# help! bring my kitchen together



## NewlywedKristin (Jul 6, 2009)

hello,

Here are pictures of a kitchen that needs some *help*. What can we do with some paint to bring this room together?

we're fixing up a 1000 sq ft 1950's era brick ranch that was foreclosed and trashed. Our biggest obstacles are 1) lack of space, and 2) Insufficient funds to work with on this project.

*CURRENT ISSUE: The Kitchen.*

We've already painted our kitchen and replaced the terrible tile/carpet mess that was the prior kitchen floor, as well as purchased a new refrigerator to match our stove (the previous refrigerator and stove were at least 30 years old and a nasty dark brown color, which you can still see on our range hood. we are having a hard time finding the right size replacement). 

Our stove and fridge are now bisque & black. Our countertops are a beigey/bisque color, and replacing them at this point is not an option. Our kitchen sink is also a bisque/beige color.

Now we installed a tan/creamy tile floor that we like, as well as a decorating scheme (coffee -- I know its a theme many people do, but we like it). The kitchen cabinets, however, are hideous, and I hate them. They are very dated, and I feel like they bring down the whole room. We can't really afford to do anything but paint them and change the hardware -- but WHAT COLOR?

We originally thought maybe white for the cabinets, but I feel that would completely wash out everything since the wall paint is so light. 
Even though I picked the wall colors a year ago, I think the color on top is too light. (at that moment I guess I'd gotten tired of decorating and just picked whatever color looked okay at the time.. big mistake) In the pictures, the walls look almost white. Its actually a cream/tan color. We picked the colors based on the border. 

So now the dilemma: What color to paint? I'm willing to change the wall color on top. I guess I'm willing to change the bottom color too, but I feel like that one's fine... its the top color that concerns me.

Also - we're thinking we'd like to paint the small areas of wall behind the counter and cabinets a redish tone or something - to make that wall stand out a little more, like an accent wall. 

So to re-cap.. everything as far as appliances, floor and decor must stay, but we can paint any color we want to bring it all together. It seems like choosing paint colors shouldn't be this hard-- but IT IS!!!

any ideas are greatly welcomed, because I'm about to tear my hair out with this kitchen. It's *almost* there... I just need a little help bringing it all together.

Thanks in advance to any brave soul that can offer me some advice!!!!!! (even if its to tell me my kitchen looks awful!) 

I know paint can work some wonders... and I hope it does with my kitchen. 

Attached are pictures of our kitchen, with close up of the border to see colors. (please excuse the dishes in the sink!) 

THANK YOU!!!!!


----------



## diy'er on LI (Jul 6, 2009)

I think what you did so far is great... and the kitchen really doesn't look too bad in my opinion. A very inexpensive and effective way to update cabinetry is to buy new hardware (drawer pulls and cabinet handles). I agree with what you said that painting the cabinets would wash out the room. Personally, I think the cabinets could stay as is... just get very modern handles (brushed stainless). (if you do decide to get new hardware, make sure they're the new ones are the same dimensions as the old ones, so you don't have to drill any new holes.)

HTH!


----------



## NewlywedKristin (Jul 6, 2009)

*UPDATE to our Cabinet Painting*

OKAY, so I've decided the cabinets are going to be painted a beigey-tan, similar to the color of the top of the wall. The hardware will also be replaced, we're thinking brushed nickel.

Here's the dilemma -- What color to re-paint those walls? And the backsplash? Its so plain!

I hate hate hate to tear down our border. I know its not "modern" but we like it and I don't want to see it go, but I have no idea what to paint the walls around it.

I feel like re-painting the walls is a necessary thing since the cabinets are going to be beige -- we've gotta break up the monotony of the beige!!!!

I'd love to incorporate color, especially reds- I love reds. any suggestions?? PLEASE!! and thank you!!


----------



## Speedball (Nov 2, 2008)

If the cabinets are going to be what the upper walls are now, do the walls in a deep red like what's in the border if I see that correctly. We have had a red kitchen for about 6 years and really like it.:yes:

When we move into our other home about the size of yours, my wife want's to go with a rich pumpkin color.

