Help! Having an 80's flashback . Need paint color with oak cabinets.

12 years ago

last modified: 12 years ago

I am looking for a way to update my kitchen, but keep the oak cabinets the same. I just painted it BM Buxton blue and I think I inadvertently warped it completely back to the 80's. I don't have the money to replace the counter tops or floor. I would like to possibly change the cabinet hardware, the light fixture, window treatments, and paint the bar stools. Excuse the mess I have been painting the blue! I would greatly appreciate any advice.

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cathibrew
Original Author

12 years ago

Here are some pics of my doorways. The back door is on the same wall as the small window. The doorway across from the back door is a coat closet. The door to the right is a pocket door to a bathroom. The space between the door and window is the largest wall in the kitchen. I really don't have a ton of wall space. The other doorway is to the foyer, that is an oak front door that kind of looks like a mirror in the pic. To the left of that is the door to the basement and across from that is a cheap plastic accordion door to a pantry. It doesn't seem possible to have this many doorways but somehow it happened during some past renovations! My house was built in 1909 and has quite a bit of oak that has never been painted throughout the downstairs...front door, french doors, staircase, etc.

Thanks for helping me think outside the box to come up with ideas to update and add personality to my kitchen. I spend most of my time at home in there! Or it at least feels that way.

I had today off so as you can see I went ahead and finished painting the whole kitchen BM Elmira white for the time being. It is definitely better than the the blue. I couldn't live with the glowing cabinets any longer! I left the chalkboard paint on the backsplash for now as well.

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Comments (46)

mmilos
12 years ago
The blue paint is making your oak cabinets look more yellow since blue and yellow are complimentary.

What material/color is your floor?

Personally, I'd paint out the cabinets or have them stained a richer brown color.
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
The floor is light maple hardwood. We are thinking about having that refinished darker.
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Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
You know you have the hardest combination to work with. Orangie cabinets black appliances, white counter tops.um, what can I say. You must bring the elements together. Scratch the current blue. I have seen Ben Moore's Independent Gold with navy/white print drapes in a dining room with orangie pine furniture and light wood floors. Results are stylist. Seriously consider drapery panels in print to bring needed texture and colors together. Even a black and /white /cream modern toile with black rod. Target now has 94 inch drapes online. Upgrade on other finishes you mentioned will help. But as long has you have current finish on cabinets u can only achieve so much. So sorry you did all that painting. You really got explore newer colors. And don't default to sage/greens that's so 90's.
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
Oh dear I just saw the backsplash....what is the material and color.
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
I'm so glad you agree about the combo challenge. I have looked all over the web for inspiration and no one else seems to have quite this much of a mess. The solution is always to paint the cabinets. It has been driving me crazy! I like the idea of drapes, never considered that in the kitchen. The backsplash is chalkboard painted on the wall. I agree about the sage/greens. That was something else that came up all over the web when searching for paint color ideas with oak cabinets.
Janelle
12 years ago
This is going to suck to paint.. But I'd go opposite and paint the walls white
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
A bright white or an off-white?
libradesigneye
12 years ago
cathibrew - let's come up with a tone that lets the blue-green be a nice accent. You don't have to go with green. Would you consider a chocolate wall? Something like http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/deeptaupe or bm ferret brown or bm char brown? Then you can use a turquoise in your fabrics, maybe paint your chairs in a bright turquoise. You don't have to paint your oak . . but treat it like a gold or orange tone and build some additional warm tones in -
hayleydaniels
12 years ago
An easy way to bring out the darker colors in your golden oak cabinets is to change the hardware to an oiled bronze pulls. I have the golden oak cabinets, and was shocked at how something as simple as that completely changed the look of the cabinets. Now, instead of having that orangish hue, they have a light brown hue that is very attractive.

