Another decor question- kitchen cabinets

[mschrisgo2]

I have painted kitchen cabinets that are an interesting shade of brown, almost chocolate milk brown. I want to paint them, as they are too dark and too ugly, but I can't decide what color to use. I have white appliances, almond sink and countertop, greige mottled flooring, ceiling is newly painted white (Bakers Box). And the cabinets are painted brown.

The adjacent room, living/dining, has light mint green walls, same greige flooring and white ceiling; white miniblinds and soft white (marshmallow) trim. I really like these colors together.

I was thinking of a light blue grey, but chickened out when I looked at the paint chips, because it feels like adding yet another neutral. Thoughts?

[Yppej]

How about millenial pink?

[catherine]

How about millenial pink?

If I were painting kitchen cabinets, I think I'd stick with some neutral shade because it's so hard to paint them, and by the time you get to redoing them, the color will probably be out of style. I'd stick with the blue-grey, and then find a way to break out of the neutrals in other ways that are easily replaceable, like pillows, curtains and rugs. In the kitchen, even a bright red teakettle would break the monotony of neutrals. Or pull in the mint green from the other room.

Yppej has a good idea with the pink, actually. It's one of the new 2018 Benjamin Moore colors (see "Pleasant Pink" in the link below).
https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/color-collections/color-trends-2018
2057

[early morning]

I've never found cabinets any harder to paint than any other part of the house - but I'm not all that picky, lol. If you like the green/white combination, why not go for a shade of green? Personally, that pink reminds me way too much of.... well, yucky stuff, lol.

[iris lilies]

DH is painting our kitchen cabinets now, even as we speak.

I recently read an article by a designer who said to look at the undertones of the finishes and paints. Are those undertones cool or warm? That makes a difference. Surfaces should all have the same undertone, cool, or warm.

I cannot tell the undertone of my white-ish cabinents, but I think it is warm.We use an off white color, it is not stark white.
I have cool tone grey floor, cool tone grey countertop, warm green wall.

I am struggling a bit to choose new countertops and, I suppose, a backsplash material. We wont put on the backsplash for a another year, most likely.

I wish I hadnt read that article because it shook my confience! Haha. But I think we will get quartz countertops in a cream and grey. I think I will always have a grey floor because I like the way it hides dirt. A grey subway tile will be fine for backsplash. I will just ignore the warm green of the walls, that is used throughout our house.

[catherine]

Hmm... interesting tip about the warm vs cool. I've spent the whole darn morning studying color palettes. I talked DH into painting the interior of the VT house white and then jazzing it up with accents and textures.

But I just played around with the Benjamin Moore color tool that allows you to upload your own photo and then pick their colors to see how they'd look. I was disappointed in white. I know that the white is just the canvas and I do have a lively color palette in mind, but somehow that paint tool seemed to strip all the warmth from the cottage.

So now I'm back to maybe just backing off some of the painting until I've lived in it. I would definitely swap out that magenta on the far wall for something else--even if it's red. The red would actually mirror the red of the top of the Dutch door in the kitchen, so that could work. As for the other colors, I might keep the green and yellow. Maybe replace the magenta with green (or even aqua) and keep it simple.

I'll be installing a backsplash, too. I'm probably going with a black and white checkerboard, but we'll see.

I wish I had the visual sense of a designer, but I usually don't catch my mistakes until it's too late.

[pinkytoe]

I have decided to go with off-white cabinets (not quite a cream) since the floor is light oak. The backsplash and counters are a mystery at this point but it will all be DIY to shave costs. We were in the middle of opening up the dining room wall yesterday determined to be non-load bearing and found surprises - two metal conduits for plugs and then a diagonal brace in the wall. Why there would be a brace on an interior wall is curious - but hopefully no more surprises.

[iris lilies]

Black and white checkerboard is jazzy, I love that idea! Maybe I will do that in my Hermann house.


I am also thinking about a vintage stove for there, one from the 1940’s.

