The time has come for me to share my kitchen with you. First of all, it is a great kitchen. Tons of cabinet space, great layout, everything works great and is in great condition. Here’s the problem…I don’t like maple cabinets, I don’t like brass hardware, I don’t like green laminate counters, and I don’t like laminate floors that are a weird beige color with fake green leaves on them. Otherwise, it’s great. Can you hear my enthusiasm?
One thing I do love is my pot rack. My mom bought this for me as a house warming gift and I love it. There are times when I think about how pretty a chandelier would look there, but I am not willing to give up my pot rack! The bar opens into the family room, so it is perfect for entertaining.
And I really like this corner glass-front cabinet and the molding at the top.
So, here’s the plan… I have fallen in love with the painted brick back splash Kim did in her kitchen at the Twice Remember Cottage.
She used thin brick pavers and I am planning to do the same. I love the texture and instant age it adds to a blah kitchen.
I’d also like to paint my cabinets white like in this Scandinavian kitchen pictured at Willow Decor. I just love painted cabinets and white looks so crisp and clean. I will replace my hardware with a mixture of brushed nickel and glass knobs. My real dream is to have a combination of black granite and wood for my counters, but that won’t be in the budget any time soon. I’m hoping hubby can make me some wood counters and I can relaminate some of my current counters in granite-looking black.
I would love dark stained wood floors like I have in the old part of my house (built in the 1940′s), but after refinishing them myself (when I was 5 months pregnant), I’d rather not go through that process again. I may do tile, but I have to find the right tile. Any suggestions?
Lastly, I’d like to paint the walls a soft beige like the ones in The Lettered Cottage dining area. I love their pallet of whites, beiges, blues & black. My current color scheme was based on the green counters (which I do not like), so once those are gone I am free to go to my true love – blue & white. I can’t wait to take all of you on the journey of redoing my kitchen…one of these years. 
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Cant wait to see what you do!!!! Would you like them better if they were a much darker stain? Have you ever seen the turquoise bottom/white top cabinets at the Living in Grace blog? ( I follow it). They are wonderful.
What a great project! My kitchen has ivory cabinets with black, and dark stained maple countertops, brushed nickel/chrome and glass pulls and buttery/beige upper walls. The neutral backdrop means that I can change out the accent colors with the accessories whenever I want. Happy planning!
: )
Julie M.
This is what I love about having an older house…always something to dream about. If I moved into a brand new house, i would be lost without my dreams. I am forever finding something I want to do to my own place…and new countertops are right at the top of my list. I coveted black and white tile backsplash FOREVER and last year, Mr. Sweet did it for me. I am so so happy with then,. But, I do need new coverings for my counters. Not granite…I'd much rather have something else…maybe granite on an island. I love my white upper cabinets and the brick red lower cabinets..I want plantation shutters in there…WANT is my middle name..:)
You have a great kitchen to work with, I love the brick backsplash idea. Maybe I will try that too, it looks so great. I know you will love the changes you are going to make. Thanks for taking us along on your adventure. Marla
Those cabinets look like they are just waiting for your touch! How about a black and white checkerboard or harlequin pattern tile floor {my favorite and I my wish list}? Can't wait to see what you wind up doing.
The white cabinets with glass knobs sounds so pretty. I just redid my kitchen last year. I could not see paying so much for granite. We put in a textured laminate Formica. It is black with white shading and looks like slate. My floor is a floating laminate, but since it ajoins real hardwood, the pattern looks like travertine. I have also seen a laminate that looks like tile. I chose that because I felt tile was hard on your feet and cold. I'm very happy with it. See it at
http://nittanyinspirations.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-new-kitchen-renovation.html
In a former home I installed Z-Brick as the backsplash. It was easy to do myself. It is a thin veneer product.
I have light cabinets also and I hate them. I am trying to talk hubby into painting them…he is hesitant…I am trying to decide on the color for when I wear him down…lol
Sounds like you are off to a wonderful start! I love all of your choices. I am going to enjoy watching you go through this process…
Hugs,
Penny
p.s. I had granite in my house I just sold, and would rather not have it again. It it very hard to maintain. My new house has solid surface – Corian. I think I will like this better.
Can't wait to see the remodel. Sounds like some great ideas.
