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mybellmichele

does my kitchen looks dated?

3 years ago

What should I do to make this more today? Should I replace wood appliqué , change paint colors ? What would be a good 3rd color here?

Comments (35)

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    The "bon appetit" is a bit dated. But the cabinets remind me of a rustic, French cottage. I'm sure it depends on your personal style, but I really like them actually.

  • 3 years ago

    Just decluttering the counters would help a lot, also agree with removing the decal. Perhaps picking an accent color (depending on the surrounding areas) such as blue or red to add some interest.

  • 3 years ago

    The "Bon Appetit" decal and apparent lack of storage would be first on my list. Do you have an island with storage? A new backsplash could really refresh things! I think the stark white of your crown/trim and ceiling is too harsh a contrast with the warm cabinetry color.


    Cottage in the Trees · More Info


  • 3 years ago

    Remove the Bon Appetit and you could get different door fronts if you want or cock or maybe you might have to use a wood filler the grooves if you want to keep the one you got and then repaint them either to match or repaint the whole cabinet you can choose the color if you're keeping the backsplash or you could even paint the backsplash and it depends on your lighting and what colors you would like if you want to bring Green in or if you want it to be more white beige and black

  • 3 years ago

    Agree with all suggestions. The colors in deco’s photo look nice. Definitely consider a backsplash that ties in more with the cabinets and counter. Something simple due to the pattern in the cabinets and counter.

  • 3 years ago

    When you say change paint color are you thinking about painting the cabinets, or the walls? Your picture only shows a sliver of the wall. From what I can see the color looks a little intense. Is there another wall in the kitchen where there is more of this color that you could show us? If we had a better idea of what the counter looks like maybe a new backsplash could be suggested. As the other commenters said, if you're trying to achieve French country, you are on the money.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    The only two things I would keep are the bottom cabinets (get hardware for the dummy drawers), and the countertop. The rest is so dated, were it my kitchen, everything else would go. Start by taking the doors off the upper cabinets. If the inside needs painting, chose a medium greige.



    I'd love to see the subway tiles gone...the color is not even close to working with the cabinets and countertop.






  • 3 years ago

    I would go with a light blue/gray backsplash and wall color. It’s hard to tell since you didn’t turn on the lights to take the picture.

  • 3 years ago

    Unless you plan to do a major remodel, you aren't going to make it "more today". It is what it is and I'm going to assume it goes with the way the rest of the house is decorated.

    Get rid of the wall words and do a major de-cluttering. Just the de-cluttering will make it feel like a new space. Box up things you rarely use and put them in the garage or basement ... see if you even miss any of the items. I just saw a Minimalism documentary and the guy packed up everything in the kitchen and then only took out things he needed. Ended only needing few of the items and donated most of the boxes!

  • 3 years ago

    Here is another photo. I removed the decal and decluttered a little. I appreciate more suggestions.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    So your kitchen is still riding the Tuscan-style vibe. The eyebrow arch doors and glazed finish was quite the trend in 2002 or so. Now it's 20 years later. Did you get your money's worth out of this style? Is the rest of the home in the same style?


    As a stop-gap measure, I guess you could paint the cabinets. Banish all gold from your interiors.

  • 3 years ago

    I run on a different amortization schedule and in my world cabinets are good for more than 20 years. Get rid of the word dated and consider what you like. Consider a comfortable budget and work from there.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    The stained island looks so much more current than the perimeter cabinets do. You might consider having the lower cabinets professionally stripped and stained to match the island, and then replace the doors on the uppers and paint all of them to match your white trim. A couple of cheap DIY's to do would be to upgrade to less yellow LEDs under the cabinets, and remove and replace the dark grout on the floor with something less bold.I still think a new backsplash will help a lot. If you have the budget, removing the cabinets above the range and replacing with a beautiful hood would be the finishing touch to totally change it.


  • 3 years ago

    i detest the term dated. You either like it or not. I do not like words on anything, even when they were popular.

  • 3 years ago

    Actually I love the backsplash -- simple and classic. For me, I'd have the cabinets painted but keep everything else -- counter, floor, walls -- as is. No need to chase today's trend.

  • 3 years ago

    I’d paint the cabinets and walls.
    Everything else is timeless and very nice.

