Fun vibrant rooms! So keep greens in kitchen, just maybe let the coral go.

thanks P Banos! Now if I could just figure out what greens will work with the main kitchen and house walls and the granite, cabinets, floors, and mess of orange and teal and lime and blue accents.... i've become a color hoarder, lol.

Hoping to encourage some change with my response. The upper cabinets to me are the biggest problem in this kitchen. Try to envision things with the premise that you are looking at blocks of color. If something creates a substantial or strong block of color when you squint your eyes, then that component should become a focal point. In this case your upper cabinets are a big block of color, and an uninteresting and hardly manageable one. You could change the surroundings to offset the hard contrast that they produce...or , you could change them. In the realm of kitchen design, replacing just upper cabinets is actually quite an affordable and impactful thing to change.

The levels that are introduced from any viewpoint along a path should entice you into that space and constantly be telling a story. Right now I do not care to find out whats beyond the return wall from your sink, nothing is drawing me in.

I'll add a quick rendering where I changed the countertops, the backsplash and the uppers. Added some new paint, and added a few pendants. How much a quick edit can transform a space.

This is not a heavily considered design, just something I threw together real quick. It's meant to draw you into the kitchen, entice your guests, and give meaning to its layout.

Yikes, I'm now suddenly seeing my top cabinets as too "heavy" and dominant for the space. But I can't redo them and the granite, backsplash, paint, and window treatments! I'll have to ponder this further. Everyone has given me loads of ideas and things to think about. Thanks so much!!

The cabinets are so pretty. Yiu don’t need to touch them. Paint, lighting, and backsplash as Beth H suggested. Please update us on what you decide to do!

Top cabinets are NOT too heavy for the space. It is a kitchen; ost kitchens have top cabinets, and those top cabinets often match the lower cabinets.

Yes, easy and inexpensive, "switch the paint around the window to something neutral or possibly a sagey green?" "Sagey green" seems like a great color.

Two basic kitchen styles are here to stay: high-end wood and good-old white, with the former trending. Two-tone looks cool — I think it will stick for 2022 – but after that, may pass quickly from favor. Or not. It also looks best, for what my opinion is worth, in a contemporary kitchen or a rustic kitchen. You will also lose storage by removing cabinetry in lieu of open shelving, but it is a very popular look just now.

Painting is possible option, but yours look like awfully expensive cabinets to risk painting, and it is a bell you cannot un-ring. If you choose to go that route, you absolutely must hire a professional CABINET painter who will take them offsite and do them properly. Alternately, depending where you live, your existing cabinets might fetch a good price — people are desperate at present for quality building materials — and apply that to the cost of something more contemporary like the rendering sbove.

All this said, I don’t find your kitchen monolithic or heavy in any way.

With natural materials and light floor, I like what seems like soft cream walls. Mine was called "limoge cream" a bit peachy. The living room accent wall not so much, "sorry." Because of kitty's claws are you taking down the curtains? and then painting over the towering bright wall color...

Combo: soft wall color and soft rose sofa is almost romantic. It doesn't go with sporty surfboard or black mirror. If dark, an item should be slightly distressed [into a soft look], or a bit elegant with mercury glass.... ?

Just my opinion, haven't seen it in person - but the tall wall of bright accent doesn't look good. This room has that, but in small amount of canvas handwriting at left.

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Vibe of dining table? and grey is to me, a bit like black stair railing--

Rope texture, chic grey beads, metal is finished in brass-gold W 18.5" / H 32" not large enough...

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Wow, I'm rather overwhelmed by the flood of advice and ideas from this site. It's wonderful!

Here's a list of what I'm leaning towards at the moment, in priority order:

1. Replace backsplash with a creamy (NOT white!) subway tile that will work with the existing floor and granite. (I think it would need to be matte, not shiny, so maybe a another tumbled travertine?) That said, I might just resign myself to keeping the backsplash because the landfill issue as well as cost is nagging at me...and I definitely wouldn't want a plain painted wall for a backsplash.

NEW Thought -- what if I removed just PART of the backsplash--the part above the sink area that runs from the green glass tile up the wall and window sill--and then painted that part? Is that even possible? Would it help to remove the "busyness" or would it just look funny? This green highlight in this pic shows the part I'm referring to:

2. Repaint the coral accent walls in the kitchen and living rooms in a sagey green, or the color of the adjacent walls (Oak Buff).

3. Switch kitchen window shade - need a cream color.

4. Add pendant above sink (try to draw the eye/attention to the entry courtyard greenery, instead of big block of cabinetry).

