kitchen help please - what doors?

[Kokusai]

Hello!

I could do with some kitchen help/advice. I have a galley kitchen (photos attached) of a long run and a shorter run (of 3 units) opposite.

I am not a massive fan of my kitchen (recently purchased house) and I would replace it… except I have a longer term plan to rejig the downstairs layout (maybe in 5 to 8 years time) so seems like a waste of money to spend money on redoing a perfectly functional and inoffensive kitchen now when that money could go towards the bigger plan.

Problem: The three wall units on the short run come all the way down to the work surface. THIS IS SO ANNOYING and I don’t have enough space for microwave, blender, kettle etc.

I want to either:

1 – replace just those three wall units with ikea units, 100cm tall and would fit them up to the ceiling.

I am struggling to choose doors from ikea. Either to try and blend in, or to compliment.
Would the light grey turquoise look good? Or maybe the white SÄVEDAL?
I am thinking going for a different but complimentary style would be better than trying to blend in?
What ikea doors do you think would look ok? I would be happy to buy any in the range.

OR

2 – replace those three wall cupboards AND replace all kitchen doors and drawer fronts. I would not change work surface. I would paint existing pelmet/cornice on the long run.

If I did that… which doors do you think would look good with the black stone effect laminate that is in place? Maybe the VOXTORP High-gloss light beige?

I am really struggling with this, and would find it much easier to match to lighter worktops. I love white glossy kitchen (yes I have seen the ‘what looks will date lol) but I do not like white gloss units with black worktops that much as the contrast is too much. Or maybe a light grey or green gloss for base cupboards and gloss white for the wall cupboards?

Considerations – the kitchen is quite dark as it has been extended off but with the lights on it is nicely bright.

If I go the route of replacing all the doors… it feels like I should replace the laminate in a colour I prefer but then I get into ‘well a new sink would be good’ and before I know it I’ve got a whole new kitchen. I can fit the three new wall units plus doors myself/with family but replacing the laminate would need a fitter.

My initial plan was to replace the three offending units, then paint the rest but to be honest I can’t face it. The priming, several coats etc is not a fun prospect. I am coming to the end of my tolerance for house renovations!

I would really rather go with option 1 and just replace those three units as 2 would still involve painting bits.

Thanks for any guidance 

*argh I can't see how to post the photos....

OK this is a totally useless thread because I can't see the option for uploading photos., I swear I've uploaded photos before and there was a box at the end of the message...

Done it from phone :-)

Do you know where the existing kitchen came from (or could you find out from the person you bought the house from)? Since I think buying 3 wall cabinet doors to match the existing kitchen will be the best solution.

I realise it's annoying to spend money on something you don't especially like but I think it will look a lot better than having 3 which don't match. (Actually I think you only need 2 don't you? As the central wall unit is short already). None of those Ikea ones would look right IMO sorry!

Do you know where the existing kitchen came from
I don't and I don't have contact details for the vendors new address :-(

I know in my heart you are right...

I think I need three - the base units are an 800mm (with two doors) and a 600mm

The easiest solution would be to go with open shelves but I really dislike open shelves.

Looking again at the Ikea options these ones might look ok if you are happy with glass fronts? As there isn't so much wood so it doesn't matter so much if it doesn't match the rest properly. Though still best to look at it in the flesh to see how far apart the colours are.

Suspect the chances of you finding matching doors without the details of where the kitchen came from are pretty slim unfortunately.

@minipie Thanks! That is a good idea!

Yes if I went for glass doors it wouldn't be so obvious they were 'different'.

I think I should probably go and buy a door and see how it looks.

Is there a plug socket where the dresser style units are? Could you have that as a breakfast station with kettle and toaster plugged in there, crockery and cutlery in the cabinets.

@wowfudge Is there a plug socket where the dresser style units are?

Yes there is a plug so can have electrical goods over there. I just need more work top space than there currently is - the photos don't really show the issue because I hadn't unpacked then!

I basically have three available bits of work top space. Getting rid of the dresser units would make 5.

I have: kettle, 4 slice toaster, microwave, blender, soda stream, knives, bread bin and chopping boards to go out on my worktop space.

At the moment the bread bin and soda stream are living in the worktop space under the 'dresser'. The microwave is on top of my (very tall) fridge and virtually unusable. The blender is in a box on the floor and all the other stuff is where the kettle is in the photo by the hob.

That leaves me just the work top space between the hob and sink to prepare food which isn't enough.

I want to move all the appliances over to the short run (and get the microwave down and the blender out) so that that side of the kitchen is 'appliance' side and by the hob is 'food prep'.

Could you lift the units to the ceiling, so you would have some worktop space

@Kaz220 that is a good idea, I hadn't thought of that. Unfort there is less than 30 cm between the top of the cupboards and the cealing so it wouldn't give enough height.

Find a local carpenter. Take the top off the units, asked the carpenter to saw the cupboards to desired length, put the top back on and move them to the ceiling as suggested by previous OP? Look for someone to fit glass j to new cupboard doors?
Will be more expensive than Ikea but will look better?

@Viviene I think for that amount of effort and cost I would be better off just getting new doors for the whole kitchen to something I like more?

Although, actually @Viviene if only the drawer section was cut off, and the units were moved to the cealing, that might give enough worktop height and wouldn't need the doors being mucked with. I will investigate measurements tonight.

Thanks for all the ideas people!

@Kokusai that is an option too...
do you need the cupboards at all? Or can you do without and just get rid of them?

Yup I need the storage - got all my glasses, mugs and bowls in plus Tupperware and other misc items.

I could maybe do with less capacity than now if I got some kind of unit in the dining room for 'posh' glasses.

I'm starting to think I should get over my hatred of open shelves and just go for some shelves - although the plaster behind the cupboards might be in a bad state.

How about something like this, made with scaffolding boards