Updating kitchen advice (floor, granite tile, paint color, ceramic)

[davebarnes]

1. Quartz countertop and not granite. Any color you want and won't look too busy.
2. New frameless cabinets will have more storage space. Also, you get soft closers for almost nothing.
3. Redesign the fridge space so that it does not protrude into the kitchen.

[mkarch]

It's hard to tell with the lighting, but it may be possible to make the existing cabinets 'fit' with a gray countertop just by replacing the hardware with something more modern. I see plenty of $500K+ houses where people fitted quartz or granite countertops over much worse 1950's cabinets (the kind that look like plywood with knobs attached).

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

1. Quartz countertop and not granite. Any color you want and won't look too busy.
2. New frameless cabinets will have more storage space. Also, you get soft closers for almost nothing.
3. Redesign the fridge space so that it does not protrude into the kitchen.

The refrigerator does look imposing and overwhelms the space.

I started noticing this when depths increased so larger boxes could fit existing space.

One thing I have done is create a pocket in the wall behind the refrigerator to pick up 3.5" more in depth... it takes a little doing and is more time than materials... does help to scale things visually.

[MissTerri]

what color are the cabinets? It's really hard to tell. They might look fine with new countertops (I agree with Davebarnes, not quartz would be better then granite) a new backsplash and new pulls.

[andresrr]

I am not very good with colors but let me try. I suppose the color would be closest to the picture below (from the net of course). Verly light brown? I don't know.

[andresrr]

As I wonder aloud, I wonder if we could find or get matching cabinet doors and just replace the existing ones? I am sure that is not cheap either but perhaps more manageable. Of course, matching exactly may be impossible.

[MissTerri]

The color is not bad. It's actually a lot better then I was thinking. I think you could get away with keeping the existing cabinets and just replacing the counters, the pulls and the backsplash. Also, I know you said that you don't like laminate countertops but some of them look pretty nice. You could save a lot of money by going with laminate. I would go with a light to medium grey. Splurge on tile and pulls for the backsplash. And maybe a cabinet depth fridge.

[andresrr]

Thank you again. In terms of laminate, I would guess that I do not really know what laminate is anymore. So sure, I will take a look.

Thanks.

[ocngypz]

No, I don't think it's a lot of cabinets at all.

One cabinet I really don't like is that broom/pantry cabinet. I'd prefer to have counter to the side of the oven. So I'd turn that into one wall and one base and additional counter. The tall oven cabinet looks like it is not once piece? And I'd nix that cabinet over the refrigerator.

Of note, I normally prefer the refrigerator at the end of a cabinet run. It's less obtrusive that way. But right now we're not talking moving electrical, etc. I don't care for counter depth refrigerators......they are crazy expensive and since they are wider per cu/ft... they eat into your cabinet space.

Stay away from big box stores......far, far away.

I don't have any other issues with the cabinets except hardware. It is VERY dated. You'd be surprised how much better it would look with new. It's an easy fix.

Now the counter.........I would definitely replace it. However, you need to keep several things in mind.

1. The cooktop......would you keep it with the new cabinets? I'm thinking probably not. Would the existing cutout in the replacement counter work for a new cooktop?

2. Ditto the sink.

Counter gone......new counter......what about the backsplash???

Goes without saying you'll replace the hood.

Are we having fun yet?

[andresrr]

No, no fun yet. But thanks a bunch.