Call be crazy, but I think the kitchen cabinets are charming, I even like the hardware. If cab's are sound they sure would look nice striped and stained the warm wood color of the wood ceiling in next room. If you can take the softs out (no pipes hiding in there) it would look nice with some matching stained molding up to ceiling to give cabinets some height & meat. A white farm sink would look nice as well, I think you can get them cheap at Ikea? An oil rubed bronge fauset would look stunning. I see a warm terra cotta cobblestone "look" tile on floor and a cream, green,terra cotta w/some dark on countertop, and, a nice sort of cottage green paint as the backsplash for now.

Amck, I posted on your original thread a pic of my kitchen with cream cabinets and painted yellow walls. I love her tile -- looks much like the color of my yellow paint. I used blue solid surface countertops and always thought I'd add yellow glass or ceramic tile later if the walls became uncleanable. But now we're moving, so I'm pretty much reproducing this kitchen -- with yellow glass tile backsplash. The comment I hear most about the kitchen is that people find it a cheerful, clean look -- "This is a happy kitchen."

Because I love my kitchen colors so much, given those yellow tiles, I'd reproduce what I have here . . . paint the cabinets cream, maybe do a laminate counter, and embrace the yellow!

Is she replacing her cabinets? Or, is she going to paint them?

I think a greenish, Verde Peacock-like countertop would look nice and might even go w/the backsplash. Not sure what color to paint the cabinets though...maybe the backsplash could be replaced with, at first a painted wall, and later tile (as funds become available).

I'm w/ Terible, I also like those cabinets... I think they would look good painted an off white or cream color & leave the hardware as is, but that's just me, I'm not very good at invisioning what something will actually look like. (Actually, if it was me, I would leave them as they are probably.) As for the tile, you can buy a kit to reglaze tiles... I don't know how hard this is to do, but she could redo them in any color she liked. I haven't done this, just heard of it, so, like I said, I don't know how hard it would be to do or how durable the finished product is.

I recently posted in this forum & the smaller homes forum about small eat-in kitchens & this is the exact type of kitchen I was talking about... It is almost exactly like mine (or should I say, my future (we are fixing up a MH to move into soon)) from the dishwasher all the way to the right of the stove. I love that big window in the dining area, but am a little disappointed that there isn't one over the sink... Is that doable or way out of budget? That would make the room much brighter.

If it were me, this is what I'd do, but again, I'm not a real great decorator... LOL. I would leave the cab's as they are, install a window over the sink if possible, reglaze the tile to a white or off white, then paint over the green w/ a cream color of some sort... I painted my kitchen Hazelnut Creme and it turned out good... It's got a yellow hue to it in certain lighting & I've heard that yellow tinted paints will bring more light into a room. I would probably even leave the counter tops as they are now until a later date, but that's just me.

Good luck w/ the reno & be sure to post pics of the finished project. :)

I had those exact style cabinets in my former kitchen. We painted them a warm white and replaced the hinges and knobs with brushed nickel ones. It was a sweet little kitchen.

If she can't put a window over the sink, what about some shallow shelves? That area needs something, I think.

Hi me again, here is a visual of how the medium warm stained cabinets would look with the green/terra cotta colors. You could even use the Ikea wood countertops to save money, they are very inexpensive. There are some pictures in the FKB, I think they used a hard sealer called waterlox (sp)? The white farm house sink would really give the kitchen a nice feel.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Thanks for your responses! To answer some questions -

Yes, they're keeping the cabinets which are sound, and solid wood. One thing they're certain of is that they want to go much lighter with them (soft white, cream, pale yellow..)

Can't put a window over the sink, as it would look into the MB... But the area is begging for a focal point, I agree. The light fixture will be replaced, as well as the sink and faucet. They want to go with satin nickle finishes on the cab hardware and light fixtures.

Pulling the current window treatments off the kitchen bay - especially the mini blinds - in addition to the white trim, will really brighten things up.

She'd heard of the product to paint tile, but the yellow was appealing to them and they wanted to plumb for thoughts on how it might fit into a color scheme.

Please continue to send ideas. DD will be checking in for your thoughts. They are the hardest working little couple, eager and excited to roll up their sleeves and make the place they're own.

