Giallo Antico/cinnamon color cabinets OVERLOAD -- wall color help
I'm hoping you kind folks here could help me visual some alternative paint colors in our kitchen. We moved in a year ago and the kitchen isn't my taste one bit. I like that is has a window, that everything is functional and should hold up for a while, there is a ton of installed lighting (west-facing, dark space otherwise), and we have plenty of storage. But the style, the overall color, the flesh-toned walls, the sheer quantity of coppery/salmon granite going up the walls...it's pretty overbearing and not in keeping with how I am decorating the rest of the house.
I like MCM/contemporary/eclectic style with colors blue, green, charcoal gray and some orange; the kitchen feels overly ornate to me and in colors I don't like. The rooms connected to the kitchen have white walls for now, and I do not yet have a paint color scheme for those spaces.
What would tone it down in the kitchen? Navy blue, olive green? I like the idea of making it dark and moody, considering it's not a light, bright, fresh feeling space at all. The floor tiles are yellowish beige and the walls are pinkish band-aid color. Both tie in with the granite counters/walls but they just don't feel good to me. Nothing other than wall paint is changing until we do a full remodel, which is not in the immediate plans; I was thinking of painting the grout to match the tiles and help minimize the contrast on the floor, paint the walls blue or green, paint the wood blind to match the walls, and maybe remove the wood valance.
But I'm so stuck as to wall color. Not pictured is a short hall off the kitchen that goes to garage door and also pantries; that hall is also band-aid color and the pantries/garage door are refaced to match the cabinets. I feel that the first photo is an accurate representation of the wall color but not the yellowish tone of the floor.
These are photos from the listing; it's hard to see in the photos just how much salmon is in the counters/walls. There really isn't all that much wall space in the kitchen, but I feel like blue or green would help it relate at least marginally better to the rest of the house/decor.
Here's a picture of vintage wallpaper in the half bath--I think this is fun:
And this is my family room idea (have the rug, everything else on order except the recliner, not 100% sure we have the space):
Comments (18)
housegal200
3 years agoBudget-friendly options:
--Since you say you have a lot of storage space, would you consider removing the cabinets that flank the window? That would open up the space quite a bit. You could do open shelves for attractive daily dishes and glassware as in the thumbnail below left. Or put art there.
Alternatively, reface the window-side cabinets with glass fronts as below.
Hillsdale kitchen · More Info
Do add a Roman shade at the window and find a creamier white for the walls.melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/ thanked housegal200Related Discussions
Kitchen Cabinet Color: White or Alder Antique Brown?
Comments (20)Rhome is right. The difference between a white kitchen and an all wood room is huge. Will your new kitchen have a lot of natural light? I'm biased because I know I couldn't live in a kitchen that was all stained wood, but a stained kitchen with wood floors in a space without a lot of natural light reads dark and heavy. Sometimes that can feel cozy and comforting to people. Thinking about Rhome's questions, the Sweeby test, and looking at kitchens online will hopefully help to narrow in on the feeling you want to create. As to the glazing, this has been discussed often. You could search around here to read some of the discussions. A lot of people feel that a glaze on white or creamy cabs is dated, and that it makes the cabs look dirty. I feel like getting out a sponge and scrubbing cabs like that, myself. I painted the dark 70's wood cabs in my house 12 years ago and I glazed and crackled them. (hey, it was the 90's!). Soon after, I thought they looked dirty and wished I hadn't done it. Tastes change. You could always have them installed without glaze and have it done later if you really miss it. Finding a direction can take some time. Good luck!...See MoreGranite Colors for White/Green Kitchen
Comments (7)I also wanted to know what the trends were before making my own granite decision. I love the greens in many hues. Yellows did not seem right for my cabinets so I shied away from them and can't help you there. I initially loved Costa a lot, but it did not show my cabinets to best advantage (they are red birch). Costa varied a lot from stoneyard to stoneyard. Some were a soft green, some almost gray, others a medium green. Other options: I also found Costa Rosa and New Costa Esmerelda. New Costa reads a bit more yellowish and might really work for you. Finally you could do a darker green with more contrast from your cabinets. I found several, ie Verde Candeis and Midnight Ocean. Cosmos also had a Tropical Green that was more uniform, but was still very nice. After all that, I ended up going blue, but it was a lot of fun to figure out. Hope you find your favorite....See MoreQuick help needed! Re kitchen cabinets
Comments (11)Eld.....thank you! Actually, I think i saw “white paint” on the craftsmen style door and got confused. DH says we should keep the white cabs even if I redo in a few years. Looking on the website, they do seem to perform better than white paint. I guess laminate has come a long way. The brown cabs would just be too much brown...brown floors, brown cabs, brownish granite....yuck. I never thought to ask but im sure I cant pick my slab. This is a production builder. I shouldn't have any seams as there’s not much counter space. The color in your picture looks much less gold than the sample i saw. The backsplash choices werent great so i just went with white subway....DH can redo if want a change. Good idea to look at pics on Houzz of white cabs with the Giallo Verona granite...duh!...See MoreBlue Pearl Granite for a 1920's house with cherry cabinets?
