current kitchen

good things to think about in addition to aesthetics. thank you! My kitchen is normally neater than it looks in the bad photo; I am actually in the process of cleaning it out completely and have gathered quite a bit to donate. I will reassess once I finish in a couple of days. I do like the warmth that my cabinets give and that, in addition to upkeep and regret, is why they are not yet painted. I hadn't thought about under cabinet lighting, and that seems like a very cost-effective way to make a big difference. Thank you for the suggestion!

Yes, you need to paint your cabinets.

Use Old English scratch cover on any scratches or water damaged areas and furniture polish to make your cabinets look their best. New drawer and cabinet pulls can also be a fun update. Please post what you do!

15 years?

Yes, we have lived here for 15 years. I wish I had a picture of how the kitchen looked when we bought the house. dark maroon walls, black and white checked floor, black and white checked backsplash, bathroom tile with CAULK as counter, mismatched appliances. we have replaced things little by little. everything really except the cabinets because they are in great condition and though they sometimes seem orange, they do add so much warmth and they work. I will use Old English as someone mentioned. I have one more counter and cabinet to do, under-cabinet lighting to buy, then I will take a few more pictures.

If you like the warmth that the wood cabinets give, change other things to make it brighter, don’t paint the cabinets. The under cabinet lighting, but also the ceiling light fixtures, the particular bulbs, and the wall and ceiling paint color and finish.

I agree storage is an issue in that kitchen so maybe begin by getting rid of stuff you don’t need to empty those counters, use the DW and then a really good cleaning of the cabinets I would not use any kind of furniture polish until you have decided for sure to keep the cabinets as is since they will have to be stripped of finish and sanded to really get good results from painting so the less stuff to strip the better.

Since you are in the middle of cleaning out and donating, please post new photos when you are finished in a couple days.

Have you considered changing the overhead lighting?

I have decent lighting in the kitchen. I do not like bright lights, so I tend to only use my stove light. I have the big pendant that you see on a dimmer and I like that. My overhead lighting is a ceiling fan with light. I actually like a ceiling fan in the kitchen. I use it all summer long because I cook a lot and it helps keep the space comfortable. I have central air but rarely use it. The ceiling is freshly painted bright ceiling white and us staying that way. The walls are Benjamin Moore off white, OC-1 I think. The trim is White Dove. Not sure what other wall colors would work and am open for suggestions. My dining room is to the right and is Paris Rain above chair rail and White Dove below and I like it. I really love the color Paris Rain and have thought about using it in the kitchen, too. But I have kept it OC-1 for awhile. Still working on it and will post a couple of pictures later tonight! keep the suggestions coming!

Not sure if you can tell by photos, but it is so much nicer cleaned out and it feels much bigger now. I still have u-c lighting on the agenda, not sure what else right now. At least it lolooks better now and I haven't spent a penny. Will consider paintipainting walls this summer. Cabinets I think are okay still the way they are. Feel free to comment more as you have suggestions. Thank you!

I really like the color of your cabinets, warm but not orange. Maybe some new pulls & knobs in nickle or stainless.

I like those pulls that are like bin pulls. I may pick up a couple to test them out. Thanks! I may get a new clock, too. ??? We just got a new roof and are going to either get new siding or paint and replace a couple of doors so expenses in kitchen need to be small, cosmetic ones.

Take every single thing off your counters, stove, fridge surfaces and top of the fridge and take it OUT of that room. Put back the microwave and coffee maker. THEN look at your kitchen and decide what would make you happy. Many people think paint will transform a kitchen, when a reorg might be even better. If you go through the trouble to properly paint oak, then all the stuff goes back on the counters and appliances, you may not feel so transformed. It looks like soffits have reduced your storage space. I hope you can find a good solution. I have two box store 30 x 30 x 72 cabinets in my basement to store serve ware for entertaining, over sized stuff, and things I don't use often. If your dining area can accommodate storage, some sort of buffet or cabinet can help with your over flow. If not, perhaps that area has wall space for cabinets.

Kitchen counters and cupboards look great. I would move more stuff off of counter tops and add a pop of color in towels, rugs, maybe a tea pot and mixer and curtains or valances.

I would love to get rid of those soffits and have upper cabinets to ceiling instead. That is for another year, though. I put in 6 under-cabinet lights and love them. So easy and inexpensive. I bought one sample pull and knob and like them but I also do like my current ones. The nickel may add some light and give the kitchen a pick-me-up. Comments on those? Pictures of current and new below.

I saw a light sage green distressed metal wall clock at the store today. I didn't get it but I think I will try it the next time I am out and see how that perks things up a bit too. I like my things, but after so many years some small changes can make a nice difference. Maybe I will get some coordinating towels though I am partial to white. I can bleach them.

Someday I will put a more stylish rug in there. For now, my black rubber mat is best because I have three little kids running through and I do not want slips and falls. That black mat is from Ballard Designs and is the best ever!!

I wouldn't paint the cabinets. Perhaps Howard's restore a finish might freshen up the wood. You could try it on the inside of a door to see how you cabinets would look.