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Lighting Kitchens Remodeling

Ideas for kitchen update - box light, countertops?

last year

last modified: last year

Hi - looking to update our kitchen a little bit and the first issue is this huge box light - it is going bad, but is the light that is wired to our main switches (2 way switches). What would you put here instead? We have tons of recessed lighting around the kitchen already.

Next - has anyone painted countertops? These leaf green countertops are hideous and I'm looking for a cost-effective way to upgrade.

I would love all ideas! This kitchen is straight out of the 90s, but we have a huge deck/sunroom project that needs to happen first, so that's why I'm not tearing out and redoing at this point. I joke that I'll have nice things when my kids grow up. Ha!

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Comments (3)

Linda
last year
For refinishing your countertop at a low cost, check out Miracle Method. They are known more for bathtub resurfacing but can do other surfaces, too. We had it applied to an old laminate bathroom counter and it was a nice budget update (but very smelly so do it on a nice day when you can have windows open). Plain old laminate is also a budget choice and there are many choices out there now. It's fairly easy to DIY.

As far as lighting, do you need general lighting? If so, I'd just add more recessed lighting. Once you're ready for a full remodel, then you can take a more systematic approach to designing a lighting scheme for the room.
cat_ky
last year
Remove the box, fill in any screw holes etc, sand it well, prime it and paint the entire ceiling. Once done, add a nice light fixture where the box with wiring in it is.
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Change the receptacle and cover plate on the cabinet end to something that blends in better. Larger pendants. New hardware. No paint on the cabinets. White or light aqua color paint. No beige or grey. Fridge surround down the road when you replace the refrigerator. Since you have limited counter space, I would replace the range hood with a microwave/ hood combination. Not ideal but it would free up a lot of counter. New counter tops. I would try to eliminate the raised ledge and have a wider, one level counter on the sink peninsula. Edited to add that I would put some dimmable LED tape lights on top of the cabinets, too. In addition to the under cabinet lights you've already installed.
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IMO your wall color should not be decided until all of your other changes are made. Grays are very difficult to work with. LEDs in daylight bulbs 3500-5000K range should be installed before choosing any colors. I would like to see surrounding lighting to give an idea of the table light.
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Knobs and pulls would add a little much needed bling. Change hood if it's really something that bothers you, but I wouldn’t change the countertops or floor at this point. Your cabinets are nice. Bar stools could be more colorful and less dark woody. Wall color needs to change, but, I think there's another color issue there. The backsplash is travertine pinkish, and the granite seems to have more yellow tones. I have a similar backsplash and granite, but I used an enhancing sealer on my backsplash which changed the pink tone to more golden to blend with my granite. Perhaps your backsplash hasn’t been sealed yet and you can try an enhancing sealer to change the tone. Until the color difference between the backsplash and granite is resolved, you’ll run into a problem choosing a paint color for the walls. You could change the backsplash, but the white one you proposed is not the right one.
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Comments (19)
No updates to post yet! We do have someone coming this morning to measure and give us an idea of how many square feet (and how many slabs) we will need. So far, the front runner is the Silestone Copper Mist, but I'm still concerned it might be a little too cool, and it only comes in a polished finish. I've also looked at some soapstone look alikes--in a leathered finish. I really like the look of a dark counter with our cabinets and furnishings. We've visited 4 granite yards so far, and haven't found a light colored granite that wasn't too busy or "splotchy", spotted looking. I also prefer the looks of a non polished finish, but I've read several posts about upkeep being a nightmare. There are so many different finishes--honed, leathered, suede, etc. It's hard to know which one would be the right choice! I'll definitely update when we finish.
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wdccruise
last year
@cat_ky: "Remove the box, fill in any screw holes etc, sand it well..."
- That's a textured ceiling so you can't just "sand it well". You don't know the condition of the ceiling inside the light. Remove the plastic panels and examine what's above before deciding what to do. It does draw one's attention. If you decided it was too difficult to remove, you might just paint it to, say, match the color of the surrounding soffits or white.
- Search youtube for "paint laminate countertops". Lots of cases there.
- The beige recessed lights with BR bulbs scream (well, to me) old. I'd consider spray painting the trim to match the ceiling (or wall color or, for example, silver or black) and replacing what are probably BR30 bulbs with flat-lens PAR30 bulbs (probably "short neck" so that bulbs do not extend below the ceiling).
-- amateur

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