Here's a link to what I went with: I put on 22 door pulls and 10 drawer pulls for less than $70!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00897DBC0/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00897DBC0/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
Okay let us break this down, you have 3 colors , orange, black, white...a 4th color as you found out adds more mess. You have a CUTE kitchen and unless you can tone down the cabinets with a white wash or paint...which you stated is not an option ...then as I said yesterday must put the colors together with fabric. Going with the cute idea make simple curtain for windows and over the sink a valance. I see fabric of white, black, turquoise with white walls and play up turquoise and black on decorative prices. The white paint cannot be to cool or to warm.
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
Kathleen, you are right about all the colors. I hadn't thought of it that way. Do you have a white suggestion from BM? I'm having trouble discerning cool from warm. Any tips? I really like the idea of using turquoise for decorative pieces. I will start looking for some fabric for curtains.

Would it be overkill to paint the bar stools in a bright turquoise as suggested by libradesigneye? Should I leave the cabinet hardware and light fixture or should I update? I think I already have oiled bronze pulls close to what hayleydaniels suggested.

Thanks so much to everyone for all the ideas so far. It is really helpful. I can't wait to cover up the blue!
colonel115
12 years ago
Before you go through the work of repainting all the blue, purchase the tester size jar of paint in the color you think your want. Do a poster size sample and see if this does it for you. It may or may not be what you want and $5.00 beats all new paint... not to mention the work involved. Adding a pattern with the colors you have could also be achieved by using a vinyl wallpaper as a backsplash to replace the black paint. Colors come and go. Wall paper is back to being 'acceptable'. See if you can find some possible accessories that you would use if you a) kept the blue b) painted a neutral white shade or ??? You wouldn't need to purchase anything. Just plan out what you would use if I did this or that.
Annetta B
12 years ago
Here is a picture of my kitchen painted in Benjamin Moore Providence Olive. Same orange cabinets with black appliances. The cabinets are original 1989 and I changed the pulls from brass to a shiny blackish colour pull to tie in better with the appliances. The walls were also teal blue at one time back in the 90's. Hope this helps.
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
ce007roy good idea about painting a sample before I repaint everything! I did stop in the paint store today and got a sample of BM Elmira white. I painted a bit of it near different parts of the oak and I think it looks pretty good.

annettab thanks for the pic. You really do have the same things going on. The color you chose does tone down the orange of your cabinets. Looks nice! I like the idea of blending the pulls with the appliances.

Thanks!
Ronna-Renee Jackson
12 years ago
I was in a similar situation a few years ago...oak cabinets, white Coriander counters, black and white tile floor. We couldn't afford to rip it all out so we stained to cabinets a dark espresso, upgraded to stainless appliances and stainless cabinet pulls. Once I let go of keeping the oak, it all came together and I was free to experiment. Ditch the oak is my bottom line advice.
Ronna-Renee Jackson
12 years ago
Coriander is auto-correct. Lol.. I meant Corian.
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
About painting the bar stools ...I would leave black. I like your light fixture but think you need to pull in black...it's to light, really not good with cabinets. Target has an adorable turquoise pottery colander.. sometimes a small think can be inspiration.
PRO
essentials inside
12 years ago
Annettab... Looks great! love the wall color with the cabinets.
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
What do you think of these light fixtures?
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
Number one okay. Others are wrong style, wrong for casual kitchen ...keep looking
User
12 years ago
If you have plenty of natural light, paint the walls black. Add pops of color with accessories. We have a black kitchen (maple cabinets), and it's amazing. Just a thought....
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
Cathibrew I am new to Houzz... can you tell me how I can attach pictures for example like you did with the light fixtures.
mpoulsom
12 years ago
these may or may not be helpful, but i found these combos for oak cabs..........may give you some other options???
mpoulsom
12 years ago
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mpoulsom
12 years ago
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cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
mpoulsom thanks for those pics! I'll definitely take a closer look at them.
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
Kathleen, all you need to do is find a picture on the Web and right click on it to save it to a folder on your computer. Then just click on the Attach Images link below where you type the comment and select the picture files you saved and attach before you submit the comment.
mpoulsom
12 years ago
your very welcome...i just ran across this site that had people dealing with the golden oak cabs and these were some of their solutions and picks...some aren't too bad of an idea really! Just some other options for you to you consider!
I didn't want to suggest doing gray walls, but that could work for you. i actually love the grays and reds in one of the images with the oak cabs.
But you DO have options at least. :)Maybe light gray walls, with your turquoise and black would be nice too. I found some turquoise, gray and black fabric that was kinda cool....with a wavy pattern and then there was an ikat print that was nice too.
PRO
Coates Design Architecture + Interiors
12 years ago
a soft white is always nice....or a sage/light earthy green might be nice
pcmom1
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Google "N Hance" (believe that is the site). They can do a color shift on your oak cabinets. Price depends on how dark you wish to go. It is a one day process. We got a quote a few months ago and was going to cost $2300.

