Need help with ideas on how to fix a recently renovated kitchen

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Hi! So my sweet husband updated the kitchen of a house we just moved into as a surprise. He had the cabinets painted white which I like BUT he added plain “boxes” above the cabinets to make it flush with the ceiling and he got the LARGEST island (front of island is part of a wall he had removed). The island has a even bigger countertop with an overhang of a foot on 2 sides. The living room, kitchen and kitchen table area is now one big room. I dont like the size of island but what makes it so much worse is that the overhang extends into the living room past where the wall was. It looks insane! Looking for help on what to do with the boxes above the cabinets and this insanely large island countertop. Its 6+ ft x 7+ft. It took 7 guys to get it in here :( and a very long time. Also looking for design ideas for new lighting, window treatments, paint color, new type of table needed to work with room. thank you!!

just want to add this is a military move across the country where we bought it without seeing it and me and our baby stayed back home while he was here getting his new orders here and getting the house ready. I wouldnt have been able to give any good suggestions on the updates anyway bc all my time was being dedicated to my new baby.

As much as I’d like to cut the island countertop, I cant bc of the dust and the baby.

I am so grateful for all your advice!! this has been so incredibly helpful!

Featured Answer

Kendrah

2 years ago

First off, will you need marriage counseling after these changes or is he cool with tweaks being made to his big surprise? It was incredibly sweet and quite daring of him to do this makeover! And, once you have more belongings in the space, I think the things you find challenging will feel less obvious.

1. Get counter stool with backs for one side of the island to help distract from the size. The other side, get the excess cut off to a 1" overhang. Ton of work I know.

2. Remove the iron piece above the window. It draws your eye too much to the upper box area. Hang a pendant light above the sink. It will bring your eyes downward and distract from the boxes. I say you live with them and will get used to them.

3. I like your dining room table and think the contemporary look and wood should be brought into the kitchen side - it will help tie things together and distract you from the things you don't like.

4. I saw this pic on houzz today and think there are some good cues you can take from it:

Rockwell · More Info

Black dome light over the table will tie together the black cabinets and table area.

Contemporary stools (not these ones though) are a nice counter balance to more classic kitchen elements.

Placing a huge vase or big wooden bowl of fruit in the middle of a massive island really helps break things up.

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Comments (35)

Rachel Lee
2 years ago
All of what Kendrah said
kirsten_33 thanked Rachel Lee
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jck910
2 years ago
On the whole he did a good job with his selections (there have been a lot worse posted here) Some color will help. I wouldn't start ripping anything up until you've lived there for a while. It takes some time to get used to changes. I agree remove the iron piece. Put a roman shade there hung above the window. It will make the window look taller. Lots of roman shades on etsy in great fabrics. Paint the baseboard on the island the same color as the island. Hang some great big art on the wall in the dining area.
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M Riz
2 years ago
What is it with men and the size of their island ? lol Ours is big. It fits the kitchen and he wanted it. Sometimes thats the way it works lol. He really did a nice job on his color selection, really pretty. The countertops are beautiful. To really show it off, i think you need better lighting. Under cabinet will brighten the whole kitchen up. The overheads seem dim. IDK if its the picture or the lighting. We went with 3500k, its bright and happy without making your kitchen look like an O.R.

That was really a thoughtful surprise and sometimes its off putting if you were making plans yourself. If this is your biggest trouble right now, you are indeed a lucky person, you came to a good place and Kendrah has really nice ideas.
kirsten_33 thanked M Riz
Melissa R
2 years ago
My kitchen area is almost identical (except my island is half the size) and I put a beverage fridge on the end and I LOVE it! Maybe you could do a fridge and some cookbooks?

excuse the awful picture!!
kirsten_33 thanked Melissa R
mama goose_gw zn6OH
2 years ago
Bless his heart, but tell him never, ever, do something like that again. ;)

I didn't notice the soffits at first glance, and I like the piece over the window. I agree with the advice to have the side of the island top cut down. If it's done on site, make sure they have a vacuum to contain the dust, and as a precaution, cover everything with plastic sheets.

