I would never paint those cabinets. Paint the walls, clear the clutter, reassess.

You can gain some space by cutting down on the number of small appliances. Unfortunately, you just don't appear to have the space for a panini press and that toaster oven looking thing (I assume?) beneath the microwave. And while not always the best choice, I think your kitchen would benefit from an over the range microwave - then you could either dump the cart or repurpose it. You may have to consider storing the crockpot/roaster pan/other occasionally used items on shelving elsewhere (like a basement or garage) to maximize your available space. I had a smaller kitchen than yours in my first house and had to put some things that I only used once every couple of months or more in bins and put them in the basement to access when I needed them (cookie cutters, cake pans, etc.). It wasn't the most convenient, but it worked.

As far as painting those cabinets, given their style, you will want to have them professionally done and sprayed, as it will be hard to have it look good with all the crevices. And that won't be cheap, sorry to say.

@Shannon_WI - cool video, when I was at the beginning, I thought "no way can that kitchen be helped". And was pleasantly surprised.

To the OP - I think that painting the cabinets will not be a good solution. You will spend a lot on painting, and not get results that will make you happy. Re-facing might be a better solution. That way, you will get rid of the multi-beveled raised paneling with all its nooks and crannies and fussiness. Refacing will eat up a lot of the $5000, but so will painting cabinets which will not end up as well. Looking at your inspiration photos, none of them has the type of paneling on the doors that your kitchen has, so the painting job on them comes out different than it will on yours.

Regarding the backsplash - the peel and stick tile that I have seen looks exactly like what it is, and is not that nice of a look, but maybe there is better quality out there that I have not seen. I would rip out the dark backsplash and replace with a neutral plain subway tile, which you can find at Home Depot. Don't get fussy with it, do plain, and try to get a grout color that is close to the tile color so you don't have a lot of lines.

Also, I have to say, even though you are resistant, that you need to de-clutter. I am sorry. When you said "we usually aren’t this messy", I thought, "but even if on a less messy day you removed half of what's on the counters and shelves and everywhere, it still would be way too cluttered."

I don't want to pile on, but I agree with others that ruthless decluttering is needed, along with possibly replacing some single use items with multi-use versions. For example, I count six different mixing/serving bowls in your photos, and I assume there are at least a few more in the cabinets. Since you're short on space, I would replace them with a single set of glass bowls that can be used for mixing or serving.

I also see a menorah - things like that can get packed up and stored when they're out of season. (No judgement here - I just remembered to take the Christmas wreath off our back door this weekend!)

Understand that no one is criticizing you, and many of us probably have kitchen counters that look clutter-y, at least some of the time. It's been a busy week around here, and I know mine are more clutter-y than I'd like at the moment. Also, I get overwhelmed easily by *stuff* so I totally understand the feeling of being paralyzed by the idea of dealing with it all (seriously, I'm getting anxious just writing this) and wanting to find other solutions. But I also know that I feel SO much better when I can force myself to deal with it and things feel more streamlined afterward.

Once the decluttering is done, I agree with others that painting those cabinets probably isn't a good choice. What about removing the counters and backsplash and replacing them with IKEA wood counters and a simple neutral backsplash that coordinates with your cabinets?

If I were going to create a priority list it would a pretty ruthless declutter followed by getting a plumber out to see about redoing the laundry drain so you can remove the laundry sink and free up some space. Then I'd either deal with counters and backsplash or replace the washer/dryer with shallower ones so they're not in your walkway.

Good luck to you!

Have to agree with previous posters. Decluttering is the answer.

LOL!

I think everyone is being punked by this post.

"And while not always the best choice, I think your kitchen would benefit from an over the range microwave - then you could either dump the cart or repurpose it."

While it's a good idea and a way to free up space, as far as I know an over the range microwave needs cabinets to hang it from, which the OP doesn't have. So that would be too costly and difficult a solution.

@Janie Gibbs - why do you say that? Please explain.

@M Miller - there appear to be cabinets above the range?

Janie Gibbs - OP has another post about the washer/dryer in the kitchen, and in it she explains that this house was a badly done flip. She has limited budget and a less-than-ideal current setup, which is also a very real situation for many, many people. Assuming this *is* real, if I were her I would take the fact that you think her situation must be an attempt to "punk" people would be pretty insulting and it would probably drive me away. And personally, if I'm going to err, I'd prefer to err on the side that doesn't insult someone if I'm wrong.

Hi there! Yes you can paint the cabinets. Painting them a brighter white and changing out the hardware will make a huge difference!

