Thank you for your help, Beth.

May I ask the cost of just having the cabs painted please? Were they done on-site?

Tony, my hideous floors are going to give you nightmares. lol I’m surprised to haven’t attacked my custom made plantation shutters.

Suzy, we paid $1900. We used a company called Simpli Painted and they cover NC, SC, VA, GA and FL. Not sure where you live but I thought I would just toss that out there.

tiffany, can you grab that pic for me?

That's a great price. Looks like they did a great job. How many coats of paint? Did they prime first then paint then top coat?

@ Tiffinay, Looks like your gonna be cleaning those dark floors more than your gonna be cooking.

Funny story about those shutters. Their expensive right? It was on this site, last summer I think. Someone remodeled their bathroom and had beautiful plantation shutters and took them off and put blinds. Just like this thread, some people were saying good that they removed them (I think some of them are here even). I came along and said why on earth would you remove those? They would have fit perfect with the new remodel. Just like this thread they all teamed up on me saying things like their outdated blah blah blah. Now here you are putting them on. LMFAO!!!

I tell you this TRUE story to expose some peoples stupidity on this site. Many people change things just for the sake of changing it. In many cases they change it with cheap materials. Not to confuse with how much YOU paid for it with what its made out of.

Beth, I posted the pic. If you need a different angle let me know.

oh ok,,great. give me some ideas what you like or what you envision for this splash.

turn off those lights and give me one more shot just a tad further back.

Tony,,, "Now there is no proper ventilation when your cooking. And if you cook, you NEED a fan."

Are you daft? She has a microwave w/a vent fan. If she likes to clean her floors daily, why do you care? You don't like dark floors or dark counters, so I guess no one should have them? wth?

If you're going to mention 'people's stupidity', you really should get a proofreader. Your English and grammar leave a lot to be desired. In fact, some of your comments are 'stupidly' written. You know the story about glass houses and stones, yes?

Suzy, the sanded everything and used a primer with several coats of paint. I’m trying to remember how many but he said it required a lot to get them nice. He also put a finishing coat on top, polyurethane maybe? Don’t quote me on that but it’s some type of protectant. They did the doors offsite and when they were working inside they taped off the entire kitchen and had a vent going to the outside. I didn’t smell anything during the process, which I was worried about happening. They did lots of touch ups before painting to help smooth out dents and dings. My cabinets are 15 years old, so I didn’t expect perfection, but they are better than I expected.

@Tiffany, all things aside, $1900 isnt really that bad. But will they last is the true question. BTW, polyurethane is what was on your cabinets before you painted them. He had to get it off before painting.

Beth, that is a great question. lol I’m open to any suggestion that you may have for the backsplash. I would like to have a classic look and I’m not very adventurous. The kitchen walls are perfect greige from SW, if that matter with the tile. I really appreciate your help. It’s a small kitchen, but I’ve lived here for 15 years and I just adore my home, but my budge kept me from demolishing the kitchen and starting from scratch. Oh and I live in a house of boys, this the reason why I have a slightly blingy light in the kitchen. I’m determined to add a bit of femininity to our home. :-)

Yay Simpli Painted! Wish I lived in the areas they service. Done well = big old bucks in CA.

@beth, that tiny microwave fan is no where near sufficient. You've obviously never cooked up a storm. It gets hot as hell. What turn on the AC right? During the holidays in the winter? Oh thats right, you clean your dark floors while your 5 minute dinner is in the microwave. So your kitchen never gets hot.

Oh so sorry that I can care less about every comma and apostrophe.

Tony, thank you for your reply. I can’t remember the type of final coating. The company has an amazing reputation and all the checking I did indicates that the cabinets will hold up. The cabinet door he showed me as a sample had been tossed around in his work truck and looked pretty darn good and had s nice surface. I’m hoping once this fully cures that it will last for several years. If my budget would have allowed we would have gutted the kitchen and had new cabinets installed, with beautiful wood, but, that just isn’t the case. PS...I’m sending you a copy of my kitchen light via fed ex so we can match.

