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Home Decorating Design Dilemma Kitchens

Is this backsplash worth saving?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

We have a small kitchen in our condo. We are going to have the cupboards painted and new countertops installed. I like the backsplash but it is ten years old so not sure if I should change it out. I’d love some thoughts on cupboard colours and countertop selection. I think we’ll also get new stove. Thanks!

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Comments (10)

worthy
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Scrap the spec condo kitchen look we've seen a million times

Remove that microwave as the centre of attention. A combined upscale microwave/exhaust fan would be great.

Source

If you change the backsplash, consider a standing or slide-in induction or glasstop range without the back control panel. Also an undermount sink and springy pulldown faucet.
PRO
Beth H. :
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
they already are painted. you're going to pay someone to paint them again?

what you need is decent lighting. who can see in there?? that is the worst lighting I think I've ever seen on here.

at the very least, get something w/some light output. those dim bulbs aimed at the cabinets do nothing.

spend the money for recessed lighting. first.

if you change the backsplash, you might as well get rid of the laminate countertop. But then you're stuck w/old cabinets.

so, no. redo your lighting. Save up your money until you can afford to do everything at once.
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I don't think we'll ever fully redo this kitchen. We'll probably only be in this house for another 2-5 years, and we're really just looking to make the space more enjoyable for us and up the resale value a bit. Our kitchen is very small, especially for a 4 bedroom house. So without knocking down walls and changing the whole layout of the 1st floor, we're not going to have a gourmet kitchen. And we're just not prepared to put that kind of money in the house given the state of the market, and I don't think our neighboorhood can support the kind of increase in price that we'd want to see to make it worth it. Sorry for all that rambling! Long story short, I think we're going to try to keep it simple for now, and save all these beautiful kitchen ideas for our next house.
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I'm not sure how I came across this post, I think it was displayed on the right side and I clicked on it being intrigued by the tile making. I was at one time interested in working with papercrete and hypertufa. But after enlisting my brother, who wasn't as enthusiastic, and my niece, who poured cement down my laundry room sink, which original to the house had lasted 70 years, and ruining three blenders, my interest waned. True to form, if I come upon difficulty in a project, I think of it as a sign for me not to continue. And really, after all these years of trying various crafts that result in crap, I should know better. I also should have known better than to ask my brother, who always says it can't be done to any of my unique design ideas. And I should have known better than to ask my niece, who once stayed up all night before having to drive to LA for an art show, cutting mat after mat after measuring once, twice, sometimes ten times, but always coming out with the wrong size. I think we both have math dyslexia. I should video us trying anything crafty to see where we go wrong. I think both of us having ADHD might have something to do with it. Sorry for the backstory and run on sentences. So, I just wanted to see if you continued with your venture. And to say sorry for whatever tragedy occurred to cause you to have to move to Florida. Not that there is anything wrong with Florida, but it isn't Panama. Which is one of my favorite places in the western hemisphere. I hope no one is upset that I brought up a seven year old post.
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worthy
3 years ago
Installing retrofit LED potlights is nowhere the big deal it used to be 20 years ago.

The cost of professionally spraying those cabinets would likely be better spent on new cabinetry.
aubreesm
Original Author
3 years ago
New lighting..check! I’d love to put microwave over a new range but we have a bulkhead and there’s not enough room. Any thoughts of repurposing the area it’s in now to make it less intrusive?
shirlpp
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
What color are you thinking about painting the cabinets? Buying just new cabinet doors might be a good idea, since the arch dates them a bit. Then you can swap out the microwave cabinet with something that is less intrusive.

Do you need a microwave? I had a condo for 10 years, and never owned a microwave then - because, I could not stand it taking up my countertop space.
PRO
Norwood Architects
3 years ago
I agree with the poster about removing the existing microwave and replacing it with a combo microwave and hood above your new stove. I also agree with the post about lighting. A kitchen should be well lit for safety as well as aesthetics. Good luck!
HU-187528210
3 years ago
Agreed with the above. And most importantly to really wait until you can do it properly. Don’t waste time and money to redo this space again soon. I wouldn’t keep the backsplash. As far as cabinets I agree with the above comment to do new doors. For the microwave the least you can do is remove where it is now and put it into a cabinet. I also think the sink desperately needs to be swapped for an under mount. Instant update. Best of luck!!
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
3 years ago
The under-the-microwave vents don't work very well at all. Get a good hood and do something else with the microwave please.
worthy
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
The under-the-microwave vents don't work very well at all.

Agreed. It's not the power 300-=400 cfm, it's the coverage.

But if this is an apartment condo--and I was assuming that from the size of the kitchen--does it make any difference?
Amy Lynn
3 years ago
It's hard to tell the amount of space above the stove, but if you took out the cabinet that is there, would you then have enough space for an OTR microwave? Then you could move the cabinet above the stove over to replace the cabinet above the microwave, take out the microwave shelf unit and put a regular shelf below the cupboard you replaced. Not sure if the idea I'm trying to convey is making sense, it does in my head ;)

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