to get a dozen comments regarding color, so I'll leave that to people with better eyes, but paint the cabinets. And add some hardware, and buy some pretty dish towels at Sur La Table (they aren't expensive) and put something colorful on that shelf over the sink.

I also have a small kitchen that was updated by previous owners probably 25 years ago and is all white. White floor, white appliances, white cabinets, white backsplash.

I am considering having the cabinets painted, although they are MDF (are yours real wood? Looks like they are, which would be much easier).

The color scheme I have in mind may work for you, too -- creamy yellow cabinets, medium gray granite countertop, darker gray floor (if you're on a budget, consider linoleum -- the real thing, not vinyl), and a colorful tile backsplash (maybe green/blue tiles).

I've offered this suggestion before. If you can't afford replacements (ikea or otherwise), you can remove the doors from the cabinetry and see if that helps. You can see an example from Blueprint here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/home-tour-manhattan-apartment?xsc=stf_MSLO-PHOTOGALLERY

I have basically the same kitchen! My husband refuses to paint the cupboards white because he says it will "devalue" our house. *sigh*.

We are going to put in a grey glass tile backsplash.

The cheapest and easiest route would be to take the doors off of some of the upper cabinets and fill them with anything colorful

I painted my cabinets at one of my houses. They were a hideous dark "wood" via 1970. I painted them fire engine red with chrome handles. It turned out spiffy.

Yes, it was a ton of work, but it was totally worth it.

While some will say it "devalues" the house, I think that's a poor excuse to live with something you hate. It's your home *right now* so make it be the way you want to live in it.

You could take the doors off some of the cabinets, put some wrapping paper along the back of the cabinet and paint the bottom cabinets.

You could also use contact paper cut outs to decorate the doors instead of painting them. There was a buffet table featured on this site once that had wood grain flowers over a white background. I did something like that with contact paper instead of buying the expensive thing shown on the site.

Hi Aneta,

I had a similar kitchen when I moved into my new place, and I hated it, but couldn't bring myself to tear it out right away because everything was relatively new and in good condition. Then we had the linoleum in the house taken up, and the wood floors under refinished. Now I love my kitchen. Having a good floor really elevated the whole room.

Not sure if this is within your budget, but just a thought.

If you plan on staying, and doing something later when your budget allows, do something fun now with the stuff you plan on getting rid of anyway. I love the idea of removing the doors (or, maybe just some of them) and painting the cabinets. Just know that painted cabinets (done by anyone other than a cabinet manufacturer) aren't going to look great for a real long time. But, for now, a coat of paint may be all you need to freshen up the kitchen. (though, it looks as though your cabinets may be oak - keep in mind, the grain won't go away when you paint) I'm assuming your fresh-out-of-college budget won't allow for new appliances..? Then play off of the white and make that your accent color! A cool green or blue would be a nice cabinet color against the white. Or, for a more crisp look: a rich chocolate brown! And, of course other less-expensive elements are worth doing too, like tile.

On the other hand, if you plan on selling the house soon, or you don't see a complete makeover in your near future, play it safe and just do a fun back splash tile, and maybe some creative lighting from Ikea.

Paint the cabinets! Painting cabinets is not really very hard, set aside 1 weekend, just be sure to fully remove ALL hardware before beginning (and label where each one should go back to!).

However, dark grey cabinets with that dark countertop may get a bit oppressive, depending on how much light you get in the kitchen, so be careful how dark you take them. Definitely add bright pops of color, using tea towels, canisters, a new kettle on the stove, a brightly colored non-slip rug, and/or painting the wall under the cabinets. Since you have raised-panel doors, if you feel confident in your painting & taping skills, perhaps you could either paint the panels or the recessed area in a varied shade, to add some pizzazz and keep it from feeling like one monolithic bank of grey.

How about a dark brown dog? this one looks a little lost in front of the white appliances.

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

PS, here's a picture of my kitchen with the newly refinished 100 year old floors -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralder/2278486450/

and here's the before, with the old lino in view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralder/1808263684/

Paint the cabinets and do a really fabulous backsplash!