Tony, yes, I really wish I had my dream kitchen with a huge, professional range with a hood. It does get a little warm at times but I have a small fan I can bring out or depending on the time of the year I just cracked the door that opens to our screened porch. The ceiling fan actually did nothing at all. If it was set high enough for it to cool it would blow the flames from the gas range. Darn think college dust like a magnet, too. Anyways, I have my girly light to make me happy.

ok. what's there isn't terribly bad. I actually have the same 4" tumbled stone on my backsplash! I just hate it because I"ve had it for 15 years. Yours works w/the other items. Of course, a white subway tile is always an option. while I'm so tired of the 3x6 pattern that everyone else has, you could do a 2x8 or 3x12 option.

what about a glass tile? or arabesque?

The big fan in the first picture is gone replaced by a lovely light fixture. @Tony some people crack the window when the kitchen gets hot. And as they say "if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen."

It's interesting that the troll on this thread has a profile name of "Tony Montana" Probably no coincidence that this is also the main character of the movie Scarface, a 70's movie about a crazy brutal drug dealer. A real man's man icon. Seems like "Tony" is trying to compensate for low self esteem and his own "shortcomings ". Why else would he waste time harassing a nice person asking for advice from fellow nice and informed people who love design?

You've obviously never cooked up a storm. It gets hot as hell.

First off, I've been cooking longer than you've been alive. Don't tell me what I don't do. I realize the vents aren't as strong as actual vent hoods, but when over- -the-stove is the only place for one, you take what you get. She really doesn't have room for a counter or in-counter micro. And seriously? I had an Italian mother. I learned from her. I cook, bake, clean and and a myriad of other things. I don't do 5 minute dinners, so stop w/your ridiculous assumptions.

Secondly, it's not just the commas sweetheart, your spelling of common words that second graders seem to grasp, is quite alarming. (Their, there, your you're..please learn the diff between a possessive pronoun and a contraction) Also, it's "Couldn't care less". "Can care less" isn't possible and makes no sense. If you want to start with me, again, then have at it. War of the words isn't your thing. Just don't show me a picture of your car like you did last time, pretending you're all big and bad.

Ishack17,,,Bingo! you've hit the nail on the proverbial head. you have no idea how right you are.

Beth, for some reason I feel my current backsplash doesn’t match the new surroundings. Maybe it’s all in my head and im actually just tired of it? lol I like the last tile in white, what is this style called? I do like the subway tile but I would need to do something a little different then the standard look. I need to research it some more. Oh and after a second look I am kind of digging the chevron pattern on the top. Hmmm

@beth, sorry that my typing is not to your satisfaction. But I type what I'm thinking about and type fast. When I'm done, I don't feel like going back fixing everything. lol

Beth, I really like this tile but I’m afraid of having too much white in the kitchen. Ugh

Tiffany, here is that larger Arabesque tile that another poster used in her kitchen. they come in plain white or w/the design scroll,,,I believe she used a combo in hers:

It's from Tilebar. Byzantine Alice I believe. comes in white and a pale green.

they also have a 2x8 or 3x12 subway tile in ceramic or in glass. you could do it in a herringbone if you like

these are 2x6, glazed terra cotta from CleTiles. they are $1.25 each. they also come in diff colors and shapes.

does it have to be white or could you do something like black slate? or even this carbon color ceramic? this is the chevron

Tony, I really don't care how you type. It's just that you commented on the "stupidity of people on this site". All I said was that if you're going to call someone stupid, you better make sure your sh&* is spot on.

No, I really didn't want to know. "Tony", you don't seem to grasp the fact that I was calling out the ridiculous, obviously fake profile name you chose. Sorry you can't keep up. It speaks volumes of the macho persona that you "try" to create while hiding behind a keyboard.

Beth, I’m really drawn to the Byzantine Alice and the terra cotta tiles. Oh my. I’m drooling. I’m not too sure about the carbon color.