    Especially love the arched doorway

  • 3 years ago

    I'm sorry but you need to work a little more at decluttering. Looking at the initial pics and then the after, I could not tell a difference. I would take down the valance to freshen things up. WHat color are the walls? One pic reads very mustardy and another shows beige. A new wall color may make the cabinets look better. I don't love the backsplash but perhaps it goes better in person that it shows in the pics.

    Get ruthless!!

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    No offense intended, but your counters look very full. Too full. Put things away, store them, or get rid of them.

    The backsplash looks off to me, matching nothing. Plus the undercabinet lighting isn’t doing it any favors. In your last photo, see how the undercabinet light looks yellow?

    I like the cabinets. Do you? If you do, keep them!

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    If you want to paint your cabinets, here's a nice Tuscan style kitchen, with a floor similar to yours, renovated by Becki Owens.



    And this one, similar to yours, has a white backsplash and they painted the island in a taupe colour:



  • 3 years ago

    Are you thinking of painting the cabinets or the walls or both?

  • 3 years ago

    One of the things that makes a kitchen look worn and ill-fitted to its owners' needs is when the sheer number of things on the counters clearly exceeds the available space in the cabinets to store. Try picking up EVERYTHING on the counters and move it ALL to the table. Clear out enough room in the cabinets to hold the things on the table. Put back the soap and plants. Then put the things on the table away in the cabinets and drawers.


    For a more up to date style, change the greenish undercabinet fluorescent lights to LEDs.

  • 3 years ago

    I’m always amazed at how rejuvenated my kitchen seems when I truly pare down items that are allowed on the counters. Especially around the stove. Your kitchen was beautifully crafted and the details deserve to be seen. But they are obscured by all those containers, gadgets and small appliances. I agree with the suggestion to move everything off the counters and then only put back the most essential items (à la Marie Kondo!)

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Might help you find space in your cupboards...


    How to Declutter The Kitchen with the KonMari Method

    https://www.diypassion.com/organize/declutter/decluttering-the-kitchen-konmari-week-7-sparkingjoy/


