What to do with my kitchen? (Pictures included)

[AnonymousArmadillo]

I’ve name changed for this as I’m posting pictures of my actual kitchen and want to keep my normal username.

I’d love to redo our kitchen completely but I don’t think we’ll have the money any time soon. These pictures were taken before we moved in and the walls are white now.

We’re hoping to move in the next few years as we’re in a 3 bed and would like a third child. I love our house for so many reasons. It has a lot of redeeming features: good sized bedrooms, separate large dining room, big garden, popular area, two brand new bathrooms fitted last summer...

Would this kitchen put you off? If you’ve just redone your kitchen, how much did it cost?

Honesty if the demand is high in your area you might not need to do anything.

Leave the tiles, they're actually quite nice and get some vinyl for your surfaces. It's the green and black clash that's jarring. Paint your walls a less yellowy neutral so it works with your floor, maybe a chalky off white. Brighten it up.

Dress your kitchen. Think natural woods and greens. Get some house plants. Trailing ones for the slightly dated end shelves

I honestly wouldn't touch your tiles or cupboards, paint looks cheap and if you're not selling for a while the painted kitchen style will be dated and worn by then anyway. If a buyer hates your kitchen, they'll just rip it out anyway

If you have a spare tile in the garage just paint one and see how it comes out maybe??

I personally don't think it's awful - at the end of the day everything looks dated after a while and it'll depend on who buys the house as to whether they are really bothered and even if you installed a brand new kitchen it might not be to someone else's tastes anyway

I love the tiles if they were in a bathroom against white porcelain but they don’t go with the colour of your units.

Your kitchen is very similar to the house I’ve just moved into to except better laid out. The thing that would concern me is cupboard size. It doesn’t look like you have many full sized cupboards and I struggle to fit certain things in.

@CrystalMaisie

It’s fine I’d leave it. If possible without leaving visible holes, I’d take off the fancy rails on the shelves.

But all of our crap neatly organised recipe books would fall off.

It’s very dated and I think the cupboards are hideous. Could you have them painted white?

Looked at the photos again and I think the work surface is the worst feature. Could you change the floor, paint the cupboards white and fit a new work surface?

Change the knobs to sleeker rod shaped handles. It'll make the world if difference.

@Comefromaway

I love the tiles if they were in a bathroom against white porcelain but they don’t go with the colour of your units.

Your kitchen is very similar to the house I’ve just moved into to except better laid out. The thing that would concern me is cupboard size. It doesn’t look like you have many full sized cupboards and I struggle to fit certain things in.

The cupboards at the bottom are full sized and the ones at the top are pretty big too. We fit quite a lot in them.

If we were to redo them, we’d get rid of the back door (we have a double back door into the garden from the dining room) and add in an extra cupboard.

Nothing wrong with that apart from clothing-snagging handles and slightly excess dirt trap detail on the doors.

@Dinosaursdontgrowontrees

I really like the green tiles. I would paint the cupboards white.

I agree!

Green tiles are very 'in' and with the right colour on the cupboards would look great!
Alternatively, you could paint the tiles and the cupboards.
I follow the l Frenchic Fan Forum on Facebook where so many people (including me) have done just that and the results are amazing. Definitely take a look there for ideas.

I like the tiles too, the cupboard doors are really dated and the worktops make it look dark and gloomy

I'd change doors and drawers fronts to a cream Matt flat shaker style and a new worktop!! It would look so much better

And maybe loose a few wall units as there are too many and makes it look crowded.

Thank you all! Some new ideas of how to improve it that I wouldn’t even have thought of so I appreciate it. Now to annoy DH with all of these suggestions.

Green tiles are quite in at the moment. You could paint the cupboards white and maybe change the handles/knobs

That's a lot of very good reasons for loving the house. Can't you build an extra bedroom? (completely ignores point of thread )

Who knew green tiles are in? My kitchen is fashionable!!

@BetterthanIthink

Green tiles are quite in at the moment. You could paint the cupboards white and maybe change the handles/knobs

Snap! 😆

@waltzingparrot

That's a lot of very good reasons for loving the house. Can't you build an extra bedroom? (completely ignores point of thread )

I wish! Unfortunately not as it’s already been extended.

Another idea is to get rid of the corner feature in between the two doors and put a floor to ceiling larder/pull out storage type thing in there

Then you won't miss the storage space. If you remove some of the wall units

@CrystalMaisie

It’s fine I’d leave it. If possible without leaving visible holes, I’d take off the fancy rails on the shelves.

I would do this too. And I'd also take off the top bit (can't remember what it's called) to square up the cupboards.

I'd paint a light white / creamy colour and change the handles.

I painted my cupboards with Frenchic in lockdown 1 using a roller and was so easy and still in perfect condition.

I always prefer it when the kitchen needs replacing as you can justify ripping it out.

@Tangledtresses

Another idea is to get rid of the corner feature in between the two doors and put a floor to ceiling larder/pull out storage type thing in there

Then you won't miss the storage space. If you remove some of the wall units

Hmmm... Having a breakfast bar is quite useful, especially at the moment with home schooling as DH is working in the dining room.

Painted tiles do not look awful as long as you do the prep right by removing all the greasy residue that may have acumulares over them over the years, otherwise they start curling and peeling with the steam of the kitchen.

Having said that, I would rather change them, I did the job myself and it only costed about £100.

Then change the floor to match the times, again, it doesn’t need to be massively expensive especially if you are expecting to move in medium term.

What I would avoid is painting the cabinets... honestly, it is a lot of work to do it right (it took me weeks and left the kitchen partially un operational for the same time) and this door style would look a bit dated if painted on plain colours.

You can change the doors and sides of the cabinets but I found that that option can be more expensive than buying a whole new and better looking kitchen from IKEA.

@bellsbuss

I always prefer it when the kitchen needs replacing as you can justify ripping it out.

I prefer it when the previous owners are kind enough to pay for and install the exact kitchen I’d like but not use it at all so it’s fresh when we move in... Do you think I could ask for that?

We’re looking to buy a house similar to how you describe yours at the moment.
Personally I’d much rather a kitchen like that which I can rip out and start again with than a newer one that’s not to my taste but pushes up the price.

Whatever we buy, we’ll put in a new kitchen and bathrooms in the first couple of years again as I highly doubt we’ll find a house that fits perfectly with what we want so I’d rather not pay for what someone else has chosen

Here's an example from Facebook of someone's painted cupboards and tiles and the worktop covered to look new.