I'm with ya on the cabinets. I would love to paint our plain oak stained boxes a beautiful cream with mocha glaze. I would also love to have granite…but money is holding me back too. You might consider granite tile counters. Its a whole lot less expensive and you get the same look. Check out this link http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/how-to-install-granite-tile-kitchen-countertops/article17870.html
Happy Kitchen Dreams!!
~Tab
Looking foward to your redo, I realy need to tackle mine too! Hubby thinks we need to replace some of our sub floor first!
Blessings,
Leigh Ann
Have you considered painting your countertops to look like granite? I am going to replace my formica counters with butcher block from Lumber Liquidators, but before I decided on this, I researched the painting option. There is a process where you paint the counters layering the paint on then pouring on an epoxy called envirotex that gives that thick sleek granite look. With your painting skills, I bet you could get a very realistic look.
For your floors, I've seen several blogs who have used a vinyl product that looks like wood from Home Depot and had very good things to say about it. The one that comes to mind is The Old Painted Cottage http://www.theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.com/
Love all of your ideas! FYI about the dark hardwoods, although they look amazing they require constant cleaning b.c they show ever spec of dirt, pet hair, dust etc..
Would love to see someone blog about painting the countertops. That is really a neat idea!
I love those red cabinets, but I also love Layla's black cabinets. I never would have dreamed of black cabinets! Good luck, I know you'll come up with something great. Looking forward to the pictues. When your done, come over to my house, I have a 80's kitchen and would love new cabinets, countertops and a large single sink. My wants in life are few.
Hello! Thanks for visiting my blog and becoming a follower.
I became a follower of your wonderful blog. I love your blog. Love your blue and white side table. Beeeaaauuutiful!
Have a great weekend.
Sandra
Good Luck with your kitchen re-do! I just recently got a pot rack and I love mine too! The brick back splash will look great!
Stay Cozy, Carrie
looking forward to seeing what you do with your kitchen. Your cabinets look like super good quality with lots of details so I'm sure they will look great painted. I painted my kitchen cabinets a few months ago an off white color and I love them now (they were oak stain). I was lucky enough to find a house where the counters had already been re-done (granite), but there are still some other small changes I'm contemplating such as the wall color, right now it is a dark chocolate brown which the cabinets really pop against but I really love the look like the Willow decor picture you posted above where the wall color is similar or maybe a couple of shades darker than the cabinets. If you get a chance visit my blog and look under the label 'kitchen' and let me know what you think!
I have had a few different kitchens over the years. Our first house was a 60's ranch and I painted the cabinets there. Then we built a house and my budget was oak cabinets with formica counters and tiled flooring. Then we moved to Georgia and bought a house that was about 10 yrs. old and I painted those cabinets green and added tile to the floor. Again formica counters. We moved again and built a house and I have yummy cream painted cabinets with a coffee glaze over them and 20×20 tile on the floor with solid surface countertops. This is my favorite kitchen so far. In the new home that we are having built, I went totally different. I am having dark Kona Espresso cabinets, creamy solid counters, and a great hardwood floor. There are so many ways that you can go. Have fun and enjoy the process. I can't wait to see the outcome.
I would die for "real wood" cabinets! I'm in the middle of my kitchen makeover. My cabnits are a weird wood type material that has "puffed up" all along the edges. Even if I scrape & sand they won't be nice and even. My crazy solution? Decoupage fabric onto the cabinets then paint them…I too love white cabinets! So far so good…but there are soooo many steps to the finished product…I'm getting sick of them!
Apply fabric, 3 coats paint, 3 coats Mod Podge. That sounds simple enough…why am I complaining…oh yea, I took a day off from the cabinets because my arms were killing me. Decided to finish pruning the backyard, fell twice & messed up my shoulder. Shoulda stuck with the cabinets!!! LOL
Love the brick btw, great idea! Wouldn't it be sooo much easier if money wasn't an issue? ahhh, but we need our war stories too ;~)
Have a great Sunday!!
*hugs*deb
You had a beautiful kitchen.. great work done
I know this comment is really late, but I have just found your blog and been reading back posts. You are really talented and have a beautiful home!
I am a kitchen designer, and please do not paint your laminate countertops! It's a huge mistake. My brother had them in a rental and hated them, could not let any food touch the counters, etc.
Your cabinets are hickory, not maple, and they would look terrific painted!
Steer clear of black granite unless its hoaned! I have it and i HATE it. It shows every single fingerprint, crumb, and smudge. It never stays clean. I cant wait to get rid of it!