Freshened-up Kitchen Remodel Around Existing Countertops

Freshened-up Kitchen Remodel Around Existing Countertops

contributed by Shine Your Light

I am so happy to introduce you to our freshened-up kitchen!
In true Lisa-fashion, I have dragged on a project for.ever, but I think it's safe to say this one is just about done (for 2011 anyway).  

The goal was to make this kitchen as pretty and functional as possible until the day when we do a major renovation and incorporate the kitchen and dining room space into one.  The previous owners did their best to remodel the 27 year old kitchen by painting the cabinets and adding Silestone countertops.  If you've been following along for a while you know that while Mark & I truly appreciate having a quartz countertop, the color - how do I put this delicately? - made us gag.  The sweet elderly couple that previously owned this abode loved a peachy colorscheme, and the bologna-colored countertops fit right in.  While "bologna" is not exactly a color we wanted to use in our house, we decided to work around this element, knowing that someday we'll have the opportunity to rip those suckers out and replace them with something dreamy. (That's what we keep telling each other anyway.  Forget about the fact that college tuitions for three kids loom in the not-so-distant future!)

While the overall look of the kitchen before was not terrible, it felt dingy and outdated.  This is the truest representation of the color of the cabinetry before (below right). Not awful, just a bit tired and drab.  We chose Ben Moore's White Dove, a creamy white that compliments the off-white appliances, to brighten up the space.

Even more important than color was improving functionality. The bottoms were falling out of the drawers, the drawers didn't slide in easily, the knobs kept coming off in our hands, and the paint was chipping everywhere.  Not only did we want to refresh the space, but we wanted it to work better for our family of five.

Without further ado....

Before, at our home inspection before purchasing the house. 

After:

The most amazing revelation to us is that just by changing the color of the cabinetry - which along with the walls and trim were various shades of a murky peach - the countertop color became more palatable. I'm feeling more terra-cotta now instead of bologna.

Originally, the trim that was not painted peach was natural, as you can see in the adjacent room.  

We've painted all the trim in the house white and it has made a huge difference.

After:

Before:  you're looking at where I was about to spend about 3/4 of my life:

After:

This before photo below is after we moved in, replaced the kitchen light and painted the walls, but hadn't painted the cabinets yet. 

It was already starting to feel like home, but I really wanted to brighten it up and make it a little less blah.

After:

My favorite before and after is this area that we'll use as a bar when we entertain. 

 I took the doors off and painted inside the cabinets.  I'm still trying to decide what color to paint the back of this area.  I love seeing all our pretty glassware and having my some of my cookbooks handy in the open cabinetry over the fridge.

The real-life shot - we don't normally keep our liquor on the kitchen counter;  I just staged it for you, my dear guest!  When we are not entertaining, this nook hides our yucky but essential toaster oven, keys and junkety-junk that piles up in a kitchen.

Before:  I loved these little hardwired lights by the kitchen window the first time we saw the house.

After: the lights with simple white linen shades, illuminating the room at dusk.

A couple more afters:

I am so happy with how it turned out and feel like I can finally call this place our home.

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

-John Howard Payne