Hi, I see lots of potential for nice changes, but honestly? I couldn't get started until I could see 'past' the checkered walls, apple border and green swags. I wouldn't be as rushed to get rid of the floors either until you see them in a different context.

:) Lucy - the only reason I'm starting with the cabinets is because it's the cheapest project. I'm going to hire someone to take down the wallpaper, texture, and paint. It's going to be a nightmare, because none of the walls in the house were prepped before wallpapering. When we decided to rewallpaper the kitchen (yes, I'm embarrassed to say I picked out the checkered wallpaper), the wallpaper lady suggested we just paper over the old stuff because she could tell it wasn't coming off. Now we have two layers to take off.

Laurie

msrose - I think you have great bones to your kitchen. I have to agree with Lucy's suggestion to take down the wallpaper and you will see your floor in a whole different light! I love your floor!
Take the wallpaper down and see what it looks like without it.
Keep us posted!!

Laurie
I like your kitchen, very warm and inviting!! You really have great space to work with. I definitely understand we need change. You are doing a lot.. What a power house you are!

Your flooring is neutral. I would leave it for now and see how it goes with your new paint and cabinet color. That is a huge and expensive job to re tile, so wait and see how it looks first.. I do love the tile you posted.. (my friend just had the same tile installed in her kitchen, it is beautiful.) Your cabinets are a nice color, on my monitor it has gold/yellow tones? The antique walnut looks very close to your cabinet color, just a little deeper? I like them both, but I am leaning to the cherry . Check out miniwax gel stains also.. I like their cherry wood or brazilian rosewood, I think one of these colors would work nicely also. I love a French country kitchen Laurie and I can see your kitchen in that style. I love the honeymoon color..I think itÂs perfect and would fit the French country look . I am hoping some one will photo shop your kitchen with the mustard walls and different tones to your cabinets.. it would be too painful to see you go through what you went through in your living room.. (smile) I am sure someone will jump in and helpÂcanÂt wait to see it trans form! Look at the miniwax colors and see if you like any of them.
Talk later
Ree

Here is a link that might be useful: miniwax gel stains

are the floors real stone? if so i'd totally leave them.
i think that when the walls are a warm gold those floors will look beautiful and very french country.
honestly,, i really would leave the cabs alone for now. deal with the walls,and maybethink about leaving a bit of the red check somewhere,it's a common enough element of french country. you just have too much!
so,pick up the colors from the floor,deepen them for richness on the walls,,and last but definately not least,,replace the countertops.
i love formica,,it's cheap,,you can acheive almost any look with it and it's warmer and more forgiving than stone.. but i love the stone look,so a warm stone-look with interesting edging,,an elegant shape to the end of the penninsula and make that penninsula a bi-level. much more interesting to the eye,,hides clutter,and makes a place for elegant bar stools,if you have the room.
use deep red accents,,bm morracon red is gorgeous with warm gold,imo. then decide if you want to change the cabs.

ack,,just went back and realised that the kitchen tile isn't as nice as the entry way tile. i'd still wait to replace it though,,nice runners and rugs could help a ton for a fraction of the expense.
and i took a second look at the cabinet on the far wall. any chance of replacing that with someting which looks more like a big open hutch? i'm thinking something more furniture like,,with lots of colorful everday stoneware displayed on the upper half.

Looks like you and I have the same cabs.

I'm not ready to undertake them at this point either.

This pic was taken with my old camera, and isn't showing the true color of the walls, which is a soft yellow, but it may aid you color wise as the floor is darker like you want too.

If you'd like to see a better pic, I can take one later.

I really do like the soft yellow with the oak.