Painting them correctly if done by a professional will cost $5,000 or more depending on where she lives. Doing it yourself so it holds up will take weeks of your time and is a huge process. Otherwise they'll look like cr@p within a few years.

As far as covering the backsplash, Lowe’s and Home Depot sell peel and stick tile.

Which cannot safely be used besides or behind the stove.

Another option would be to use a thin tile (I’ve seen these at Floor and Decor) and you can tile over the granite with correct prep.

I can't imagine anyone covering over granite nowadays with tile. Tile that will mean grout lines. Grout lines that get dirty.

How long do you plan to stay in the house?

Who is the cook in the house?

Why is your husband against redoing the kitchen?

I ask because as is, it's quite dysfunctional and not very safe with the stove up against a wall on one side and the fridge on the other.

Too many issues to be fixed, but if not much can be done, I'd also recommend decluttering and then getting roll outs for the lower cabinets, and pull downs for the uppers.

So you have a black backsplash and you covered it with black contact paper-why? How does that improve it?

I would change the floor and wall color before Id change the cabinets. If its a budget reno you want, you can get some pretty decent sheet vinyl that just lays over your old floor - no glue necessary. (would have to get floor leveler fill for the crevices to level out the floor.) Plank vinyl is a step up in quality and still not all that expensive. Get something that goes with the black of the countertops and the green tones of the cabinet, and harmonizes (but is not too matchy matchy) with floors in the rest of the house. The pinky beige of the old tile kinda clashes with the cabs, and its that clash of color that is problematic, and gives a slight feeling of dreariness... not the color of the cabinets themselves.

Exactly what color are those cabs anyway? Is it the lighting or are they actually green? Green is cool esp if its a retro house.

Not sure what the issue is with the back splash - generally those are just glued on so it could be removed but then youd be faced with wall plaster repair or resurfacing.

Re decluttering - maybe we could phrase it simply as just a need for storage space for your small appliances? Its only those that are contributing to a slightly overcrowded feeling. Everything else is just fine. I myself LOVE small kitchens and actually prefer a well laid out small kitchen to a big cavernous space where you have to walk a mile to get anything. The down side is theres only so much storage that will fit.

Yes Janie-Why do you assume this is a “punk”? I assure you it’s very real.

Cpartist-We are hoping to move in a year or so. That will make it 5 years. I’m the cook. My husband hates home improvement projects and the spending it involves. We have other expenses they take priority and he’s afraid of diy’ing. Is the fridge next to the oven-stove a fire hazard? You mention something also about stove against wall being unsafe. How so? You’ve got me worried!

Suedonim-I covered backsplash with chalkboard paper because I would rather look at a mini chalkboard wall than that block of granite. It was an aesthetic thing but since there’s so much clutter with the small appliances there’s not much of a point.

We were thinking of getting a stainless steel shelving unit to replace the kitchen cart with the microwave and toaster, even though it means removing that wall storage unit for utensils and such. At least we could store those space-stealing small appliances on it rather than taking up valuable room on the counter.

Is there any unused space with in your cupboards? Maybe think about pull out shelves or extra shelf/risers to utilize empty spaces - especially in the pantry section. What do the back of your cupboards look like? Would you be able to flip, paint and use the backside (if they’re shaker style looking)? This Isn’t the prettiest suggestion but maybe consider storing the crockpot and other appliances on top of the cupboards if no other space for them. If it were me I’d rather have them out-of-the-way then bumping into them. When I had little to no cupboard space I stored big appliances in tubs in the basement to clear space. If anything it really helped me realize how often I really used them. Good luck!

“We are hoping to move in a year or so. That will make it 5 years.”

Just want to make sure I am understanding you correctly. You have been in this home for 4 years, and expect to stay 1 more year for a total of 5 years? If you are only going to be there 1 more year, I would do nothing but de-clutter and get a plumber to install a drain for the washer so it doesn’t need a utility sink to drain into. If you are only there 1 more year, do nothing more than that. One year goes by in a flash. Refacing or re-painting the cabinets and installing a new backsplash will take 3 months of your 1 year. It takes time to pick things out, plus lead time to receive them and get on a contractor’s schedule, plus the actual work. Instead, spend your time on de-cluttering. Or like I said above, spend some money on a professional de-clutterer to do it for you. Think of the relief you will feel after leaving the pro for the day, and coming home to a clutter-free and clear kitchen. With that and the plumber, you will still have plenty of your savings left over.

I am not sure of the color of the cabinets, but they look pretty nice to me. The granite is very nice as well, but I can understand that it's dark and if it 's also the backsplash then yes that is DARK. Honestly I think that maybe addressing the lighting, and maybe painting the walls? and a big yes to decluttering, I agree that painting the cabinets will be pretty costly and you still have to address where to put the stuff.