[iris lilies]

This isnt about kitchen cabinets but it is about kitchen stuff: we got a new stove. It is
ASTONISHING. It has, get this, A WINDOW into the oven! It has an oven light!!! But best of all, the flame areas are tightly sealed and there is far less space for food junk to collect.

We have always purchased the cheapest stoves available. Because we are redoing countertops after 30 years here in this house, we are re building the center island and need a stove in a different configuration. On a scale of 1 to 10 where a 10 is an Aga stove and 1 is a tiny apartment stove, our new stove is about a 4. But it is luxurious to us!

This is one of the nice things about being frugal. When you upgrade to a “normal” item it seems like luxury.

[Teacher Terry]

-I haven't seen a stove without a window, lights etc since I was about 25. Hope you really splurged and got the self cleaning. We always buy middle of the road appliances.

[iris lilies]

-I haven't seen a stove without a window, lights etc since I was about 25. Hope you really splurged and got the self cleaning. We always buy middle of the road appliances.
We did! A self cleaning oven! I have never used one of those and am a little skeptical about their efficiency. Does everyone think that feature works well?

[Tybee]

IL, what kind of stove did you get? We went stove shopping for a gas stove this weekend and we have selected a Samsung with convection--it is 40% off for the next few days.
But then we decided to try one more fix for our current Kenmore, so we shall see how that works out...

[catherine]

We did! A self cleaning oven! I have never used one of those and am a little skeptical about their efficiency. Does everyone think that feature works well?

I got my first self-cleaning oven 3 years ago. It works pretty well, but I hate the burning-off smell. I usually try to be outside when it's on. I don't think it works as well as a lot of elbow grease, though. But I admit, the oven looks better at any given time than it used to, when I would procrastinate forever and then finally give it a badly overdue cleaning.

[SteveinMN]

We did! A self cleaning oven! I have never used one of those and am a little skeptical about their efficiency. Does everyone think that feature works well?
We've had 'em for years. They work fairly well. I'd rather have self-cleaning than manual cleaning, though, in my experience, the self-cleaning models can use a little manual precleaning of the biggest burned chunks. When they're done, there's just some ash that can be wiped up with a damp towel. Easy peasy. And, if it's cold outside, revving the oven up to 500 degrees or so for the cleaning cycle helps warm up the kitchen! ;)

[iris lilies]

IL, what kind of stove did you get? We went stove shopping for a gas stove this weekend and we have selected a Samsung with convection--it is 40% off for the next few days.
But then we decided to try one more fix for our current Kenmore, so we shall see how that works out...
Our new stove is a Kenmore. It has none of that fancy convection stuff.

[rosarugosa]

We've always had Kenmore stoves (well we're only on our second) and we have been pleased. I haven't used the self-cleaning function much. Our oven doesn't get all that dirty and a little elbow grease has always worked fine for me.

[iris lilies]

We've always had Kenmore stoves (well we're only on our second) and we have been pleased. I haven't used the self-cleaning function much. Our oven doesn't get all that dirty and a little elbow grease has always worked fine for me.
Ok, can you use Oven Off on these self cleaning ovens? My sister in law told me that is forbidden.

[SteveinMN]

Ok, can you use Oven Off on these self cleaning ovens? My sister in law told me that is forbidden.
I wouldn't. Owner's manual says not to. And, really, you can accomplish 80% of what a prepared oven cleaner can do by warming the oven and sticking a bowl of vinegar (or even tap water) in it for an hour or so. A plastic knife (putty or flatware) can scrape up the biggest chunks of burned-on food. Maybe a little Simple Green or even a dab of dish detergent on a sponge or rag (followed by a clean sponge or rag) and you're done.

I don't make my oven spotless. It's going to get spilled on again in a matter of days. :|(

[nswef]

Our 30 year old stove is self cleaning- I've done it 3 times and been very pleased with the result, even the window came clean! Obviously I don't cook much in the oven.

[Teacher Terry]

We go outside when using it because of the smell and I have asthma. I love it.

[iris lilies]

To keep our kitchen discussion going:

We are finally replacing our kitchen countertops. We have walked up to this line twic before and then backed off because we couldnt agree on material.