{{!gwi}}

Hi Laurie,
There might be another way you can save some money and put it toward some of the stuff you want for the kitchen... I just recently re-did all 3 of my bathrooms. All had wallpaper, and we wanted paint. The wallpaper was applied directly to the wallboard,which meant I couldn't take it down because it would damage the wallboard. So after looking into it, reading and talking to lots of people, this is what I did. You could do this yourself, rather than pay someone to come in and take it down and prepare the walls.
Step 1: Repair any loose seams or edges by applying wallpaper adhesive where needed (you can buy a small tube at any paint store).
Step 2: Prime the walls with a good primer. I can look up the name of the one I used if you are interested -it was one of the Zinnser ones.
Step 3: Apply joint compound (I used DAP pre-mixed in a bucket) to the walls with a big palette knife, and then roll out with a roller. This is a little time-consuming, but not difficult, much like frosting a cake. You just kind of slather it on, pull it out so it's kind of smooth, and then roll it all out.
Step 4: Sand the entire wall. I used my little mouse sander and it worked great. The sanding is very easy. The hardest part is vacuuming up all the dust.
Step 5: Prime the walls again (if you use Ben Moore Aura paint, which is self-priming, you can skip this step).
Step 6: Paint!
None of this is difficult, it's just a bit time consuming.
If you don't want to do all this work, I would think it would also be cheaper to hire someone to do this, than to pull down the wallpaper.
Good luck,
Lynn

Hey, I remember when that look was IN IN IN! So don't go feeling bad :)! Entire catalogs used to come in with apple kitchen stuff...or sunflowers. It is just a case of the decorating cycle of life.

I think your neutral cabs & flooring are totally workable, and the only place I would invest in is in walls, wt's, & accessories.

Nat

I agree with the above posters........take down everything on the walls, wallpaper, countertops and above the cabinets. Start with a fresh slate. Ya, demo does take energy & time but worth it once you have somewhere to start to invision. I'd start dreaming by looking at the FKB .
Once you have an idea of what you'd like, it's fine tuning. Are you planning on changing appliances, hardware, countertops etc? A couple of inexpensive upgrades are your hardware & paint, but know what you want with your cabinets. Search what you like and decide what you will change and where you want to put your $$'s.
I like your tile but I'd consider lighting the grout color. If your keeping the cabinets buy a couple of handles and start with that too.
Good luck and keep posting : )

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB

Oops, I just realized I wasn't real clear on the pictures of the floors I posted before. I couldn't figure out why y'all liked my floors so much. Those are pictures of the floors I would like to have and I was just wondering if it would go with the colors I'm wanting to use in the kitchen. These are the floors I have now:
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Now you see what I want to eventually redo the floors? This would definitely be the last thing I do because it will be expensive taking up the tile and putting more down. I just want to have an overall picture of how I want the kitchen to look. I've never been able to completely redo a whole room all at one time (except the boys' bathroom that we just did). When I redid our master bath, I picked out a tile I liked without thinking about anything else. When it came time to pick out a wallpaper, I had a hard time find something that looked good with the tile that I liked. I would like to plan the whole kitchen out as much as I can even though I'm going to do a little at a time.

Ree - I think my cabinets are closer to the Aged Oak on the Miniwax website. I like the Walnut and the Brazilian Rosewood. I would also love to see my kitchen photoshopped to see how the floors and the colors I like would look together :)

fallingwaters - I would eventually like granite countertops, but I'm not a high-maintenance type of person so it would have to be one of the more maintenance free ones. Are you talking about replacing the cabinet where the refrigerator is? I had actually thought of getting a smaller kitchen table and maybe putting a hutch on the wall to the left of it. I'm afraid when that wall is painted, it will look like it needs something. What do you think?

Trying2grow - Thanks for the picture. You're cabinets are a lot like mine. They look alot newer though and still in good shape. Mine aren't in bad shape, it's just that the finish is 23 years old and not looking so good.

Lynn - We're in the process of painting over the wallpaper in our entryway right now. DH is a perfectionist with everything, so he patched the seams instead of me. I just looked at it and I can still see them for some reason. Did you DAP the whole wall or just the seams?

