That looks great, Taystie!! (LOVE your name)

Do you think the stove could go where the fridge used to be (by the window? And the fridge where the stove is now? Of course, you would have to have the gas line moved, but maybe it was there originally...

If not, get a little cart for next to your stove for a landing area and to fill that space up.

You might want to think about Ikea butcher block counters. Cheap, diy-able and holds up well (check Ikea hackers for photos) Also, I believe Lumber Liqudators has similar.

I would spray paint your hood white...it blends in well now and just needs to be freshened up, imo.

Cute cute cute!!

If it was my kitchen, I would get myself off to the Goodwill and get some accessories (or use what you have) and buy a can of red spray paint. Very cute and retro...

Honestly, I'd spring for a new hood. I've seen too many hoods that were spray painted and started peeling after a while. Speaking of which:

https://lifeonshadylane.com/2017/08/an-update-on-our-stenciled-bathroom-floor/

(she used chalked paint, so apparently not such a great idea.)

I was also thinking of metallic spray paint but will first look into cost to replace hood. Ît looks like it's been painted before, so I suppose it could work., but @nosoccermom- it IS peeling, and it does not look pretty! However, it appears this kitchen has not been updated for decades, so perhaps the peeling didn't start for several years. I also bought can of Rustoleum metallic paint and can of metal etching primer to paint hinges before I found hinges on Amazon, so at least I have the materials to try it.

following

Tastie, you can buy just the metal replacement cover for less than $100. Or, you could build your own... You can do it!! https://www.hometalk.com/13883956/how-i-built-a-range-hood-cover

Beautiful job. When you are ready to show your finished work, please take some photos in broad daylight with all the lights on.

that's broad daylight. The lights aren't on but they make no noticeable difference during the early part of the day.

Looks great!!! Did you paint the floor, too? It looks like a completely different color.

No, that's just my crappy camera and the difference in the light. The before pic is from the home sale ad and was likely taken in late summer when there is much more light in my kitchen and coming from a different angle. I will be replacing the the floor with something lighter, as well as the ugly beige vinyl baseboard material.

I have to say, I'm quite proud of my results so far. The contractor I've hired for other stuff that is beyond my capacity seemed genuinely impressed when I sent him a picture. He is coming by this weekend and I'm interested in hearing his thoughts once he sees it in person.

Good photos. What is the small white post next to the stove? and what was the soffit-type thing over the cabinets?

That white box is an oddity- someone custom built it to house the gas line connection. It's a drag because it makes it so I can't move the stove over enough to fit a narrow but commercially available kitchen island between stove and wall. But the plus side is that it still looks better than the gas fixture and makes it much less likely for someone to walk into it. I looked at back of stove and it doesn't have any space to allow for the connector to fit behind it.

The light box thing over the cabinets appears to have just been some relic of the 70's. It served no purpose other than to look lovely. The main row of cabinets had the same setup, but with an exterior floodlight enclosed behind it, creating a 60's or 70's bar ambiance when turned on. The whole thing was nailed together with no way to change the bulb. Impractical and a waste of space. At least now things can be put up there if needed.

@reupser- I agree that a metal would break up the white, which is why I want to try it. The one thing about that, though, is I think all the white may look good with SS appliances, and a metal hood may look weird with SS stove unless they are a near perfect match.

I tried out the Rustoleum nickel color and a few others at Home Depot. To me they all came out very glittery and like a car finish. None looked like real metal. Perhaps I was looking at the wrong Rustoleum line, but they were the only metallic spray paints carried in store. For something like a metal hood I would prefer spray paint over brush on to ensure even coverage in the tight corners, etc.

Does anyone here have personal experience with any of the metallic spray paints that they could recommend? Ones that look like "real" metal?

I'm so glad I stumbled onto this thread! I hate the tiles in my kitchen...now I'm imagining the look on my husband's face if I were to tell him that we are painting them...

it's supposed to rain tomorrow so I'll be staying in and starting on the rest. First need to sand ceiling and wall where the box was because it was never painted. Now I have a better understanding of what and how to do things, so I'm going to try and prime all surfaces before moving on to paint. I have many cabinets, limited space, and potentially wet outdoor conditions, so I can only paint so many doors at a time. I'm messy so I don't want to risk getting paint on the original hardwood floors in rest of house, leaving only kitchen to paint and dry the doors. Might be a bit of a slow process.

Hi. I found out last month that there was going to be a big utility construction project in my neighborhood, and because I work from home and have a medical condition that makes me extremely sensitive to noise and vibrations, it was clear I would not be able to stay here during the project, so I decided to sell my house. I have no interest in being a landlord and I figured it would be better to sell now before the market stalls out, so I've been dealing with packing, finding a rental, etc.

That said, I have done more work, and it's looking good. My friend is here to help me pack up and move, and we plan to finish the cabinets and walls next week. I may put in a new vinyl tile floor, too. I'm going to remove the existing plastic baseboard and either sand and paint or replace it.

