The biggest problem in the room is the blue tiles. I would stick with a Wheat color for the walls but get one that is more browned out and less bright and sunny yellow, some sort of deep wheat color. This is especially important since the trim is white and you do not want a yellow giving it a dollhouse look with the white trim.

I would de-emphasize the blue tiles by removing the blue curtains and seat cushions and any other pastel blue in the room. Get some cheap bamboo shades for the windows. Take the dead plants off the window sill.

Can you paint the kitchen table base and chair to a darker color? Remove the mosaic from under the table.

When you show the house REMOVE any evidence of pets out of the house. You can always bring the stuff back in after the showing.

Do not have the trashcan out in view. Do not have the microwave on the counter hogging up space and nothing on top of the fridge in front of the cabinet doors. No rugs on the floor.

When you paint remove the plastic pot holder and spice rack from the wall. Remove the paper towel holder too. It looks dated and won't be missed. Remove the do-das and plant from the pass through window. Put a pretty tea kettle on the stove instead of the Corningware one.

I know you have said you have not gotten down to the deep cleaning yet, but be sure to remove the embedded fingerprints from around the cabinet handles. Right now they show up in the photos and you don't want that to happen with the real estate pics going out. "Clean" is very important to home buyers.

Change the switch plate and jack plate to match since they are right next to each other, and do not have anything plugged into the jack when you show the house. Having a long cord draping down the wall will be distracting. You say you are going to remove the hutch, then pull the desk out just a bit so it is not scrunched in the corner. Add a bulletin board on the wall above it or some kitchen art.

Personally I would remove the desk altogether and replace it with something else like a small sideboard. The desk looks dated even without the hutch and makes the small kitchen seem too busy with too much going on. I would put a side board or low cabinet, in the spot and pull the table and chairs out away from the window just a bit to give them some breathing room. That way everything goes together and is cohesive. Having a desk so close to the table is claustrophobic.

Here is a link that might be useful: RH Saffron

Thanks for the suggestions. I really like the wheat color. I could paint the base and chairs of the table, and reupholster them, by darker would you suggest black? Maybe a wheat colored upholstery? Thanks, Christy :)

I agree with most of Dillydally's suggestions. The chairs and base would look good painted black. I'd also replace the handles on the cabinets with a nickel finish; can get them for about $1 each on ebay (sample linked below).

If you can live without it, I'd remove the microwave from the counter while the house is on the market (or if you replace the desk with some kind of table/cabinet maybe the microwave could fit in it)?

Re: paint color, a neutral tan/taupe would be nice, provided there's enough contrast between it and the cabinets; maybe something similar to the color of the rug in front of the sink? Speaking of that rug, would remove/replace it once you have chosen a paint color and fabric for the chairs.

To minimize the tile, how about a neutral area rug in the breakfast area (extending from the window to that entry way, parallel to your desk/hutch)? If you have a good tj maxx/marshalls/homegoods in your area you could find something nice for very little.

Here is a link that might be useful: cabinet pulls

Changing the handles to nickel one is a great idea but then you would also have to change the exposed brass hinges. OP says "Short on time and short on money" and that can mean different things to different people. We don't know how much time is left before the showing or what the monetary budget is. Replacing the white hood vent over the stove to match the stove would be a good idea too if there is money for it. Ranges and hoods should match even if the other appliances don't. How much time and moola is going to be put into all of this to reach the break even point?

Ideally, if there was lots of time, the blue floor tiles could be painted. Yes, ceramic floor tiles can be painted and the results are durable. A friend of mine did this and the paint has not flaked or worn off. I see that the blue/white floor tile goes out into the hallway, and who knows how far, so that would be a huge job.

A sisal or grass rug under the table would look nice and detract from the blue floor tiles. Real estate agents usually say no to rugs in the kitchen, but it could work for a breakfast nook. Roll it out for the showing and put it away afterwards so it NEVER actually gets used and dirty, stained and full of crumbs. Yes it sounds like a lot of work, but you want that house to sell for top dollar. Rolling it up and putting it out only for showings takes about the same amount of time as trying to vacuum dog hair out of it before showings.

Christy2828, do you have any other wood chairs around the house that could be used for the kitchen table? Paint the base of the table black and then use wood chairs that match the table top. Depending on your budget you can pick up plain ones fairly cheap and of course you can use them in you new house with the table. Getting new chairs will probably be the same price as recovering and painting the ones you have, and takes less time and will look even better. Go for that 'Pottery Barn look'. Buyers love that look.

Here is a link that might be useful: Painting Floor Tiles

Thanks :) I can replace the window treatments with bamboo, and get a rug to roll out only during showings. All traces of dog will be removed during open houses, but during showings they will have to be crated in the house. I have looked into replacing the hardware, there are actually 2 I've been trying out below. I kinda like the black one, but my husband likes the nickel one.