The kitchen is beautiful. You have a nice working triangle, and if the fridge door on the right opens far enough to allow you to remove the crisper for cleaning, thank your lucky stars.
kirsten_33 thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
PRO
Norwood Architects
2 years ago
The island countertop can be cut down on one or both of the sides that has an overhang but I'm thinking if you actually have stools in place that you might like the island better as is. I do like the soffit (boxes) above your upper cabinets. It gives a more finished look. I would suggest pendants above the island and either a new chandelier above your table or, if they interfere too much with the island pendants, I would suggest adjustable downlights over the table. Good luck!
kirsten_33 thanked Norwood Architects
lucky998877
2 years ago
What a sweetheart you have for a husband! This is the time to be grateful for his efforts and save the tweaking for a later day. I would get an eye catching black chandelier above the dining table to balance out the space. Add some decor on the island, and get barstools with no/low backs. Enjoy :)
kirsten_33 thanked lucky998877
remodeling1840
2 years ago
He is a keeper! What a great gift. Add under cabinet lighting (we love this in the evening for snacks and during parties), patterned drapes on the dining room doors and maybe a matching valance over the kitchen window, a new black chandelier hung 30-36 inches above the top of your dining room table, and a large wooden bowl for the middle of your island, in addition to the new stools. I had an island about the same size and it was great for family cooking and parties. I remember one niece making a salad, one frosting a cake, and one daughter assembling cook out platters, each with help from their children. Dinner parties for 14 included my friends utilizing three sides of the island. It was perfect for buffet serving. I used many different wooden items for the center- an antique wooden stool with candles, my grandma’s large wooden bowl filled with my mother’s Christmas ornaments, a collection of wooden buckets in several sizes.
kirsten_33 thanked remodeling1840
tlynn1960
2 years ago
Closing in the soffit boxes above the cabinets is fine-no need to fix anything there. I'd only remove the decorative iron piece, change the table chandelier and add stools to the island. Your husband made lovely choices and you have a functional work triangle on the working side of the island.
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mama goose_gw zn6OH
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I just noticed the trash can at the end of the sink run. Are you interested in getting it into a pull-out in the prep area? You can buy a Rev-a-shelf unit to install in the cabinet to the left of the range (or to the right of the sink, if that cabinet is wide enough), along with the brackets to attach it to the cabinet door.
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Lorraine Leroux
2 years ago
Enjoy it he did a great job. Soffit a.k.a boxes may not be preventable as they often contain plumbing and electrical. I do not even notice them. I think some stools at the island is all you need. Please live with it awhile before doing anything.
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mcarroll16
2 years ago
I guess it's really sweet? I mean, I see how it could be very well intentioned, but I think OP is entitled to feel pretty frustrated. Depends on their marriage, which we don't know about. One spouse did a huge revamp of the entire living area without the other spouse's input. I know that wouldn't make me feel very happy, no matter how it turned out.

Apologies to OP if this isn't helpful either. Not trying to stir up trouble if the relationship is happy and solid. I just think there are a range of emotions here that are legitimate for OP to feel, and they deserve support for those feelings.
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Val B
2 years ago
I must say I’m surprised by all the people here who think it was really sweet of your husband to make all of these expensive changes without consulting you. I would never do something like this without my husband’s input and vice versa. That said, he made pretty good selections and it just needs finishing touches.

You’ve received a lot of great advice - remove the metal thing over the sink and install a Roman shade as high as possible and a light fixture, find a place for a trash pull out, cut the overhang on one side of the island, maybe some island lighting and I would get a new light fixture over the table. I would add some warm accessories and call it a day.
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mcarroll16
2 years ago
Thanks for the update, that definitely changes the situation. And with that history in mind, he really did make good changes. I'm a fan of the soffits, because I hate narrow open spaces above cabinets that just collect dirt. The island is, well, really something, but it sounds like others here have some good solutions for you on that. Wishing your whole family the best in settling in to your new home.
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stellarceline
2 years ago
I bet the countertop company can shorten the counter on that one side that hangs "into" the living room back to just a normal 1" overhang past the cabinets. It will cost you some money, but then you'll have a much more normal size island with a normal overhang on one side. This seems like the easiest way to fix it.

The boxes/soffit extending to the ceiling looks fine to me.

The real bummer is that the money he put into this maybe would have been spent differently if you two had collaborated. Unless you have significant financial resources and this wasn't a major expense in the full context of your financial situation, I would be pretty unhappy with my husband for doing this alone instead of making decisions together.
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charles kidder
2 years ago
Reminds me of those car commercials where a spouse buys the other a car with a big red bow for a Christmas present. In reality, the recipient would be heard yelling 'How can you buy something like that without consulting with me? How much did the car cost?' And how do they get the car in the driveway in the middle of the night on Christmas eve without the recipient noticing?

