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jm_barnett

This is our new house - lets change it! Starting with the kitchen...

12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
OK. So my wife and I just bought a new, very large home. We are going from 900 sqft to 3,600 sqft. After Kid 2 arrived we decided to treat ourselves. The house is in immaculate condition, is 27 years young and the previous owners did a great job making every renovation meticulous. But, as you all know, no one can leave well enough alone.

So, our first mission, aside from buying TONS of furniture, was to start thinking about what if anything we might change in the kitchen.

So here is the current kitchen. Our biggest dislike - the color of the cabinets are too 'warm' and just won't go with the rest of our house which will be themed and furnished with a combination of stuff from Restoration Hardware and my DIY craft bench. Think coppers, metals, woods and mechanical.

We will be replacing the stove with a new Viking unit that I fell in love with. But other than that we are just getting started on the kitchen. We don't want to undo too much as we love the copper backsplash, black trims/sink and granite, but the floor and cabinets are on the chopping block should we come up with something that flows better and is more our style.

Comments (27)

  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Some local cabinet makers and companies will offer refinishing services. Generally they will take all your doors away to be refinished then send someone to your house to refinish the installed portions. Your space would look great with a change in finish and an update to the handles/pulls. Also, I agree that the copper back splash is great!
    Jay Bartlett thanked Delton Cabinets
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Grats on the new house!! Is there an island/peninsula or just the "L" configuration? Lighting is one option to add some of your style to the mix. You mentioned restoration-type fixtures? Perhaps something like this over the sink to pull in the copper? This series also has matching pendant fixtures - not that everything needs to be matchy-matchy
    Wall Lights + Sconces · More Info
    Newberry Pendant · More Info


    If you do have a peninsula, a few pendants like those above or perhaps these?
    Chadwick Restoration Pendant · More Info
  • 12 years ago
    If the Tabour doors were to be removed, I wouldn't cry too-too much. My wife loves them, I'm 50/50 on them.
  • 12 years ago
    I guess I should add photos of the entire kitchen (Whoops!) Whispar - There isn't an island, but there is a peninsula that currently has a very whacky circle track lighting over it that is not staying if I have anything to say! Love the pendants!
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Paint cabinets! change the lighting! It looks like a nice kitchen, but those simple updates with new hardware could look amazing.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    The tabour doors are a bit dated but they do hide a few neccessities. If you really want to redesign the kitchen a floor plan and some ideas of what you want would be really helpful.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I don't love the overhead cabinet on the right side of the window, looks a little odd. Some nice black hardware and a paint job would do wonders. The layout does not seem that bad but if you are looking for a total redo send floor plans.
    Jay Bartlett thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 12 years ago
    "Paint cabinets" - Yes, but what color! :)

    Patricia - The floorplan is a challenge at the moment as we don't close for another 2 weeks. We are just getting a jump start on planning as we'll have about 2 weeks of time to do and/or contract any work between when we close and when we move in.
  • 12 years ago
    I agree with painting the cabinets. How about a warm grey. It would look great with the copper and a bit industrial. You can have the cabinets painted by a body shop. I hear they do a slick job!
  • 12 years ago
    Pull a gray from the Dakota Red granite. It has cool blue gray tones with the reds. A smoky dark gray----with added lighting including under cabinet lighting----would be a nice modern touch.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I would suggest checking out Cabinets To Go, I was going to reface my cabinets, but they were less than refacing. I went with the Ivory and sold my house in 72 hours because of the kitchen. Good luck in what ever you decide.
  • 12 years ago
    Sophie - Great advice! All the cabinets are already wired with under cabinet lighting. I'm going to attempt to load this all up in Photoshop to see if I can create some coherent vision.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    What color depends partially on what components you will be keeping. Will you be keeping the countertop and sink? Appliances? Flooring?
  • 12 years ago
    Eagle - We plan to keep the countertops, backsplash, fridge, cabinets. The dishwasher is from 1992 and the stove is a bit dated as well. With the fridge being SS, we aren't opposed to go SS w/ the dishwasher, stove and microwave. I don't have a problem with the floor, but if it needed to go I think we could down the road replace it. We just want to find some cost-effective ways to give the kitchen a more modern look and to pull in what we think are some create colors like the copper, black and grays in the granite and backsplash tile. We are novice DIYers too.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I think you can do a combination black/white (or more precisely, espresso brown/off-white) cabinets. Light color on the top. Dark color on the bottom. They'll look good with your copper.

    Definitely change the floors.

    Here are a few configurations.

    Traditional Kitchen · More Info


    Needham Kitchen · More Info


    Kitchen Remodel · More Info


    Lincoln Park Residence · More Info


    preppyplayer · More Info
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    You might like a color that pulls off the browns in your granite, but much lighter, instead of a stark white or stark black. In the second picture you can see the difference in whites between the white marble top and the cabinet below it.

    English Tudor Kitchen · More Info

    Showhome 2010 - 2 · More Info
  • 12 years ago
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I would be inclined to go a pale gray to tie in the counter and the stainless and it would work with the copper.Have the cabinets sprayed professionally it makes a huge difference . Then they just come in and paint the boxes. To save a lot of hassle I would just leave them the way they are design wise the change in color will be very nice.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    It is hard to get a nice, smooth finish when you paint over oak, but I do think this kitchen cries out for a more modern design and color. I am a huge fan of the soft grays, and I think it would really open up your space. This picture is a great example of what your kitchen could look like - it even has a similar ceiling.
  • 12 years ago
    I don't know Photoshop very well, but I made an attempt to go both soft gray and in the total opposite direction, very dark. Frankly, with a new floor I think a very dark stain might also be an option...then again, you are the pros and I'm not :)
  • 12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Here I went ahead and added the stove we'd like to purchase. We will also be upgrading the dishwasher to SS as well. I added a light-colored bamboo floor. I'm not sure what floor would go should we decide on a very dark (black) stain.

    We have decided in the dining room we'll have a 120" rectangle dining table from Restoration Hardware (relcaimed wood) in black, along with overhead pulley lights that we intended to carry into the kitchen to use over the bar.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Now try off white on the top, and leave everything else as your last photo with the hardwood. I think it might open up your space better.

    Gray not that nice.
    Jay Bartlett thanked Shoa Gallery
  • 12 years ago
    The first thing I noticed is that you have a lot of wood in the space. I would see if you can order a few of the same doors for the upper cabinets, but with glass inserts. This will make the space more pleasing to the eye and give a break from all of that oak.
    Jay Bartlett thanked dadlereisel
  • 12 years ago
    I am a woodworker and love wood. But I saw a kitchen that was similar to yours that was painted black and it looked great. I do not like black in your kitchen but off white or off white uppers and black lowers would get rid of the wall of wood.
  • 12 years ago
    Every attempt I made to display an off-white top and black bottom looked "off." I think it's the copper int the glass tile backsplash. I'll try it again tonight.
  • 12 years ago
    That pinky floor tile and copper backsplasj is going to make it tough. Maybe a greige or brown grey (French grey) instead of off-white? And less yellow bamboo flooring--maybe more driftwood or middle tone brown?