I have two other wood chairs, but they are white with a tan seat, I don't think they would match. We refinished that entire table, it was pretty easy, just some spray paint and some fabric, and it can be done in a few days. If I paint the table and chairs black, what color upholstery would look best? I'll keep an eye out for some chairs, but I'd rather work with what I have.

Running out of time and money, we've put money into this place in almost five years, and we'll be lucky if we don't have to bring money to the table just to sell it. So, I'm thinking of what we need to polish it off, what we may lose at closing, and what we'll need for a down payment on our next house. We plan on putting the house on the market in February, and will need to be in either Miami or Savannah by June/July. Which coincides with my due date :) So, I want to have the house ready for the market, and still have time to be prepared for the move. I will not be able to travel late in the pregnancy, so I plan on leaving with my 3 year old a bit earlier and staying with family and doing some househunting on my own. It may be early, but I like to be prepared :)

As for the desk, I'll keep my eye out on Craigslist, etc for a side board, but the desk there is very functional for me and may be hard to give up. If I took off the hutch, and centered the desk, would that reduce crowding? It is pushed into the corner because of the dog bowl and food bin. Plus a nice wall picture centered over it, and replacing the lightswitches and wallplate. The paper towel holder and pot holder hooks can go as well. Replacing the range over the stove would look good, but that would fall under my husband's chores, and I am trying to lighten his load as much as possible.

Here is a pic of the handles, thanks so much for the advice!! I am a novice at home decorating, I needed to look up side board :) Christy

{{!gwi}}

I like the one on the left. It almost looks black and does not look like it will clash with the hinges. The one on the left has a copper look to it besides the black, and too much detailing that makes it look "country". You want to appeal to the most number of buyers as possible, so keep it simple.

I like the hardware on the left. It's clean looking, more contemporary and has more space to grasp. The ones on the right look like "dirt catchers" with the roping and a little more limited to a specific style.

I'm sure you thought of this, but be sure to take everything off the refrigerator--no magnets, notes, pictures, nothing. As I understand it, potential buyers find it much easier to imagine being owners of the house if there is as little personal "stuff" on display as possible.

Christy, do you have another dining area also? If this is your only dining space, I would remove the desk completely, so a buyer can see that there is enough space for a table & at least 4 chairs. It does look crowded in there now.

If you have another dining space, I might take the table out completely, especially if that is the only space for the next owners to put their computer or home office. And like Robin said, put the microwave there so your counterspace looks bigger.

I do have a dining room as well. We rarely use the kitchen table, we mostly eat in the dining room ourselves. I was thinking of just removing the microwave completely. I have a toaster oven that I use quite a bit, and I managed to find storage for that in one of the cabinets. I'd miss it, but I could deal with it for a few months :) Unless the new homeowners turn a bedroom into a computer room that is the only useable space for a home office. Thanks for all of the advice, I've been pricing out some rugs, shades and handles today. Christy

if it were mine, i'd remove the hutch and place the desk in front of the window. maybe the chair goes next to the window,so i could sit facing the kitchen---if the space is big enough. if not, looking out the window is nice too.

i'd also take a minute to see if the table and chairs could be set an an angle on the wall that used to have the desk/hutch combo. but if no-one uses the chairs i guess i'd leave the space airy and open if possible.
wish i new how to photoshop--i'm going to take a class as soon as possible!

Thanks for all of the suggestions!! This is what we've gotten done so far. I'm still looking for a Jute rug to go under the table - I haven't found the right size. Dog stuff will be gone during showings and a deep cleaning of the cabinets and grout is still to be done. The cabinet pulls I have picked out, just need to be purchased and replaced. The fridge will be straightened, it is my organized mess right now :) I've picked out some deep red (will match the chairs) canisters for the counter, but won't pay full price at Pier 1, so I am waiting for a sale. Also, the light switch covers need to be changed out, I bought the wrong size. I'm very pleased so far, thanks again for all of the suggestions :) Christy

WOW! You have been BUSY!

Great job. It looks like a different kitchen altogether.

Wowza--you took all that advice and ran with it--what a huge improvement! Look on homedecoratorsoutlet.com for a cheap natural rug--the smaller sizes are usually great prices. I just looked and theres a bamboo trimmed in black for around $30.00...and another called the "sunrise area rug" for around the same price--natural fiber...there are others as well...

Here is a link that might be useful: HomeDecoratorsOutlet.com

I like the changes a lot! The wall color really warmed up the room and so did the new window treatments.

Christy, it looks really great! Nice wall color and window treatments. It looks like a brand new room!

Instead of buying new hinges for your cabinets to go with the new pulls (and I also like the one on the left) you might be able to just spray paint the old hinges to match the new pulls. Lay them out on some wax paper or aluminum foil and they won't stick to either when the paint dries. It might be easier than trying to find hinges with the exact same hole placement.

Thanks!!! I appreciate the spray paint tip, and especially that Home Decorators Link! I just bought a 3x5 sisal rug for $25.00 with free shipping :) I got the Sunrise Area rug with black trim. Thanks again :) Christy