Mc hudd - As we downloaded the "before" pics last night, the idea of posting "afters" was very motivating. Rest assured they will be proud to share them!

terible - I just checked out the Ikea farm sink you mentioned. Do you know if that can be installed with laminate countertops?

Someone asked if the soffits could be cut out - they can. No pipes or vents up there - they were an add-on. So there's possibility for adding molding - or doing something else - over the cab tops.

I agree with other posters on painting cabs light- white or cream. But I would lose the current harware as I think it is dated. As the wood looks like it has lots of knots, I would try Fine Paints of Europe Brushing Putty (applied before paint color)to even out the surface of the grain and eliminate any knots from coming through over time. As for everything else, is this remodel a stopgap for a few years, or is this going to last them a long time. That question would drive my choices.

IKEA has some great inexpensive items, like the apron sink that terible mentioned, and they also have really great looking butcher block counters in oak, beech, and birch, that are so inxepensive it is ridiculous!

I don't recommend painting the tile. It looks painted. Tile is an easy DIY, and you can get decent looking stuff cheap. Is the floor staying?? It looks like vinyl? If not, they could go over the vinyl easily with new vinyl tiles, or with click together flooring such as laminate, cork, or even engineered hardwood. this is also a DIY friendly project.

A new faucet, hardware and lighting all in the same finish can also pull a small room together, and is easy on the budget. Plus, all of these things can be done gradually as time and money permits.

I remember seeing a post of somone who had used the FPE Brushing Putty on their old cabs, and only a little bit of money, and they had a brand new looking kit. I weill try to find you a link....

The IKEA farmhouse sink (called DOMSJO) will work fine with laminate counters. There is a lip on the sides and back of the sink that is made to lay on top of the surrounding counters. So, even if you wanted to undermount the IKEA sink, you couldn't!

I think this kitchen has a lot of potential. My initial thought would be to paint the cabs either white or a very pale yellow, keep the backsplash, install a black laminate counter like Oiled Soapstone or Basalt Slate, and lay a black and white checkerboard floor.

Whatever color they paint the walls, they must paint all of that paneling!

Nicole

amberley, thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.

The house is a 3 bedroom split level, solidly built in the '70's, situated at the end of a cul-de-sac. The location is ideal for their work commutes. A major draw is the really large back yard with plenty of space for play (kids)and gardening.

They're planning on being there for at least five years - possibly longer. They're not enhancing the property with resale in mind, as much as to suit their own needs. They will get to the rest of the house as time and money allow, but they are eager to spruce up the kitchen and den. Since the den is the entry room, they'd like to tile it. One thought is to continue the tile into the kitchen to tie the rooms together. But they're also thinking of putting wood laminate throughout the main floor, including the kitchen. One thing's certain, the floor coverings in the pictures will go.

Fiance has done part-time work for a contractor and helped build his Dad's cottage. DD is comfortable working with power tools and has done a great job remodeling the condo she's in. All they lack is time and money....

Nicole - They are so with you there! They will likely keep the diagonal paneling in the den, but the paneled walls in the living room are going. All wood trim will be painted white.

Terible, I love that pick you posted. The existing cabinets could be done very easily to look like those.

Looking over the above posts I noted that in my haste and while multi-tasking...I mistakenly wrote "eager and excited to make the place they're own" --- I wouldn't normally post to correct a typo, but I know DD will read this and call me on it. Of course, it should be "their own." Aughhhhh!

Terible - I meant to acknowledge that pic, too. It really is a warm, charming look.

The point of reaching out for ideas at this stage is to expand the range of possibilities beyond their first thoughts. Thanks so much for posting it!

I like the tile. Here are my thoughts: Love the idea of cream on the cabinets. I think yellow walls would blend in nicely. I attached a link of a kitchen that has yellow walls and if you squint it could look like a nice yellow backsplash :-) I think trying to add another color may make it look to busy. (Yellow is hard.)

I think granite tiles for the counters would really add some bling. Something fun since the cream and yellow is a nice neutral background. As usual, new hardware and a fun lighting lighting fixture would add alot.

The window is such a focal point and should be played up. I think a bench running along the wall would be nice plus it will help push back the table since it is in a passage way. You would have to elevate it so it won't block the heat things.

