Kitchen makeovers - are they really possible without looking crap?

[Polkadothandkerchief]

I just saw one on insta of a shaker style unit painted navy with a white marble Fablon top and some sort of cut out thing to cover tiles but wonder what it's like IRL and how achievable it is. Mine is walnut ?cupboards v pricy 20 years ago but I hate it ! Black worktop with peeling off edges too. Weirdly I just found pics of the doors - still available. Maybe nobody bought them but us 🤣. All thoughts/ experiences/ photos welcome ! 🙏

Looks like you've got some nice trim on top of your units too, and I love the black extractor. I would go for a white mini hexagonal tile (they come in sheets, the tiler doesn't have to place each mini tile) with a very pale grey grout. Brass handles. White and grey marbled quartz. It would look like a brand new kitchen. It's also worth considering changing your sink if it's stainless steel as I think they look dated. Consider a recessed sink and ask for draining board grooves in your workshop, and look at resin sinks.

Pics

My mum and my sister both painted their kitchens. If I'm honest, I don't think it looks good up close. My mum is usually brilliant at decorating and hers looks marginally better but you can tell it's DIY.

If the budget doesn't stretch to professional painting, i'd start with tiles and worktops for now.

My sister in law and her husband installed a quartz overlay in their kitchen to cover the laminate worktops. I don't think it was cheap but it was cheaper than buying a solid quartz worktop. You can't tell the difference between their overlay and our solid worktop.

I like the tiles, I would change the worktop if it's peeling, definitely keep the cupboards but you could change the handles. It looks far nicer than the grey operating theatre kitchens of today

What is your budget?

Do NOT put copper handles on walnut. Too much pink

Yes, I love the units. I would replace the worktop, wall tiles and flooring to update it.

Yea, we did ours but we had it professionally spray painted in farrow and ball rather than do it ourselves. We then got new worktops, removed the tiles and added tongue and groove panelling instead, updated oven, hob, sink & tap. Looks brand new! We're so happy with it.

I had a friend who painted her own kitchen with frenchic paint and it's badly chipped, marked and after 3 years they've just booked someone to professionally paint it again.

The spray painters use the same paint as kitchen companies so hardwearing and can be wiped down etc.

I "made over" mine and I don't think it looks crap. Had the wooden cupboards sprayed and changed the handles, replaced the worktops and the splash backs. Professionally done, cost about £5k in all, but most visitors assume I have a new kitchen.

What sinks are people putting in now if not stainless steel? Coloured corian sinks look so grubby, imo.

How much were the professional spray paints of kitchens out of interest?

OP I love the walnut! Would keep that unpainted if it were my kitchen, put in a light subtly veined quartz counter and backsplash, and change the handles out to brass. The floor tiles possibly a larger format less warm toned tile that will tie in with the countertop colour. I think it would look amazing then! We were looking at solid wood, on the end have gone for tulipwood to be painted, as we couldn't afford the real thing

I would go for some patterned tiles like this, and maybe white marble/quartz type worktops and tiles, to update it.

https://www.diy.com/departments/konkrete-grey-matt-decor-mix-porcelain-wall-floor-tile-pack-of-34-l-200mm-w-200mm/3663602849681_BQ.prd?alt=true

This gives you a bit of an idea of how the colours would work.

https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/walnut-kitchen-with-white-quartz-worktop-contemporary-kitchen-buckinghamshire-phvw-vp~61514210

You could of course go for a white floor but I quite like the Italianate pattern effect.

Ooh exciting. Lots to read here after work thank you ! Floor is going too (it's that click together quick step tile effect in darkest grey right now and tbf has lasted !
we've got very limited budget. hundreds not 1000s so i may ljve witj it and save up. Thanks for the walnut love!

If you are DIYing and decide you do want to paint the cabinets* maybe consider investing in buying a spray gun for the painting it'such quicker and a better finish andddd you can always resell it once you are done just to be EXTRA money saving 😉

• Remember painting is 80% prep 20% painting... If it's not, you are doing it wrong 😂

And if you don't go for a spray gun invest in expensive paint and expensive paint brushes - Purdy paint brushes cost a lot but they save you money and time by spreading the paint more evenly with a smoother result, so fewer coats. Get Zinser primer too. Watch endless you tube videos and practice your technique.

Op, the walnut cabinets are absolutely beautiful, I wouldn't change or paint them.
What you can do is to change the worktop and splash back tiles, I would go for white or cream colour.
You can change the handles too and flooring.

But the cabinets are fab, they don't look dated to me, I think walnut is timeless and looks warm and cozy.