For the tile, you can get a bottle of grout sealer from the hardware store. Vinegar in water works pretty well at cleaning grout lines and is kitchen safe. Clean, dry, and then paint the lines with sealer.

The tile itself is pretty maintenance free. You can put hot pots directly on it without worry. Wipe up with any kitchen cleaner. The grout is the trouble. Re-seal every year at least.

First put some crown moldng on the cabinets and on the ceiling. It will give it a finished look. I don't think any one would say to keep tiles on counter tops. I think you could go bolder than just white cabinets with new door fronts. Check this site to find something you really like.

Jeeyunkim. Thanks for the advice on how to seal and how to keep them clean. Will do !

Fredm51. Didn't think about crown molding! Thanks. I am keeping the tiles only until I redo the kitchen. What other colors do u suggest?

For the walls, I would suggest going a little bold, such as the nice limey greens that are popular right now, or perhaps a shade of orange. My home has a brighter green in the kitchen, and we love it! It makes a statement and takes away the dullness of all the subtle tones.

Lighting lighting lighting. Did I mention lighting? The previous owner obviously saw the lighting as an issue and installed the under-cabinet pucks, but that isn't enough. There's certainly not enough light to wash dishes.

The tile backsplash trim stands out in the photos... and not in a good way. If you cannot afford to remove the tile at this time, you can do a temporary cover. I've seen everything from bead board to wallpaper on masonite panels that were cut to fit the space. Have you lived with tile countertops before? I personally hate tiled kitchen countertops... the uneven surface and cleaning it just drives me up the wall. I would deal with the countertops immediately after improving the lighting.

Painting cabinets is a big trend right now. Some folks do it well and it is a huge transformation, but many don't quite hit the mark. I urge a little caution in taking on a kitchen cabinet painting project as a new DIYer. It is a whole lot more work than you think and you must put several coats of polyacrylic on the painted cabinets. Adding crown molding is an excellent suggestion, but unless you paint the cabinets it will be very difficult to stain match what exists now.

I agree with Madeline. The cabinets are not your dream kitchen cabinets, but they are not that bad either, and in three years, you will change it all. Until then, choose some nice ew hardware to add bling.

I would see if I could chisel out the colored tiles and put something less bright and more neutral. That would make it noticeable, but the rest of the tile is nice.

How about wallpaper or contact paper on top of the uglier part of the tiles? When it starts to peel, pull it off.

@cbastress. Thanks color is something else I need to address.

http://cherylscrymgeourdesigns.com

@mswilder omg u nailed it, and u haven't seen the rest of the house, all the light are very dim. I will definitely star looking. What type would you suggest?

About the tile, I am not crazy about the trim, it does stand out...very ugly green lol. Thanks for offering options! Growing up in the Dominican Rep I had tile counter top but I Had no choice lol.. But I am a chef and the unevenness it's a problem if I want to roll dough... And yes I roll dough lots of it during the holidays.

It all does sounds like a lot of work to make the changes, and costly (other than paint and lighting) I might have to weight my options.. 3 years suddenly doesn't seem so far away lol

@Madeline, thanks you are making me rethink and wait the 3 years.. Or make my husband work more overtime lol. My issue with the kitchen is that it's my favorite part of the house, I cook a lot and I just want to make it look pretty until I can make the remodeling. I might have to cook and clean with my eyes closed till then lol

@soberg and handyman. Thanks for the suggestion, others have mentioned the tile too lol.. So I'll start looking for options!

66marjorie, I went to the site but it says coming soon.

Hi Anna Cabo, I love gray kitchens and white and gray kitchens, here's a few inspiration pics. Love the chalkboard fridge too. I guess this is what's cookin' for you ;)
These kitchens are more fitting for a person involved in the culinary world

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Let me know if you like the idea of gray, I'll give you some color suggestions if you'd like :)

@mforr. Thank you so much, I like the white cabinets with the gray counter..and the kitchen pics are awesome, very functional. I forgot to mention my kitchen opens up to a family room, so I would need colors suggestion for that whole area lol the following pic it's my view from the kitchen sink.

Love an open kitchen, get to spend time with people while you're in there. Let me know what kinds of colors you're thinking about in kitchen and/or family room. I like to update kitchens without spending much money. There's always a lot you can do to improve things. And yes, you do need more light!!! :)

Have you thought about an ikea kitchen? If there's one near you, go and check them out, or at least get on their website and start playing around with their kitchen planner. I installed one in beach house to save money and I absolutely love it!! Very durable and attractive. Worth your while to look, maybe you wouldn't have to wait three years, prices are very good. Here's a picture of mine. Its a great place to cook. :)

Hi! Sorry to stir the pot, but I would prob disagree... I know how important a kitchen is, as I love to cook too, and if you don't like your kitchen, it takes some of the joy out of it! I would say paint the cabinets. There are a lot of really good spray paints out there now (I know, I know...) that give a really nice finish. And some specifically for cabinets! Or you could rent a spray gun fairly inexpensively, and probably have a small piece of scrap wood to practice on! It would make a big difference, and even if its just to you, it's worth it! Just my opinion! Good luck!