Laurie

Hey Laurie,

If you're thinking about darkening the cabs...take a look at this link! This was a member's before/after pictures and I think it turned out so pretty. She painted her cabs black--now hers is a very modern look--but I think with warm gold walls, black painted cabinets could turn out beautifully. Just a thought! Also, I love that tumbled travertine floor...we have ordered walnut chiseled travertine for parts of our home and plan on laying it in the same Versailles pattern.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinets painted Black--taken from another thread

Laurie
lets wait and see if some one helps with photo shop.. I think this could be a lot of fun (and helpful) I wish I knew how..I have tried different programs..no luck.. I will get the hang of it some day..that was one thing on my Christmas list Santa forgot to bring :(
Ree

fairytalebaby - That's a beautiful kitchen! I just painted my bathroom cabinets black and I've already had some problems with the paint peeling, so I'm a little gun shy about painting cabinets. I was thinking staining it darker would be a little easier, but I see that didn't work out too well for her :)

Ree - I have everything I need to do the photoshopping, but I still don't know how to do it :) I need someone to sit next to me and walk me through the steps.

Laurie

I have similar kitchen cabinets. After stripping our dated wallpaper, we painted the walls SW Jonquil, a lovely yellow. It looks great with the oak cabinets and totally updated the kitchen. Sorry no pictures, I am computer illiterate.

For your tile, I would look into getting the tile steam cleaned and the grout colored with a colored sealer. Carpet cleaning companies do this service now. I can't stress enough how much this can change the look of older tile - with a lighter grout you could update the look of your existing tile for a fraction of the cost of replacing it. Good luck!

MsRose, this is a major mess I've made of your kitchen, so please forgive me. I'm great at some photoshop for some things and really bad at other things.

At any rate, I cloned the color that was not affected by light onto your kitchen walls, and cloned a part of her curtains onto your window. I think the floor and the cabinets are fine. I think you'll need to do something about your chair color, however.

What do you folks think - and again, I'm so sorry it's a sloppy mess!

Msrose, there is supposedly a grout colorant that is available to change the grout color. I think if you went to a lighter color grout that would "help" your current tile flooring alot, without having to replace all of it.

And as others have said, once you have a blank slate on the walls, it will be alot easier to visualize where you want to go.

This will be a fun project for you for the New Year!

laurie,,you are right the floors aren't as nice as i thought. but maybe they'll look better after changing the grout color,,i like that idea. and nice throw washable throw rugs will help,too.
i am so the queen of cheap,,i'd never do granite counters. first,cuz i'm cheap,second cuz i drop stuff. a lot!
(which is why i have cork floors)
i love formica,, it comes in some great stone looks these days. trim it out with nice edging,add some shape or a corbel at the end of the penninsula and you'll be amzed at how nice it can look.
what do you think about the bilevel penninsula? i love how it hides clutter and provides vertical interest.
i did mean the cabs next to the fridge. do you need more table space? than that may work also and would free up room for really nice bar stools maybe?
you have to decide if you need more closed cab space,more table space or more display space when thinking about that wall. i've even removed most of my upper cabs when i was feeling like it was too matchymatchy and closed in. i have a huge antique icebox in another room i use for extra stuff. the kitchen ffels much lighter now and i have a ton of room finally for all of my plates and platters to display.
let us know what you decide,,your kitchen has great potential,i think.

Thanks, Mareda. That's definitely an improvement, but I'm wondering now if I should pick something with a touch more yellow. I originally wanted Concord Ivory, but then I decided that may be brighter than I want. Maybe something in between the two? I eventualy want every single thing that's hunter green to go, including the chairs :) The cabinets may look fine, but after 23 years, I need a change even if it's a small one. I'm so sick of the medium oak color.

Even if I change the grout color, I will probably still not like the tile, but since replacing it is way down the road, I'll probably check into recoloring it.

Laurie

fallingwaters - I'm not sure I really need extra room any where. I was just thinking this wall may look kind of plain when it's painted.

{{!gwi}}

..and don't you just love the wires acrose the wall. When we bought the house, there was no such thing as cordless phones (boy do I feel old now), so the outlet wasn't put in near the phone.

{{!gwi}}

Laurie

honestly, I wouldn't worry about the floor right now. I think once you have all the other elements in place, the floors will disappear. Right now I think you are wanting a change and want to rip it all out! Understandable. We all go through that. First imagine the look you are trying to achieve, then look on the web at different kitchens that appeal to you. Changing the wallpaper to paint will itself give a big change. I stripped the wallpaper from my kitchen. A big job, but well worth it. Go to google images and type in 'french country kitchen'. You will get a zillion different images!

