Kitchen Ideas and Thoughts Please

[Solo]

I have decided to update my kitchen. It's about 30 years old, small and in dark oak MFI Hygena. I don't have adequate storage space and some of the base units (2 of the 3) are falling apart, so I think it's time.
The entire kitchen is tiled in horrible 80's tiles which I cannot afford to replace.
I have a 30+ year old traditional eye level (grill) cooker which is dated, but that I love cooking on, so would like to keep.

I have decided to get a gloss white Ikea kitchen with wood worktops and a white ceramic double sink unit without drainer.

I'm a bit stuck with the walls. I thought maybe I could put wall panels around the worktop areas, but I don't know about the rest. I could paint all the tiles white instead, but I'm not sure that will look any good.
Also thought about using old recipe books to cover the remainder of the tiles ~ you know, paste them on at jaunty angles, overlapping etc, a bit like some people paste music sheets on music room walls...or is that really naff?

Any ideas please?

Can you take the tiles off. Paint the wall and then have clear Perspex screwed in to protect the walls?

I think if I take them off, I'll be opening a huge can of worms and bad wall surfaces. They've been on the walls for probaby 28/30 years, so may need some persuasion! don't want to have to plaster the kitchen walls.

IKEA FASTBO wall panels stuck over the existing tiles?

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/19121/

I have not used them but assume you stick them up no more nails or similar.

We had the same issue in our last house. We pulled them off the wall and just did a rough plaster job before putting on cheap tiles.
Or maybe you could see if there is a way to do opaque glass large splash back? Perspex ones would do the same job. Bet they'd disguise awful walls! If thin enough (may need to get them made) maybe you could just put on top of tiles?
Maybe completely wrong, DH often tells me I get a bit carried away with what is actually possible DIY wise ;)

To be honest, I'm in the camp where I'd rather do a job properly - could you save up and delay the kitchen installation?

I would also rethink the keeping of the oven- it's not likely to meet current electric/gas regulations, and if you design a kitchen around it, what if it breaks (Sod's law and all that). Could you get another one to fit the space?

If you really want to go ahead, you could just get some very basic plain tiles cheaply. We have just replaced our kitchen and only actually used tiles behind our oven, everywhere else was patch plastered (you can't tell) and painted.

Or could you downgrade the worktop for something cheaper and use that money instead?

Sorry to put a damper on but there is NO way I'd get a ceramic bulter's sink - they are too low so you have to stoop, they chip all your precious crockery, and there's no draining boards for dirty crocs waiting to be cleaned or washed crocs. Even with a dishwasher they are less use than ornament.

The Ikea one isn't low bunchoffives. I love mine. Ikea do several different drainer racks for them.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I did look at the Fastbo, but not that keen on having them everywhere, plus what colour?! I'm aiming for the white gloss doors and white frames, the oak worktops and haven't decided on flooring yet, but possibly tiles or the pretend laminate clicky tile things but undecided on colour.

I like the idea of the large sheets of splashback panels, but I feel it would be overpowering everywhere but I couldn't just do behind the worktops as I'd still have the rest of the kitchen tiles to deal with.

Don't like the idea of re-tiling. Reasons...hmmm...there are lots of pipework that have been boxed in in different areas, plus the window recess. I think it'd be a lot of extra work and expense and I need to keep costs down. Can't wait a while as I'm using my redundancy money and am unemployed currently. I suppose I could take the tiles off and plaster and paint, but ...!

Really love my cooker, but I can see where you are coming from and it could potentially spoil the look of the new kitchen...but I can hardly bear the thought of it going...:(

PrimalLass do you have the double sink? do you like it without a drainer?

I thought I'd get rid of the draining board as I tend to bung it up with things that just get left there. The idea I had was to wash up in one, drain in the other then dry and put away rather than leave it all out to drip dry.

Glass splashbacks instead of tiles look lovely and you can have any colour, they just spray it. Have you ever seen them? It's what we are having in our new kitchen. Easy to clean too.

Is it a real wood work top? Could you have fake wood or wood covered and save some money? I couldn't be without a drainer, lived in a flat once without one and it was a pain in the arse.

Solo you have the kitchen I had about 4 years ago. We were renting but I had had enough of it.

