Need Help turning this into a Farmhouse Kitchen

12 years ago

I'd love some advice! My hubby and I just bought this house, and my first room to tackle is the kitchen. (Which is currently cold and lifeless!) I love vintage farmhouse style, with pops of color, such as sunny yellow, sage green, cherry red, and blue. The plan right now is to paint the walls and cabinets, and to install a beadboard back-splash (I'm thinking white.) (Future plans include soapstone countertops and a farmhouse sink, but we have to wait a little on that!) The room doesn't get much light- there is a really nice bay window over the sink, but it goes to a sunroom, so all the light filters through the sunroom, then to the kitchen.

I love the idea of yellow, sage, red, or denim blue cabinets. I just don't want it to look "pre-school-ish", if that makes sense... And I need it bright, and easy to clean. (I currently have a white kitchen, and my 3 little boys work really hard to keep it NOT white!) Also, there are a lot of cabinets- a whole wall on the right, then the upper and lower cabinets on the left. I don't want it to be over-powering. I LOVE LOVE the attached pic of the yellow kitchen, but think that all that yellow in my kitchen would be too much.

Maybe blue lowers and cream uppers? (Would that look French Country? Don't want that...) Maybe all butter yellow? Maybe cream walls and sage cabinets?? Help?!?!?

Featured Answer

Rachel H

12 years ago

Oooh, here's a yellow that could work for you too:

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Comments (91)