Tiffany, there is nothing wrong with your existing backsplash. The only problem being that in the photo you posted, the color looks pinkish orange. Those tones seem to clash your new kitchen colors. Looking forward to seeing what you decide on.

Since you're going to replace it anyway. For $15 you can get tile enhancer. Try it and see what you think.

Ok ok ladies. In conclusion, In light of new info., since the cabinets are not real wood all around and it was only $1900 to paint them then I guess its ok. I have oak cabinets but they are real wood all around, even the shelves. I would never paint them. But my dream kitchen is cherry so I won't have my kitchen very long. (if you painted cherry then I'd be really mad. lol. But some morons, cough, I mean people here actually do it.)

If I were Tiffany I would try to make the backsplash work. From the photos it looks like travertine. I definitely would not replace real stone with cheaper ceramic, glass, or porcelain tile. If your gonna replace it, at least do it with another stone. Don't go backwards.

As for the floors, To me, wood looking or real wood floors just don't belong in a kitchen. It has way to much of a barn feeling to me. Thats just the way it is and I'll never change my mind. Some people like it and more power to you. Tile is the way to go. Waaaaay easier to maintain and no worries over spills.

How ever your kitchen turns out I hope your happy. Good luck.

It’s a tumbled travertine time. It’s a very light beige color. It doesn’t look pink/orange in real life, thankfully. Tony...the doors, frames and trim are oak. The sides and shelves are fake stuff. I never would have painted over a gorgeous cherry, etc. only the yellow/orange builders grade oak. :-)

I almost never advocate painting cabinets white because it’s so trendy lately but, in this case, i would definitely paint those white and use oil rubbed bronze fixtures. It will look very nice with the flooring. White in your kitchen will not look trendy because the cabinet door detailing and the floor color are more traditional.

Tiffany,,so here are the Byzantine. they did a combo here

https://tilebar.com/byzantine-arabesque-bianco-ceramic-wall-tile.html

As for the glazed terra cotta,,,I love them. I ordered a slew of samples because I want to change out my splash. This is an older pic of my kitchen after I got my copper sink, but look at those tiles! 15 years! and that accent piece,,egads! They're still in great shape, but after all this time, I need a change. I'm even sick of my granite. Tired of these colors.

here is the glazed terra cotta on left,,,and glazed brick on the right.

here is the weathered white link and all the other shapes and sizes that they have

https://www.cletile.com/collections/terracotta-tile-glazed-zellige/products/zellige-terracotta-weathered-white-3-5-hex?variant=

you may have to be careful w/any white you order because of the white cabinets. always get samples

they also have this farmhouse brick 2.5"x8"

https://www.cletile.com/collections/cle-basics/products/farmhouse-brick-2-5x8?variant=

I am obviously late! I wish Houzz app allowed you to sort newest posts on top

I admit my taste will be unlike the norm on this one.

Change the wall color to a nice glossy black or black backing tile for the whole thing right up to the ceiling. (above and below cabinets).Alternative wall colors could be medium espresso OR a WHITE to the a)green, b)blue, c)purple.

I'd leave the cabinets in; sanded; and either bright orange as yet to be indicated or semigloss charcoal : The doors are the sell point: I'd sand em down and specifically request Lamborghini Orange. Followed by multiple layers of polyurethane-stain in one. The end result is a vibrant center with the edges fading to a dark shading. 2-3 shades of stain. I'd use a painters roller trough or a very brand new rubbermaid container able to fit the width and height of the cabinet door.... to get the dunk process consistent. The edge of the door stain should be darker than the cabinet charcoal tone. And as charcoal goes for a shade, give it a drip of indigo. If you dive in with this then choose the wall color after.

I call it the " honey, is there a poltergeist stealing our pasta again" look. A real inferno/ghostbusters vibe. I

Black hardware.
If you have to sell your home, original features don't have to be typical classy if they are so totally rare that its hard to ignore being in possession of them. .. even if they remove them later. Facebook pics could eventually make your house the trend setter.

