Need help with kitchen. Really need help!

12 years ago

We have partially renovated our condo. The kitchen needs help. Prior owner replaced doors with kind of a maple door, white original frames and a faux-granite black laminate countertop. We don't have the funds to gut and start from scratch. We replaced all appliances, sink, faucet, hood vent with stainless. Do we paint doors white? If white, high gloss? Replace doors and maybe reface? We can then replace the countertop, but with what? Quartz is out of budget. We like contemporary or transitional. Help!

Featured Answer

libradesigneye

12 years ago

Are the frames painted white or laminate white?

If they are painted white, one quick fix would be to paint all the exposed area a paint color very close to the maple doors or barring that, black. Even if they were laminate this would be my first step - but just paint the face frames to see if you can get them to blend. I would sample both whole wheat and downing straw http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6121-whole-wheat/ http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW2813-downing-straw/ You want something that will fall away from the eye to look near as dark and rich as the blond wood. You may have to add more from sw mannered gold to get the tone, but if you get close but a tad darker that is better than a tad lighter.

The doors actually look fairly modern and high end, so I would concentrate on making it look more seamless at the cabinets first. If the back of the peninsula is white, paint the long area there and the end in black or a deep tone to match your future countertops (maybe use chalkboard paint) That will be better as a "pony wall" than the blond you are using elsewhere as camoflauge and the chalkboard paint will make it feel a little deliberate / give you room for lists / signs / whimsy to make it feel a bit more transitional. Regular black paint is ok if you are not a fan of the fun (and dust) that comes with chalk.

If you can stick with the cabinets, and not reface, you can probably afford any counter top and backsplash you want, though I would stick with black (or maybe a mossy green - they both are neutral and deep green could read a bit more more traditional if the black feels too modern to you) Pick out the backsplash tile with some interesting handmade looking pattern and colors you would like in your space. For the counters, dark is right and neutral is necessary - it brings a nice contrast here. The hardware is modern in shape, so if you like it, keep it, but if you want something more transitional, you can find that too - black would be great there as contrast if you keep the black. The real decor is going to come in with the backsplash and by how you integrate this room into your entire space and color palette.

Hope that gives you some ideas about where you might go . . .

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Comments (30)

Ed
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Hi Diana, would Corian counter tops be within budget ?

About your current maple cabinets, how is the quality of the maple, of the finish, and the craftsmanship ?
DW thanked Ed
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DW
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you SO much, Ed. We had started down the path of painting the frames a color close to the doors, but got confused and we were looking at colors lighter than the doors. I love your idea of the darker shades on the frame. The handles are new. We went with a chrome look because the condo (20 years old) has chrome doorknobs, hinges, etc. But the handles are negotiable. We like as much contemporary as possible. The countertop is in good shape and everyone seems to like it. So I guess it could stay. It is shiny and contemporary looking. I am attaching more photos showing our current style and the barstools at the breakfast bar. We found vintage Mies van der Rohe barstools and a chrome/glass coffee table. These photos will indicate our current style. Question: are you saying to paint the wall above the backsplashes black, and possible in chalkboard black? I really thank you so much for your time and ideas. Very helpful.
DW
Original Author
12 years ago
Ed, the quality of the cabinets is mediocre, but functional. Small 8 x 8 kitchen...really for one. Two people in the kitchen is a stretch.
PRO
Mina Herrera Design LLC
12 years ago
Hi Diana, my suggestion is paint the cabinet in glossy white, it is hot and timeless. There is so many option in granite, for example a white Kashmir, Sienna Bordeaux. they are less expenses that quartz very exotic, making your kitchen unique.
DW thanked Mina Herrera Design LLC
DW
Original Author
12 years ago
I like the glossy white kitchens I am seeing. I think I should get a professional painter to use a spray booth for the process. Do you agree, Mina or do you think we could manage it.
Lizabeth
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Hi, Have you thought of doing a maple veneer on the area that is white? You can purchase sheets of Maple Veneer from a woodworking source such as Rockler or on Amazon and trim it with an exacto knife and use contact cement to glue it to frame. I think that will look best by a long shot and really won't cost much more than paint and will look very nice. A two x eight foot sheet of maple veneer is less than $30 and is just wood sliced very thin, so doors will still close .
You cut the veneer to a slightly larger size , let's say you frames are 3 inch by 24. you cut a 4 inch by 25 piece, glue it up and trim it in place. Look it up on youtube videos
DW thanked Lizabeth
libradesigneye
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
No, I am saying paint most of the cabinet face frame the dark to match maple, but paint the place where your barstools sit in chalkboard paint / end of peninsula cabinet edn now painted white in black chalkboard paint. Only giveaway to the nicer formica you have is the integrated 4 in backsplash. Im saying don't spend $ on cabinets - spend it on a nice backsplash tile. I need to see a photo from the back of the living room looking over into the kitchen.
DW thanked libradesigneye
Lizabeth
12 years ago
Libradesigneye I agree with spending on backsplash but instead of paint why not have real wood for the same price? Thin wood but real wood, real grain seems like an easy fix.
Darzy
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
I think I'd veneer the white part of the cabinets the maple/color of the newer doors. When you do that, I'd remove the cabinet doors right of the stove and put the microwave on the bottom shelf. Then, add doors back the size of the upper shelf. Then, keep your still good looking counters and add stainless steel penny tiles (or similar) for a backsplash.
$15.00SF Stainless Steel Penny Round Metal Mosaic Tile · More Info