I would live with it as is for a while and if there's something really bugging you, gently hint that maybe you could do X.
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kirsten_33
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you all so much! If I am unable to get the island cut down, which side should the stools be? I will look into purchasing roman shades today and get a pull out cabinet trash can. There were suggestions for pendant lighting above sink and black lighting fixture above table. If I add those, what should go above the island? Do I get rid of the ceiling lighting that is already there? Any suggestions on color of roman shades and what to put on the door behind the table? Its not a sliding glass door. He also installed this new faucet that i love
stellarceline
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
If you can't get it cut down, you would need to have stools on both sides to make it make sense (or build out shelving under one side out until the overhang is only 1"). How many kids do you have/do you do a lot of hosting?

I would also do a large light fixture centered over the island, or maybe a hanging pot rack/plant rack if you are into that sort of thing.

Unless there is a privacy issue I would totally get rid of the drapes and rod on the doors and have them bare. If privacy issue I would have probably have frosting installed.
kirsten_33 thanked stellarceline
kirsten_33
Original Author
2 years ago
thats a good idea to just leave it bare. I may have to freshen up the door. i have one baby so far and dont know a single person around here haha. All my family and friends are far away so not much hosting
gigib_08
2 years ago
I would add seating on both sides & also pendants above the island. He picked a very nice countertop.
kirsten_33 thanked gigib_08
missb_remodeling
2 years ago
Before you know it, your baby and five of their friends will be teenagers and your house will be the one they hang out at because you have an amazingly huge island that can seat all of them.
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kirsten_33
Original Author
2 years ago
😂
everdebz
2 years ago
39W x 24H x 13”D / Dimmable/ six bulbs (not included), and three GU10 bulbs (included) controlled separately by integrated 3-way switch for tasks, in the central columns. Oval or rectangle tables/ islands/ sloped. Seeded glass?

Lumos 9L Bronze Linear Chandelier Island Pendant Light Fixture · More Info
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everdebz
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
https://www.overstock.com/Lighting-Ceiling-Fans/Antique-5-Light-Wooden-Candle-Chandelier-Distressed-White/28132559/product.html
User
2 years ago
You just need to add accessories and color. Put a bowl of fruit on the island , some flowers. Get some stools. It is a nice space, and while you may have made different choices, it is not a disaster at all.
kirsten_33 thanked User
everdebz
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Added black trim on long ends:

https://www.overstock.com/Lighting-Ceiling-Fans/Antique-5-Light-Wooden-Candle-Chandelier-Distressed-White/28132559/product.html
everdebz
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Somewhat casual area, and grommet curtains... this has jute with grey, or black:

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Handmade-Natural-Fiber-Diamond-Geo-Natural-Black-Jute-Rug-23-x-8-Runner/11769651/product.html
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
2 years ago
Reducing the top size without mess is easy.
kirsten_33 thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
kirsten_33
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
thank you for those color and lighting ideas!

joseph, that is good to know. my husband was in the house when they sanded a part of it and he said it was unbearable but maybe they would do it differently now that we are moved in or we could just be out for the day.
kirsten_33
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
The island is so large that im nervous my large sectional couch wont fit right (still in transit) I’m grateful for an updated kitchen its just so enormous for this space just trying to figure out how to either distract from that or get it cleanly made smaller and you guys have helped SO much!!

so thankful for all of your input and ideas and for making light of this ginormous boulder in my kitchen 🤣
cupofkindnessgw
2 years ago
I am grateful to you and your husband for the sacrifices you make every day to serve our country. Thank you!
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Jen K (7b, 8a)
2 years ago
All this for a military move that you'll leave behind or rent out in a few years?

I'm a military spouse (and veteran) of 20 years (both). Good investment only if you can get money from the sale or rent. Talk him out of this for the next house (there will be one); you'll never be able to afford your permanent home investing in all of your military homes.
kirsten_33 thanked Jen K (7b, 8a)
kirsten_33
Original Author
2 years ago
This is our last home before he retires
Jen K (7b, 8a)
2 years ago
Last time before he retires and then you move to a final (haha - because that doesn't exist) home? Or last home you're going to live in it after he retires? I'm getting into the weeds because transitioning to retirement is challenging for everyone and this house reno is just a blip on what's to come. Honestly you should just live with it, let him retire and smooth things out before you decide where you're going to stay, either here or elsewhere.