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pamlamping

hello Big problem small kitchen dilemma!!

6 years ago

I’m having the hardest time putting this kitchen together !
I would appreciate all the help I could get! I cannot change the countertops or floor! As this is a condo , that I do own , but still cannot change because they are brand new , but the cabinets were not changed and it costs to much to replace them! So do I just replace the handles or paint or stain the cabinets?

Comments (32)

  • 6 years ago

    Thank you so much for your help! I have no confidence in this project!!

  • 6 years ago

    I like the cabinets! I would just replace the cabinet hardware and call it a day. Maybe with something like this?


    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Liberty-Classic-Edge-5-1-16-in-128mm-Center-to-Center-Matte-Black-Drawer-Pull-P34928C-FB-CP/303135233

  • 6 years ago

    Pam, if you have no confidence, my advice would be to make changes very slowly.... The cabinets are nice, but the hardware is odd. Start by changing the hardware to something that makes you happy, wait a while, and then decide if you want to paint or stain.

  • 6 years ago

    Granite is nice, except for the 4" strip on the wall. Remove the strip and put in a backsplash.

  • 6 years ago

    I think the hardware is interesting looking. I wouldn't change a thing.

  • 6 years ago

    Cabinets and granite are fine, as others have said, actually they’re better than fine, they’re great. For under $750 you can make this a showplace. New black hardware, thick handles with straight lines, take off 4 inch backsplash, do a cream subway tile and match the grout to a taupe shade in the granite. Cover the whole wall on both sides of the window. Hang floating shelves in black walnut on both sides of window before you do the tile. Buy a black walnut cutting board to prop up behind stove, and you will have a designer kitchen.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Everything looks fine. You could probably do some nice window treatments and call it a day. Otr if you want to go for drama, consider a bold wall color. Benjamin Moore China Red


  • 6 years ago

    Can we see the rest of the kitchen (fridge area)? I think your counter and cabinets are nice too. remove hte 4" splash and tile with a light colored tile/ Do you have under cabinet lighting? A celling light or pendants etc. Change out hardware to black or ORB maybe (get some samples) or even try a champagne gold.

  • PRO
  • 6 years ago

    A picture of the whole kitchen would be a big help..as well as adjoining areas....i feel the new features are so much more dramatic..even exciting...than the cabinets ....that painting them would be a good option...i would not add bright colors or printed wall paper because of the big statement from the floors and counters ...it could be chic and elegant if the cabinets were painted a dark color....for instance..but seeing the surrounding areas and how many cabinets there are may suggest other options

  • 6 years ago

    I agree with @Lisa McLeod - all of those ideas should pull it all together!

  • 6 years ago

    Ditto what Lisa said.

  • 6 years ago

    Taking off the 4" backsplash could bring a slew of problems. it could be covering gaps between granite and the wall and the adhesive they use is meant to be permanent. You could easily damage your granite. Just make sure you're ready for a contingency plan.
    Add tile above the 4" and it will still look great.
    New handles will also change the look greatly.

  • 6 years ago

    I think it looks great! Maybe new hardware, but I like your cabinets and the granite. I wouldn't paint those cabinets. It might help if you described what you dislike...

  • 6 years ago

    These are the additional photos. At the other end of this tiny space I ordered a settee and chair to pull up to the table for holidays. I plan on a large art piece with a black frame for above the settee

  • 6 years ago

    Are you going to have a sitting area in the FP area or could you move the dining table there and add something like an moveable island where the dining table is?

  • 6 years ago

    Your kitchen has the same exact cabinets I just purchased last year to upgrade my kitchen. I put a quartz countertop in with light brown with a tiny river rock design. I do think the black quartz/granite (?) in your kitchen is too dark and busy, and it was one of the reasons I didn't choose granite in the first place..


    BACKSPLASH: You would not want to take out the back splash because, yes, it serves a structural purpose and protects your wall from water damage. My sister's hobby is fused glass, and she started overlaying her backsplash with colorful little fused glass fishies of all types that she made, and it looks great. So, I agree the dark and broadly patterned backspash is not helpful, but you should probably look into some kind of thin overlay instead.


    PAINT: I have the feeling you don't like the overall darkness of the room? If that is the case, then choose a cheery paint color for the walls. Pick a color that gives you a lot of joy - for instance, I like blues and greens in my own house - and since you are working with black and brown, that should not be difficult.


    WINDOW COVERING: Coordinating the wall color with a cheery window covering will help a lot, although you will have to make sure the granite design looks good with it.. I drove down to Old Town in San Diego and bought some boldly striped Guatemalan fabric for my window, and it ties the whole kitchen together.