5. Replace barstools.

6. Replace dining table side chairs with dining benches.

BTW, I'm already trying to make the living room seem more spacious and balanced, and less cluttered. I've replaced the cocktail table with one that's as big, but it's round and easier to walk around, and I've also removed the candle wall sconces. Now I'm thinking of swapping the positions of the painting and the mirror, because it seems like I need a landscape-oriented element above the sofa and I could hang the mirror that way. Also thinking of adding a narrow sofa table for some candles, small plants, etc. between sofa and wall. Maybe I should start a new discussion for l/r advice!

Your cabinets are gorgeous and not too heavy looking at all.

Just get rid of the orange. Nice creamy alabaster would look great

Keep it simple. Either replace the backspalsh, or keep it, but don't remove part of it. If you replace it, use a simple warm white subway. It doesn't make sense to replace it with another travertine tile. The valance is fine. Paint the orange wall and live with it awhile. A pendant above your sink would be nice. If you want to replace youir dining chairs, just look for a style with a lower back. No one likes sitting on benches. You state that your goal is to make the space seem more spacious and less cluttered, but then you're thinking about adding a table, candles, and plants. Try taking away things instead, like the wall sconces, all the floor decor around the fireplace, and any too small artwork.

OK, finally decided to replace the orange paint AND the backsplash, but finding a creamy off-white paint color and tile that work well with the adjoining yellowish "Oak Buff" walls (the main paint color throughout), the Baltic Brown counters, and the travertine floor is HARD.

I like green, and think I can find a suitable green easier than a creamy off-white. The off-whites whites just don't work with the Oak Buff and stark whites not at ALL with the Baltic Brown or the floors. For tile, a shiny modern replacement doesn't seem right with the travertine floors and the shine of counters and cabinets, but a slate or other matte dark tile would be too dark in this kitchen. Someone suggested using travertine again, but in a subway orientation, and that would probably provide the most harmonious look. The kitchen floor, fireplace surround, and downstairs bathroom all use travertine.

For the dining/living room area, I've already removed clutter including wall sconces, replaced the coffee table with a more streamlined table, and (in an attempt to make living room appear bigger than the dining room) pulled the sofa and rest of l/r furnishings a foot away from the wall. I ordered a narrow (10") sofa table to put behind the sofa and will decorate it with a minimal amount of my favorite clutter. Still shopping for barstools and low-back dining chairs but want color rather than cream for them so they contrast better with the old dining table and don't show dirt and spills.

Stay tuned, more changes and pics to come...

SW accessible beige would do wonders in that kitchen. I think I had the same granite when we remodeled in 2003. Years later we just painted the cabinets. I had a beautiful creamy backsplash tile handmade in Avignon France. When we sold that house I still loved it. You have a really cute, beachy, boho vibe going on. I would remove backsplash and retile with subway tile. That will instantly bring it into 2021. A tile shop would be your best bet for some help deciding which one. Tile it exactly how it is now. A new pendant light, more accessible beige and you’re done!

Yes, there are SO many great green colors!

This is a pretty kitchen, the cabinets are lovely and go all the way to the ceiling. After changing the lighting, why not paint the travertine parts of the backsplash, especially since you like the glass tile part? Here's some info on it:

https://www.meandmycaptain.com/2018/01/painted-travertine-tile-backsplash-loved/

https://athomewiththebarkers.com/paint-stone-backsplash/

The whites that lean towards the taupe end (as opposed to yellow or blue) will work w/the travertine and your granite. or try more of the taupe/gray tones, or even the whites that lean toward the pink side.

BTW, try removing the yellow undercabinet lights to a bright bulb. aim for the 3500K range.

BM Antique Jade is nice,

or either of these

Thanks, Beth! I think any of the whites and greens you pointed out would work great with the counters and with the travertine floors, but would they also work with the directly adjoining oak buff color (it’s on the wall to the left of the sink and the wall to the left of the breakfast bar)? Oak Buff has kind of a yellowish cast. I’ve replaced the ceiling can lights with daylight 5k LEDs, but am having trouble finding T5 daylight spectrum lights in sizes I need for the under-cabinet fixtures. I need 3 different sizes and can’t find anything brighter than what I already have that comes in all three of the sizes.

Also, I’m going nuts using the SW Visualizer tool to try colors on my uploaded pics. Apparently I’m doing something wrong—the colors I choose to try never bear any resemblance to the color that appears on the updated pic. It’s maddening.

About "freewayxx" -- I was using the Houzz app on my iPhone to post last night, but didn't realize I was logged in as "freewayxx"-- an old account! named after a 4-week-old kitten I found on the side of a freeway onramp. Nursed her with an eye dropper and she remained my baby for 20 years! But I digress . . .

