Love the floor idea of going a little darker. We have less than two weeks for this project. If I painted all trim white and extended the floor into the kitchen, what color should I paint the walls? Grey? Could I leave the cabinets be, if the trim is white?

Sabrina, I sure do love your San Carlos Kitchen Remodel

@Fred, while it would be ideal to get all this done in two weeks, it doesn't have to be. The flooring and painting could be done much quicker without furniture in the house, but those are still big jobs to get done in that amount of time assuming you could even schedule sub-contractors that quickly. If you need to move into the space after two weeks, think about putting in the bare minimum of your furniture, e.g. set up your bedroom with a TV up there, and put the rest in storage pods until the flooring and painting are done. The kitchen and light fixtures can be dealt with over time.

The first thing is that horrible light thing in the kitchen replaced with proper LED pot lights with daylight bulbs to actully see colors . I would do all the floors the same as the entry.I agree the oak overload is too much . Replace the railing with a pony wall if you like the separation.I agree the timeline is tight so be prepared to do most of this after move in. I would be awesome to get the floors done so maybe see if you can make that happen and when you do it get enough flooring to make sure if you decide to do the kitchen later you have enough flooring to not have to keep the same footprint

Thank you Patricia! We get the keys May 22nd and then have till June 1st to move in. I am working to get the measurements done before hand so the floor install can happen near May 22nd. I am taking a week off from work to jump start this project.

Yes the light-box will come down. I have put in recessed lighting before. How many pot lights/pattern/size should go in the kitchen counter area/ kitchen table area and should I also put pot lights in the living room (fireplace room)?

As of now, I plan to use Engineered wood to match the hardwood as that will be easier than sanding and re-staining the hardwood and still look good.

Looking at the cabinets (not refaced or painted) entryway floor color and taking into account the trim will be white, what color of paint do you like?

You may paint the trim white if you wish but I would not paint the interior paneled wood doors. Wood paneled doors have more value than white - which are usually MDF (price them - oak paneled doors compared to MDF white paneled doors). Wood moves with changes in temp and humidity which can cause hairline cracks in the paint at the joints - and door have lots of joints. MDF is more stable to movement which is why it is used in painted cabinets and doors. On top of that, the upkeep for white doors is much more than wood, and they lack the warmth of wood.

Wood doors with white trim is a good look - it combines the brightness of the white with the warmth of the wood:

2016 This Old House:

Beacon St. Residence · More Info

As for painting the cabinets - you will have the same problem as with the doors. Also, the cabinets are oak which means the texture of the grain will show through the paint - the texture, not the color of the grain shows. It will be apparent that these were older oak cabinets that were painted white. Some methods say they can hide the grain, but the cost, which will already be high, will increase $$$. The durability of a painted over previously finished cabinet is less than a factory finished cabinet.

That said, many are not bothered by hairline cracks or oak texture and are very happy with their painted cabinets, or consider it a good refresh while they save for a new kitchen. It helps if the kitchen is not going to be subject to a lot of active kids or exuberant cooks. It is important to have good information to make a decision. What looks good in a pic may not look as great close up. If possible, see some previously finished oak cabinets that have been painted, preferably for a few years, and see what you think.

Painting the trim is totally up to you. Many of my friends and family have similar homes and none plan on painting the trim. There homes look fine.

If this was my house (and I had a big budget) I would remove / replace the kitchen light - and others, look into removing the wood over the sink - might need to figure out the crown molding there. I would replace the over the range microwave with a hood, run the hardwood throughout the main floor, do new counters and backsplash.

I would not do a cool gray wall color with the warm wood doors. (I would not do gray anyway having endured a gray, cold winter and my second April snow of the year - just not my color.) The only gray I would consider would be like in my first pic, which is actually a white with a gray undertone - BM Maritime White. If you keep the trim wood, the sage like green/grays are pretty with the warm wood and they look pretty with white trim too. As the gray trend fades, I am seeing more color and green/ gray is one I see frequently.

I have similar doors in my much smaller kitchen. I am satisfied with them, but have considered changing the doors out to an oak door with a more craftsman look - probably not going to happen.

My older, refreshed but still vintage kitchen:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~110720042

Love your kitchen. The sink and counter top look great! I will hold off on painting the cabinets and consider refacing down the road.

For the railing, should I paint the spindles white and leave the arm rail oak or put up a "pony wall" (not sure what look that is exactly)

I think a pony wall is a short wall - it would be the height of the railing but a solid wall rather than the railing. I don't have an opinion. If you have lots to do it would be low on my list - perhaps more $ than it is worth doing but you can always get an estimate.

My sink is a "short apron" Kohler Whitehaven which can be installed on a standard sink base cabinet. It is as deep as the "tall apron" style. If you consider it, do check one out in person at a plumb supply store. I like the vintage look of the short apron, but some prefer the tall apron enough to spend the extra money redoing the cabinet. Since I like a vintage look, I was fine with the short apron and the $$ savings not getting a new sink cabinet.

We think replacing the light in the middle of the kitchen as soon as possible is important. As for the flooring, you could do tile instead of vinyl. If you plan on keeping the cabinets the same color you could do something similar to this project we did below:

Flooring idea:

Alpine Ski Home · More Info

Alpine Ski Home · More Info

My wife is having cold feet about painting the trim white.... Any way I can pull off a good look while keeping the trim. Yes to removing the light fixture and new flooring.