  • 3 years ago

    There are so many lovely things about your kitchen that I really like. Love, love, love the window above the sink. The light looks so pretty streaming in. I just moved from a newer, modern "open concept" home in Florida. Builders in the area love to put the kitchen sink in the island along with the dishwasher. This is a terrible idea! You are so lucky that your sink isn't in your island. I also like your ceiling, it looks clean and smooth in the photo. Your kitchen seems to have a lot of cabinets for storage. Really like that area to the right of the fridge.This would be a fantastic place to put your coffee bar. Maybe your toaster oven and your coffee maker could be moved over there?t can think of a few things that you could do that would really update your kitchen and you would get a lot of bang for your buck. I like your backsplash so start there. Pick out a neutral color that you like that goes with the backsplash. Backsplash appears to be in the brown/beige family. Paint your cabinets and the wall all the same color. The glaze type finish on your cabinets is making your cabinets look dated I think. Use cabinet paint on your cabinets and eggshell paint on the walls in the same color. Go all the way up and paint the crown molding as well. Use the cabinet paint on the trim if you like, but get it all the same color. This will make your room seem taller. Paint the trim around that nice arch in the doorway the same color. Right now it looks jarring in the white. Move the trash can from the doorway. You probably have room for a pull out trash bin. I would paint that decorative tile you have over the nice gas cooktop. Protect it with a clear coat if you like so you can keep it clean. Just make it blend in with the backsplash tile. Remove that curly-que applique above the stove before you paint. Put a strip of nice wood all the way across in this area. I assume this is where your range hood is. So go all the way across, looks like it is about 30-36 in by maybe 8 in tall. Choose a nice wood piece with a nice grain. Remove the valance on the window. Place an 8 or 10 in shelf across the window area where you have the valence now. All the way from one side to the other and stain it the same color. Make it high above your head (probably just where the bottom of the valence is now) so it doesn't block your view and put a couple of green plants on the shelf that hang down. Don't cover the entire shelf, just one or two plants all on the same side of the shelf. You can then remove the plants you have on the counter and free up some countertop. Move the wooden cutting board on the island to the right of the sink where you have the other cutting boards. Put the knives over there as well so all your cutting items are together. Maybe you could store your knives in one of the drawer close by and remove the knife blocks from the counter top. Next I would concentrate on the corner of the countertops. In the photo it looks like medicine or vitamin bottles, maybe they could go inside the cabinet. Or get a nice basket so you can't see the bottles. I think I see fruit on the island. If you want to keep it out, could that be placed in some type of decorative wall container and be kept to the wall to the left of the sink that looks empty. Also, I would look around the other side of the dining table. I can't tell but you may have room for a wall shelf or something over there to put that decorative piece where you have the napkins and free up some more countertop. "Think" vertically and see if there isn't some more wall space where you can store some of the items you have now on your countertops. You appear to have empty wall space to right of the sink. Maybe you could hang some of those beautiful cutting boards up there, or a decorative wine wall rack for a few bottles of wine or whatever you like that looks homey and European like your kitchen. If it was my kitchen I would paint the grout in the backsplash the same color as the tile so it would all blend together. It is not hard to do, just use a small brush and wipe away any that you get on the tile right away. I would also paint the lower cabinets a green color because green would be beautiful with the color of the backsplash. (SW 6186 Dried Thyme), a nice gray green. I would not use blue in the kitchen. It clashes with my idea of savor food dishes in the kitchen. Green is like the garden. I like the idea of a two tone kitchen. But if that is too much for you, then I would try and paint the upper wall cabinets the same as the wall color and the crown molding so it all blends together and looks more cohesive. Stay away from any paint color with a gold undertone though. You could paint it all white as others suggested but your kitchen style looks like you enjoy more color. Plus you want a color that would go with the floors and countertops as well. (Shaker Beige, might work). Then for the island I would do something different. The green paint (Dried Thyme) would look awesome. Think about putting one large item on top of your island with something green or natural looking in it. Maybe get a nice vintage looking runner to go in front of the fridge that would go all the way to the arched doorway and provide some warmth on the tile floor. Perhaps a rug with some coral or pink and beige in it. Guess you can see I have given this a lot of thought as I am getting ready to start remodeling my kitchen. I am having trouble with my floor plan so it is going to be quite the undertaking. You are so fortunate to have a kitchen that looks like it is laid out well. I hope you will post some pictures when you get finished!
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  • 3 years ago

    Still too much on the counters ...


    Put the majority of the condiments and seasonings and whatever the other jars and bottles are into the cabinets. Keep out only the ones that you use daily and need through out the day (usually things like salt and pepper, maybe oil and vinegar). Remember that things like oil and spices degrade when exposed to heat and light, so cabinets and pantries really are better storage for them.

    The tiered shelf in the corner would be better actually in the cirner with fruit, baked goods, or similar instead of plastic bottles ... that is a display piece, and the bottles aren't really display items.


    Reduce and consolidate the cooking utensils. Empty out all three crocks and sort the utensils. Love it and use it daily? Crock 1. Love it but only use it occasionally? Crock 2. Use it lots but you have 5? Set aside. Can't remember if and when it gets used? Crock 3. Look at your set asides and decide how many you really need; put your favorite 1-2 in Crock 1, put the 1-2 you rarely or never use in Crock 3, and the remaining can go in Crock 2. Crock 1 gets to stay on the counter. Crock 3 utensils go in a box to be donated. Crock 2 can be put in drawers. Give it a week or a month depending on how much you cook to determine if you need to retrieve any Crock 3 items, then donate the ones still in the box.

  • 3 years ago

    Nothing to suggest that hasn't been. I totally agree that cupboards in the real world last more than 20 years--which is why I say choose WISELY and be sure to LOVE LOVE LOVE what you pick, so IN or OUT/ DATED or CURRENT you LOVE them!! Someone else would notice your perimeter was done in the age of all things tuscan. The words are gone + next would be the scrolly piece over the stove. An update would entail a new finish and getting rid of the arches on the uppers at a minimum. But realistically, to keep things affordable and bright I would go with having your cabinetry sprayed an ivory-losing the dark highlight on the raised panels. The island is obviously a newer addition and yes carrying that vibe to the outer perimeter cabinetry is what's called for when chasing the NOW look. As far as your counters. It's very difficult for people who do not cook day in and day out to understand what a real working kitchen looks like. Kitchens aren't show cases they are places of much busy-ness!! Cooks NEED their tools at hand. Ignore the crabs!!