It's amazing how many homes I've been in where people are scared to use some _real_ color.


----------



## sandrus (Jun 23, 2011)

I like what you've done here--very fun, very cute. We're updating the kitchen in our house similarly--with paint and hardware. We decided to get a countertop transformations kit and get a higher-end look than our 1960s abstract dotted-floral-on-white countertops. So we're taking those dark. And we painted our cabinets white (though that was a compromise--I wanted to get new ones, but the budget didn't have room for that--because I wanted a lighter countertop and dark cabinets, but we get what we get when we don't like what we have, right?). Are you just sanding and painting your cabinets, or are you using a special product? (We looked at the cabinet transformations kits, too, but opted for just white glossy cabinets in the end--because it was faster, honestly, but also because my hubby likes the contemporary finish.) 

I agree that a rich red (like the one in the border) on the upper walls could be great, but if you're worried that it might be too dark (it will be dark when you get all the walls painted that color), then use it for the backsplash area. You could even "tile" in some fun coffee-themed stencils.

And, you can paint that range hood. Get appliance paint--it's fast, durable, and a cheap fix for something you can't necessarily replace right now (for various reasons). We painted ours white, but eventually replaced it with a built-in microwave with vent. During the year we had the old hood painted, no one knew the difference--it was just a gorgeous stainless steel hood.

Good luck! Hope you post pics when it's all finished.


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

This is a palette I did for the ColourLovers site based on the color of coffee beans and achieved by roasting them to different levels. 

I know you don't have a lot of money but how about printing out some vinyl with oversized coffee beans to use for the backsplash? A specialty grocery near me in Central Illinois sold its coffee bags (for more money than they were worth). Might be festive to expoxy them in place as a backsplash?

http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/356022/Roasting_Coffee

A quick and dirty color blend with some noise added to reveal some accent colors is also attached. It stretches from kind of the raw unroasted coffee bean green to dark roast.

Not sure about your brushed nickle door/drawer pools. Seems like they will be too silverish. Coffee was a big deal growing up and we had this poor old hand coffee grinder with a little copper shoot I still remember. 

By the way, you might want to paint your kitchen virtually first to try out colors? Both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams have free visualizers. You can either pick a photo from their library that is close to the look of your kitchen or upload your photo, mask it off, and experiment with different paint areas.


----------



## aimskers (Jun 3, 2011)

Great job do far! Just some tweaking should do it. I would leave the wall color as is, and add red curtains or roman blinds, as well as a red backsplash and red accessories. I would make the cabinets slightly darker than the wall color.


----------



## vicpet (Apr 13, 2011)

I think a rich expresso black with stainless/nickel hardware in a contemporary style would update your kitchen a lot. That would look great even with your current wall color now because it would greatly contrast against the wall color. It would give a very rich look to the decor.


----------



## dytecture (Sep 30, 2011)

The following pastel colors should work in your kitchen.

http://www.dytecture.ca


----------



## kitchendesign (Oct 26, 2011)

I would agree with the idea of black cabinets and nickel hardware as that is my favorite combination. The thing you want to watch out for is too much personalization if you are planning to resell in the near future. 
I would suggest a nice shade of green for the kitchen. It's said that it the color that is easiest on the eyes and promotes eating less. Always a nice perk for trying to lose weight!
Rustoleum has a new product out specificly for repainting counter tops if you would like to update those as well. 

Check out my site at- www.howtokitchendesign.com


----------



## S.Preston (Oct 26, 2011)

vicpet said:


> I think a rich expresso black with stainless/nickel hardware in a contemporary style would update your kitchen a lot. That would look great even with your current wall color now because it would greatly contrast against the wall color. It would give a very rich look to the decor.


I think this is a great idea and would definitely give a elegant feel to the kitchen. If you want to do accent wall you could do it around the sink area and just continue the dark color from the bottom of the wall there. 

Is that a new light above the sink area?


----------