But our current counters are untenable, I cant keep them clean any more and I am tired of trying.

So after lots of back and forth we are ordering a plain grey quartz countertop.

I did find a reasonably priced, cheap even, granite I liked a lot! But I decided in the end to avoid a “busy” countertop.I sat yesterday looking at our kitchen without my glasses, And I remember why I kept these fugly formica countertops for so long: they are light in color and neutral. They dont dominate the kitchen, and I like that.

So we are spending $6,000 on countertops that look essentialy the same as the old dirty formica ones we have had for 30 years. Way to be modern! Haha.

I will say that I fell in love with real stone and there are some gorgeous granites out there that arent especially expensive. Then, there was a quartzite slab that was truly sublime.But expensive. And piecing it togehter to bet the parts that are pretty would tax me no end, I do not want that hassle.

In the end I love real stone but am not getting it. And what I REALLY want, cherry or walnut countertops, is not in the realm of possible, DH says No Way.

[catherine]

I like quartz (I have it, and I put it in my MIL's house, too). I don't have to worry about burning it or maintaining it. Very practical, and nice-looking, too.

Congrats on your new counters!

[Teacher Terry]

Thankfully DH leaves all the decorating decisions to me so I do not have to agree with anyone. Also because I make the decisions I get things done quickly the way I want them. My home is very important to me so I always change the stuff I do not like immediately when we buy a house. The changes are made, including painting, etc before I ever move in.

[iris lilies]

Thankfully DH leaves all the decorating decisions to me so I do not have to agree with anyone. Also because I make the decisions I get things done quickly the way I want them. My home is very important to me so I always change the stuff I do not like immediately when we buy a house. The changes are made, including painting, etc before I ever move in.
This is the way God intended men and women to live.haha.

DH! Were it up to him, he would choose the ugliest granite in the store. Out of a sample of 25 stones I could walk immediately to his first choice. I wont say what he likes in case others here have that same granite.

in dishes, he likes dishes with blue flowers. I do not like dishes with blue flowers unless they are Victorian flow blue. He does not like those, of course.But I have 80% decision making over dishes so that isnt a big deal.

[SteveinMN]

So we are spending $6,000 on countertops that look essentialy the same as the old dirty formica ones we have had for 30 years. Way to be modern! Haha.
Why not just get laminate again?

[Teacher Terry]

Steve, because stone or granite is beautiful and you can put hot things on it and not burn the counters. Once you have them you will never go back.

[Yppej]

Why not just get laminate again?

They're trying to burn through their money before they die. See the Trust thread.

[pinkytoe]

This kitchen we are remodeling had almond colored formica which I actually grew to like. It took me back to my Mom's white formica with sparkles back in the 70s. Looking at quartz and going oh my at the cost.

[Teacher Terry]

IL; now you just have to convince your DH that decorating is woman's work:))

[iris lilies]

Why not just get laminate again?

It is hard to keep clean, it always has been. It is ugly close up. And Teacher Terry would think I am denying myself if I got laminate again. (Dont tell her that this quartz was at the low end of what we expected to pay.)

[iris lilies]

This kitchen we are remodeling had almond colored formica which I actually grew to like. It took me back to my Mom's white formica with sparkles back in the 70s. Looking at quartz and going oh my at the cost.
White formica with sparkles! Pretty cool.

Think what a miracle product formica was when it was first introduced. What were kitchen countertops before that?

[Teacher Terry]

IL: I would have to fly out there and slap you around:)) Actually our granite is cheaper because it comes in smaller slabs so they have to seam it. About half the cost of the bigger slabs. The person we used was so good you can't even see the seams.

[JaneV2.0]

I'll have the wherewithal to install whatever counter material I like in my next house, but I'll probably go with formica. I like the idea of concrete with a few fossil inserts for interest, but that probably won't come to fruition.

[Tybee]

IL, surely you can get an Amish craftsman to come in and do walnut or cherry for 6000? Why not have what you really want?