Here is a link with lots of french country kitchen images.

Here is a link that might be useful: French country kitchens

Laurie,
To follow up to your question -I DAP'd the entire wall, put it on everywhere you would put paint. There is absolutely not a shred of evidence that there was ever wallpaper now. I don't think you could DAP just the seams -in some ways, they might become more visible...
Lynn

ree
good for you
I agree w/many of the other posters here w/taking wp done, paint etc... Additionally, I think removing the outdated flourescent fixtures w/more modern lighting may provide more bang for the buck than the floor - + re-surfacing the formica - you may be surprised at how inexpensive that can be
A new faucet and having an electrician properly locate the outlet for the phone are also reasonably cost effective updtaes.

I like the bookshelf on the back of the cab in eating area - wondering if someone could cut more of a shelf to extend existing or is that cabinet all the way back. Either way - cleaning that up and putting some pretty pottery there would add some interest.

Agree the floor can come last - but new tile travertine can be a costly undertaking - that looks like individual lineoleum tile ? If you decide when all said & done that you still don't like the floor - you could take up the lineoleum tile yourself and do a DIY porcelain tile floor - not really that hard to do

LOOK I just found some porcelain at a mere $3/sq ft
http://cgi.ebay.com/12-x-12-Sindie-Noce-Porcelain-Ceramic-Floor-Tile_W0QQitemZ150199148743QQihZ005QQcategoryZ42127QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Existing tile appears to be 12"x12" so you virtually have a pattern laid out already -

Good luck !

Laurie
I went through the posts.. your wall behind your table... how about a chair rail? It will break the wall up so it will not look like Âall wall" you can install shelves above the chair rail , and put French country plates, roosters etc. I think it will look really pretty! I would try the stain.. even if itÂs very close in color, it will add new life .. I treat my cabinets with "restore a finish" every few months..after a while the wood starts to look Âdull and this works really good if you want to keep the same color, just add a little life to them you could also try that.. I think you should get a sample pot of honeymoon , paint a nice size board and thumb tack in on your wall near your cabinet.. See if you like it I think it is lighter than mustard seed as it doesnÂt look that dark in the pictures you are getting me revved up to finish mine..lol
Ree

bestyears - Thank you. I've had other people tell me they painted over their wallpaper before, but I never understood that they were DAPing over the whole wall. Now it makes more sense.

jevtr - I've wondered about the fluorescent lights, but what do you do about the big hole it leaves in the ceiling? Would a single light be enough to light up my kitchen? I don't know if I completely understand your question on the book shelf. Do you mean to extend it all the way to the left? The dishwasher is actually in that spot, but you can only see it from the other side. The floor is ceraminc tile. It's just ugly ceramic tile :)
I had no idea you could resurface formica. You're talking about the countertops, right? How is that done?

Ree - Where do you get the "restore a finish"? I wonder if that's something I could use after I restain the cabinets, just to keep it looking good. I have to work tomorrow, so I definitely think you should go to BM and get a sample of the honeymoon. I'll check back when I get home to see what you think of it. LOL

Back to my question about the stain color. I definitely want to go darker, so do you think I'll be okay with either the walnut or the reddish colored wood? Will they both look good with the gold walls and warm red accents?

Laurie

Laurie:
You have a fun project ahead! Like others have said I would definitely start with the wallpaper removal as that will really change how everthing looks. Then I'd do the cabinets (if you are sure you are going to do that) before finalizing a paint color as every change will change the room and how the paint color looks. I feel like the general color direction you are heading in will be fine, just might have the tweak the actual color once the cabinets are done.