IMO, three years isn't that long to wait in the larger scheme of things, if you know for certain that you are doing a more extensive renovation in that time frame. We knew we were going to completely renovate our kitchen, and it actually took me more than three years to make all the design decisions (I mull things over, do research, and make decisions slowly so as not to make mistakes). I didn't want to put a lot of energy into temporary measures. The result was a kitchen whose every detail I love.

I think you should go ahead and paint, and I disagree that the eyebrow on the doors dates the kitchen. A kitchen should only be totally overhauled, in my opinion, when the layout of the kitchen is not functional. It looks to me like you have a functional layout and solid cabinets in good shape. If you are going to choose white cabs anyway, what's the point of changing them out. i would just save to have a solid surface counter, add crown, replace the backsplash, have the cabs sprayed by a pro, change the hardware, and update the area with pendant light fixtures over the peninsula and a new overhead in the kitchen.

Anna Cabo, all the pictures I sent earlier were only for painting suggestions, not for new cabinets. :)

I would like to address only the layout of the kitchen as it is now: I think the placement of the sink and the dishwasher is extremely awkward and I'm having a hard time figuring out how you rinse dishes and place them in the D/W because it seems you would be standing where the D/W door would be when it's open. It must be a very tight squeeze! it certainly doesn't have to be that way. When you redo your kitchen I think this is definitely a part of the kitchen triangle that should be thoughtfully reconsidered. For instance, for argument's sake, placing the sink on the back wall to the right of the dishwasher (moving D/W to the left where narrow base cabinet is now) seems to be the optimum spot for it. Also in three years time you might decide to do away with the half wall (where the sink is) and incorporate the small dining area into the kitchen and give yourself room for an island. Just a few thoughts for your consideration. I too love to cook and entertain and I've done it in some serious "limited" kitchens. Looking back now, I don't know how I entertained 40 or 50 people in our little beach house with a kitchen that had tops 4' of counter top work space! I painted that kitchen a beautiful yellow including the ceiling which was beadboard and was ever so happy cooking in it! And we were there for five years!

Mforr, love the color combo on the last pic. We do have an Ikea in our area, thanks for the suggestion I will take a look. I didn't even think of it. How durable is it ?

@Nina8199, thank you. The kitchen is the heart of my home, that's why I am looking for options. I will be looking probably in Ikea to see the cost for the future, I will take my time planning how I will remodel it, but I need a quick facelift until then. Any suggestion on a brand of spray. I will be checking the different suggestions given here.

@mforr an open kitchen was a must and determining factor when I was house shopping, my family always gathers around the kitchen, and I can cook and entertain ... Dinner and a show lol

Feeny.. Thanks, that's why I will take my time. I just want a facelift till then. I want to love the kitchen for a long time.

@madeline, you won't believe this but I have the same issue in the house we are moving from lol.. I couldn't believe I would deal with that again, it is very uncomfortable and kills my back trying to put dishes in. That will be the first thing ill change!!!

@vickishaub.. Thanks, I think the previous owner got the cabinets really cheap and didn't care much about looks, I just think the color of the cabinets makes the kitchen darker. I don't mind experimenting since I will change it anyways, but I don't want to do something I totally regret.

Normally I would not suggest a color because it is a personal choice. But the kitchen pictures above have a white top cabinets and gray bases which will give a more modern look. But the base could be medium green or gray or even black. Whatever you like and a shacker style door could make it last more than 3 years. I get my doors from Steve Walls Lumber in northern N.C. There are many styles and they will ship to you.

Is one of the tiles in the backsplash a slate grey? Grey is red hot right now (as you can see from the photos posted) and that might be a nice change for the bit of wall showing. If you need countertop lighting, LED string lights are a good DIY project and can be removed and reinstalled when you re-do the kitchen later. There are warm and cool shades to LED lights, so consider which suits you before buying. We had our installed with dimmers and the gizmo that transforms the current is tucked away on the top of the cabinets. We ran ours on the tops as well as under the upper cabinets.
No way would I paint the cabinets. It is really tricky to do well, and if you mess it up, it's pretty awful. Get a pro to give you an estimate and you might decide you like your handsome Oak cabinets pretty well.

I would change out the cabinet knobs to those elongated stainless steel knobs. Change the backsplash. Change out the faucet for a more updated one.

Three years will fly by. And a new home always has unexpected quirks (that usually cost). Live there a bit. Painting your colors in the house first will make it more your own, and be the least costly. Two kitchen suggestions: I found a Clorox grout "pen" (at Lowe's). Ran it over dingy grout to get it clean, then sealed it. Since it looks like you have standard size tile, I think you could take that accent row out and replace it pretty easily and economically. You may need a Dremel tool (the least expensive one is about $45) to buzz out the grout, break the accent tile to get it out, and replace with something more to your liking. This is not all that hard and is inexpensive, which may make it easier to live with the kitchen. And you'll use the Dremel tool again. Quite handy little things.

To everyone above.. Thank you for taking the time to answer. After reading all the comments, I think I won't paint them myself if I choose to do it, sounds like a lot of work. Suddenly waiting 3 years doesn't seem so bad.

Painting the walls, changing knobs and faucet, sound like some inexpensive touch that would make a big difference. Meanwhile I can use the time to do my research and build a kitchen I would love for many years to come.

Nwduck, that pen will be my best friend, and I will seal it right away. I've seen dirty grout and it drives me crazy..thanks for the name of the tool I would need.. Now I have to do homework on how to replace tiles lol