kristinahill22
12 years ago
Super quick fix - paint your backsplash, outlet covers and behind your fridge white, change out your hardware and add a colorful rug. Another idea that might be a little "out there" is to paint your fridge with chalkboard paint, it will take a little metallic out of the room and give you a place to write a creative thought. Add a little color with the rug and countertop accessories.
decoenthusiaste
12 years ago
Do you like beadboard? Is is a very 'farmhouse' material. You could face the cabs with bb panel and flat trim before painting, similar to the lower cabs in your yellow inspiration pic. That and changing the handles could help kick start the style you want. Try nickel or ORB. You could strategically pump up the look with additional trim pieces in places like the corners of your perpendicular bar. You have plenty of spots to install some farmhouse lighting. Look at rustoleumtransformations.com and instantgranite.com to see some fixes that might work for you until the big overhaul can be done. Might serve for several years with these simple changes.
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Trudy Connor
12 years ago
My idea, is based on my grandmothers old kitchen her cabinets were the same color as yours.
first replace the hardware with black handles.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N8IWZE?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=B000N8IWZE&linkCode=shr&tag=whatno-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00490Z7W8?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B00490Z7W8&linkCode=shr&tag=whatno-20
Second remove the crown and replace with a flat piece of trim.
rocketjcat
12 years ago
If you want to try something that inexpensive and easy I used a roll of Martha Stewart paintable beadboard wallpaper to give my plain Sheetrock island a more cottage feel. We have rounded corners on all out Sheetrock so I wasn't sure how to easily redo with wood beadboard, and the wallpaper was a solution. I liked it so much I also used it as wainscot in a nearby bath. Maybe you could try it on your plain peninsula? I didn't end up painting mine. It's very robust and has deep grooves just like beadboard. It also would be an easy temporary camouflage on your backsplash. Some people use it on their cabinet doors if they have recessed panels, and an above poster suggested how to simulate that on yours. You can order it from Home Depot.. Just a thought.
alilu
12 years ago
Go for the quick facelift! I am sure you can find a soft yellow that would be wonderful, one that would blend with your existing counters and floors! Or for total old farmhouse look, paint those floors!
As for your stainless fridge, you may want to take a peek at this website:
http://theoldpaintedcottage.com/pages/Kitchen.htm
The clever folks there covered their refrigerator with bead board! It is something I am considering as I change my contemp kitchen to a farmhaouse style
Good luck, have fun and do what YOU want, it's your space and it's just a stop along the way.
motherhuber
12 years ago
If you are going to paint the cabinets either pale green/sage or butter yellow/sweet pear, then consider using BM Cloud White for your bead board backsplash. I used it for the bead board ceilings in my kitchen as I wanted a softer white without it looking beige. It can also lend itself to stronger accent colours - the walls in my kitchen are BM Caliente Red.
Lfjarron
12 years ago
I think you have to be a little careful about the rest of your house style a 'cutesie' farmhouse style would be too much. Think industrial style comes to the farm. The slickness of the industrial style will tone down too much farm in the farm house. As someone else mentioned butcher block counters would work if your on a budget but I would prefer white,
and removing some of the upper cupboards in lieu of some industrial metal shelving. Cupboards could be painted on the bottom and/or the top and contrary to most opinions I would go darker, think bottle green, or darkest gray.
Lfjarron
12 years ago
oh this pic came from the March 2014 House and Home mag - 'Kitchens With personality'
sgoldcamp
12 years ago
I have seen many traditional/vintage kitchen with yellow cabinets, similar to the picture, and they look fabulous! My mother just renovated her kitchen, very high end, and she has the yellow/mustard cabinets with a green granite. It's beautiful. You may consider taking down the upper cabinets by the window and adding open shelves, or just a vintage/country style sign or art. This would add the style you are looking for, widen the space, and help with the light distribution. You could also add a couple pendant lights over you peninsula. I just installed the pottery barn rustic glass pendants in my kitchen, and they are great.
rocketjcat
12 years ago
I really think that "cutesy" is in the eye of the beholder, just like so many things. As long as it makes you smile, and you love being in it, that's all that matters. Every time I see my (probably too cute) vintage organdy valances in my kitchen blowing in the breeze, I have to smile. That's the feeling I like to try for in every room. A cute kitchen and simple farmhouse furnishings in the rest of this house I think would be a nice combination.
nmstartin
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
You might want to look into using Annie Sloan chalk paint for your cabinets. Take a class from the dealer to learn how to achieve the look you want. It is amazing stuff. You might like to change the hardware to glass knobs. They come in every color. Beadboard backsplash, white or off white cabinets and sunny yellow on what's left on the walls. Get a master plan in place so that the hardware, lighting, etc. that you buy now can be reused when you do your complete remodel.
Karen Goodwin
12 years ago
Just a thought but you may want to add some trim to the doors to form a picture frame affect about 2-3 inches in from the edge of the doors. the doors you have seem much too modern. I also don't think yellow would be too much for you cupboard colour. The only problem with the yellow may be trying to keep it yellow...three little boys.
aworkinprogresss
12 years ago
We are just finishing a complete house remodel and almost every square inch of it was inspired by photos or idea books I found on Houzz. Here is an awesome idea book with ideas to inspire you to turn your kitchen into something you love too. I am so happy to have discovered HOUZZ!