To answer your question about the stain colors, of the two you've mentioned I would definitely go with the walnut color. It is a nice warm brown and should go with the colors you are describing (and other colors too, nice to have options). Honestly, I do not like the cherry color at all as I think it is too red and it might actually clash with the red you want to bring in as accents. I feel you want the cabinets to be more "nuetral" so you have more decorating options. My $.02. Good luck with the project - it will be fun to see the room come together.

msrose, our powder room had a pale pink laminate and my BIL just put new WilsonArt over the existing top. DH pulled off the backsplash board that was covered in laminate and I found some discontinued tile at Lowes to use as the backsplash. So yes you should be able to find someone to install new over your old.
I think you are concerned about the wall in your dining area looking too plain because you have so much going on in there now. Our kitchen/breakfast room area had blue paper with gold & rust fruit and after DH spent days & days removing that paper we were both pleased with the plain painted walls. We have 15 year old oak cabinets that I am not fond of either but they are in good condition and DH likes them so guess they will stay as they are. DH painted the walls BM Powell Buff and I think it looks pretty well with the cabinets. I agree with others, that getting rid of the wallpaper is most important. Your have some really pretty windows.

Just remember something (re the potentially empty wall, floor, etc.) you can always add in more, or change things, after everything else is done and you see how it looks, but once something is 'installed' you could be stuck with it, so don't be in a hurry to cover every last 'base' now, just the basics, then go from there.

I used the grout paint on my office floor tile grout, after carefully steam cleaning every bit of grout. It didn't last well, and it wasn't all that easy to apply neatly on just the grout and not the surrounding tiles. I'd never do it again and wouldn't recommend it.

For your wallpaper, if money isn't all that important yes I'd hire someone. If it is all that important I'd spend $100 (maybe less) on a general purpose pressure steam cleaner like Shark. Then I'd take my time and steam it all off myself. Don't scrape! Just steam and peel. Don't use anything rougher than a fingernail to peel with. I've done it and it's time consuming but it works. After that you'll enjoy using the Shark elsewhere in the house.

And if you can't do it successfully, at least you tried (your DH should be proud of you) and you've still got the Shark (yay for you).

I've also seen on HGTV where a decorator mixed up paint with joint compound and rolled it on the walls. But smooth walls are fine too.

If that tile floor of yours is ceramic, I would leave it alone. Dark grout makes the most sense for easy cleaning, too. I'd pick a color from the floor tile to paint the walls, or if you have a spare tile, take one to the paint store with you and hold up chips next to it. But if it's vinyl tile, I'd simply smooth it with floor leveler, and cover it with a vinyl tile. I recently did vinyl plank tiles on my kitchen floor and I love them. Very quick, easy and inexpensive. I did the fake wood and it looks real, but they have many pretty tiles that look like stone, too.

Hi Laurie
You can get restore a finish at home depot. I suggested it incase you didnÂt want to get into re - staining all the cabinets. this will add new life, add color to dull areas and give them a liftÂ. Maybe give a try and see how it works on your cabinets before you start the stain and pull your hair out with different shades. If you do go with stain, I like the walnut or cherry. Both will look good with a mustard gold paint. hockey momÂs kitchen is to die for and she has cherry with honeymoon. My cabinets are cherry and I am painting this kitchen in the golds..I love the look. Here is a link to restore a finishÂ
Ree
ps..I want to get a sample pot badly myself... kids are home today and they have book reports due tomorrow... I will try to get to BM tomorrow.... or are you stopping on your way home from work?? LOL!!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: restore a finish

Laurie
I ran out and got a sample pot of honeymoon (last one left :) I LOVE it.. I also have oak molding with a golden tone (will soon be painted) it looks really good against it!! (like your cabinet color) I would love to post a picture..but my camera is now broken!!! I left it at the barn where my kids ride..took forever to get it back..now it's broke!!! If I can borrow my neighbor's camera again, I will post a picture for you! Ree

They will have to patch and repair the hole from removing the ceiling light -
either put in some hi hats - ceiling lighting or several pendulum type
The book shelf won't work, given the dw location -
Re: counters - you can have the old laminate removed and new laminate installed on the same counter base

good luck

Ree - I can't tell if you're serious or pulling my leg :)

Did you really get it?

Laurie

Laurie--I'm excited for your kitchen!! I like the travertine that you picked out too.... but I'd wait to do that dead-last.

Hey, if you're interested in a number for someone in our area to rip off your wallpaper, trowel, and paint your walls, email me. I'm in the process of doing the same thing in my study and the guy I ended up hiring I really like and gave me a good price (I got quite a few bids).

texashottie - Just sent you an e-mail!