I think if you decluttered the countertop and added some great, colorful accessories and textiles (a rug or floorcloth, containers, etc., the cabinets would fade away. Because on their own, the cabinets really aren't that bad. Quite neutral, IMO. They do need some peppy knobs or pulls though.
And that little cubby over your sink is prime real estate for establishing a color scheme and making the overall look feel more purposeful. Paint or line the back wall with whatever color or pattern you love and work off of that.

I would also consider changing the backsplash to something with COLOR or layering something on top of it that's colorful...art or whatever. Again, I think this would really help draw the attention away from the cabinets.

You're EXTREMELY lucky if this is your worst straight-out-of-college interior problem. Live with it, or change the backsplash.

I feel like even if you didn't want to paint the cabinets, you could do a quick fix like a lovely glass tile backsplash for not too much. It doesn't look like much real estate to cover... Also, a lot can be had for putting stuff away. Clear the top of the stove, remove clutter from the countertops (if you don't use the toaster oven daily, you can stow it away and just leave the microwave there). Then maybe replace that tea towel and add a couple of pretty stone jars in a bright cheery accent color for some punch. You be surprised what a little cleanup/organization can do to an otherwise run of the mill kitchen.

Oops meant to say, CUTE PUP!!! :)

I agree with patrick. Where do you live that you can afford such a nice place straight out of college? You're very lucky...while I can understand that the style isn't to your liking, I would kill to be able to own a home that looks as nice as that. Congrats!

I actually like your idea of painting the cabinets gray. I would probably choose a medium gray (somewhere between the color of your backsplash, which appears gray, and the color of your countertops).

Use a fine grit sandpaper to sand down the doors and the frames, paint with a good primer, let that dry well, then your paint. Might take a couple of coats of the paint.

if the layout of the kitchen works for you and you planning to live with it for a while, the best way to approach it - to change cabinet front doors. It significantly less expensive then replacing cabinets. and will look so much better than painting. All you need exact dimensions of your cabinets and basic construction knowledge. Look for full overlay doors, so they will cover box frame. In your case you also would need side panels or skins for base and wall cabinets sides. The doors come with hinges, all you have to do, unscrew the old ones and put in the new. Adding cool hardware will be also beneficial.

I think its cute. It just needs some personality. A cool backsplash would do the trick. I love white cabinets, so I'm always for painting cabinets white. And if you upgraded to stainless appliances, the combo of white and stainless is so pretty.

Consider replacing some of the upper cabinets with glass fronts.

What about a movable island or workspace? It doesn't look like you have much counterspace there.

I'm unclear as to why having such a nice place right out of college means she shouldn't change something if she doesn't like it. Odd.

I love the idea of removing some of the doors and installing a colorful backsplash. I'm also in love with Marlo's floors. Beautiful!

My straight out of college house was a rented room.

What is the style of the rest of the house?

These cabinets are traditional. If the rest of your house is somewhat traditional but injected with contemporary or transitional elements and maybe modern art and furnishings, you can keep the cabinets as they are.

Then, like splatgirl mentioned, declutter, do something with the backsplash and knobs. That "something" depends on your own style preference. If you do like traditional, put some traditional hardware on the cabinets or if it's contemporary, contemporary hardware.

If you are going to do something "major" though, I would consider replacing the appliances with stainless models. But that would be my preference.

Channel your energy into learning how to become a kick-ass cook. If all your friends are also just out of college, they won't give a hoot about what the kitchen looks like as long as you feed them.

Besides, gray paint could go horribly wrong.

In the meantime, start saving up for new appliances.

I suggest you first do some research into the kind of kitchen you would like to have, then apply the design elements you like to your current kitchen. Simple changes in lighting, storage systems, or wall paint can significantly improve the space. For example instead of just painting your cabinets, take a trip to some large kitchen showrooms and make note of the cabinet finishes you like most, then look into reproducing them in your own kitchen. Many appliance manufacturers offer replacement panels inserts in various colors, or you may wish to consider creating your own panel inserts, which might lessen the impact of the white appliances on your kitchen.

You may also wish to reduce the amount of items on your countertops by replacing your microwave with an over-the-range model and incorporating other items into backsplash mounted storage.