Honeycomb Hexagon Mosaic Stainless Steel Tile, Sample · More Info

METALLISMO · More Info
Darzy
12 years ago
If you reface and replace the doors, how about flat panel doors with the wood grain of the wood veneer going horizontal? Very modern and sleek look.
Kitchen · More Info

Kitchen - Wolf Residence · More Info
DW thanked Darzy
Darzy
12 years ago
This is what I had in mind for your microwave shelf cabinet modification.
Kitchen Remodeling in Carmel · More Info
DW thanked Darzy
DW
Original Author
12 years ago
Great ideas. Thank you all so much. There is hope after all. Ed, here is a photo of living room looking into kitchen.
DW
Original Author
12 years ago
This is the kitchen view from the living room. The opening is 68 inches in width so the kitchen is quite visible from the living room. Do you think that we also need to change the fluorescent lighting right away too? Would require sheet rocking in the area.
Ed
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Hi Diana, the stainless steel honeycomb and penny-shaped metal mosaic tiles look... shiny and interesting... but how about maintenance ? In particular, cleaning ? How to clean dust and other gunk stuck in between and behind all the infinite little cracks between the thousands of metal pieces ?
Seems like trying to clean a keyboard, only instead of 50+ keys, it's _thousands_ of little keys! :)
$15.00SF Stainless Steel Penny Round Metal Mosaic Tile · More Info
Darzy
12 years ago
Hi Ed..when the penny tiles are grouted, it's no different than any other mosaic type tile for cleaning.
DW thanked Darzy
Ed
12 years ago
Hi Darzy, oh, I see -- they will put in grout to fill up all the small cracks...
DW thanked Ed
libradesigneye
12 years ago
Lighting can be easy with the right semi flush - hang up in the recess so the lights themselves are just about level with the ceiling / multiple heads and aim them where you want them diy . . . all - i like the maple veneer idea i just don't know if they are willing to tackle that diy or if they need a pro for that - often corners are tricky and require a pro to fill / skin / lap just right . . .i'm all for it, but if they can diy paint and get the right color then they are on their way for now . . .
DW thanked libradesigneye
PRO
Mina Herrera Design LLC
12 years ago
I think you can make it. There is special paint, Attached are pictures for a project that I did by myself. By the way, because your kitchen size the back splash should be the same of the counter top. Have a good day :)
DW thanked Mina Herrera Design LLC
PRO
Linda Mayo
12 years ago
The current doors could be laminated with high-gloss laminate. A cabinet shop can do this for you.
DW thanked Linda Mayo
PRO
VT Industries
12 years ago
Take a look at the VT Dimensios line of countertops; extremely affordable compared to granite and quartz. VT Dimensions countertops take the look of natural surfaces and combines it with the enhanced performance of laminate. http://www.vtindustries.com/dimensions-countertops
DW thanked VT Industries
Marci
12 years ago
Truthfully, I think the cabinet doors look good, the counters mesh with the cabinet doors, you have nice hardware and the appliances are new and shiny. The discordant note is the cabinet boxes/frames. A matching veneer should pull it all together. An interesting backsplash can add more interest.

The other thing you may want to think about is de-cluttering the counters. It's really hard when you have such a small kitchen to combat the clutter, but I'm noticing a couple of things (although the photos are a little blurry, so bear with me if I mis-identify something). Starting from the refrigerator, you have some items on top. Necessary? Then on the counter, I think I see an empty jar and possibly some spices (hard to tell). Can the spices go in a cabinet? The Container Store or Bed, Bath, and Beyond will have some storage solutions that can help. The fruit bowl may be better situated on the bar. The coffee machine and toaster are absolutely essential, but perhaps a coffee machine with a built-in grinder would be a nice Xmas present for yourselves. Our coffee machine died recently, and I specifically looked for a replacement with a built-in grinder so we could get an appliance off the counter in our tiny kitchen. It really helps. There's another small appliance/gadget that I can't quite identify. Can it live in a cabinet or drawer? It's been my experience in our microscopic kitchen that the fewer things we have on the counters, the bigger and cleaner it looks.

Good luck--I think you are almost there!
DW thanked Marci
brickln
12 years ago
Could you put stainless instead of wood veneer on the cabinets? I'd like to see more color contrast in the backsplash area, be it paint or tiles.
DW thanked brickln
flyr4fun
12 years ago
If you just want something temporary to look better in the time being, I wouldn't bother with applying wood veneer on the cabinet face frames. There is so little of it exposed that you could get away with painting it a color as close to the color of the maple as you can get. Take a drawer with you to a craft store where they have those little $.79 bottles of paint and buy several that look close. Blend and experiment on scraps until you get a perfect match. Then take your painted sample scrap to Home Depot and have them color match it.
The round stainless steel penny tiles would look awesome! The rest of your house looks very nice and I think with those small fixes in the kitchen you could live easily with it until you get ready to do the whole shebang.
DW
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you ALL for your advice. We did have the cabinets professionally painted and painted the backsplash dark so the countertop backsplash was not so obvious. We added a little piece of art and some lighting. We added stainless steel wall shield behind the range ($30 at Lowes), and some lovely stainless cabinet knobs. Decluttered! It looks fantastic. Cost was about $2500. Looks like a new, contemporary kitchen. You all helped so very much.
DW
Original Author
12 years ago
More Photos
libradesigneye
12 years ago
So happy for you guys - super result!
brickln
12 years ago
Very nice!
chachakids
12 years ago
That looks pretty awesome- great job- looks fresh and modern. I love it!
Janet Campbell
10 years ago
Wow! Looks great! I think it was a smart move to have the doors sent out and painted. DIY projects sometimes just don't work out