I also failed to notice "iroll's" comment on painting over the travertine parts of the backsplash -- I might attempt that on my travertine fireplace surround as a test, but I've gone to great pains in the past to REMOVE paint that I didn't care for from natural stone. Perhaps a paint in a particular color and finish would work, but I can't envision that for this case. But check the capiz-like effect that the author of this article achieved by using a light luminescent paint and no primer---it's kinda cool: https://www.charlestoncrafted.com/how-to-paint-a-stone-backsplash/ 

rescue babies are the best! I have one that is also 20.

so, 5000K is rather cool and bright. can you do a 4000?

you're going to have to try some samples to see if it works w/the buff color. every house lighting is different.

Beth, yep rescued kitties rock! One of my friends has a rescue who's now almost 26!

So in the last couple of days, I switched my can lights and some of the under-cabinets to 5000K, and I'm going blind from the brightness. I think my kitchen could serve as an OR! The travertine and granite look better, but my guests and I look about 20 years older, sigh. Going to scale back to 4100K and then start playing with paint colors.

If too bright, you need less LUMENS/watts (not different K).

K (kelvin) is the COLOR, not brightness.

Thanks, mdln. Maybe I should have said the new lights are too "white," not too "bright," but I perceived them as bright. The point is that that they're awfully harsh and my friends and I (mostly a bunch of aging surf/beach bums) look practically ghoulish under these lights! I'd like lights that are more flattering to the kitchen, but without being so unflattering to its occupants!

I'm going to try to mitigate the situation by installing a dimmer, since the bulbs I picked support dimming. If a dimmer doesn't help, I'm going to switch to 4100K. I'll look at lumens if I decide to switch again...and also maybe at the trim design (baffle/smooth), CRI, and a few other factors I just read about. Lighting is a whole new science to me...

Late to the party, but here is my 2 cents. Speaking of which, the post says update on a budget...Many of the suggestions here are high dollar items (countertops, backsplash, painting cabinets, replacing upper cabinets, etc.). Lighting upgrades, barstools and a more complimentary paint color will go a long way. And...Subway Tile is NOT the solution to every problem!!! The idea of painting the travertine tile, if done correctly, would be a relatively inexpensive fix in the interim, but we don't know how you use your kitchen. If you will be scrubbing splashes off the backsplash everyday, I suspect the paint would not hold up. With all of the current trend of white on white and white and gray kitchens, I enjoy the warmth of this earthy woodsy kitchen. Work with what you have. I think your cabinet hardware is fine. What stands out to me is the too-orange wall (and I love orange), and the coldness of the stainless on the appliances. My preference would be all-black so the focus could be on the cabinets and countertops which complement each other very nicely. I would get rid of colored items on the counter and replace them with creamy white or beige to stay in the warm tones. Just simplify.

Thanks, Moore4, for upsetting the wheelcart and giving me something entirely new to think about! I would never have thought to consider black appliances, but I think you're right--the stainless is cold and it stands out like a sore thumb. Black would look better with the current hardscape.

BTW, I love my little black Anne at Home knobs, which are prettier in person than in the pics. I've never really considered replacing them. I'm also fond of the flame le Creuset pieces and parting with them or hiding them away will be painful for my overstuffed cupboards and for my psyche, but I'll deal with it somehow. sob.

Please don’t get rid of perfectly good appliances to change their color!! Talk about a waste of money!! Paint the orange out and change the backsplash! Done

You know, Kathy Furt, the same could be said about changing out perfectly good cabinets/countertops/backsplash tile/ cabinet hardware/barstools, etc etc etc. good grief! donate them, or sell them & use the money toward the upgrade. at least appliances could be useful to someone else, which is less likely in the case of tile or countertops.

Well, whatever I do, I'll definitely sell or donate anything that's usable! My dishwasher racks are falling apart and I haven't been able to find reasonable replacements, so I've actually been keeping an eye out for a new one. Maybe I'll score a black dishwasher on Black Friday. I don't think most people would notice it not matching the stove, or the fridge, which is hidden unless you're actually in the kitchen.

For those who will like a 3d flythrough of a similarly constructed model you can login to this presentation using the following credentials. I will leave this up for a week or so

https://twinmotion.unrealengine.com/presentation/THMA2aKKEGloLrXZ

Password: cUEwDQQl

Thanks Rabbitt, that's a stunning design and I really appreciate it. However, I can't remove cabinets in spite of how pretty the result could be. I'm constantly cooking and tinkering in the kitchen, and I use every inch of the cabinet space that I currently have, including a high cabinet above the fridge that you can't see in my pics (the fridge is hidden by the wall that the breakfast bar connects to). I would like to put glass panels in a couple of the doors someday.

True More4.