Editing to add, maybe undercabinet lighting and in general better lighting and trying the stick on for the backsplash just might lighten things up enough.

Hi Mira, I feel your pain. I've been there myself!

Until you can see bare counters and floors, it will be hard for you to see what you've got.

Here's something I did that worked for me; maybe for you:

- take every single thing off your counters and out of your cabinets. Yes, everything.

- stack it in a nearby room by category: dishes, glassware, cups and mugs, flatware, mixing bowls, small appliances, cutting boards, cookware, you name it

- whenever you need something, go get it from the other room. After you use it, determine a good place for it to go (ideally close to where you instinctively reach for it, and where there is room), and put it there. Whenever anything in the same category is used, do the same, and "file" it with its friends. You may find that you need to move dishes or something to another cabinet. That's fine.

- after one month, then three months, then six months, give anything remaining in the other room the stink eye. Why haven't you used it? It might be something only used for holidays (turkey roaster.) If so, that's fine. Find a home for it in your basement, linen closet, or some other out of the way place. If it's a gadget that you bought thinking that it would be a useful thing to have, but it appears that it wasn't useful after all, put it on Craigslist or donate it to Goodwill or Habitat ReSource store. Let it be someone else's problem! :-)

Anyway, during the meantime while you are discovering what is important and what is maybe not so important, you'll be able to evaluate the bones of your kitchen and get a feel for what might brighten it up vs what will be fine after something else is changed (paint, etc.) and after there is less stuff around.

Something I read long ago, and it is awesome advice, IMO:

- Keep what you need, and of the rest, be freed!

Best wishes! This is a big project, but I think you will feel awesome and empowered once you're done.

Mira, as far as the placement of the range next to a wall being a possible fire hazard, there's a current thread on just that topic. There is a fair bit to wade through there, so I'll try to summarize here:

1a. If you have a gas stove, you absolutely need to check the manufacturers installation instructions to find out how much clearance you need between the cooktop and the nearest wall.

1b. If you have an electric stove, you really ought to check the manufacturers installation instructions to find out how much clearance you need between the cooktop and the nearest wall.

2. If the wall next to the stove is covered in non-fire-resistant wallpaper, or any other flammable material, This Is A Fire Hazard. Do not use your cooktop again until it has been corrected.

3a. If the wall next to the stove is wood or any other flammable material, This Is A Fire Hazard. Do not use your cooktop again until it has been corrected.

3b. If the wall next to the stove is drywall/sheetrock/gypsum, cinderblock, or some other non-flammable material, there may or may not be a fire hazard here.

4a. If the studs in the wall next to the stove are wood or any other flammable material, This Is A Fire Hazard. You should not use your cooktop again until it has been corrected.

4b. If the studs in the wall next to the stove are metal or some other non-flammable material, there may or may not be a fire hazard here.

If your cooktop is a least as far from the wall as specified in the manufacturer's installation instructions, there is no flammable wall covering, the wall material itself is non-flammable, and any studs inside the wall are not flammable; please use your best judgement, in keeping with your local building and fire codes, as to whether there are any other factors in the area that might constitute a fire hazard.

(Note: since I've specifically cautioned against "giving advice" on the thread I linked to, please don't act on anything I've said, or anything any other stranger on the internet, without first checking it properly against your local building codes and fire safety regulations. Please also avoid spitting into the wind, poking sleeping bears, and playing Russian roulette.)

Whether having the range next to the fridge is a possible fire hazard is a different question. I'll have to think about that one a little.

Get some beadboard paintable wallpaper at Lowe's and see if beadbord will work with your cabinets for backsplash. Try just bright white and bright with a glaze of whatever color those cabinets are.( i would lay money on it being a custom blend of all the leftover oops paints the flipper used.) That peel and stick stainless could also work but seems too modern for the cabinets. Painting the cabinet white would be great but a real painful DIY or a pain in the pocketbook. Maybe a colorwash of bright white could lightened the look by turning the brown glaze in crevases white. Experiment on the back of a door.

For extra storage put a shelf above window between the cabinets. Get a few pretty bins or wall paper cover boxes to hide the clutter stored there. You can hang the wire baskets from it and add tiny shelves and hooks to the sides of the cabinets. I made a shelf out of old fence slats. Run another thin shelf (1x4 trim) under your upper shelves. This could be tricky with granite backsplash but if you added real beadboard and brackets under the cabinets it could work. You could add cuphooks under the cabinets so the cups would not take cabinet space. I am confused by the microwave cart area. Could a taller bakers rack work their and hold more?