Look at all the 'cottage' styles too. Good luck and HAVE FUN!
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/15-ways-to-get-the-english-cottage-look-stsetivw-vs~22930635
lisianthus
12 years ago
If the room doesn't get much sunlight, I hesitate to use deeper or darker colors. Blue which is beautiful in a well lighted room can become very dreary in a room without much natural light. You just can't beat white cabinets! But this is my own opinion, I can't stand dreary or dark rooms, especially the kitchen. If you are painting, you have choices of many, many "whites." Bring home color chips in every single white and tape them up and live with them a bit until one speaks to you. Examine the pictures of kitchens you like and analyze the colors in them- are they warm or cool? Is the light similar to what you have, or would the same color look different in your kitchen? I'm thinking you are going to want to go warm in order to harmonize with the flooring, in fact, I think the grays of the counters & backsplash are at war with the warmth in the cabinets and flooring right now. I think you are going to find the biggest change in your kitchen in changing out the counters and backsplash. Window treatment will make a difference, too. I really don't think the cabinets are bad right now, I think it is the other elements that are giving it that modern feel you do not care for.
stephyee
12 years ago
I would start with a galvanized counter top very inexpensive, then paint the cabinets a light sage green or a off white. Then replace the sink with a deep farm sink. Here are some ideas.
diane_
12 years ago
Have you checked into Minwax PolyShades? These are one-step stains you can put over existing wood finishes. If you went darker on the bottom cabinets (mission oak or antique walnut, even black) and painted the top with whatever makes you happy and added new hardware, you will be amazed! Stain doesn't chip the way a paint will with kids (I have 8). Check out Young House Love blog. They just redid their kitchen cabinets with polyshades.
I agree with the beadboard wallpaper, put it right over the blacksplash already there, it's thick stuff. For true farmhouse style remember you can mix up the hardware and replace the rounded piece of trim on uppers with a style more like the cove on top. I think it looks too contemporary. I agree with others that say take a couple of doors off for display shelves and put beadboard wallpaper on back or put glass doors on. These are all inexpensive fixes because someday you will get the kitchen of your dreams and it will be worth the wait. :) Good Luck.
Anna Weekly
Original Author
12 years ago
I have never heard of beadboard wallpaper! Brilliant!!! I looked it up this morning (thanks rocketjcat!) and think it is perfect for covering the backsplash. As I mentioned, I really hesitate to paint the cabinets white, as I am constantly wiping down my current white kitchen after my 3 little boys come through! Never thought about stain... I would just need to sand it down really well first, correct?
cucina1990
12 years ago
I agree with JW Interiors. The best thing you could do for this kitchen is to remove the peninsula and either use those cupboards for an island or get a new painted island. The cooktop will be fine in an island or on the other side. If you have problems with keeping your cupboards clean, then leave them natural, put up a wallpaper or beadboard backsplash, paint your knobs in a colour your like and add a nice light over the island.
gerod17
12 years ago
Here's my 2 cents: quickest fix would be to cover the backsplash with the breadboard paper. I would remove some ( not all) of the upper doors and paint the interiors of the cabinets with a nice rich bluey green and fill them with cute vintage serving pieces. I would leave the sink where it is for now, but retrofit in a farmhouse sink. I think it would help a lot to cover all that stone by the window with a curtain window treatment. Save the expensive changes for the big redo. I also loved the idea to paint the fridge with chalkboard paint. This seems like a chance to play with colors and ideas before you break out the big money. So fun - best of luck!
kayafortherain
12 years ago
You have a challenge for sure but the rest of the house is beautiful. Counter tops, backsplash and appliances are the real problem here. I think you can leave the wall cabinets opposite the sink as they are just change the knobs to creamy white. A photo of the window would help but painting the window trim a bright yellow or sage green would be nice. The stove is working against you but....That backsplash NEEDS to go! I think seeing light color, creamy yellow/whites, from the counters up would change everything. Add dark hardware to contrast. The bottom cabinets are up to you they could match the uppers or stay the same. Make due with the counter for now with a big wood chop block. Colorful rug. Put some art work on the fridge to change it up. Later on remove the L and add a chop block work station in the middle or a farmhouse table. ( Bright color) You could try a hanging pot rack too. Good luck & have fun!
kayafortherain
12 years ago
Examples of stainless working very well.
kayafortherain
12 years ago
Green on bottom, yellow on walls.
Rebecca MacAndrew
12 years ago
I think i would go for painting the cabinets the yellow you like, maybe add some trim which is inexpensive, add some new oil rubbed bronze hardware, a new farmhouse faucet for the sink which could still work with your new sink you get down the road, white beadboard backsplash,the whole wall of cabinets might be too much in yellow, so why not paint them out in white. that might tie you over longer than you think so you can focus on other areas of the home until you are ready for a complete reno. it's a really great looking house, i love the porch.
Tara Muhlhausen
12 years ago
Buttery cream upper cabinets, keep backsplash for now as is. Light apple /sage green for lower cabinets. Bringing in the colors will make the appliances stand out less. And both colors are in the scarf :)
Add some vintage style pulls.
...not sure about the wall of pantry. If it were me, I would get some poly/stain & make them a nice chestnut or deep cherry... Keep the wood look without having to completely refinish. Maybe you can find some different hardware for that pantry that coordinates, but doesn't match... Perhaps tying in the stainless from across the kitchen?

