I need help deciding! (Kitchen Cabinets)

[Draco]

I am going to be painting my kitchen cabinets within the next month or so. I can't decide which way to go!

I did some quick photoshopping.

The floors I am planning on getting are rustic grey wood floors. It'd either be light grey or darker grey, depending on which color I paint the cabinets.

Countertops and backsplash is going to stay the same- I can't afford to change them out at this time. The backsplash is mainly beige/pink with brown and black swirly tiles.

This is what it looks like now. Cabinets are in good shape, just looks dated and tired, IMO.

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• Draco
• Oct 5, 2015

Deep charcoal grey (not black)

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• Draco
• Oct 5, 2015

light grey/white (I feel like it washes out with the backsplash)

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• Draco
• Oct 5, 2015

Mid-grey

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• Draco
• Oct 5, 2015

 

[Winchester]

Ummmm, can I make a suggestion? How clean are your cabinets? What would happen if you gave them a really good cleaning, followed by a good rubbing with lemon oil? And gave your hinges a good cleaning, too.  And then just changed out the hardware to bring things up to date a bit? Knobs and such. 

I'm sorry, I really don't like any of the other choices. The lighter grey does completely wash out with your backsplash. I don't feel that the lighter grey goes well with your wall paint either. Although the charcoal color does pop with the wall paint and backsplash, I don't like charcoal at all, simply because I'm such a natural light lover that I tend to be leery of any dark colors....I'm always afraid it's going to make the kitchen too dark. (I lived with really dark cabinets for decades and just hated them; my kitchen was always so dark and dreary.) So for me, any dark is too dark. But that's just me. Your kitchen seems to be a lot lighter than what mine was. 

I love your wall color. We lived in a house that had a burnt orange kitchen with white cabinets and I just loved that kitchen. It had a southern exposure, too, and it was always bright and sunny.

I'm sure that somebody else will have better opinions than mine. (Sorry)

 

[Draco]

I don't think I can get my cabinets cleaner than they are now. when I moved in, i did get rid of a lot of grease build up and shined it up with oil. I am still not happy with it

 

[di and bob]

I really like the dark grey, it does pop! I hate to say it but what REALLY made a difference in mine, and would look stunning in yours, is new stainless steel appliances, especially with that charcoal.  That may be down the road but would make a big difference, and good prices are always coming up with the holidays! 

 

[Draco]

I am hoping to talk my grandmother into getting me a new stove at least. this one is from the late 80's! LOL

 

[mollyblue]

I agree the charcoal is too dark, and the lighter color doesn't really go with the orange... but personally, I am not a big fan of the orange, so I would keep the cabinet and repaint the kitchen, but thats just my two cents.

 

[hexiesfriend]

I really like the mid grey!!!

 

[Kat0121]

I agree with @Winchester  . I also like the color of the walls. They are sort of autumn-y in a very cozy way. I think that the current cabinets compliment the walls and backsplash nicely. They look pretty clean to me already but a polish and new hardware would be all I'd do. That's a very inviting looking kitchen. It makes me think of the smell of freshly baked snickerdoodles (which I adore) 

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Do the cabinets still look like they need cleaning. I would keep them as I think it is a shame to paint over oak. cabinets. I have read that it is nearly impossible to cover the grain of oak wood with paint.

I would try to clean them again with some Dawn dish detergent in water, rinsing them good as I go. Then I would use a high quality cleaner and polish like Guardsman. When cleaning wood, you need to stay away from any cleaners or polish with wax or silicones.

I personally don't like the dark gray as it is just too dark. The light washes out everything else. I like a bright airy kitchen so I would keep the cabinets natural and paint the wall for a change.

Here is a link to the Guardsman cleaner and polish.



http://www.guardsman.com/en/furniture_care/wood_care_products/dust_clean_and_polish/index.html

 

[Kat0121]

Do the cabinets still look like they need cleaning. I would keep them as I think it is a shame to paint over oak. cabinets. I have read that it is nearly impossible to cover the grain of oak wood with paint.

I would try to clean them again with some Dawn dish detergent in water, rinsing them good as I go. Then I would use a high quality cleaner and polish like Guardsman. When cleaning wood, you need to stay away from any cleaners or polish with wax or silicones.