    LIGHTEN COUNTERTOP: Also, you can lighten the countertop up with large white, tempered glass trivets/cutting boards. Lennox, Farberware, and many others make these. You can buy 3-4 white ones and line them up on the countertop where there is no electric appliance, and you will have instant lightening - and if the effect is not what you want, they are returnable!


    FLOOR: Your floor is beautiful, but again, you may want to lighten things up. A kitchen throw rug that goes well with your cheery paint should help (non-sllip).


    HANDLES: I loved my cabinets plain look and didn't want to mess them up with handles. I put a combination of spring-push and recess pulls. It is too late for that because of the drill holes, but

    you can see what a dark flat handle can do to the look here, like others here have recommended.


    CABINETS: Also, I am not sure how well these particular cabinets would handle paint. Mine are more of an oiled surface.


    My house is block, inside and out, as well as more than 80 years old. We were very limited with many things in a small kitchen, but the rich warmth of these cabinets have made the room warm and cheery.


    My fabricator sent me out to pick out my own countertop from the wholesaler, so I know how competitive it is to actually get a particular color, or for that matter, a suitable color and design. Big builders settle for whatever is in big supply at the moment, and that may explain the countertop. That said, I think there is too much emphasis on white cabinets everywhere, and I think it is hard to keep a clean look long-term with white. My family and I find my brown kitchen very relaxing. I just go rid of 80-year-old cream cabinets, myself, and when I bought the house over 40 years ago, everything was a light yellow with that paint splatter antiquing. It was not pretty.


    Below gives an idea, with the floor still TBD, the curtain still hanging free instead of doubled up across a dowel. Bad lighting, but you get the idea. I accented the counter top with beautiful old copper hammered plates that had been in a drawer for decades.



  • 6 years ago

    The cabinets clash with the floors..matching isn’t really a feasible option ..so to give the room the continuity it is missing i would paint the cabinets the color of the dining chairs...the existing pulls would go with the warmer country feel of the golden creamy color..and the general feel of the space

  • 6 years ago

    Rather than paint the cabinets, the cabinets can be stained to that deeper mid-tone in the floor Less orange.

  • 6 years ago

    I'd plop a nice sagey green rug down in there and be done. It's not bad! (Something like your placemats, which I hope is a color you like.)

  • 6 years ago

    I had the same thought as Fori.

    For me, the floor is the out man out. I wouldn’t paint the cabinets as they look good and are in good shape. Years from now, it you are still in this home and the cabinets are worn, then maybe.

    Overall, you have a lovely space. Get a rug to break up the wood.

  • 6 years ago

    Why does every one always say remove the Granite strip on the wall .what's wrong with it ...I see this on a lot of posts ?

  • 6 years ago

    The granite wall strip is no longer "in" and so looks dated. To my eye it looks just fine and I wouldn't touch it.

  • 6 years ago

    Who decides that something is dated for goodness sake !

  • 6 years ago

    Shaggy, I think something becomes dated when it’s no longer in favor.

    At some point, someone left it off and started the backsplash trend.

    Years ago I remember having Formica counters and matching backsplash.

    There are still people who use the 4 inch splash, but it’s redundant to then put tiles above it.

    All this said, you do what you feel comfortable with.

  • 6 years ago

    I think it’s more “remove the 4” splash” if you want to tile the backsplash. If just painting, then it serves its purpose. A lot of posts where this comment comes up is because the owner wants to add tile

  • 6 years ago

    Your cabinets are just fine and so's the countertop. The floors are wonderful and do harmonize with the cabinets--not sure why everyone thinks they don't complement each other. What would help hugely would be repainting all the walls a warm, creamy white instead of taupe. The taupe walls don't bring out the warmth of your cabinets, floor, cabinets, or furniture.


    https://www.houzz.com/magazine/11-terrific-paint-color-matches-for-wood-details-stsetivw-vs~9025200


    Here's Gentle Cream BM


    Environmentally Friendly · More Info



    One cosmetic feature you could add is a stained-to-match deep molding across the cabinet tops the take them to the ceiling.

  • 6 years ago

    A simple cream backsplash and a simple cream rug would break the competition between the countertop and the floors. I would not paint those cabinets. They look great as is.

  • 6 years ago

    Put an artwork on the right side of the window. Something simple because your countertop and the floors are. pretty busy.

  • 6 years ago

    Dated can be in the eye of the beholder..........just like beauty!

  • 6 years ago

    Somewhere along the line, someone decided that “backsplash“ meant cover the walls up to the ceiling. I would only remove the 4” splash If you choose to add tile above. Two things I would do: change the hardware to something simpler, and delete the clutter from the countertops and top of the refrigerator. The cabinets look great. Ideally, a counter depth refrigerator would look better, but that’s a big expense. Overall, it’s a very nice small kitchen.