Yep - replacing the floors throughout. I hate the kitchen colors so I will definitely be changing them asap :) The only thing I'm second guessing is whether or not the dark lower cabinets will make the already small kitchen feel even smaller.

I love the green cabinets, but if you dislike them, it's your kitchen!

I think I'd do all one color of cabinet.

That is quite an expensive plan which will have very little ROI. However, if you are in a stable area with secure finances, the local economy will benefit from your expenditures. There is nothing wrong with personalizing your home and you may be able to get a great deal from your contractors

Wow! Is that your current kitchen? I love it, but it’s your home. I know that’s of no help to you, but I had to say it. Looking forward to your “after” pics.

Great looking kitchen as is but the color you need to like. If you just moved in I would wait awhile not just to decide on colors but to see if changes are needed in the layout. Don’t rush it. See what you like and dislike about the layout and address in the remodel. All th3 best and I will be waiting on final decisions.

Galley kitchens are my favorite and I love yours, especially all the drawers! I don't think the dark lowers will hurt at all. The only thing I might do is install a larger farm sink and maybe wall up that pass through to the dining room, if for no other reason than to hide the kitchen mess from dinner party guests. Plus it is valuable decor space in the dining room, and you could put some open shelves there on the kitchen side.

I love the green cabs w/those current floors. they look great together.

what if you kept it but changed just the countertop and tile splash? (and your appliances of course)

would that be enough for you?

btw, soapstone and green looks marvelous!

And, you could always just paint the uppers white and leave the green lowers.

just so you know, getting all of those cabs/nook area/ hutch repainted by a good professional will cost you upwards of 6-8K. Do you hate the green that much?

if yes, then go w/the two-tone. it won't make it look smaller. I'd do a bright white and a blue that compliments that flooring. it has to be the right shade.

when you redo the floor, will it be the same color it is now?

for the kitchen, if you paint, could you extend your peninsula enough to hold your microwave in the bottom cabinet add-on? custom cab guys could do this for your. that way you could remove those one set of upper shelves on the far left where the mirco is now and do open wood shelves. they look good w/all of the white and the dark lowers

here are a few blue and white galley style. they look fine

I think this one is smaller than yours. think about doing some glass uppers.

notice how the ceiling is the same bright white as the cabinets. I like that effect.

I'd change the wall color to something you like better and replace that crazy small sink. I love the cabinets and the color as is... it's very fresh. It's begging for some orange accessories.

paul, she can't just change the sink unless she gets a diff base cabinet. look at the lowers. the drawers and side cabinets block the ability to put in a larger sink. If she gave up one of the drawers and lower cabinet, she may be able to get a larger sink.

(but if she gets a custom cab person, she could modify it. of course this would only be done if she changed paint colors. unless she has that same green paint )

She could sacrifice the drawer on the right if it's not already a false drawer.. if you look you can see the window pillar is off-center so the sink could be too.

I don't think it is. it's off center because they couldn't center the base cabinet on the window due to the row of cabs on the right. They should have done a 42" base, but they sacrificed that for more lower cabinet storage.

if they could have done a bigger sink, i'm sure they would have. but I'd get a larger sink if she can sacrifice both drawers. the panels on the inside that separate the lower bases would prob need to be removed too. not a big deal, she'd just have all open shelving down below.

I lived in a house for 26 years that had a galley kitchen. I hated the cabinets since they were very dark brown! I suggest using a light color for the cabinets--light blue would look great, depending on your color scheme; light grey or cream would work as well!

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I do hate that green enough to pay whatever amount is necessary :) I don't know why but it evokes an unfortunate puke color for me. I love the idea of blue on the bottom. NightWatch is a sort of green-blue-ish color. While I love it, I haven't actually seen it in the house. My experience from painting the interior of our current home is that it 100% depends on the light where in your home - you can't just see a color and love it. So! I love Nightwatch for the lower cabinets, but I'm open to a more ocean blue. Either will look great.

