Congratulations on your new home! It sounds like you have some great ideas.

From what I've heard, painting the cabinets can be an involved project (thanks to the priming/sanding/prep) if you do it yourself. I'd start with cleaning them and adding new hardware, and then if they still need refreshing, tackle painting them.

There are lots of hardware choices out there, and many of them won't break your budget. Good luck with everything!

Douglas Cabinet Collection · More Info

Curtiss Cabinet Knob · More Info

96mm Curtiss Cabinet Pull · More Info

I would paint the cabinets

Without seeing more of the space, I think I would look at painting the cabinets. Instead of taking down the cabinets to the upper left and right side of the window, consider just removing doors on the right side of the sink to match the left side verses open shelves. Open shelves are a great pieces to add, if you have great storage options in other areas. You can always change the wood shelves to glass and add in lighting inside those two cabinets.

Best of luck!!

I'd paint the walls first. That will help you decide if you want to paint the cabinets. White would be great with the appliances, but a dark color would look lovely with the counters. I love the idea of the open shelving!

HI -- Sounds like us about thirty years ago . Ranch/tract house , same ideas and hopes and dreams . Congratulations !! Look to see if the cabinets are box build or built on site . If they are box build then they can be taken down and out and be worked on Or just takes the doors off and then prep for painting or get or make new doors where needed etc. Then plan for putting gables for the fridge with a full depth upper cabinet to make the fridge more built in looking . Open shelves are work and if your not into that then think about it . Usually good only for display . Not for the daily dishes . The flies will be dancing on them and they get dusty and it can make a cluttered look. The first things to do really as you said is to clean it up and paint . Do white trims with that great color paint you got . Install wide board vinyl plank laminate flooring in a natural looking color to be timeless . Put in taller _( approx. 4 1/2 inch) baseboards for up dating . Find a deal on tile for a new full backsplash -suggest subway but remove the little back trim before and do from counter to under cabinets . Don't tear anything or room apart unless or until you have the things to put it back . I could go on but... Good Luck ! NOTE; check your services and get the electrical checked and test for asbestos . BE safe kids !!

Thanks for all the great feedback, everyone! Here are a few more shots of the kitchen, as well as how I'm imagining the open shelves might look (I'm definitely leaning towards open shelving - upper cabinets tend to make me feel clausterphobic). I think I can afford to lose some of that storage space, as my husband and I are kindof minimalists - and there is a very large pantry storage area where we could keep bulky items like a crockpot, large pots etc. The third pic was taken from inside the pantry - you can see through the kitchen to the dining area on the other side.

8th Ave. · More Info

8th Ave. · More Info

8th Ave. · More Info

Baking Center · More Info

The house was built in 2007 so no asbestos concerns - but thanks for raising the point!

If I were to paint the cabinets, what colors? White? Gray? Black? Different uppers and lowers? The "white" appliances are a little yellowed - would they look worse against white cabinets, or would they blend in more? Definitely keeping the house trim white, but thinking about painting all the interior doors black.

Ok this may be a crazy question - is it possible to flip the cabinet doors and hardware around so they are more of a modern slab front rather than the traditional arch front?

Thanks, Debi! I did not know that. I would feel ok painting the dishwasher and fridge... but I assume there would be some hazards associated with painting a stove/oven/microwave range hood (?)

BTW until someone shoots down my slab-front idea, here's a pic I just found that perhaps I could roughly recreate...

Heather & Bob · More Info

There are paints for stoves, high heat areas. I think the key is in the preparation of the surface. Good luck, lots of work but looks like it will be worth it.

I think I will just keep the appliances white and use the appliance paint to freshen up the yellowed components - for example, the metal/glass oven and stovetop is still bright white, but the plastic element that sticks up at the back with the temperature control etc. is yellowing.

I'm just itching to paint those cabinets, haha. It's not that hard to do. I'd probably paint the walls and the cabinets, add new hardware, and clean up the yellowing on the appliances.

Here's the Jogging Path paint color--looks nice

Alright, I think I have a Plan of Action!

- remove upper cabs around sink
- repair and paint walls
- remove cabinet doors - caulk back of doors, paint (thinking a charcoal color), flip hinges so the front becomes the back and vice versa

- install floating shelves in same new color as base cabs
- replace cabinet hardware (thinking bronze pulls)
- refresh appliances with white appliance paint
- (possibly) replace faucet with a more modern style
- add pendant light over sink

Am I missing anything? Do y'all think it would look good? I said charcoal for the cabinets only because I've rarely seen DIY white cabs that didn't look DIY, but I'm not married to it.

Take down both upper cabinets on each side of the windows. That will brighten your kitchen immensely. Add some shelves. I'd paint the cabinets white.

Just simple stainless knobs will freshen the look esp. if you paint the cabs white.

I would remove the dated arch over the window and replace it with a Woven Wood Roman Shade. Home depot has standardized sizes for kitchen windows for a wow look. I would paper the inside of the open cabinet with contact papar for costs; they have some very beautiful patterns out there now. Or paint it a accent color or just nice white like your appliances. But if you want the open concept like your baking center picture IKEA makes a floating shelf unit I do believe. Go for it.

If you want to redo the cabinets and you don't have very many, Rustoleum makes a kitchen repainting product that has like 30 finishes and is soooo easy and you get great results. My daughter did her oak cabinets in her whole house and it was pretty effortless. I would check it out at Home Depot or Lowe's for the product. I painted my kichen cabinets over a month of saturdays so it can be done, and you will enjoy the feeling of accomplishment while doing it.

I assume you are painting the kitchen the same color as the rest of the house; much easier on the budget and your nerves.

If you want a new backspash you will have to tile above the back lip of the formica, which is fine, or you could just run a small band of time half way between the bottom of the cabinets and the top of the formica lip.

Congrats on your first home. I hope it will be filled with a lot of great memories and happy people.

You can't just slap a coat of paint on your appliances. You can have them professionally powder coated but it may not be worth it. Just save for new when the old ones go.

Flipping the doors could be a fabulous budget solution! Just depends on the hinges -- as long as there aren't deep holes for complex hinge hardware, you should be good to go. Not sure what you mean by "caulk" -- if you're filling anything in, do it with wood filler! (then treat with TPS or whatever its' called, sand, and then prime and paint.)

0As for color, it will depend a lot on your counter, as you want a bit of contrast from that and we can't see it well. If counters are tan, then white should be great. I guess charcoal could be fine, but it will make a small space feel more cave-like. Perhaps you can find a middle gray that's dark enough to hide your imperfections but light enough to... live with. :)

Agree that I'd skip painting appliances unless they're *seriously* ruined. Would you paint your car to "freshen it up"??

The counters are a tan/sand color. Perhaps you're right and white would look better. Yes, when I said caulk I was imagining wood filler :)

I'm so anxious to close now so we can get to work and move in! Once we have a clean slate the real fun of decorating will begin... starting with a nursery! :)

Congratulations on the wonderful news....just look up nursery design and you will be looking for a long time!

I don't think I'd do charcoal on the cabs, especially with the tan of the counters. I keep seeing a neutral green in there.

Kitchen · More Info

White & Green Cottage Kitchen · More Info

Teddy Edwards Brooklands Range · More Info

If any of you are interested, I just started a thread for curb appeal :)

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/curb-appeal-ideas-dsvw-vd~3079054