  • 3 years ago

    To be clear, I absolutely cook every day, but I still have spices in the spice cabinet and oils and all in the pantry. I get out one to five jars from the spice cabinet pretty much every day when I cook dinner, and then I put them back when I'm done with it. I'm more of a butter girl, so I don't use a ton of oil, but again it comes out and goes back ... same with the soy sauce, assorted vinegars, mirin, worchestershire, and marsala/sherry. I'm not saying it should be banished ... just put away. Likewise tools ... we have one crock of the most frequently used tools by the stove, then there's a cooking tools drawer for awkward tools that don't work well in a crock, and an overflow drawer for items that are needed less frequently.

    I see a fair amount of cabinets ... if things aren't fitting, then step one is to take everything out and reorganize those first. You may find that your cabinets have A) space being used inefficiently, B) stuff you didn't realize was still in there C) stuff that is stored in locations that doesn't reflect its frequency of use. When we last had to empty out our cabinets (construction related), we ended up with a decent pile of dishware that either got moved to overflow storage or donated. Similarly, I was trying to get all the rices onto the same shelf in a pantry cabinet when I bought a new bag of one of them, and so I took almost everything off that shelf thinking I could then pick what moved to a different shelf ... I started with the rices and mixes that I definitely wanted there, and when I finished, everything ended up fitting with some room to spare ... I kept looking around for what I'd left put, but apparently it was just inefficiently loaded before.

  • 3 years ago

    Hire a local professional organizer

  • 3 years ago

    The first photo you shared, I thought it looked mostly cluttered. (that corner area). I also thought the word sign was not doing you any favors, and the yes the doors with the arches are considered dated if you care. I'm nost crazy about the wall color or the backsplash color although they do work.

    The second picture you shared which shows more of the kitchen, I thought it looks very nice and less dated. I agree that you still need to declutter more, and maybe see about some better undercabinet lighting. Besides those suggestions, I think your kitchen is very very nice.. I'm not sure but maybe a whiter or creamier wall color would be worth considering? I do like the blue grays suggested, but now I'm not so sure seeing the whole picture if they will work.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    It’s a nice-looking kitchen.

    I’d paint the cabinets. I don’t mind glazing in some cases, but with yours, it was applied too heavily and uniform. I think if your cabinets were a solid cream color, it would completely transform the room. No changes are going to help the glazed look.

    I like the wall color, backsplash, and counters — see how you feel after painting the cabinets. I think they’d take on a fresh look after.

    Browns and other warm tones in kitchens are coming back in a big way.

    All that said, we’re not seeing how the kitchen relates to the rest of the house. That’s a big factor, too.

  • 3 years ago

    I don't leave anything out in my kitchen, even the salt, pepper and olive oil that I use for every meal. My DH on the other hand, would leave everything out, because he might need to use it again.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Did my DH train yours @chispa?

    ( It's been a 40 plus year education- that cabinets and drawers are there to hold things we use).

    I do leave things out, but in moderation. A cutting bo ard, or two, a bowl of fruit, coffee maker, toaster, pods and syrup- but that's about it.. you know, like we live there

  • 3 years ago

    I love your kitchen! I might suggest creating a coffee station to the right of the sink where the chopping boards are now. You could put up a nice shelf on the that wall for mugs and coffee supplies. That would move the coffee maker out of the cooking space. If the microwave could be tucked beside the fridge then that would take it out of view as well. Then it would just be a matter of a minor decluttering or finding more decorative ways to keep what you want out on the counter so it looks nicer.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    I think that the word 'dated' is often misused on this forum. If the design of the home is Mediterranean or Tuscan, it's likely the kitchen design still works for the room.


    However, if the home is Colonial or Contemporary in style and a Tuscan-style kitchen was simply inserted into the home, it then becomes obvious the room design was simply inspired by a trend and was likely not the best solution to begin with. Kitchens need to be as timeless as possible since they have such a large price tag.