Paint the walls white, a white rug for in front of the sink, white hand towels, and get white blinds for the window. It will brighten up the kitchen a lot. I think that cabinets and countertops look great!

paint everything white

kitchen looks great to me. only problems are all the clutter and i dont think thats the best beige you could have picked

I don't normally like dark cabinets, but yours are very pretty. I especially like your backsplash. I agree with painting everything white, but if possible, I would have glass panels installed in the uppers and have in-cabinet lighting installed.

Seems like the wall color is competing with the rest. I like kasiliapence's ideas. I think I would paint the walls a color in your backsplash.

Hi, I like kasiliapence's ideas, too. I would definitely change the walls from beige to light grey before I considered painting the cabinetry. The dark cabinets are nice and the grey paint could tie it all together. I do not see any of that tannish beige from the walls in the granite at all It also appears that the floor is a shade of grey. Repeating that color, or a lighter version of it, on the wall would be a good start.

Paint the walls and ceiling white polar bear from behr. You did a great job. Save the rest of the funds and replace some of thr smaller items , try Etsy.com they have a beautiful silk piece for over your banquette. And pottery barn or world market or one of those types of places pick up white seat cushions and backs, maybe place a white vase in the center of the table and maybe move the water cooler over to another location. Just a little tidy and your there. You did great job.

with stainless appliances, white walls will be a better option than grey. White and grey towels and accessories will work. The cabinets look wonderful.

Leave the cabinets as they are but put glass inserts in the corner uppers. A light grey/taupe paint pulled from the granite would work well. A pretty roman shade over the sink would add softness and a splash of color. Use the same fabric on cushions or pillows on the banquette.

Sorry. I think the back splash is the problem. Cabinets look good.

I wouldn't paint everything white, I think then you would find yourself not having enough color depth. I would repaint your walls. That paint has no connection to anything else in the space. I would color match a wall color to the lightest tile module in your backsplash. That will be a great way to carry the same color tone through the space. Good luck!

Maybe all you need to do is replace the blinds with light colored curtains or blinds. If it still seems too dark, replace a few of the upper cabinets with glass insets. You could also paint the upper cabinets only. Maybe white and then the wall white too.

check out SW7031 Mega Greige ;or SW7045 Intellectual Gray or SW7038 Tony Taupe for walls. If you are really brave consider the next shade darker on each color strip:7032, 7039, or 7046. Remember contrast is what makes a space feel smaller. Start by changing the wall color, much easier than re-doing the cabinets... Good Luck and keep us posted. Your room is beautiful...





`~Natalie

Have you considered painting just the upper cabs and the soffit white? I don't think that glass doors would look right unless you replaced all the other doors ($$$) with shaker style doors. A rectangular pane of glass would clash with the curved cathedral style of your doors. I think that the kitchen would benefit from a new non-brown window treatment.

Thank you for all the suggestions! I will paint the walls this weekend and post pics after.

elephant's breath farrow and ball would be a good mud grey like in the backsplash. or dove grey benjamin moore

Yes paint the walls! Gray and beige clash. I think the dark cabinets will be fine, here is an example of putting gray colors together. This is not the best example but the colors work together. Leave the dark cabinets and stay with a very light shade of gray. By the way it's really hard to see the true colors in that tile. Can't wait to see after pictures!

Consider a cool grey for the walls instead of white white. It will give the room more character especially since its both kitchen and dining room ...make sure you compare a number of paint samples so the shade you choose compliments the floor too. The wrong shade will dull the look of your floor. Paint the vent the same color as your wall to limit the distraction. The idea from "elklaker" to add glass inserts would help with the dark cabinets...rather than repaint. There are a number of glass options most relatively inexpensive. I used rain glass inserts in one home remodel, an economic way to upgrade and class-up cabinets. Add some nice pulls and knobs on your cabinets

Martha Stewart sharkey gray, home depot, is a great neutral gray with brown tones. Looks like it would go well with the espresso cabinets, tile floor, backsplash and counters.

We just painted our kitchen in Martha Stewart Bayou. It's a greeny gray - I think it would work with your kitchen.

Personally I would make the cabinets a creamy-yellow colour. The attached picture is from my previous house and it has black granite counter-tops with creamy-yellow cabinets. The walls were slightly off-white and had the same colour splash-back. It made the kitchen seem bright and it was pleasant to be in.

It depends on the house really though... That house was modern so the colour scheme matched it well, but in a more classic house it may not work as well and it could seem out of place.

Espresso has brown in it....does not go with grey. Paint the cabinets a medium dark grey and the walls a pale grey. Then accessorize with white and a bright fun color like chartreuse, coral or aqua. Consider covering the soffit with mirror for additional light and reflection, but paint the vent black so it disappears. If you do not have undercabinet lighting, add that as well as an updated ceiling fixture. Consider having someone hone your countertop as the shiny granite is a bit dated. Paint the banquette grouping to match the cabinets or paint them white. Please post photos as you progress! :)

****Espresso has black AND brown. The black will compliment a gray like "sharkey gray". Browns and yellows would not compliment the tile and the countertops which is your current dilemma. A simple $34.00 gallon of paint should make a huge difference and solve the issue. Good luck to you. (see my above post)

if you want simple changes, here are my suggestions:
1. use a wall color that matches the green/grey of the subway tiles;
2. white blinds with green/grey colored ribbons;
3. Invest in better dish towels;
4. declutter, especially those paper sticking on the side of the fridge;
5. for the breakfast nook, have colored bench pads
6. get stainless steel dog bowl
7. add some floor tiles from flor.com to jazz up the space
7. lastly, plants (herbs?) and a nice bowl of fruits will liven up any kitchen!