Mikki,,,um,,are you commenting on the right post? You really should read the posted comments. she's already painted.

Hi Tiffany, I disagree with a few comments of the gray trend being over, it looks great especially with wood tones. When I painted my old kitchen I went to Lowe’s, checked out a couple of cabinet doors, brought them home and then had the one I liked color matched. It helped seeing a door rather then a paint chip. You could also check a cabinet shop if your local big box store will not let you check them out. I hope that helps and good luck!!

Haha just read that you already painted... looks great!!

I say paint them. Lighten them up. Too dark -Dark floor and dark cabinets and it is a small room. Go white.

good call Beth. I 'm on the correct post but when people are calling for help and only seemingly predicting their paint color with "SW"... I decide not to presume its a done deal and paint can be redone. Cabinets are a whole other matter. Lets just say, "if you didn't imagine it yet, you're welcome". And Dawnelle just followed up a complimenting point that gray is a good color when you have accents to pop around it.

I do need to point this out to Beth; lets say Tiffany spends top dollar on cabinets for what she believes is in for the market. Its not necessarily what her personal adventure is. It just what seems 'appropriate'. A new buyer comes in once she decides to move out. The buyer loves the house but wants exactly what they want for cabinets. Entirely new cabinets get ripped out for a complete waste of money for sales value. The house owner has a great market right now to enjoy customizing their home far beyond conventional staging and without the added expense. So honestly I felt 'taking a hoardy' angle to my post was unseemly. We're all here addressing Tiffany's interests not for being herded into wasting money completely absent of creativity.

The kitchen looks nice, Tiffany, I didn't realize the thread had move on from the original request. While Tony was a rude snit I feel we have a common point to ask more of real estate decorating than monochromatic.

Mikki I am guessing you have a wacky sense of humor. I love it ;)

Amazing transformation! Enjoy your lovely kitchen!

Tiffany, your kitchen looks fantastic! We also painted over our oak cabinets a number of years ago and I love how the texture of the grain shows through. When we did ours we did the same creamy color tile to match our cabinets, but added a feature behind the stove, it wasn't too much of one color in my opinion.

I haven't read through every post, but if you are still looking for faucet suggestions, Delta Cassidy seems to get a lot of love, I'm pricing it out for my current renovation. We have already taken out our painted oak kitchen because we're expanding into the dining room, so brand new cabinets are coming. :)

Hi. Your cabinets look great! If you decide to tile, replace you window side trim so it extends to the lower trim? But check with Beth first!

I have no tips to give, but your new kitchen looks amazing! And I love love love your floors.

I love my white cabinets. They are a classic look and don’t date the year they were put it. They brighten up a whole room.

Hi Tiffany. Your kitchen looks great! What color white did you use? We have the same travertine backsplash and are looking into painting.

Jill, we used Sherwin-Williams extra white in a satin finish. It’s really a prefect white. Not too bright and fake looking, if that makes since. Some white samples I tried looked very odd. The painter said this is one of his most popular. I took a leap of faith and and didn’t even try a sample. We are very thrilled with the color. :-)

Cabinets are good, definitely classic. But I think it makes your kitchen look way too dark and gloomy. If you

really wanna change it, change it to a color you like. If it was mine i'd choose something lighter. But it's yours sowhatever you want goes.

I have read through the whole thread. I believe it’s your home so do what you love. I think you made very good design choices for your kitchen. It had little light, was not overly large and therefore benefited from the lighter colour choice, especially with black counters( also the yellowing oak cabinets were not looking the best). I like your fixture, the size is good & it matches your appliances. Use caution when choosing a back splash; I would say not too dark. Your instincts are good.. trust yourself. The only time I would tell anyone( was a realtor) to pay attention to lasting trends would be when you are trying to sell your home. In a tight market it will get you more $ if it is not dated.