As for the sink and cabinets - I honestly don't understand why the previous owners decided two drawers were more important than a functional sink. The two drawers on either side are actual drawers but I don't know what we'd use them for at this point. Below those two drawers are pull out garbage and recycle. Our current home has both of the garbages in one - same depth - and it works. So, again, I'm not sure why they chose this route...I am making an assumption that cabinet work is expensive so my current plan does not involve altering them. But I'm open to it! We would replace the current sink, which is like 21" ish, for a 24" apron sink. It's not much bigger...and I would forego those little drawers for something more reasonable. I'm just worried that doing too much cabinet stuff is cost-prohibitive.

Speaking of cabinets - the cabinet that has the microwave can definitely go. We are replacing the current double oven with a double oven that has a microwave. We were thinking of putting out toaster oven in the current micro spot, but it's small enough that we could put it on the counter and I wouldn't feel bad about that. I like the idea of open shelving there instead of a cabinet to house a tiny micro.

Lastly, the floor. It is an old engineered 'brazilian cherry' floor. The installers did a crap job - there is 1/8 to 1/4 difference between each floorboard. They have buckled. On top of that, they are scratched beyond repair. What I want to do is replace all of the current floor with a natural Acacia or natural Walnut color. I'm not married to real hardwood versus engineered, I'm just looking for a natural rich brown.

Ya'll are amazing.

Lol-I thought these were the “after” pictures...I love the colors-especially with the blue wall.

When I clicked on this I thought it was an "after picure." It's your money. But if you're not certain that you will be in the home for many years, be careful, because you will not get ROI.

I get not loving that celery color and wanting to change it. If you have money to burn, then do all you suggest. I personally work with a two part plan:

Part 1

Remove the uppers, store them in the basement in case you change your mind. Paint the lowers the dark color. I don't think it will be too confining with the uppers gone.

Ditch the current wall tile and have smooth wall with no backsplash. I have done this in my own kitchen and it looks modern and fresh. Food wipes off of the paint more easily than it does tile and grout.

Change out the hardware.

Redo the floors if you are doing them in your whole house anyway.

Part 2

Live with the part 1 changes for a year. If you still don't love your kitchen then rip out the counters, get new appliances, tile the walls.

I redid my kitchen in two phases like this not because I couldn't afford to do it all at once, but because I enjoyed being informed by gradual decision making and ended up with a much nicer kitchen in the end.

@mittlk There is this impression that dark colors should always make things appear smaller, but in interior decor, sometimes it can be the reverse. Think of a room painted in a very dark color including the ceiling, and suddenly you have endless walls, in a sense. The feel can be calming, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it will appear closed in or smaller. In fact, used carefully, dark colors can create a relaxed mood in an area with an impression of the dark areas fading back into space.

Just checking, but you know that floors have a certain thickness that allows multiple refinishings, right? You can get the floors sanded down to natural wood with no stain and use something like Bona Naturale to bring out the original color tone and end up with a totally different look than you have now, just something to consider.

Also, I think the kitchen is technically more of a U-shaped or G-shaped kitchen including the peninsula. A pure galley would be cabinetry only on two opposite walls. I see what you mean, though, that it feels long and narrow compared to most open-concept kitchens these days that have islands. The expense you are considering would certainly warrant a look at removing the wall that separates your kitchen from the dining space if you are afraid of feeling too closed in. You could end up with a new layout entirely for similar cost if you wanted, just some thoughts to consider. Also, if you do proceed with re-painting your current cabinetry, look for a contractor who uses 2-part Milesi waterborne conversion varnish. It is getting a lot of buzz right now among pro painters as a low-VOC alternative to traditional conversion varnishes with features of non-yellowing and longevity for cabinetry coatings.

We will be in this house for 10+ years. We have been in our current home for 6 years and decided to sell because it was cost prohibitive to renovate to meet our needs. Our new home meets our needs from an accessibility standpoint but the main floor just needs some love.

Move IN. Make meals for six months. Then decide what you can live with and what you can not. Remodel plans made before that? Never a great idea. The very idea that you need "house beautiful , your way" a few weeks after a move in is insane. It's a perfectly functional kitchen. ........for quite a while. Small sink included,

After that, throw all the love you like at it.