If you go to Kitchen Photos here and type in N-Hance, many photos come up:
N-Hance Wood Renewal - St. George · More Info
joannpb
12 years ago
What color would you paint the bar stools? If you paint the chandelier to match and replace the glass chimneys with something more sophisticated, you might like it.

Here's an example and the site where I found it
http://www.antiquelampsupply.com/product/240_2-58-x-13-clear-chimney-for-rayo--cd
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
Thanks cathibrew for the instructions for adding pictures to comment. I failed to say I am using iPad
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
I have a whole new take on this solution. Imagine this WHITE paneling on the walls two thirds up, Turquoise paint above. Why. Because now you have balance. Equal parts oak (orange) white and accent color. Now pop in some black (stools) some red (cushions) some fabric on the windows. This will be adorable. Can you visualize.
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
Study this.
cathibrew
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Kathleen thanks that is a really cool solution! I agree it would help balance. Do you think it could work with the 4 inch oak baseboard I have or would that need to be painted white? Could I accomplish the same thing by putting in a chair rail 2/3 up the wall and painting the wall beneath white and wall above turquoise? Thinking this might be easier with the oak trim I have everywhere! In this one room I have 7 doorways and 2 windows outside and 1 window to the dining room all trimmed in oak! It is crazy...
Tiffany O.
12 years ago
You could also consider painting the countertops. I don't know your material, but rustoleum makes a super easy product just for countertops. That could help darken the oak also
Dana C.
12 years ago
A deep Peacock blue on the walls would look updated and fabulous. Add white and gold in the room for contrast
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
No you do not need to paint the oak moldings. And yes you could do a chair rail and paint white below but you cannot do the 2/3 up wall with out beadboard ...would have to be regular chair height. I want your kitchen to have personality and prove you can do without following trends.
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
How is it possible to have 7 doorways! Post more pictures I want to see all those doorways.
Kathleen Jamison
12 years ago
Sorry this was so much work for you. Take some time away from this project. To make a color work it has to stand up to the bossy orange oak.
cathibrew thanked Kathleen Jamison
Nancy Travisinteriors
12 years ago
Did you put samples on your walls before painting. The blue looks too bedroom. You don't want to paint oak? That would be the biggest change you could do.or stain them darker. (Get sample and try inside a door to get right shade) Add brush nickel hardware long pulls 4" lowes sells. Paint or stain around window. Paint walls a dove gray. Get a brush nickel lights. Drop to 36" above table. Add a white pleated shade to window measure inside window Lowes cuts for free. Flooring go a faux Carrera. 14" tile.
Nancy Travisinteriors
12 years ago
Paint the bar stools a turquoise for a pop of color. You could add a backsplash for some color to go the aqua with white and black. Glass long tiles.
cathibrew thanked Nancy Travisinteriors
mpoulsom
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
I think the white looks very nice, and I like your chalkboard backsplash! :)

found some fabric with colors that you may like to incorporate???? and some gray and black in it would be nice as well.

and your back door (the white paned one), I would paint that a darker color of your choice. Wouldn't leave it white.
cathibrew thanked mpoulsom
pcmom1
12 years ago
Have someone from N-hance come out with some samples. Pretty amazing!
cathibrew thanked pcmom1
Maryl Hershelman
11 years ago
Isn't 80's retro yet? You know any day now people will be collecting geese décor with blue ribbons around their necks.....hey it's happened with mushrooms, strawberries and owls.