Don't go with the white blinds: too stark. The brown shade is OK, but I would get a modern graphic print and make a shade for color. Sorry, replace the bread box unless it's a family heirloom. I love the whole room, but it just doesn't work!

Great color choice! Now all your hard work is tied together beautifully! Looks terrific! Enjoy!

I think the bread box has "character," but-if its wood, you could probably find a paint color that would give it a new lease on life, too.

Wow, you have been busy! But it certainly was worth it, even the nook looks fabulous. Now you can put down that paint brush and enjoy your kitchen. Re the shade, I'd get a roman shade in a print with a bit of orange in it maybe to pick up the color of the painting.

What kind of lighting do you have in the kitchen. Do you have enough? Some LED spots could make a huge difference in the shadows of the kitchen.

Consider painting only the upper cabinets a lighter tone (pulled out of the tile or counter). You could also replace a couple of the cabinet panels with glass and light the insides of the cabinets if you have pretty dishes to display.

Love the backsplash and granite. Are you staying or moving soon? Don't be afraid to personalize your kitchen with colorful accessories that can easily be changed out.

There could be more color accents in the kitchen. Do you like red or cobalt blue? Look to your painting for inspiration! Throw some colorful cushions on the benches of the breakfast nook and colored rug on the floor. Good Luck!

Beautifully done! Paint can add a wonderful transformation! Congratulations to a job well done!
Cheers!
m.

kitchen looks great. the tile seem to pop out more with the sharkey gray. are you happy with it? ikea has some great fabrics that are very reasonable. perhaps you could add a pop of color with a roman shade rather than the blinds. do you use the blinds for privacy or just for show? you could do a valance in front of the blinds to change it up a bit if they are there for function. good luck!

I would go with a lighter shade. Something with some color to add cheerfulness to the room, which looks rather solemn and conservative at the moment.

Try also to bring out some color in your accessories. Even a houseplant in the window would make a great difference.

Consider adding yellow accessories and shade to brighten your new decor. Yellow really pops with grey and with white. :)

LOOKS great with white, love the banquette, you can now add what you wish in the way of art work. I do not agree with making color paint or anything pop I think art work and sometimes empty walls are fine. Remeber from Feng Shui, on wall should alway be empty for contemplation and for a treasure you will find in the future. looks great. enjoy.

Looks beautiful! Amazing how the right color of paint on the walls makes such a huge difference.

Hi - any chance you can post close up pics of your cabinet doors? I see a lot of good comments about the rustoleum product but all the photos are far away. Of course with dark cabinets, lighting will be tough.

My color is one lighter than Black. It's a brownish black. Actually has a little red in it.

Another pic. Fridge wall.

The subway tile is very nice accent to the kitchen. I would not change it. You could paint the upper cabinets in white and add brushed nickel knobs to all of them. Or you could paint all of them white or all of them in grey.

I would suggest adding some pop of color in your kitchen accessories. Cushions with the same color throught out the kitchen area.Maybe red?

Cynthia - now that you have lived with your cabinets for a while, what do you think? Holding up? Can you take a close up, like of a drawer or door handle area?

I'll try to take some closer up pics this weekend. I can tell you that my cabs are holding up to water and grease extremely well. I've already had some ugly spills and found that the Rustoleum finish handles it as well as any varnished cabinet surface does. We're not talking a custom kitchen finish here. (I figured I saved at least 10 grand over that option.) But I'm pretty happy with the way it's holding up and the fact that I can "fix" things that happen because I still have the stain, varnish, etc., nearby. I have no complaints for the investment, either financial or physical. (The physical is not to be underestimated. I have a big kitchen, but probably spent at least 70 hours doing this.) Part of it may be the DIY element, but all in all, I'm very pleased.

I like what you did. Cabinets look great! One suggestion would be tie in the orange from the nook area to the kitchen. I agree with the shade. A pop of orange or a nice bamboo and add a colorful orange ribbon down each side. also I would throw a pillow or two on the nook and paint the top of the nook a different color. Like the cabinet or granite color.. Something different. Or Maybe adding darker cushion with a print with oranges and browns, yellow etc. You can cover some foam with pretty print fabric to spice it up.. Lastly add a bowl of fruit on the nook with limes, oranges, lemons etc. Just color.. Bring the colors of your art to both sides of the kitchen.. Looks really nice though! Good job

How about a gray blue with the walls

Don't take down the subway tile! Its very nice. change the cabinet color to white! your kitchen is very dark. The darkness is all you see. With white cabinets, everything else will be noticeable stand out nicely.

I think the backsplash is fine , just redo the cabinets to a while or off white . I would also get rid of the blinds in the window , and add some color on the walls and accessories :)

White and silver paint