Comments (24)Thank you for all of your advice. I talked to my husband and we are going to look into having the hardwood extended through out the house. There is a small toilet closet off the remodeled kitchen, but we will just leave the old tile alone in that room (obviously it has a door because it is a toilet room). That way that room does not have to be part of the renovation. The contractor told me that I did not have to pick the backsplash until after the cabinets and countertop are in; we will have a better idea of all the tones for the paint and backsplash and don't have to worry about a clashing floor tile. I had wanted tile for the spills, and the combination of wanting the right look and being concerned about how the tiles would affect my bad feet (and the fact that it seems like tile patterns become dated much more quickly than wood floors) all seemed to push me to hardwood. I don't want this blue on the walls but I do think that countertop, floors and cabinets work on this kitchen: [houzz=https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-traditional-kitchen-dc-metro-phvw-vp~87227] I thought this backsplash really complemented the blue pearl: [houzz=https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-webster-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~2370442] I think this may be too modern, but if the marble is not the right thing after it is installed this frosted icicle tile also linked stunning with the countertop sample: https://www.msistone.com/glass-tiles-8mm/frosted-icicle-glass-subway-tile-3x9/...See Moremelle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
3 years agoSo it sounds like blue or green wall paint won't make a difference... Find a white. I know white will be better than what's there--i forgot that the ceiling also matches the walls too! I can go for white I guess. It would definitely be less offensive. We did change the lighting after moving in, that helped. Can't change the sink size without getting a larger cabinet, so a lot of things will be lived with until we remodel.
I'm not really looking to spend on anything besides paint. My kids are teenage+tweenage boys who are learning to cook and they're hard on the kitchen. These cathedral style cabinets are my least favorite door style... Have been my least favorite for as long as I can remember--I like slab doors. I've considered replacing the upper doors but everything is serviceable and well-kept so it feels wasteful. If I replaced the doors on the uppers I'd go with frosted/patterned glass inserts, painted frames, and have the box exteriors painted to match. Kind of a cottage look I guess, which would fit the house which is 1960s cottage/ranch of some kind. This is the entry light fixture and I don't know the style but it's kind of offbeat so keeping it:
Interesting idea to remove the cabinets by the window. I had considered that after we closed on the house, but this kitchen doesn't have a hood, it has a microwave. I've since discovered the vent that doesn't do much so things not behind doors get oily and dusty. And we've thought about putting in a hood but then we have to find a home for the microwave.
Maybe what it comes down to is that this kitchen has a strong personality that isn't easily changed with just paint.
eam44
3 years agoHi Melle. You’re reacting to a lack balance in your space. It’s the backsplash. Combined with the cabinets it’s too much of a ..... cinnamon thing? Removing the slab and replacing it with either a 2” counter bs or tile will give you some much needed balance.
melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/ thanked eam44melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agomelle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoI was inspired to try painting the kitchen dark blue. I don't really like it. Much easier and faster to see this in a mock up than to keep pining about it!
I do have a blue runner in the kitchen, but it's not really in keeping with how I'm decorating so I'll look for a new runner. And I'm going to start out with painting the ceiling white, then work my way down to the backsplash and the blinds.
Here's mock-ups with green. I do like this better, less contrast. But it's pretty drab; not moody and dramatic, more like camo and fatigues LOL!
And I tried white. It's crisp and I can bring in blues with a runner and some of my plant pots. It's pretty refreshing, actually. I do think white will probably be best:
So about hardware -- yes I would love to change the kitchen over to all pulls, but not really sure it would have enough impact to be worth making a change...though I do prefer using pulls for the doors and drawers. Any of these -- going for either over-the-top (to me) decorative or else masculine:
These seem like a fun alternative to the knobs:
The more I think about these rings, I kind of just want to go for it and have rings, they actually seem more suitable for the gaudy cathedral doors. I'm not sure what style of cabinets would have originally had ring pulls, but I'm imagining it would have been something ornate.
PROBeth H. :
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agomelle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/ thanked Beth H. :melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agomelle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago- PRO
Beth H. :
3 years ago melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
dsimber
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoHi melle. I’ve just read through your post again. The mockup by eam44 (two days ago) and note about balance sums it all up. That mockup convinced me that you can really make difference in this kitchen! I agree with you 100% on saying no to a dyi job. I would only hire a pro to remove the backsplash. I encourage you to get some quotes!
I also agree with all who have recommended white paint, but I would not have a clue as to which. Seems that would be worth having a SW designer come to help you choose. This alone would make a major difference in your kitchen, and you could get blinds to match. Home Depot cuts to size for a reasonable cost.Replacing the hardware and faucet would be good idea, too. ORB comes to mind, given the color of your wood (which is beautifully warm.) Would cup pulls for your lower cabinets line up with the existing holes?
Cosmas 4310ORB Oil Rubbed Bronze Cabinet Cup Pull · More Info
Cosmas 7712FB Cabinet Bin Cup Pull, 3" Hole Centers, Set of 5, Flat Black · More Infopartim
3 years agomelle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoI wish. The backs are also cathedral but without the extra frou frou. I don't think it's worth the effort, although I do prefer the simplicity of the inside.
I'll think about the backsplash more. I'm not sure my DH will consider it money well spent to remove it, especially as we both know the whole space will be gutted at some point in the future. The cabinets and counters are all in good condition, which was why we decided even though this kitchen isn't to my taste and is so very brown, it would be okay for a while.
Rather than removing the backsplash, I would probably rather try to paint over it first when I repaint the walls and ceiling.
https://happyhautehome.com/2018/01/22/is-it-possible-to-paint-a-granite-surface/
eam44