I do also very much like the idea of adding a 1-2" wide, 1/2" thick border to the cabinets & totally agree with taking down some of the doors!!
kenheather
12 years ago
As someone who has loved yellow walls all her life, but was never brave enough to try them until last year, I will forever be in the debt of my painter. He encouraged me to "go with what I really want" when we repainted last year. So I now have a sage green mud room opening into a yellow kitchen which opens into a yellow great room with one very red wall. I love it--and so do most guests. Those who don't can take a seat looking out a window. :) I would encourage you to buy or borrow a sheet, tablecloth, or something large in a shade that you can imagine painting your kitchen, and then hang it over your cupboardwall for a couple of days. Alternatively, you can buy the little tester pots of paint and paint of large pieces of poster boards which you would affix to the cupboards/walls to give the same effect. I actually apologized to my house, after I saw just how much better it looked with color on it's walls. Grant Beige is nice, but Hawthorne Yellow brought it to life! (Both by Benjamin Moore.)
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Darla Scheuerman
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
You have a phenomenal kitchen it screams sleek and sophisticated. The problem is that your kitchen can be in your farmhouse. Decorate first. All the farming decorations roosters etc knotted rugs. Yellow blinds, yellow paint. Do all that first and see if you don't love your kitchen more. Without having to rehab it.
diane_
12 years ago
Re: stain. Check the minwax website. It is callled polyshades. Just a light sanding is needed. I have had good luck with this product. Can find it at home improvement and hardware stores.
JC Aldon
12 years ago
I suggest you do nothing... Your kitchen is great as is. We bought a house 6 months ago with the intention to add a story and redo the entry. We stopped considering those 2 options before spending an entire year in the house and really understand the potential of what we currently have. We see already a change in mind and are focusing on other projects that did not pop up right away... Give you a chance to know your home better, then do it if you still feel it!
User
12 years ago
Love the tea towel curtain. Take it with you when you buy kitchen stuff and take colours from it.
Anna Weekly
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks so much, everyone! I've gotten some great ideas! I think something has to be yellow, either the walls or the cabinets. (I think that if I don't do yellow, then I'll be disappointed, now matter how great the results are.) I like the idea of treating the big wall cabinet differently than the cupboards- making it look like a separate piece of furniture would be really nice. I also like the idea of removing some upper doors, but am a little scared... with 3 little kids, most of my stuff is Buzz Lightyear sippy cups and Mickey Mouse plates! :) Maybe just a door or two, and put some pretty items in it...
Lynne Biziewski
12 years ago
Great ideas & I love the idea of yellow - to me, it makes an area, especially a kitchen, so upbeat... but let me warn you about taking doors off. I had that idea when my kids were little, and did it (was inspired by beautiful kitchen photos).

