Possible backsplash ideas mock up…

There isn’t enough wall space for a backsplash to make a huge impact. Take down the wall cabinet to the left of the sink and replace with open shelves. Change out the hardware and paint the walls. Don’t put anything on top of the remaining cabinets.

It’s functional and in good condition - I would spend the least amount of money possible right now - you are paying top dollar for everything and supplies are limited and if you have to order something it may take a long time. Save your money, live in the space for a while, and figure out what would make it work best for you. I find the gap in the base of the peninsula really odd. A full run of lowers might make more sense. Unless it’s your kitchen dining table - there are chairs on both sides.

I am loving these ideas so far!! I hadn’t even considered updating the hardware or adding open shelves. Great ideas! And we are in need of a new faucet head soon, so I could get it to match the new hardware….

And to the person who pointed out the weird gap in the kitchen island… yes I agree! After measuring, I’ve realized it’s the perfect size for a wine refrigerator lol. For our needs, we’d would prefer to have a kitchen cart that fits in there so I can keep my instant pot and Excalibur dehydrator someplace and then pull that out for an extra meal prep workspace.

Loving the ideas so far, so thanks everyone!! I can’t wait to photoshop… thinking either brass hardware or matte black… then eventually doing pendant lighting over the island to match the new hardware and getting new modern bar stools. Such high impact, easy to DIY and excellent ideas!! 💗

The 4" piece on the wall is your backsplash! It may or may not be easy to remove to add a tile backsplash. As others have suggested, update the hardware and remove everything from above the cabinets.

Do you have undercabinet lighting? That is a good DIY upgrade.

Nice kitchen. Have you considered increasing the width of the crown molding around the ceiling and the molding around the doorway? It would be relatively inexpensive. Also, if you plan to paint the cabinets would you consider adding crown molding to the tops? I agree with ShadyWillowFarm. Take some time to live in the space. It takes time to become acclimated.

How do you cook in this kitchen? There is almost no counter space. I'd get rid of the appliance garage. You don't need a wall treatment, it makes it look cluttered. Just freshen up the walls with paint and declutter. If you want to display things on top of the cabinets make sure that you love them! Don't just use it for storage. And I'd replace the sink with a single-bowl stainless steel sink. Much more useful and it would break up the black. Definitely use the empty spot on the peninsula for storage, either a cart or add another cabinet.

Hi everyone!! Here are some better pictures of the kitchen with us living here now (vs the previous owners). What are everyone’s thoughts on:

• replacing the faucet with a black one
• switching out the cabinet hardware to black
• adding a middle cabinet to the kitchen island
  -removing the ‘backsplash’ (aka painted wallpaper) and painting the backsplash wall to match the rest of the kitchen
  
  

No to the black faucet. You have enough black. You need some sparkle - polished chrome (or polished jnickel, if you want to spend the extra money) and hardware that coordinates with that. Yes, get rid of the “backsplash” and paint the walls. I don’t think you can remove the appliance garage because there isn’t any counter trim behind it. Only fill in the island if you really need the storage and you can find someone that can match your existing cabinets for a reasonable cost.

I would remove the artificial ivy from the tops of the cabinets.

I wouldn’t sink a lot of money into it now. I think the wall with the window could have a full run of lower cabs, with a peninsula where the current one is. That would give you tons more storage and counter space, but there is no point in doing that unless you do the whole kitchen since you’d need to redo the corner cabs. Also, lighting needs improvement- that single fixture doesn’t help shed much light everywhere. If it works for now, I would just squirrel away every possible penny and wait out the pandemic related expense/supply issues, and do a whole kitchen update. You can likely get it done very efficiently with new cabs, countertops, and retiring the kitchen for better functionality.