I actually gutted the room. The 80s tiles were hideous - beige with little brown cottages on them and floor to ceiling all round the room (which was about 11x7).

I took a hammer and screwdriver to them. Very cathartic. The walls were not too bad at all but I had them plastered after taking everything out (the units basically fell apart as they were so damp).

It was amazing but a bit scary. I screeded the floor to level,(bit tricky but had to after taking up really stubborn floor tiles, which left some bits behind), had the walls/ceiling plastered which took one day (about 150 quid) and laid new floor tiles which was a cinch.

After that you just start afresh. I put in a wooden worktop (which I now hate but it still looks Ok) and cut a hole for ceramic sink, which I also now hate as it is scratched and stained on the bottom, and lets water fall off the edges onto the aforementioned wood which is a PITA) and a nice tap, and built units underneath using 2x1 and some huge old victorian cupboard doors. It was pretty basic and just goes along one wall.

Ikea units sound fab but think carefully about the ceramic sink unless you are v careful type and use a scratch mat in it etc.

I did the tiles last, about 2ft all the way along the work surface, in Pilkington 10cm plain tiles in a colour called Rice. It looks super.

I would so recommend the plastering. It was so worth it. We managed without a kitchen for a week or two or three which was hard but doable, that was with two small kids and just me working alone.

Pics of before, during and after plastering.

Bit of how it is now not its tidiest but you get the idea!

should say the pics are mixed up so you can probably guesswhich are before and after

The Ikea double sink (Domsjo) it's nothing like those deep butler's sinks - we have one. We have this Simplehuman compact drainer which fits in one of the sinks, or can go on the worktop next to it. Fits a surprising amount of stuff. Get yourself a bottle of Barkeepers's friend to clean the ceramic as it does get tiny scratches which get tea stained. We do have a dishwasher so the sink doesn't get heavy use, but there again with a normal sink there's a limit to how much you can stack up on the drainer. If it was my main sink I'd use a washing up bowl TBH.

I would second taking off your tiles and having a couple of days of a plasterer to skim. You can still box in pipes etc with a bit of MDF. Then you can put back fewer, cheaper tiles just a bit of a splashback and paint the rest of the room. Save money on worktops or something else if you have to. If you are on a budget just get wood effect vinyl flooring . You see the walls much more than the floor.

Please Osmo your wood worktops if you get them (see other thread) don't bother with Ikea oil at all.

Soonish your kitchen is lovely!

Solo

The kitchen is the last room to be done here. It's much like yours. I love the oven with the separate eye level grill too - it's a hark back to childhood :)

The lovely beige tiles just popped off and the walls behind aren't bad at all. I love removing tiles

Pobble was the glass really expensive?

IKWYM about a dear old cooker, but plan your kitchen so you can slot in something else if you need to. Most old cookers are 21 inches wide (53.5cm) and IIRC the only brand that until recently had this as an option is Cannon. Or you could make a 600mm slot and fill it in temporarily with a tray space, or have a unit that can easily be budged along later next to the cooker. We had this with an old Cannon cooker (like soonish's I notice) and IIRC we later got a Cannon Camberley from ebay to fill the gap.

PrimalLass do you have the double sink? do you like it without a drainer?

Yes. I have the double one. I have a dishwasher so don't wash anything by hand really, but have a small rack in the left-hand sink for draining the recycling. Something like this would be good.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ikea-Grundtal-Stainless-Steel-Kitchen-Range-All-in-one-listing-New-/321318007324?var=510361609283&_trksid=p2054897.l5661

Ladies, I love you all :) thank you!

I think you have persuaded me to take off the old tiles (beige background with green flowers on) and probably replaster. Yes to only having tiling or splash panels around the worktopped area and painting the rest of the walls.

I may have to go for cheap doors instead of the oak I wanted throughout the house, but we shall see.

I am thinking KARLBY and it is topped with real oak and thanks for the OSMO tip :)

My cooker is a Cannon too :) they really are tanks aren't they? they just don't make anything like they used to IMHO. Yes it is 53.5cm wide; measured it yesterday.

Sink: I will probably use a bowl as I always have, but I have a dishwasher and only wash my pans, kitchen knives and Pampered Chef by hand really. I love that SimpleHuman drainer.
I will have to do before, during and after photo's won't I?!