HTHs

Here is a link that might be useful: yellow kitchen

Here is a bench made out of refrig cabinets. If they were shorter, you could add some kind of feet or platform to elevate them. (Darn the heat vents.) I think it would really cozy up the place. Plus you can add fabric on the cushions and pillow.

For flooring, I think a wood floor would be nice (since you are taking out the paneling.) It would warm up the space. A laminate or engineered floor would be fairly inexpensive. Did you ever see Oceanna's Novalis wood floor? Very nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: bench seating

Here is another yellow and white kitchen.

I'm done.

Here is a link that might be useful: Another yellow kitchen

Seriously, last one. I like the yellow wall idea more and more.

Also, how about a IKEA butcher block countertop?

Here is a link that might be useful: Last example of a yellow and white kitchen

Agree with the others that the cabinets have loads of potential. I probably would'nt paint them simply because I love natural wood when it's as nice as that appears in pictures, but I think it would be possible to turn it from the "rustic" style to something else.

What's their "style" - granite and italian tile, cottage (easily done with those bones), sleek modern?

Seems to me that just updating the floor and the wall colour will be a HUGE first step, and if money is really tight perhaps they could start with those and then reassess after it's done? Is the furniture theirs, or is that the existing owner? I think the look could be sooo different just with paint, floor, hardware and furniture changes.

I love the mockup somebody did of the differently coloured wall tile, too.

A different kind of counter could really change it too - not sure those beadboard cabinets would necessarily go with stainless steel counter (although perhaps if they were stained darker? Hmm....), but granite would certainly create a VERY different look than, say, butcherblock. I couldn't really tell how big it is, but maybe she could haunt Craigslist for counters and pick up a remnant of quartz or granite, even if only for part of it? Worth looking (for counter and many other parts of the project).

It looks like the house has great potential - have fun remodeling it!

Thanks so much for the recent posts!

Two things - The furnishings/decor in the pictures are the previous owner's.

It would be possible, though a little tricky, to move the heat register under the bay window. The banquette idea is very appealing!

kitchenkelly - the pictures you posted, especially the last ones, reflect the look they are going for. The pallette is neutral, but not drab and it doesn't lock them into staying with a specific color theme in the adjoining room the way colored countertops might. It looks fresh and warm, but doesn't drag them too far down the "cottage" trail.

Divamum - If I had to define their style,based in part on having been through house/kitchen tours with them over the past few years,(DD will chuckle at my attempt...) I would say it's Pottery Barn, only more personal. While I can see her showcasing an antique piece that is drop dead gorgeous, or has sentimental value, I can't see her in a home filled with antique furniture. That said, I can't picture them in a modern, sleek, sparsely furnished home either. PB sort of nails it, only with handmade, found, or collected items instead of mass marketed accessories.

Thanks again for all the help and inspiration!

If your DD loves color, I could see a French blue on the walls. I'm also wondering if son-in-law could fabricate soapstone counters? Just a thought. They sound like an adorable couple. I wish them every happiness.

Oooh! Ahh! Soapstone! How much would they love that?! I can visualize my daughter sucking in her teeth while reading your post, riosamba!

Maybe, someday, but for now I think even with DIY, it's beyond the budget. They're starting with the kitchen area, but there's still lots to be done throughout the house and they're having to pace themselves financially.

But now you've planted the seed!LOL

I've been trying to combine some of the suggestions that have been offered and want to run this scheme by you.

What if.....

They replaced the flooring in the Kitchen,LR & Hallway with med. toned wood laminate

Painted the cabinets a soft white/cream and added brushed nickle hardware.

Did a laminate countertop in colors resembling the last photo kitchenkelly posted.

Got a small counterheight gathering table(size of a sm. rectangular island, but open underneath)to put in front of the bay window (painted to match cabs) Had a couple saddle stools to slide under it(Wouldn't crowd walking space/could be used as a breakfast bar and also as extra counterspace to cool baked goods, etc.)

Tiled the den floor in a color that matched the countertops. Built a banquette (see Kkelly's suggestion) on the back wall and had a larger farmer's type table there, as well as a couple chairs on the opposite side so that they could enjoy meals and entertain with a view to deck and backyard.