I personally don't like the dark gray as it is just too dark. The light washes out everything else. I like a bright airy kitchen so I would keep the cabinets natural and paint the wall for a change.

Here is a link to the Guardsman cleaner and polish.



http://www.guardsman.com/en/furniture_care/wood_care_products/dust_clean_and_polish/index.html

That Guardsman lemon oil caught my eye quickly. I have been using Murphy's Oil Soap for decades ever since I left a glass on a wooden end table when I was a kid and it took the water mark off before my parents knew I did it. 

 

[denice]

I prefer the color that they are now.  If they need replacing I would go with something very similar again unless you were changing the other colors as well.  The only other thing that I think would look as nice would be white or a creamy off white.  I am not a huge fan of white cabinets but I if you want to go with something different I think that would look nice.

 

[nurseangel]

IMHO, I would update with new hardware and keep the cabinets the color the color they are now.  You could save on paint, splurge on knobs if you want to, and have a brand new look.    

 

[larussa]

I like the original color, the gray and black darken the kitchen too much.

 

[Draco]

Thanks for the opinions everyone!

 

[stewball]

I like the cabinets. I'm very fond of orange normally but I'm not mad about your walls. Wouldn't a lighter colour make the kitchen lighter? Even light orange.

 

[Draco]

Thanks for the suggestions, Ladies!

I am not a fan of brown wood color. never liked them! Probably because of my artistic side, I like things different. I will probably repaint the walls to, it may not stay orange for long.

If I go the dark grey route, I'll be staining to keep the wood grain texture at least, so it's not solid (like in the photo above, you can still see the grains).

though I am looking at really dark espresso. almost black , dark espresso. hmm.

 

[Winchester]

While our house was being built, we rented a house with a kitchen painted in an almond color and the cabinets were stained (not painted, stained) a colonial blue. OMG, it was gorgeous. It was a very small kitchen, though, and I didn't have enough room to actually bake in the room. But I loved the color of the cabinets. Rick's mother's hutch and buffet are in a similar blue and it's so pretty.

You've seen my kitchen; I had posted some pictures right after we did it over. I still want a baking island and, if I ever get it, I want it in a deep red. With a black granite countertop. I think it would go well with the cabinets and the flooring we have. And the black granite would go well with our Patagonia countertop in the rest of the kitchen. I have this "thing" about deep red. I've even thought about taking my antique hutch and having it professionally stained the red that I like so much. But I think the sound that I'd hear would be my grandmother spinning in her grave if I ever did it...that's the only thing stopping me. I don't think she would be amused that I "ruined" her hutch. And my mother wouldn't be amused either; she'd probably haunt me.

 

[Draco]

I love red too, deep reds! I have a lot of it in my living room! Your kitchen is beautiful, I did see photos of it

 

[denice]

I think the gray would look good with a dark red.  I personally think a real dark color would be too much with a dark red.

 

[fyllis]

My suggestion would be to pick out your flooring first! You said you have chosen a rustic grey for your floors, right?  After you get a sample of the wood for your floor, you can go to a paint store and compare paint chips to the sample wood to see what that works best. It is MUCH easier to have paint mixed to complement your floor than to try the perfect wood/floor color to match the paint on your cabinets.

I know you can't afford to redo the entire kitchen all at once, but take a look at the big picture down the road. What will you want it to look like completely finished? Stainless appliances?Dark or light counter tops? Wall color? Light fixture? Window coverings? You should also consider what (future?) counter-top color you will go with down the road so you have a decent contrast.  What color are your small appliances? That could affect the counter top color choice.

 The size of your kitchen, as well as the amount of natural light coming in should factor in to your color choices. A small kitchen with poor lighting should have a lighter color on the walls. If you have a larger kitchen with good lighting, then darker colors would work. 

Right now, your kitchen is done in warm tones; but you are now converting over to cool tones. (although, grey can be a neutral color).   It can be done, but blending warm and cool is a fine line. And you have black and white appliances, and white woodwork, which throw things off balance.

So, let's go with charcoal grey cabinets (stain - not paint, to complement flooring), rustic grey hardwood floor, light grey counter top, brick (or similar) back splash, stainless appliances, updated lighting, muted burnt orange on the walls, and brighter rusty/orange, yellow and green accents.

My graphics suck, but I was bored, LOL  

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