However - what I didn't count on was the dust that ended up in the cabinets - and the mess was often there because, well, having lots of little ones is tiring! (not to mention their 'help').

Victoria at SF Girl on the Bay has a before & after (the before is in a link in the article). Although her style is simple & uncluttered w/retro (I grew up in that era, so I guess I'm retro, hahaha), I think it shows the difference painting cabinets can make. Unless you aren't comfortable with the setup (I kind of like the idea of the island that others mentioned), I would paint them (even though they are new) and add change the handles.

http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2014/02/27/what-a-difference-a-year-and-a-can-of-paint-makes/
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Robin Lechner Designs
12 years ago
First idea is to add LED under cabinet lighting to add more light.
How about refacing the cabinets with oak or walnut stain shaker-style doors. Add the same color beadboard for the peninsula.
Bring in your country colors in with the backsplash with glass tiling.
Select simple country hardware.
You've already received some great lighting fixtures... just don't overdo.
inabunker
12 years ago
I don't know how much you want to spend, but I would definitely replace the existing appliances as they will never go in that space. If you decide to paint the cabinets, I would definitely add some shaker details (molding) to the doors. A farm sink and painted cabinets with a different countertop and appliances would change the whole look of the kitchen.

I have a very similar situation (as you can see in my photo) about remodeling our kitchen and giving it a more "country" look. I have to remove the fridge wall (pic) and move everything toward the windows against that wall. But I can relate to trying get a different feel. I am going to put a farm sink in mine and replace the appliances and counter too!
annette1210
12 years ago
Beadboard, fabric, country colors.
Dixie Landers
12 years ago
It's beautiful, and will be when you turn it country, but PLEASE don't paint those cabinets; someone else is excited to get that modern look. Agree that you could take down the uppers and go with open country shelving, especially in that corner. You could take the tops to Habitat ReStore.
Dixie Landers
12 years ago
Sounds like budget wise you are not changing the footprint, but if you are, could you trade the peninsula for an island? That will help it go country.
Anna Weekly
Original Author
12 years ago
One thing I want to mention about the cabinets- These are NOT new, they are actually 14 years old. There is damage on the front of the cabinets in front of the sink, and by the fridge. (Looks like water sat on the doors too long, and the clear sealant is chipping and turning white and milky.) So something will have do be done, either sanding and resealing the bad ones, or painting them all. If I'm going to have to work, I feel like I might as well do work in a direction that I actually like!
Dixie Landers
12 years ago
Well, these are GOOD pics, bc they look mint condition!:)
intoit
12 years ago
Agree annaweekly, if you are going to do all that work on the cabinets you should go in the direction that makes you happy. Go for the yellow, change the countertops and hardware and you will be on your way. When you can change the appliances then it will only make the kitchen more charming and you will have what you want Good luck.
bungalowmo
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
I do hope the Houzz member doesn't mind, but I specifically saved this post for my own kitchen inspiration. I already have the old school wooden floor, cabinets & wood trim, but I really love what they did here:
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/our-kitchen-before-and-after-dsvw-vd~572369
sberkshire
12 years ago
i would think twice before installing the sink in #1. I have the stainless version of this sink. Cleaning the corners is a nightmare. Debris that gets into the sink collects
User
12 years ago
I have heard that
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Kitchen Cabinets Corp
12 years ago
Stainless steel cabinets would be great in your kitchen. The price is affordable and we have a variety of finishes for the cabinet doors (stainless or acrylic). Check out our website (www.kitchencabinetscorp.com) for pictures and email us for a free quote. Mention houzz and code ELK for a 50% discount!
toats
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
hi there annaweekly, i love farmhouses, it is my dream to own one and renovate it! I live in a cabin and turned my kitchen into a cottage style. If i were in your position, i would add trim to your cabinet doors and drawers, change out the hardware and paint them. i would remove all upper cabs and install open shelves. Then, use those upper cabs you removed to create a farmhouse hutch. would be as simple as building a base for them out of 2X4s, trimming the base with 1X4s, use some reclaimed lumber for counter, and building a simple hutch for the top. below are pics of how i turned my very ugly island into a hutch. it was pretty simple, just a lot of elbow grease! It would not be as large as mine because you are using wall cabs which are shallower, but it would be adorable. I know it is not sleek, modern, or high end....it is in fact a diy job, so go easy on me guys! but i do love it and i am so glad i did it! (pls excuse crazy mess in 1st pic, was unpacking.)
studio10001
12 years ago
You mentioned the need for easy cleaning. Any of the colour combos being offered might work, but I personally liked your own idea for blue bases and a lighter upper. so have found a few examples. Whatever colour you choose, I suggest a medium tone for the bottom to hide handprints, and a light tone for the top to help brighten the walls. ( Open or exposed shelving may be nice for later, but will look, as Jan has eloquently pointed out, like a hot mess right now; that and the beadboard can wait until you get a solid worktop in place.) For now, look for under cabinet lighting, and plan on either white or a lighter cabinet shade for the walls to keep the patchwork effect to a minimum - restricting your colours will make the area seem more spacious.
http://www.houzz.com/blue-base-cabinets
lepstein
12 years ago
I would go with the yellow cupboards, white regular or vintage appliances, not black hardware (round painted wood or bronze might work), white beadboard or subway tile backsplash, white apron sink. Leave the window and other trim white. If you use a curtain, go light yellow and white gingham. I don't think the yellow will be too much and it should be fine with the floor. If you are really worried about too much yellow, you could go darker (not the same colour depth) on the lower cabinets. Eventually, you could put in butcher block or white quartz counter tops (I prefer the bb). You have a lovely home. Enjoy!
Amy Haaland
12 years ago
I have a 1940 farmhouse and am also wanting to paint the cabinets a bluish color. We are still deciding on whether to paint them all blue or do the lowers in blue and the uppers in a cream color. My inspiration photo is linked here.
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Mogul Interior
7 years ago

Eclectic Mix Of Architectural Furniture · More Info

vintage doors rustic wood antique furniture farmhouse chic
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Custom Sliding Barn Doors
7 years ago
We just used this color for a barn door recently for a client and it turned out beautiful! She kept her cabinets a similar color as yours and added other accent pieces throughout the house and painted the walls. Maybe a chalkboard wall!

Hope this helps.

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HALLETT & Co.
7 years ago
2014......