Marry the two spaces by painting walls in a very soft yellow that works with the tile.

Do you think that's a plan that would make the best use of the space?

Is it getting close? How would you tweak it?

Would love to know your thoughts!

Your plan sounds very nice and pretty, it will brighten up the space and will be easy to decorate around. And, this sounds like what they would like.

Some things to consider for your DD is whether or not they want to make the space personal and spend a little bit more money & labor time or to work with the somewhat theme of the home and spend a little bit less with less labor. If they plan to sell in a few years some buyers in the future may love the painted wood and others maybe turned off and feel it a crime. If they decide to go with the current questionable theme, there are savings in labor, paint and supplies with all the knot putty filling, priming & painting of almost all wood surfaces and cost of replacing all the kitchen hardware. If they decide to work with what they have with a goal to bring it all together in a more cohesive flow, they can reuse kitchen hardware, showcase that nice wood ceiling in adjoining room by having the same wood tone on cabinets and even leave the wood trim around windows alone. From my experience knotty kitchen cabinet doors are easier to strip and stain because at one point you can use an electric sander where as with painting you have to wash, fill knots with putty, fill knots with putty again, prime, prime again, lightly sand, paint and paint again. Oh, and then there is the inside.

ItÂs a tuff call! I wish your nice family the best...they must be nice because you are so kind helping them out. Tell them how lucky they are, hehe.

Can they open up the wall btwn the den and kitchen where the desk is and make it a counter with stools on den side looking into kitchen?

The window area would be perfect for a built in seating area and you can easily switch out the wall heats to toe kick heating that would be hidden under the built in seating. A cheaper alternative would be to use non-built in benches and leave the heat.

My kitchen has cabs that were once dark grooved paneling, minus the 'fabulous' hinges. They were painted (somewhat poorly, I might add) a creamy white color and they are kind of cute, all things considered. Unfortunately, from there, TPOs put white laminate on top which really does not work for me. I replaced the brass pulls with some blocky ORB or blackish type of pull which was a big improvement. I'd love to have soapstone countertops, but no way would I put that kind of money/permanence on top of the cabs that I have. However, the soapstone laminate would look nice for a fraction of the price, and the yellow tiles would look lovely with it. For the floor, I put down a fake tile with some greenish and some rusty colors that was a very cheap and very easy DIMyself job but a huge improvement nonetheless, and gives the image of the appearance of what it could look like if someone with more skills and more money did the job right :)

Amck, I LOVE your ideas. I think painting the cabinets is the way to go if they are Pottery Barn kind of people. Most likely the next buyers will be young and like the same style. (Show me a young couple who doesn't like Pottery Barn...) Laminate flooring and counters are what would be expected in a starter home.

I think you are definitely on the right track.

I don't think anyone suggested this yet but, if so, sorry to duplicate. They could make it feel more light and airy by either removing some of the upper cabinet doors, or having a few or all replaced with glass-fronted doors, or removing the uppers all together and replacing with shelves.

The cabinets are probably better quality than most made today, so it makes sense to keep them.

Hello everyone! I'm the DD! I've been checking in regularly and am excited that everyone is so interested in helping me out with my remodel. I can't wait to actually get to work so I can show you the results.

Please keep posting your ideas, I love them. They have been so helpful already!

Hi Bride, nice to meet you. Your mom is one wonderful gal, and I have to say IÂm very excited for you and your mate. There is absolutely nothing like your first (?) piece of real estate together. I can remember sitting in my first home together with my husband dreaming of all the improvements, which was in 1986 a long time ago after the birth of our first son. We always made money to work up to the next level; it was a lot of fun and a lot of work (I was the laborer). I think in many ways the process kept us close and strong after all these years despite some minor disagreements. I am so excited for you!!!! Best of everything!

For a completely different direction, if I was painting those cabinets I would go with something like this look:{{!gwi}} Just for something different and fun. I would also do a fun, bright painting over the window, or maybe hang a stained glass window above it. Definitely ditch the vanity light over the sink.

I also think I would keep the sofit, and trim and paint it to look like the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling.

Another thought, since you guys are handy--You can get regular unfinished hardwood floors for about the same price as laminate. They aren't all that difficult to install, and a lot of people prefer them to laminate. (I do, anyway.)