Hi Mira, I really feel your pain! We purchased a home with a terrible tiny kitchen with old 90's oak everything. I hated it. So I decided to paint the cabinets and refinish the laminate counters with Daich Stonecoat counters. It turned out OK (pictures of before and after) and initially it was great because it was different and new. But even after the weeks I spent doing all this work and living in the space for months I realized it was just lipstick on a pig. What I hated was not just the oak but the kitchen itself. The space is poorly planned and too small. So now we are planning a complete gut job/remodel moving walls, and starting from scratch. We plan on staying in our home for years so this was the best option for us. I only wish I hadn't blown the hundreds of dollars on the "lipstick" and the time and frustration. I think in your case since you are moving in a year I would save yourself the time and money of putting any effort into that kitchen as nothing will help if the layout and footprint aren't changing. Also, the new buyers will probably rip out any small cosmetic changes to redo the space so it won't help wasting your money for no added resale value. Decluttering and possibly downsizing the amount of stuff will help for sure but everyone else has pushed that point. tl/dr Save your money and just try to tough it out until you buy a new home that better fits your family's kitchen needs :)

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Hi Mira, I really like your cabinets and think that painting the walls a new color that highlights the cabinets could make a big difference. Also, you have received a lot of really good advice on this thread, try not to take any of it as a personal criticism, I really think people are genuinely trying to help. :-) Good luck with whatever you decide.

UPDATE: Still a work in progress but much more organized (cabinets too). Found room in wall of cabinets below pantry items for small kitchen appliances. Pay no attention to dining room table...baby steps.

I shared some of your great ideas with my husband and for now all were able to do is add pullout rolling cabinet storage for pots and pans and small appliances. Microwave cart-We’re planning on adding a tall stainless steel storage rack with utensil organizer, like a baker’s rack. Believe it or not we actually lived with the microwave in the DINING ROOM until a few months ago, toaster was on counter under cabinet next to hanging fruit basket. We had to have electrician install an outlet on wall behind where microwave cart currently is. So this is actually a vast improvement from when we first moved in. Also, for those of you who may not have noticed, most of the cabinets are hung unevenly because of the shoddy work of the contractor who flipped the home and his unqualified helpers. A few screws have fallen out and my husband’s had to fix a few times. This is our first house and the contractor who renovated and sold this house to us was a childhood friend of my in-laws and they trusted him. Needless to say, it passed the home inspection because most of their errors were not immediately visible.

Much better! I think you'll find that not seeing so much visual clutter every day is a lot less stressful. Congratulations on your progress!

You have such a good start. Good for you! I hope you feel good about your accomplishment and you will keep it going.

Sorry to hear about the incompetent flipper. You will know a lot more for your next purchase!

You may want to hold off buying storage furniture if you’re planning to move in a year. When it comes time to sell, you will want to completely declutter, so potential buyers don’t even consider a lack of space.

That will mean removing everything from the tops of cabinets, as well as all fridge magnets.

Here is what I did: after our kitchen redo, I began by putting away the most-used and most-wanted items. Everything else went to a consignment or charity shop. Last month, I found yet another box of MIL’s Waterford glasses in our garage. Took it all to the Junior League shop - they work with low income residents. I don’t need or have room for this stuff.

After the first several boxes it actually becomes liberating.

we have really limited cabinet space too, and door caddys really helped!

these racks shown above were not the right size for me, so I found some better sized ones at the Container Store, and mounted them to the door with these metal cable clips (doubled up so they'd be stronger). Total hack but the center bar you're supposed to mount Elfa baskets to were not going to work in our cabinets. they really helped our organization situation!

1. Paint walls a very light cream.
2. Remove the window blind.
3. Get a white microwave and put it on the counter where the blender is.
4. Make better use of above cabinets. Buy all white mixing bowls etc. that stack to the ceiling. In fact, get all thin Corelle dishware and servingware in white. So thin and inexpensive and stackable, you will quadruple your cupboard space. Put any “company” dishware away.
5. Hang your coffee cups to the right of the sink on a hanger attached to the cupboard.
6. Get rid of the cigar picture and put a wall-pocket shelf to hold coffee filters.
7. Get a second wall holder for your utensils and put it over the existing one. Can you hang some pots on it?
8. Declutter - you have no room for that menorah and the 4-plate stand above the cabinet.

Congrats on the decluttering! What great steps forward. :)

One thing that's cheap and (sort of) easy and might help: I'm not saying your cabinet faces are dirty, but I've found that when I wash clean-looking but dull & dingy things they sometimes get a lot brighter and nicer.