Laurie

Hi Laurie
I really got it! I called our BM store and asked if they had a sample pot of the Aura honeymoon, the guy checked and said they have just one left, I told him to hold it and I would be right there.. I painted under the cabinet to the counter, along side the window...I love it..very pretty and dried so fast. I wanted to give it a second coat, but my neighbor came over and she took it to try it in her brand new kitchen (she is looking for paint colors and loved it herself) I have to say, it is very close to my dining room and entry foyer which is an ACE color called cashew crunch ( I had BM mix it) those two rooms never come out true to color in photo's.. I think it is lighter than mustard seed, I say 'I think" because I have not seen MS in person..just going by photo's.. it truly is a pretty color! I am not happy my camera is not working, I will see if I can borrow one..
catch up later!
Ree

Well, shoot, I was just at Ace Hardware the other day. I didn't know the aura colors came in samples or I would have checked to see if they had it.

Laurie

I think you have great ideas for updating your kitchen. I'll add an idea I don't think anyone's mentioned if you need to economize (or maybe I missed it). When we were considering updating countertops, I found that granite tile was cheaper than formica if I installed the granite myself--but of course it does have grout lines even though they're extremely narrow. I preferred that since I really like granite and have found that after 2+ yrs, it seems really easy to care for. A tile class at HD or Lowes would be all you need to get you going. Granite tile can be as low as $4 to $5/sq ft. It's an idea anyway. Here are a few pictures---two of model homes.
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

I also noticed your cabinets have an insert in them that reminds me of powder room cupboards I painted and removed the insert (it just bumped right out in mine) and I inserted beadboard into (it was the exact thickness as the one removed. I'm not sure if beadboard fits into your ideas, but I've seen some French kitchens with it. I happened to go with white and I plan to add beadboard wainscoting to the powder room also, but you could do any color. I also think your idea of just staining them a darker color would perk them up a lot and fit in better with your total plan.

{{!gwi}}

I think your wall color ideas sound yummy for a French kitchen. There's something so warm about that. Good luck with it all!

sujafr - I love the granite tile in the 2nd picture. Do you happen to know what it is? I also love your beadboard idea. Since I would be staining instead of painting, do you think it would blend in with the existing wood?

Laurie

Laurie
I am adding my 2 cents again.. you can get a stain grade bead board and I am sure you can match the color very well.. I love that idea and I think it's a great way to change your cabinets for a different look, especially French Country.. I would look into doing that.. I think it would look really good!
Ree
ps.. yes, they do have the Aura in the little sample jars. our ACE does not carry BM, but I heard of some that do.. Wonderful convenience!

You asked about the granite tile color---sorry I don't know. (When I took the picture, I was just intrigued with the diagonal backsplash and the fact that it was granite tile.) I haven't cked about whether beadboard is stain grade, so was happy to see that Ree had. You may have to add more stain to either the beadboard or the door to get them to match up so I'd try it elsewhere first. Have fun with it. It can make such a difference to even change out small things sometimes!

I love the beadboard but I think it's going to be a challenge to stain it to match the existing wood. Your cabinets look shiny so you'll probably have to sand them down some. (I'm currently doing my cheap oak with gel stain). Don't worry about the floor until it's all done. Get rid of the wallpaper. Six years ago I painted right over mine (with primer also) and it looks great.
Get a new faucet and new hardware for your cabinets.
Also change your curtains. Maybe buy 14" rods and hang a panel in between each window. Replace chairs. If you can update your lighting but I don't even pay attention to that cause my DH says "I don't do electricity". Hopefully your DH is not like mine. After a few changes, you'll love your new kitchen!
I noticed your trims match your cabinets. Is that all over the house? I'm not sure how dark cabinets will look with the lighter trim.

mlraff53 - Are your cabinets done yet? I'd love to see pictures. My kitchen is actually the only room in the house that still has stained trim. In fact, we had to replace some of it, along with the windowsills (our puppies chewed them up) a couple of years ago and it's still unfinished because we couldn't decide whether to stain or paint :)

Laurie