Design Dilemma: My Kitchen Needs Help!

Lorraine Lawson Fine Arts says:

These kitchen ideas were very timely and invaluable. Thanks!

designchallenged says:

lots of good advice. thx.

mrsben says:

Wonderful advice!
(Re the 3rd lighting pic: For an additional source option, Christina may also wish to check out 'Barn Light Electric Company'.)

poorgirl says:

I think one other great bang for your buck.. is changing trim and mouldings around windows, doors ect... going big and thick.

aimwhy says:

Love the advice! So timely and fresh. Can you PLEASE do the same kind of article/advice for a dated salmon pink 70s bathroom?? ( I am happy to provide you a picture of one, cuz, um, I have one) and I'm desperate to figure out how to update it short of ripping everything out. I've already done small fixes like adding some chocolate brown rugs and white shade, but otherwise, just tragic! Thanks. :)

anastoff says:

Great ideas. Also wanted to point out that Overstock.com has those Tolix chairs for much cheaper, though by a different name. Just do a search for metal chairs and you'll see them. I hope the homeowner will post a pic once she has made some of the changes so we can all see.

Sheila Schmitz says:

aimwhy, upload your photo of your '70s pink bedroom to the Design Dilemmas section! http://www.houzz.com/questions/design-dilemma

Jessica Warfield says:

The only criticism I can give is that Corian is hardly any cheaper than stone,but if you prefer one look over the other than it really doesn't matter on the cost.

Yolanda says:

I love how you organized all the advice and covered every aspect while keeping it real. This is great template to go through kitchen design dilemmas!

vshaheen says:

I love it too. My sister is in the process of buying a house and one thing she wants to change is the kitchen...very dated. I told her about this website and I believe it will be very helpful. I agree with yolandarivas...the advice was very organized and covered every aspect while keeping it real and affordable.

Sarah Pryor of Etown Kitchens + Baths says:

Several good suggestions for quick, easy cosmetic upgrades.
Another super easy, quick way to update the look of the cabinets is to deal with that soffit. Yes, definitely get rid of that wallpaper border. Then paint the soffits the same white as the cabinets, put up a nice size crown molding where the soffit meets the ceiling, and maybe also put some accent molding where the cabinets meet the soffit. It will instantly give the illusion of height to your wall cabinets that people prefer now, particularly if your walls are a different color than the cabinets/soffit/crown.

A word of caution though if you replace countertops but keep the current cabinets...if you install stone tops, it will be very difficult to save those tops if you want to replace the cabinets later. If you find someone actually willing to uninstall/store/reinstall stone tops while you replace cabinets, they will probably charge at least a couple thousand $ and be unwilling to be held liable for any damage/breakage to your walls/cabinets/tops. So potentially, you could spend several grand on new stone tops + $2000+/- for uninstall/reinstall + several more $$$ when they accidentally break part of your top & you must replace it. Stone color/pattern varies between lots, so matching new to old could be challenging. Also, you would probably not be able to make any changes to the current layout of your kitchen if you try to re-use those tops, so you had really better like the current configuration of your cabinets. If you plan to replace the cabinets in the next 5 years, you'd be better off spending < $2000 on some upgraded black laminate tops for now to rid yourself of the pink(!) , and saving your $ for new cabinets w/ new stone tops to be installed at the same time later. That way you can really remodel that kitchen to suit you when you are ready to tackle it fully.

Joanne Cannell, CKD, CBD, CID says:

I agree with Sarah on the countertops. You need to be sure the layout is good & the cabinets are worth keeping before investing in an expensive countertop & backsplash. Corian or another solid surface could be a better choice because it's repairable if it breaks. It also could be better because honed granite can be harder to maintain.

Rebekah Zaveloff says:

Thanks for all the great comments! I agree with Sarah and Joanne for sure if you're considering a full remodel at some point - it might be waste to do the countertops. But often times homeowners hold out for a full remodel that never happens and you find yourself living for 10 years with something you could have changed and enjoyed!!

Jennifer Johnson says:

I recently saw those kits at Home Depot, Lowe's etc that you can paint your countertops called "Countertop transformations". Definitely don't just plunk down granite because you will see a dated kitchen with nice granite. A black laminate countertop would give it a nice "look" without the price. If you eventually want to go higher end, then re-do everything with a plan. Some nice cosmetic fixes will make this kitchen look so fresh! Good luck!

Valeria says:

We bought a 1969 home four years ago, and have redone almost everything. The entire kitchen was gutted and redone before we ever moved in. We have solid cherry cabinets in a finish called "cabernate" and 75 sq. feet of granite in a color called "cinnamon sand". It is mottled, in tones of black, beige, white with tiny silver flecks. Beautiful. We picked brushed nickel hardware and stainless appliances. Floor is a light natural color oak. Problem with the granite- it is supposedly "maintenance free". But its not! It does not stay shiny as it should and I am fed up with it. Also, one can't tell when something is spilled on the granite. That may be a plus for some, but I like CLEAN countertops. If I had it to do over again, I would not get granite. I feel its overrated, very costly, and is getting to be cliche, and not easy to maintain in a kitchen. Its also very cold in the winter, if you are sitting at the counter doing something!

dbourgois says:

Ikea has great light fixtures
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10194960/
that would work in the kitchen as well as knobs - on a budget! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/fintorp-knob__0120568_PE277231_S4.JPG
Also, if you can't afford granite right now, change the laminate. You can diy for pretty reasonably. Huge improvement will be noticed by removing the border & painting as many have mentioned. Good Luck!

tracygradolph says:

Nice!---can we show a different tile flooring!! Something warm like the wood.