We really like our house. We've made some minor improvements to it in the year we've lived here. There is still so much we'd like to do. In considering what improvements to make, we have to remember that we will be selling the house in a year or two. The improvements that we are now focusing on are geared specifically to selling the house. We want people to drive up to it and say to themselves, "Wow! I could definitely see myself living here." However, we also don't want to put a ton of money into it, though we're OK with putting in a lot of sweat and muscle to make it fabulous.
So, why am I blogging about it? Well, you see, there are a lot of you who are exceptional at this sort of thing. I come to you with a dilemma... my kitchen. The kitchen just doesn't feel cohesive. The people who lived here previously redid the countertops. They are a granite tile (which wouldn't have been my top choice-grout is not my friend). They are nice looking, but they don't match the rest of the kitchen. So I'm trying to figure out what I can do to the cabinets that would make them "fit" the style of the countertop. I have a couple ideas, but remember I want it to be inexpensive, add to the appeal of the house, and not detract from the value of the house. I know the appliances don't match either, but I'm not sure we can afford to replace them and recoup that money. The wall color is another question, but the cabinetry needs to be addressed first to make the best decision there.
Here are a few shots of the kitchen cabinets and countertops to help you catch the vision I need your help with.
My first idea was to paint the cabinets a white color, with the walls a darker neutral. I've recently heard that, if you have nice wood cabinets, that can decrease the value of the home. So, my next idea was to sand off the honey color finish and seal them with a clear finish. Another idea is to finish them with a dark stain. I'm not sure what kind of wood they are (any ideas?) so I don't know if they would be considered "nice" wood cabinets or not. No matter which way we go, I think we'll add some nice hardware. So blogging world, what do you think?
A close up of the countertop.
Do I have other options that I'm not seeing? Any suggestions you could offer would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for helping me!
13 comments:
hmmm...im a painted cabinet type of gal myself, but i would definitely go with a pro...if they say keep wood id go dark stain. your kitchen is cute already! hope you guys are having a great last few days of summer break!
Hmmmm, I would not paint them white. I have white painted cabinets and they are always dirty looking..and I don't have kids. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and talk with the kitchen design person there. Pretend your going to buy and give them a low budget and see what they say.. maybe just fun hardware (which is expensive I might add) Maybe replacing that light fixture over your sink with something fun?? Good luck!!! and we will be anxiously awaiting pictures of the new kitchen. What does the floor look like?
I'm with Gaye on the white paint. We had them in Texas and had to wipe them down DAILY. These look like oak cabinets, which were the hot item 20 years ago.
Because I am not up to date on fashion or anything...talk to the fashion siblings and ask them. I am with you on the tile counter tops. I don't care for wiping out grout. Give me SOLID. And I need a gentle pattern, not the big "vomit" pattern. Good luck. I am curious to see what you do! Love, Jane tmil
With that color tile, a darker stained cabinet would look nice. Because your cabinets appear to be oak, it should just take a light sanding and fresh stain. I personally tend to lean towards the more redish tones (like cherry). You'll have to let us know what you guys decide to do!
Go through model homes and see what they have done then try to copy it. that way you get the style of a designer without having to pay for it! We have honey colored cabinets with a brown glaze and I love it. I think you are on the right track of painting the walls, don't doubt yourself! Good luck and we want to see pictures when you are done.
I've always heard, kitchens sell houses. I don't know if this is still true or not.
LOLOLOL... I am never going to look at counter tops the same way again... Jane, it does look like a chunky "vomit" pattern. And coming from you... I love it. That should of been my line.
I personlly wouldn't go with a dark stain on the cabinets because of how dark the counter tops are. The wood looks like oak to me and it has a nice grain pattern in it. I would go with a light wash to go with the light beige in the counter and then paint the walls a darker beige tone. If you go into Home Depot you will see what I mean by a light wash on wood cabinets. Wood cabinets does add value to a home, and it is also a big selling point. Granite tile counter tops is a big selling point in a home as well. It also adds value. Solid granite is better, but way more expensive. If you went with a light wash for the wood then your white appliances would look great with both the cabinets & the counter tops. I would definitely add hardware to the cabinets & draws. That will also had value and change the look of the cabinets. The handles that we bought at Lowe's were only $1.29 a piece, but they made the kitchen. Hope this helps, and doesn't confuss you even more. Everyone has their own opinion.
Love you tons.
Mom Holliday
Since your appliances are white, I wouldn't paint the cabinets white too. I'd paint or stain them dark. good luck!
I'm with Grandma Jane that they're Oak. The tile is creatively named "Tan Brown."
Instead of redoing the whole cabinet bank, you may want to consider just getting a darker color glaze. You'll maintain your current color, but add a richer depth. Just google "wood glaze" for lots of suggestions.
The tile looks pretty nice! Do you still have the missing corner piece from over the top of the dishwasher?
yeah, what they said.
Tom, yes we still have the missing pieces from the edging... we're just not quite sure how to reattach it... any ideas? :)
You could try adding hardware in as well, drawer and cabinet pulls.
It looks like it was attached with regular ole mastic. Although it's a pretty easy way to attach tile, it doesn't like water very much (which probably explains why it failed near the dishwasher.
The right way to fix it would be to clean all the residual adhesive off both the tile and the countertop, get some thinset mortar and apply a thin layer to the back of the tile, then carefully put the tile back in place. You may need to hold it in place for a while with some duct tape. However, considering that all the other tiles are held on with mastic too, the thinset may push the tile out further than any other tiles on your countertop. You may want to experiment with the amount of thinset you use.
If you can't make thinset work, just reattach it with mastic.
Both thinset and mastic are in the tile aisle of your local Home Depot.
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