I do agree with Jan! I moved into my house 5 years ago next month and I was not sure I wanted to keep the knotty pine paneling in my family room (used to be a garage at one time). The knotty pine has grown on me and is very comforting. It's almost like being in a log cabin home when I'm in the room. I also have been slowly painting rooms, making drapes and other window treatments along with pillows to add color to my living room. I'm enjoying the process and I'm happy I did not stress myself out by trying to get it all done before moving in.

There's nothing quite like a mockup. Buy yourself some precut pieces of plywood, paint them in the two tone color scheme, lean them up against the existing cabinets and leave them for a bit. It probably won't take long for you to decide if you like that color scheme or not. You can try several combinations to see what works best for you. Good luck!

I think the color is awesome in your place and nice refreshing look . IMO the space is too small for 2 tones . IMO you have a lovely home don’t mess it up with trends.

Are the floors solid cherry? you can stain cherry dark if that’s the look you’re going for. What is there now looks beautiful and so refreshing compared to all the fake gray-wood floors

We'll be changing the kitchen before we move in. That's non-negotiable. Thanks for your feedback!

@richfield95 No, they're not. They are 15+yo engineered floors that were not installed properly. Buckled everywhere. We did have a flooring contractor look at them during our inspection and confirmed they cannot be refinished.

Well then props to the real eatate photographer then because they look great in the pics!

Good luck with the project, I’m in NY and the governor just ordered non-essential businesses to work from home. I’m a project engineer and all contractor work has come to a screeching halt mid-stream

Totally - the photographs make it all look perfect! Definitely not realistic portrayal sadly.

I'm in WA. We haven't executed on Shelter in Place yet, but will soon I imagine. What I've read from CA though is that work like this is still continuing. Hoping that's the case here!

mittlk,,,I put acacia (herringbone) in my bedroom. they are solid (but I think engineered is also avail) I got them from a wood flooring place in MN and had them shipped. at the time (4 yrs ago) they were the only pre-milled herringbone flooring in something other than maple. They also have the regular planks if you don't want the design. They are beautiful, hold up to everything, and clean up like a breeze. they were rather inexpensive too. around $4 a sq ft!

https://www.uniquewoodfloor.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=acacia

btw,, this is a nice blue. Knoxville Gray (BM)

Gray

Wondering what your budget is?..and if the kitchen size is enough for your needs?..
there are so many more options that could be considered..for instance opening up dining room and eliminating breakfast nook...for a much better use of space..
there are too many unknowns here ..to be really sure what the best use of your budget and space is in this situation...

@btydrvn We have about $80k. That includes the costs of hardwood for the entire main floor, replacing all of the appliances, and painting the interior of the home as well. While we'd love a more open space, the previous owners gutted the house for left those walls. I have to assume there's a reason...but maybe not. They will be leaving the plans for us so we can review and make a more educated decision about doing something more extreme.

@Beth H. : Thanks! I ordered a few samples from them. Appreciate it!

👍

Green and blue are my favorite colors, so I am biased, but both are very calming and good choices for cabinets.

I don't think they will make you feel claustrophobic in your kitchen.

I have been in small galley kitchens with all dark wood uppers and lowers and they did not feel claustrophobic because they had a window , and yours has three!

Whether you choose blue or green is totally your choice.

Why not order some samples of the colors you are considering and paint up several pieces of poster board in the various colors you are considering and get some painters tape and double the tape around on itself and stick the poster board to the cabinets for a few hours while you are home and see what you prefer at different times of the day. Blue, green? PPG Night Watch? PPG Royal Hunter Green? PPG Daring Indigo? PPG Dragonfly?

The PPG colors with your choice of hardware and white walls and counter are reminiscent of a crisp military uniform.

For a backsplash you can try something a little different, a 4" x 4" square subway tile, it is a fresh look, and you can do it as a running bond or a straight set.

And if you want something different over the stove you can do them on a diagonal.

.

I agree the cabinets are beautiful. But I understand you not liking the color, however I would not spend the money to paint them because the layout needs to be fixed. The sink DW set up would be unusable to me.

I too love color of cabinets & with the wood floor throughout. I get it the color could feel old to you now. What is the paint color of dinning rm?