Aibu to want to replace this kitchen now

[Cantinao]

Hi, DH and I have just moved into our new house- it’s somewhere we plan to stay until the kids have flown the nest, lovely house but a bit dated.

The kitchen is solid and functional but I don’t like it. It must be 20 years old. To replace it would mean that we would have to borrow more which dh is dead set against doing. He thinks that we just live with it for a few years.

i’ve attached a couple of pics. Not showing the whole room in case someone identifies me!!

could you live with this?

I'm thinking I might paint the cupboards and get new handles and change the tiles now!
I don't mean right NOW (it's nearly 1am).

It's not the nicest kitchen but it's better than mine and newer too.
If you haven't got the money without borrowing to replace it, then get the door and drawer front replaced or paint it or get it wrapped.

If you change it, I would gladly have your current one, it’s fine and is much better than what I have.

What do you actually dislike about it? You say it's ugly but is it the colour, the layout, the tiles, the countertop, the flooring??

If it's actually solid wood I would not rip it out.

Realistically, you won't be moving the layout around because pipes and gas etc are a pain to move, so a new kitchen would be new doors?

I would change the handles, backsplash tiles, flooring and countertop and lighting, which looks stark. Hire someone who knows what they're doing WRT interior design and can work too enhance what you have.

That's amazing I need to try this.

another one for rust oleum kitchen paint - you can only see one cabinet in the pics but I can take more if you'd like to see more OP. Just paint it. So cheap and makes such a difference

⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

@DancinOnTheCeiling that's a lovely colour, is there a lot of prep work? I know someone who would love their kitchen like that

It also has new work surfaces!

@Viperoil24 I am no expert but we just painted on the doors, no prep work. Three years on and it still looks fab!

@DancinOnTheCeiling amazing thank you, I'll show her. Yours looks really nice.

@Cantinao

Thats one butt ugly kitchen!! 😂

mine was being replaced as a priority when I bought my place, (2009) but it's still there 😂

(for reasons too many & too complicated to explain.

in your situation I'd remove the fucking ugly corner shelf thing (I immediately liked my kitchen more!!) Replace the worktops (there's some not extortionate new style square edge or wood tops available & paint the doors in a colour you absolutely love but might not be brave enough to spend ££££ on with your new kitchen. Vinyl flooring isn't very expensive, so replacing the flooring needn't break the bank.

that should all change to kitchen enough to make it nicer to be in.

then save up, but more importantly spend time in it deciding what works & what doesn't, so you can make your new kitchen work better for you.

id do this too but my cabinets are beyond saving. I think they're probably around 1980's and are like weetabix at the bottom now!

@Viperoil24 thanks so much 😊

I'd paint it. I wouldn't use frenchic though. I've not used the rustoleum but I bet that's ok. I always use ALLCOAT ® EXTERIOR SATIN Zinsser AllCoat. You can have it tinted any colour you want. It's an easy paint to use too. Roll it on and it gives a lovely finish. It won't look painted. We did my son's kitchen 3 or 4 years ago and it looks as good as new.

Seen a couple recommendations for magnet- please don’t do that they are really expensive for what you get even with sale on. Howdens will be at least 40% cheaper and DIY kitchens 60% I should think.
No finance options, but there are lots of interest free credit cards atm. BUT I would live with it unless you can afford to pay the cards off in full in the period.

It looks fine. If the worktop is in good condition, doors, drawers and handles all work then there is no way I’d get into debt just cos I didn’t like the look.

I spend very little time relaxing or looking around my kitchen anyway, it’s a practical room, prep food / load dishwasher / laundry and get out!

Ditto to new paint job and handles.*
Dd and SiL’s ‘new’ house had truly horrible ancient kitchen cupboards in dark brown melamine. The kitchen would ultimately be going since they were planning an extension, but in the meantime they used ‘cupboard paint’ in a light cream. The transformation was unbelievable, and it cost sod all.

*I did this with a whole wall of nasty white melamine wardrobes - total cost £65 for paint and handles from Wickes - they looked infinitely better.

It's been on for nearly 3 years now and hasn't chipped or worn - still looks brand new. I did go over it with a coat of Polyvine matt decorators varnish which may have helped. Again, that goes on very easily. The doors were done with a small foam roller, we did take them off the carcasses and painted them in the garden so they were quicker to do (top tip - label door A & carcass A on a bit of masking tape to make it easy to remember what door goes where!)

It depends on what else needs doing. For example I would prioritise heating and electrics. Painting often looks awful on those cabinets.

@CharlotteBog Thanks for sharing your original tiles, think my MIL has wallpaper in kitchen with a print similar to your tiles (only about 10 years old too). Tile paint exists, although I haven’t used it myself. My sister covered some ugly print tiles eith it successfully..

Our previous rental fruit tiles were like this pic but scattered around. After a while, you really only see them when you are cleaning. It had a disastrous cream sink as well.

Our current rental kitchen is Magnet, which is infinitely better but I’m sure the cream everything with black sink, black countertops and black backsplash were probably the height of fashion a couple of years ago 😂

Your husband is right ... wait and save!

No, I would not replace it ever! This is because it looks like wood or probably very expensive laminate. It does not seem to have any defects on the top doors.
I did change mine, and the laminate, after a few years of usage, is peeling. It happened to another friend of mine as well, and she had bought a very expensive one.
Paint it, change the handles, whatever.... it will be very expensive to get good quality!

I'm definitely going to do this. Thanks for the tips😊

My tuppence worth...

NEVER get into debt for anything unless it is absolutely essential.

Then make a plan to refurb it for now. The internet is awash with kitchen makeovers.