I also just purchased my first home, which is a total fixer and have no $$ for big kitchen rennovations or new appliances right now, since I am focusing my attention on other parts of the home. My kitchen was a 1970s disaster, with similar colored cabinets as yours, yellow tile, and dirt that's probably older than me. I really dislike the look of mid-toned wood, so I painted the cabinets white, put on new hardware, and then painted the kitchen walls a poppy red (there's not a lot of wall space, so it adds a nice pop without feeling like I'm in a firehouse). My appliances are white. I added accents (candles, vases, flowers on the window sill) in white and soft colors to soften the red. It's not my dream kitchen, but I rather like it and the white really makes everything look clean and bright. Although I didn't do this, but I like the idea stated above about taking the door fronts off and showcasing some of your dishes or whatever.

My kitchen looks very similar to yours. I'd like to have the cabinets painted, but my husband isn't convinced ("Natural wood is classic," he says). Wouldn't it be great if builders-grade oak could come into style?

My first suggestion:, do not swap out your appliances & get stainless steel. That trend has seen its peak. Besides, the appliances you have now probably still work just fine, right? Since you're fresh out of college, I'm guessing you're in a starter home. Top of the line appliances aren't cost-effective in that market, anyway.

I like the idea of installing a microwave/vent hood over your range, but I'm not sure you have enough clearance. Be sure to take measurments before you buy anything. Most microwave/hoods are about 16 inches tall. Manufacturers usually recommend at least 15 inches of clearance between the cooking surface and the bottom of the micro/hood. Eighteen inches is better.

I agree - pretty generic - but it's great for selling down the line. I'd venture to stay away from painting if have real wood cabinets. There's a stain out there that will stain over what you have - you'd have to go darker, but an espresso or ebony stain would look GREAT in this kitchen. Later you could upgrade the appliances to stainless if you wanted.

to stain, ask your local home depot what the best stain to use would be. Then, use a deglosser to remove the protective finish. Stain with the new stain and use a clear satin protective finish. Viola - slightly time consuming (not much more than painting) and you'll still be able to see the wood grain.

I agree on de-cluttering.
I have a couple of nice antique trays attached to my fridge with magnets. You could add one to the dishwasher too.

add a glass tile backsplash
paint the walls

can't go wrong with swiss coffee cabinets. if you want to use grey, it'd work better on the walls. with the dark countertop, I like white subway tile. It's inexpensive and looks very clean and classic. this shouldn't conflict with the rest of your home!

I'd paint 'em white, but you should do whatever color you're feeling - if you hate it, you can paint over it.

But I don't think anyone has responded to HOW to paint your cabinets. I did mine a few years ago and it wasn't hard, just time consuming.

We took the doors/drawer fronts off, filled all old holes (the previous owners of our house had knobs in the middle of everything, which was weird and awkward), let that dry and sanded them lightly. We then primed one side, let dry, painted, let dry, repainted, let dry. Repeated for other side. Drilled new holes, added new hardware, rehung. I did edges by putting the doors on bricks so the paint could drip off the sides if I had too much without getting messy. We probably should have sanded in between coats, but I didn't know to do that then, and it frankly turned out fine anyway.

Materials: I used a glossy white paint (Behr, though I'm sure any brand would be fine and these days I'd choose something more environmentally friendly) and a small foam roller (no brush strokes and easy to use).

It took me about a week, doing one coat a day and letting each dry for 24 hours between the next - you could probably do it faster, but I was doing it at a time when my job was crazy and that was all I could manage.

Whatever you decide, just make sure YOU like the results and who cares what anyone else thinks? Our cabinets were a mix of wood like yours and dark purple with teal walls when we bought our house - I hated the colors but I'm sure the sellers loved them, and that's what matters.

My 2 cents..