Renee-It makes no sense to me to put a microwave, which takes up more valuable space than the blender, on the counter. White may brighten but color doesn’t matter in this case.

Evelyn-I’ve cleaned every cabinet door within the last couple weeks. They are just a dingy color.

BF-LOVE door caddy idea! Thank you!!!!!!

Renee-As for the window blinds, are you suggesting replacing them or getting rid of window treatment altogether?

I know over the range microwaves aren't the most popular, but in your case, where you need as much space as you can get, have you considered it? You could move your cabinet up enough to get clearance under the microwave and mount it over the stove. Or maybe you could use something like this low profile model.

Hi @katinparadise, I'm looking for a similar "short" MW that can be mounted below an upper cab. I've seen GE Profiles so far, pretty darn pricey and with some consumer complaints.

Which Whirlpool model is this? Or just a general model name etc that will help streamline the search. thanks

Edit: why didn't Kat's name show up in green??? My c/p method has worked before. This site drives me bananas...

First things first:
Can the washing machine go somewhere else, even in the garage? You could use that space for much-needed storage.
Can the cat be fed somewhere else? There is hardly anything more yucky than smelly pet food in the kitchen and water bowls to spill.
Can you clear the counters and post pictures of the kitchen from three different angles?
Can you do a measured drawing on graph paper so we can know how much space you have? Please show the wall measurements, the locations of doors, windows, and what rooms are adjacent to the kitchen, plus the locations of electrical outlets. Tell us how tall your kitchen is.
Then we can help you with ideas to make the best use of your space.

D N, here's the link to the microwave. I just googled "low profile microwave" and this popped up. Over 1000 reviews. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Whirlpool-1-1-cu-ft-Over-the-Range-Low-Profile-Microwave-Hood-Combination-in-Stainless-Steel-WML55011HS/304770655?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CG%7CBase%7CD29A%7C29-15_COOKING%7CGeneric%7CNA%7CMicrowaves%7CPLA%7c71700000032418858%7c58700003840696581%7c92700041511408846&gclid=Cj0KCQjws7TqBRDgARIsAAHLHP6ZC5W2Ac0Agm4sZNNG5XyjMWmKpMo7h8fjunHqN_pGFeUNSb29iv4aAgPZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks! “Profile“ was the word I was blanking out on for a search, which was goofy what with looking at GE Profiles. duh me

You have other white appliances so a white microwave will brighten up that space instead of it being all black. You can use the top of a caddy as work space if not covered with appliances.

Your blind is colorless - a woven shade would look nice but for now, let some light in.

Looks great what you have done so far!

Looking good!
One suggestion that costs nothing - can you take off all the fridge magnets? They are contributing to the visual clutter. I understand the spices may have to stay there if there is no other spot for them but they are at least stainless steel and blend in a bit, compared to the other brightly colored things on the fridge.

Mira- your hard work really paid off! That looks so so so much nicer! Well done.

Much improved! The behind cabinet door caddies are priceless in small kitchens. Will free up space. You may even be able to get spices off counter. A magnetic knife strip can also get knives off counters and out of drawers to free up space. I love mine.

You did a great job in your kitchen ...if you only stay for one more year ...leave as is ...if you stay longer ..I would paint the cabinets white enamel .and put different , steel / sleek handles . In the meantime change the handles to anything else ...even white ...which could pull it together ..and get rid of the cover for the window ...it will open it up and let the light shine in .

Wow. The small amount of (free) work you did makes such a difference. If you haven’t researched drawer inserts, go to Amazon. My bamboo inserts made a huge difference in what I could get into drawers. They’re very inexpensive.
I understand about the “dingy” finish no matter how much you clean it. You should consider wall paint ($35) as your only other expense. You are here for a short time, as you said, so keep your money and use it to buy a house with a better and nicer kitchen.
We have all had small kitchens at one time or another. They’re annoying. But trying to move even more of less-used items to another place in the house will help lighten the feel of the room.
Also, can you increase the wattage of the bulbs? That also might help.
So far, what you’ve done is great!

Yes, i can see how crappy those cabinets look. None of the doors seems to close straight. For that reason, I would not paint them. Also, they go with the color of your floor and you’ll have a problem with the floor color if you paint the cabinets. If you end up staying in the house long term, I would get cabinets to the ceiling and also try to fit a stackable washer/dryer and ditch the utility sink so you can put more storage in. Other than that, I agree with others and would just try to clear off the counters and the floors as much as possible. I live in an apartment, so I understand the storage issue.