[iris lilies]

IL, surely you can get an Amish craftsman to come in and do walnut or cherry for 6000? Why not have what you really want?
Dude, I live with a carpenter. He could make cherry wood countertops. But he has forbidden that. :~)

He is actually right and thats why I havent pushed it. My No. 1 issue in household maintenance is ease of cleaning and maintenance. Those counters have to be oiled regularly. There is no way I will do that. He also think we are too hard on countertops to have wood. That I am not so sure about, but certainly one has to be more careful with them than stone types. Cherry wood is my dream counter for attractiveness but not for practicality.

He also doesnt want wood floor in the kitchen for the same reason. I believe that is malleable and I have a plan. Our new house has fake wood floors and I think when he has lived with them for a while he can be convinced to have wood floors in our kitchen here. The reason I want wood floors is because we will be installing them in our living dining area and it will look nice to contine the same flooring into the kitchen and breakfast room.

meanwhile I am perfectly happy with the grey ceramic tile we have in the kitchen areas. We have already done major repairs to it once. I really do like it.

now I am evaluating backsplash. We dont have one now but as we are getting fancy, I now want material on the backsplash. I am looking at versions of marble tile but wonder how that will hold up. We have marble tiles elsewhere and they are dirty and require special products to clean.

[JaneV2.0]

My kitchen floor is wood and it has held up well.

[Tybee]

My kitchen floor is wood and it has held up well.

Me, too, it has been my favorite surface and always looks the cleanest, and much more pleasant underfoot.

I have had butcher block wood countertops in 2 houses and loved them, no big deal, just used an extra cutting board over the space where I did food prep, and oiled them when I wanted a rush and too feel good about my kitchen!

[iris lilies]

Me, too, it has been my favorite surface and always looks the cleanest, and much more pleasant underfoot.

I have had butcher block wood countertops in 2 houses and loved them, no big deal, just used an extra cutting board over the space where I did food prep, and oiled them when I wanted a rush and too feel good about my kitchen!I remembered that someone here has had butcher block countertops and I brought it up to DH. I like butcher block, those are Oak right,? oak might be a bit harder than cherry or walnut, but only a bit.

[catherine]

My MIL's house that I re-did had kind of a galley approach to the kitchen/dining and living areas, so I did bamboo throughout. I love it, and it was a selling point when potential buyers came through. I'd use it in my own home if I were inclined to rip up everything and redo it, which I'm not.

[catherine]

Someone just saved one of my pins on Pinterest. I had forgotten about it, but given the conversation here, and how IL says she loves grey, this one's for you, IL. Beautiful room, all grey and white:

2068

[Tybee]

Someone just saved one of my pins on Pinterest. I had forgotten about it, but given the conversation here, and how IL says she loves grey, this one's for you, IL. Beautiful room, all grey and white:

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2068&stc=1

Very soothing!

[Tybee]

Neither was oak. One was from IKEA and was alder or something, but they do not sell it anymore. Here is what they do sell:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/ikea_kitchens/24264/



One was from Sears--came in 6 foot lengths, was sold as workbench top:

Our carpenter friend liked it so much he did his kitchen with it, too, although he sanded it and stained it a darker color because his wife preferred that. It looked fantastic.

http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/10081636/prod_1845783912?hei=624&wid=624&op_sharpen=1

[iris lilies]

I am only doing floors in classic oak 2” boards. Medium tone. That is classic. I never get tired of all of the oak floors I see. Our new house has one room with old oak flooring that has a fancy edge pattern and it is really really nice. Our original pine floors here in current house are not tenable and we have that cheapish parquet stuff over them, now beat up and ready for replacement.

The bamboo stuff was popular years ago, and probably it holds up well (it was reputed to be very hard. And environmentally friendly! ) but I havent heard it talked aboit lately.

[iris lilies]

That grey room is pretty and would be good for my current liestyle of clean object, hard surfaces, grey. Actually my upstairs bedrooms are grey.

But the bedroom I really want is not one I have. I dont have what I want because
1) the rain problem
2) cats and dogs spread their filth all over, and I need surfaces easy to clean.