Have fun!

What a great different look to throw into the pot, Raenjepan--comment coming from a yellow-and-white-kitchen person, too. Those people strolled their own path and it's fantastic.

Hi, Bride2B. I just wanted to hit the banquette note again. It's a great idea, and the heat register probably wouldn't have to be moved out, just redone at the front edge of the seat. I suspect everyone would want to sit there.

Also, if the thought of soapstone is causing a little hyperventilation, it comes in tiles. Someone I know who couldn't afford solid granite, purchased a piece big enough to hold a drop-in sink, paid to have the sink cutout, then tiled all around that nice solid frame for the sink. It looks very very good and professionally done.

Raenjapen, wow that looks fantastic!

Ka581057, that wall would look great opened up. I think brides range & hood is on that wall though. Wonder if they could move things around? Here's an idea only open wall is on wrong side.

Here is a link that might be useful: open wall

amck

When we lived in Baltimore, we renovated an old row house. The house had been a "landlord special"... it everything was pretty shoddy, and covered up as opposed to fixed / replaced.

We renovated the entire house, and had a really tight budget. Thankfully, the housing market worked with us, so we came out pretty well.

The kitchen was a room where we spent very little money, but had huge impact with some careful construction, a bunch of paint, and some "scratch and dent appliances".

We started with cabinets like your daughter's, and painted / replaced hardware. We replaced laminate tops with better laminate (due to cost... would have loved something solid, but it wasn't in the budget). Here's a before and after.

(Picture Before, with home inspector)

(After)

Friends always commented on how much they liked the kitchen... my wife and I would sort of laugh as it was the room with the least work done (both time and cost). What struck me was the vertical grooves in the cabinets in your daughter's kitchen. They really look sharp when painted, so I'd keep the cabinets, and change countertops, sinks, etc.

You know, if we're talking "Pottery Barn" style, you could go the opposite way to paint and perhaps stain them darker a la Celtic Moon (search for her many posts about how she gel-stained her oak cabinets a beautiful dark espresso - much less work than painting and the results she got are SPECTACULAR) and going with lots of brushed nickel, maybe putting the money into some really sharp light fittings to pull it into that style for not a whole lot of money.

Just an alternative thought! I couldn't find a picture of what I mean, but if I do, I'll come back and post again :)

Thanks for all the recent posts! It is heartwarming to see all the thoughtful responses.

Raenjapan - The kitchen you posted is a standout for lots of reasons, not the least of which is the unusual color combo. Even if they go w/ cream cabs, it offers some ideas they can use - such as removing the soffet and adding simple crown molding. They are inclined to go with the Ikea apron sink that someone recommended in an above post, and your pic shows how much character that could add to a small space.

alywa - Thanks so much for posting your before/after pics! Your cabs are so similar to theirs it offers a real life picture of how they would look painted w/new hardware. I can understand why people love your new kitchen. What an inspiration for someone attempting a redo on a tight budget. Thank you for sharing!

divamum - I remember liking Celtic Moon's kitchen, too, though I'm not clear on the details...I'll try searching, too.

rosie - Groom2b has weighed in on the plan I proposed. The idea of a baquette is a keeper with everyone, though he and DD would prefer it under the bay window as opposed to in the den area. Like you, I think it will be the most coveted seat!

A few people have suggested opening the wall between the kitchen and den. Though it would bring in more natural light, and more floor plan possibilities, there's no other place to move the range and hood.

Thanks again, for all your help and suggestions!

amck

Here are 3 more pics I found... they show some better cabinet details.

My mom had the same cabinets in a beach condo and she painted them white. They turned out great (like alywa's).
She also had the wood paneling in a previous home. Instead of taking it down and spending money on sheetrock, she painted the paneling a cream color (and all trim white). It looked great (kinda like beadboard). Plus they would save alot of time and money.

Thank you everyone, there are a lot of great ideas here.

alywa: Your pictures are great, they really show how a little goes a long way. I had been questioning how the cabinets would look painted, and now I just can't wait to get started.

I am very seriously looking into the farmhouse sink (from IKEA) but am curious as to what you would all suggest for my faucet.