Yeah not too many people can remove upper cabinets because it looks better

Be creative and don't settle, the kitchen should be a place that makes you happy. When I cut down on cabinetry to create new and beautiful lines or levels or intrigue then I might add a gorgeous hutch to an adjoining room. If you expand your vision for this space and stop thinking of it as a kitchen and instead as a space. That space can be expanded beyond the lines of cabinetry. Playing with levels, textures, lighting can bring forth a completely new space, not so restrained by the boxes themselves. Creativity is sometimes born from necessity. Why settle for someone telling you not to do something if instinctually is is pleasing to you. I made those few edits because they were pleasing to me..now I would be challenged to create more storage in an expansive way.

The designs I am handed are never easy, they take work, and the best designs will not be brought forth with a traditional approach. It takes work to renew a space and transform it. No offense to anyone here, but naysayers only hold up progress. I'd rather tell me how you're going to accomplish the impossible, and then bring me along for the ride.

...a set of custom toekick drawers could more than give you the additional volume for removing those boxes, though that isnt my favorite approach.

You could take the two uppers and use them to convert the peninsula to a high-low. Just add granite and some additional paneling and then there is no loss of space. These are just an example of a solution, site unseen.

Omg it’s a condo, relax

@Debi L. Here are the 3 cabinets I removed installed on new toe kick frames on the back side of your peninsula. Assuming they are 42" tall units. No loss of cabinet boxes. They would need some side panelling or fillers. A clever contractor could do this easily.

So you're just adding shelves, paneling, a toe kick frame, one run of countertop and up to you if you want to change the existing countertops. The hi-lo countertop can be different

Looks like a totally different kitchen now

https://twinmotion.unrealengine.com/presentation/THMA2aKKEGloLrXZ

Password: cUEwDQQl

That is really pretty

Idk if Beth also mentioned Swiss Coffee, which might have blushy-pink tiny undertone in it?

Houzz: "Most have pure white for crisp and clean look.

Try white that has a tiny touch of yellow, brown or gray, which will warm up or cool down the white and add a little life to it."

Can't see it, but SCoffee:

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Houzz:"Same white paint that makes one room seem magical can make another look chilly. As with all colors, white has an associated temperature, mood, light reflectivity and style….Paint can either radiate or dampen what sun, etc.. comes in naturally by adding the conditioning element of color. Benjamin Moore’s Off-White Collection of 140 whites is arranged by hue;

select a cool (with blue, gray or green tones) or a warm white (with red, orange or yellow tones). When using your favorite paint brand, check the fan deck for the white in each color range to see the underlying hue for each option (Benjamin Moore provides this info for its OC White Collection)."

@Rabbitt Design thank you again, your design is gorgeous and it was kind of you to create and share it. However, I like my large one-level counter (it's the reason I bought this place), and I definitely don't want to cut into the dining area's space by moving cabinetry to the back side of the counter. I also think adding a second level of counter would detract from the openness and the views that I currently have back and forth from the kitchen to the backyard. Note that I eat at the counter all the time, do tons of food prep on it, and serve from it during parties. The counter has to stay as it is.

BTW, I also have a laundry list of additional costly improvements and can't put too much of my limited budget into the kitchen. But thanks again for the ideas. I especially like the idea of glass panels in some of the cabinet doors!

HELP with new barstool, dining chairs, paint color.

What barstool and dining chair designs and colors would work best? I'm still leaning towards a green paint shade and have ordered a couple samples of Behr's Sustainable and Sage Brush to try out. (BTW, everdebz, my paint prior to Oak Buff was Swiss Coffee throughout the entire house! First thing I did upon moving in, and then ten years ago I repainted the entire place with the help of a designer!)

Requirements for stools and chairs -- comfortable (padded with backs), semi low profile, and small depth front-to-back. (My dining table pedestal prevents pushing the side chairs very far in under the glass top, and I don't like them sticking out a lot when not in use. Guess my table is too large for my space, but I don't want to replace it.)

Here's a pick of a barstool I got from Amazon to try out, plus new picks of my existing furnishings/colors and the two paint colors:

EDIT - don't like the stool coz it's too chunky and the fabric and leg colors don't work with my the dining room. Back to drawing board on stools...

Would using green faux leather/suede for stools and dining chairs be awful?

Debi, I like your nature's green ideas: sage, forest greens... but I only have a minute. Later..

Now that Christmas is over, I'm back to my project and decided to focus on the backsplash now. I'm looking at 3 very different ideas posed by the wonderful Houzz'ers:

1. Fireclay's Salton Sea - a subtle green crackle glass look:

2. A near-black slate or basalt tile, which Beth mentioned could work. Seems like a dark backsplash that blends into the BB would make the BB BB fade into the background more than something light. It could also look kinda cool and dramatic. This Home Depot version comes in an 18x36 size that would minimize the number of grout lines:

3. The (probably) safest option for the long term -- a creamy subway tile, like the Manchester Gray mentioned by Beth.

Blast away but be kind to each other (and me!), please!