But it has occurred to me that in our weekend house I can use one of those upstairs garret bedrooms to create the womb palace I would really like to have. Animals woild not be alloed up there and of course
I wouldn't actually sleep there because my dog must sleep with me, that is not negotiable, just ask him!

Here is an example of what I’m talking about. I would love to have one of these cozy red or pink rooms:

[Teacher Terry]

The grey and white is nice. OUr house has hard wood in the house that was built in 1950 but the 70's addition does not. The 70's addition is the dining room and master bedroom/bath. WE used a vinyl laminate because you guessed we had 4 old dogs. The kitchen also did not have hard wood so we used the same thing there. The kitchen and dining room are open to one another so it flows. If not for the dgos we would have put wood in those rooms too. One of our old dogs had dementia so pottying outside or on the pad got to be merely a suggestion. She died but we have one that is 13 and doing well but you never know down the road. What we do for our fur babies. I used to have alot of decorations but having been getting rid of stuff like crazy. So I am watching HGTV and they decorate the house for the people and I am thinking they have way too much crap that they put in the house before the people even move in and put their own stuff around. I think th hardest part about small living is that you really need to be neat. I could live alone in a small space with no issues. WE found out the hard way that with messy DH 1400 sq ft is as small as we can go and he still be alive:))

[mschrisgo2]

Well, I have decided to paint my cabinets white, with the same green in the centers of the doors.
If I can find the same size handles, I will swap them out; I'll check IKEA this weekend. Otherwise, will be spray painting them before reinstalling.

[ToomuchStuff]

White formica with sparkles! Pretty cool.

Think what a miracle product formica was when it was first introduced. What were kitchen countertops before that?

I neighbor was the second owner of her house, when the house was three years old, just a bit before the great depression. (the phone operator that owned it before her, lost her skates/job) Wooden countertops, that at some point were covered in the asbestos based Linoleum flooring.

Menards sells wooden countertops if one is local to anyone asking. At one point Lumber Liquidators also did. (no idea if they still do)

[iris lilies]

I neighbor was the second owner of her house, when the house was three years old, just a bit before the great depression. (the phone operator that owned it before her, lost her skates/job) Wooden countertops, that at some point were covered in the asbestos based Linoleum flooring.

Menards sells wooden countertops if one is local to anyone asking. At one point Lumber Liquidators also did. (no idea if they still do)
Linoleum on the countertops, yes, I vaguely remember some of that.

I gre up in old hpuses, so I thought no we had that in at least one house, and maybe in two f them.

[pinkytoe]

Speaking of wood floors, we just had 3" oak installed on the main level. It was one thing we didn't want to do ourselves. It was a bit of a shock when we first saw it as there are a lot more mineral streaks than the stuff upstairs from the 1960s. You know, character...It almost looks like hickory but looks and feels better than the gross carpet and cheap laminate that preceded it. I am however very tired of spending money on this house:( and visualizing something much simpler in my future. I recall the linoleum counters with an aluminum band around the edges.

[iris lilies]

Hunh, that is interesting about the looks of new oak dloors. I havent noticed that on the new floors
I have seen, but will look closer. I still think oak ismthe way to go, it is classic.

[rosarugosa]

We put in prefinished solid oak strip floors (Bruce) throughout our house except for the kitchen and the bath (will probably do the kitchen too if we live long enough to remodel our kitchen). We love it and it was definitely our greatest DIY accomplishment. I got a couple of books and we taught ourselves. My carpentry skills were nonexistent and DH's were very basic but our floors are great.

[pinkytoe]

Our install involved prying up old pee-stained particle board subfloor, installing new sub-floor and then nailing down the hardwood. We considered having them do pre-finished but it actually cost a little more. We will however do all of the kitchen ourselves - ordering the cabinets today.

[iris lilies]

That is impressive Rosa, I dont thnk DH will put in our wood floors. He has done all other flooring in our house , well not the two rooms of carpet, he will not lay carpet. He laid parquet and tile, both ceramic and marble. But wood floors, not sure if he will take that on. He is capable, however.