The few other upgrades suggested for selling I'm leaving to pros -i.e. a new counter top,exterior paint, etc. I am sad that I didn't do this sooner so I could enjoy it, but working on the kitchen myself has made me feel a bit better - I now feel I have more choices in buying because I don't necessarily need to have $$$ to improve the livability of a structurally sound but ugly home. Plus I really enjoy doing the work.

I'll post pics when we're done, which should be next week.

And btw- I ended up trying the Valspar paint, and I so wish I'd used that from the start! It is SO easy to use and looks great! I am kind of stuck finishing the tiles with the Behr premium, but next time I have a paint project like this, I will be using the Valspar premium. Seriously took one coat over the primed cabinet doors.

That's too bad that you are having to sell but definitely understandable. You've done such a good job on your kitchen that you will be able to look at any prospective new house with a different eye knowing "I can fix that." :)

Sounds like you have a good plan for finishing your kitchen to sell; I'm looking forward to seeing the pics.

*I'm glad you tried the Valspar paint. I painted all the trim at a house my son is redoing, and thought again, while doing so, how much I like that paint too.

Good to see this thread pop up as I was thinking of your painted backsplash while reading a bathroom with unfortunate tiles thread. I'll be linking back to it. Sorry to hear you're having to move but looking forward to seeing pictures of all you've done so far. Good luck with your next place. I hope you find the quiet you need to work in peace.

Blondelle's wall tile suggestions great. Take a sledge to the counter tile. It needs to go. Replace w/something. Anything. ;)

Getting Close. Countertop to be installed tomorrow.

Hi all, countertop installed couple days ago. Left to dry a few days as the nonstop rain and cold is slowing everything. There is significant gap due to difference in thickness, and installer cracked a few tiles in back splash. I hope he plans to fix it. I've left that to my real estate agents to deal with. They are the one that chose the off white color and installer. I'm not keen on the color. They also chose the wall color, a blah "greige" that I find depressing. My gray was too blue for them ( me, too, actually). I have also decided to change out the cabinet pulls. The bars I chose are too conspicuous for a kitchen that is now playing the part of blank slate to inspire imagination of potential buyers. :P

I'm about done with my part. Did my last coat on remaining doors today and got the rest of the hinges and new round cabinet knobs delivered today.

I'm quite happy with my handiwork. The tile is great and the doors are also quite nice for a novice painter. My contractor guy said he is very impressed with my attention to detail because I actually took the time to sand out paint drips and imperfections, and i filled in larger holes and cracks. I feel much more capable and confident in my diy skills and ability to make cosmetic improvements, which may pay off when looking for a new house.

This is how I left it tonight:

For those wondering if you can successfully paint tile- yes, you probably can with the right paint and reasonable care. This pic ain't great thanks to the unfinished look, but it shows how tan tiles with brown grout can be transformed into shiny white tile with white grout with good primer and decent quality latex paint ( low VOC, even!)

@ thinkdesignlive - I got a quartz countertop. I don't know brand or the name of the color. I left that up to the real estate agent. I just work here. :P

It's looking great, Tastie! The greige walls look good. It'll be a perfect blank slate for potential buyers. :) You've reason to be proud. Massive effort and great attention to detail. Good luck with everything.

It looks amazing Tastie! You are a testament to how with a little (*a lot) of elbow grease and the wherewithal to give it a try, you can turn around and make beautiful a once outdated space.

I hope others who face this same dilemma get the courage to give it a go...paint those tiles. It does work, it does last, and it can change a space that was less then liked to one that is loved.

I'm really glad you posted this and I wish you the best of luck with your new home. :))

Check this out! My kitchen tile is now on point! https://www.houzz.com/magazine/10-reasons-to-give-4-by-4-inch-tile-a-fresh-look-stsetivw-vs~117631161?utm_source=Houzz

Here's the

final result.

I'm happy with the results and very psyched with my cabinets and tiles. If I were going to stay I'd have chosen a different floor, a gray or pure white countertop, and a lighter, brighter wall color. But hopefully it will attract buyers with the colors chosen by the real estate agents.

It looks bright, clean and spacious. Great job! Thanks for sharing with us. Your DIY is an inspiration to many. Good luck with the sale.

Wow, it looks amazing!

Now, I'm not sure whether you considered this before --- and what the market is like in your area, but if there's a way to add lower cabs next to the range, it might be worthwhile to find something. It may be hard to find matching lowers; alternatively maybe open shelves?

IKEA also has lower open shelves that re now full depth.

Wow, those side by side pictures really show what a difference you've made!! Your kitchen looks so fresh and updated now. Thank you for sharing your project; your end result will give encouragement to those with the same dilemma.

Good luck on your listing, and may you have multiple offers. :)