Paint - White
Hardware for doors - Long silver handles
Backsplash - White/grey/black Hakatai glass tiles - This will add a sparkle to your kitchen as well!
Accessories - Red kitchen towels, some wall art
If you have enough money now or later - replace the appliances to get stainless steel ones

Paint the cabinets white so they blend in with the appliances. Change the hardware. Glass Tiles for backsplash are nice - you don't have a lot of wall anyway but if you do it yourself, this could be tricky. Otherwise do a paint treatment - I bought metallic paint and combed it to make it look like linen - it is very cool. Also, think about taking two doors - right and left of sink and cutting out the middle section and replacing with glass - it is not expensive. I helped a friend do over her country kitchen - we changed appliances, did some cosmetic changes and lifted the old floor and refinished the floor underneath. You could put in a wood floor or even cover the floor with a Chilewich type of option. Here are some before and after pictures to give you an idea of the how the cabinets came out. I am NOT a designer, just a side interest.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90258250@N00/sets/72157602280784304

Thank you all for all your wonderful, insightful and inspiring comments. As usual, I wasn't disappointed. I was away for a few days and didn't get a chance to participate in this lively discussion, but I read through all the comments and now I'm letting it all sink in.
I loved A LOT of the ideas listed above. And I can't wait to try out at least few of them.
As most of you have guessed this is my starter home. It's a little row home in Philadelphia and the guy who I bought it from replaced nearly everything but did it in the most "cost efficient" way (cheap). It's a double edged sword...on one hand you get new stuff that works - on the other - everything is low-end and very generic.
I think white cabinets with new hardware might be the way to go. I love the idea of taking off the top doors too.
Thank you so much, I think it's time to roll up my sleeves and do some work.
Aneta


P.s. Mario and Deb, congrats on your transformations - your kitchens look amazing and I'm very, very jealous.

p.s. 2 Theseboots...thanks!

i would paint the cabinets white, do something like this for the backsplash: http://www.glasstilestore.com/product_p/smoke.htm, and do a marmoleum click floor in lava http://www.themarmoleumstore.com/Default.aspx?MenuId=263

Good plan
I would also paint the lowers white to pick up the appliances.
What is your countertop budget?
Are you willing to change it or live with it?
And yes, remove the top cabinets and replace with 'floating' type open shelves.
The backsplash (colour, at least) must change for sure.

Not a bad kitchen usability flow by the way.
Practical.
(ps: can you live without a microwave oven?)

My husband and I did a few things to our similar oak cabinets, and the kitchen looks completely different. One was to paint them white, and put on nice pulls & knobs (we used stain blocking primer Zinsser 123 and then oil-based Benjamin Moore paint and they still look amazing 2 years out. We didn't even bother with a real sanding, since we used primer that could adhere to glossy surfaces, but a thorough cleaning with TSP is a must before painting). But the biggest different came from cutting out the center panels of several doors (hubby did this with a router) and then getting glass cut at a glass store, which we then installed using special clips from the hardware store. Cheap, and a huge difference. We added a subway tile backsplash...tile would be relatively cheap for you, since your kitchen isn't huge.

Finally, we had an old white fridge but no money to update, so we cut thin homosote-type material (about 1/8 inch thick) to fit the entire door of our refrigerator, painted it with a few coats of black chalkboard paint, and used builders adhesive to affix it to the door of the fridge. The freezer portion got covered with adhesive cork squares, and voila, a really cool looking fridge for only about $40. All in all, a lot of elbow grease but not a lot of $$, and now I actually enjoy being in my kitchen!

1) I wouldn't paint the cabinets, since I don't think the painted look would be an improvement. But I would get some funky stainless steel or red knobs for the doors. There are so many great styles. (I found some nice swirls at Target).

2) If I had the cash I would put in a red linoleum floor. That would spice up the whole look.

3) Is that tile on the wall? How about getting tile paint and filling in the occasional square of color too?

4) Clear away the clutter and get a shapely white lamp that hangs down over the kitchen area. You can do wonders with lighting.

I am in a similar situation, I have white appliances and standard oak cabinets (also my first house out of college). I am thinking of painting the walls a contemporary light grey color, painting the cabinets white too and adding brushed nickle knobs/handles to the cabinets. Also, to brighten things up, a colorful kitchen rug and other textiles are important. I think your idea is great- and if it makes you happy and feel good, that's important! Good luck!