Soonish your new kitchen looks fab! :)
ChippingIn are you making plans for yours now or started already?

My kitchen is a similar size too. Around 8x10.

solo do you have a Poundsaver near you? I got a really small crowbar from there (funnily enough, it was a pound ) and it was brilliant for popping the tiles off, I think something flat would have made it much harder work.

I have taken 70% of the tiles off and I don't need to replaster, the wall is lovely and smooth, all but one bit where a couple of tiles had been added later - with christ knows what??

My oven is a Creda Trimline

Yes please to before and after photos :)

ChippingIn are you making plans for yours now or started already?

Errrr. I've started already, but haven't started on the plans

The starting came about because the whole house is getting done, the kitchen last, but it's had to be pulled about to get to the stop cock and some re-plumbing needed doing to the bathroom which was via the kitchen and I stripped the wall paper because it was gopping and painted sunshine yellow... and then some of the tiles were above a bench I want to see if we can live without.... so it's all kind of 'just happened' but I've no idea what's going IN yet

I had a 80s fully tiled kitchen in my old house, I took the tiles off and got the walls skimmed, it cost around £200.

I used an upstand that matched the worktop which is really cheap and easy to fit instead of tiles. I had a stainless steel panel behind the cooker.

I would definitely replace the cooker as it will look very dated in your kitchen, or if you really don't want to make sure you leave a 60cm gap so you could eventually fit a new one in.

Really interested in this as have a similar kitchen. What is your budget if you don't mind saying? I'm considering getting a loan to redo ours and was thinking of starting a thread to ask opinions. Our tiles would have to go as I think they would be damaged when we took off the tiled worktops. We have 80s chickens on the wall and I could live with them but the worktops are a PITA.

Also, if it's just the high grill you like could you get a separate hob and oven and grill at eye level? My parents used to have that

There is something about those old eye level gas grills - you could really keep an eye on the progress of your sausages and toast, and put plates to warm on top of it. There's a fine line between dated and vintage isn't there?

I think Aldi have wrecking bars and chisels coming up in the specials, must be Housebreaking Special Week

Wow! Chipping , I like your style! No to that shop, but there are all different £ shops, so I'll have a look around. Thank you, great tip!

My stopcock is awkward to get to as well and needs to be replaced as I can't turn it it's so stiff.

My whole house is being done too except for the bathroom and dining room. I did the bathroom in 2000/01 and I'm updating it, but not replacing the big stuff, just new cabinets, loo seat, painting bath panel and a new wider shower screen.
The dining room is Ok.

I don't quite know when each room will be done. I'm quite a hoarder and disorganised, but I've been busy getting rid of stuff and packing things into boxes so that my rewire can be done.

This is what I'm doing and in the order I think it will be done.

. Total rewire.
. Wood burner installed.
. New windows and doors.
. Roof repairs.
. All necessary plastering and ceiling skimming.
. Put a new upright radiator in the lounge.
Can probably get first 3 things going at the same time.
. Lay Oak flooring in my new bedroom.
. Paint my new room and put in wardrobes.
. Make stud partition wall to make (old) master bedroom into two small singles. New laminate flooring.
. Decorate all finished rooms.
. Kitchen.
. Finally, put down new flooring in hall, lounge and a new stair carpet.
. Whatever I've forgotten!!

Over the years, I've bought the bits and pieces I have wanted for the bedroom change around, so apart from new beds for all of us and blinds and laminate for Dc's rooms, I've more or less got everything I need. It's the jobs now, the hard graft that must be done!

I have a total budget of around £25-30k, but I'd like to keep under that if I can as I've got to do the outside of the house and then the gardens.
Kitchen I'm counting on about £3k
Reckon it's possible?
Think I need a job!

If I can do work myself, I will try, but my health is not good, so I will be roping people in where I can! but also paying for services like rewire, plastering and windows. Every so often, I pull wallpaper off my bedroom walls!

My cooker. Well, I love my actual cooker! it's not about the style or where the oven or grill is, it just cooks well; I know how it will cook or bake and the oven isn't narrow like so many new ones are now. The hob is still white, the glass in the oven door could be clearer and the ignition and light buttons need reattaching, the flame spreaders (ceramic) are disintegrating on the hob, but it has character and has been with me since 1984.