Decorating and Design - Help for 80's Kitchen
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Help for 80's Kitchen
MamaHollywood
11-02-06, 11:29 AM
My kitchen is stuck in the 80's! White laminate cabinets with faux oak strips and real oak handles and lower trim. See the 'kitchen then' photo link. below. 10 days after moving in we removed the oak trim from the bottoms of the upper cabinets and the wallpapered backsplash and gave the walls a coat of medium Navy Blue. I truly hate the faux oak on the cabinets which I think is vinyl and I was thinking of painting just these strips and replacing the handles with a brushed chrome style. My thought for the strips is medium grey which would go with the blue walls and my brushed chrome accents. The floor is a medium oak laminate and all appliances, trim, windows, doors and countertops are white. So, Navy walls with White and Grey cabinets. Do you think it would update the kitchen somewhat? I know everyone is thinking Navy Blue on the walls - that must be so dark! But the room is eastern and southern exposure with 8 large windows letting in loads of natural light, cabinets that cover 75% of the walls and the 'white everything', I think I can get away with such a dark color. It's just those cabinets...yuck! Is painting it grey and changing the handles really the solution besides replacing everything which is impossible because I just spent all my money buying the house! Comments and suggestions wanted!! M.H.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r46/mamahollywood/94Kitchen2.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r46/mamahollywood/94Kitchen2.jpg
twelvepole
11-02-06, 09:38 PM
Very nice kitchen design. Nice white cabinets that look crispy and clean. I like the oak trim on the cabinets that coordinates with the ceiling fixture and floor.
The thing that caught my eye was that navy blue lunch box on the counter. Wow! It popped right out. That's the blue to make your cabinets pop. I see something yellow just behind the lunch box. Yellow pops too with blue and white.
Tiling the backsplash would also provide a modern touch. There are many beautiful tiles available. You could keep it simple with blue tiles with white accent tiles or white tiles with blue accent tiles. The backsplash area needs color!!
A blue rug and some blue accessories on counters could pull more blue down on the counters. A couple blue hand towels on the oven handle? It appears that you have a chair that has blue upholstery on the back that is already there for you. A larger picture on the wall over the table just outside of the kitchen that picks up your blue in the kitchen and colors in the other room would make a nice transition.
It's fairly easy to find pieces of ceramic that contain blue, white, and yellow. The bookcase could be decluttered and display some pieces that reinforce your color scheme. Area above cabinets could display a collection of blue, white, and yellow pieces.
Your inspiration is that blue lunch bag. Carry it with you everywhere you go!
The thing that caught my eye was that navy blue lunch box on the counter. Wow! It popped right out. That's the blue to make your cabinets pop. I see something yellow just behind the lunch box. Yellow pops too with blue and white.
Tiling the backsplash would also provide a modern touch. There are many beautiful tiles available. You could keep it simple with blue tiles with white accent tiles or white tiles with blue accent tiles. The backsplash area needs color!!
A blue rug and some blue accessories on counters could pull more blue down on the counters. A couple blue hand towels on the oven handle? It appears that you have a chair that has blue upholstery on the back that is already there for you. A larger picture on the wall over the table just outside of the kitchen that picks up your blue in the kitchen and colors in the other room would make a nice transition.
It's fairly easy to find pieces of ceramic that contain blue, white, and yellow. The bookcase could be decluttered and display some pieces that reinforce your color scheme. Area above cabinets could display a collection of blue, white, and yellow pieces.
Your inspiration is that blue lunch bag. Carry it with you everywhere you go!
MamaHollywood
11-03-06, 09:03 AM
The photo I supplied was taken when the previous owners were still there. All the clutter belongs to them and they took their blue lunch box with them when they left!
I do have yellow canisters on the counter and like the way they pop against the blue. I do have blue hand towels tho many in the wrong shade of blue that I purchased while I was deciding on what exact color of blue to put on the walls. And my fruit baskets, serving trays and paper towel holders are all in a natural wood which looks good with blue and oak.
I have the bookshelf filled with all my cookbooks and I have nothing plastered to the fridge or cupboards, i.e. no elementary school artwork to hang as my kids are in university. I also have a white microwave and a white toaster oven to go along with all the other white.
The backsplash is a future project that will involve counter top replacement at the same time. I hope to do that in about 3 years time. I have a 5 year plan worked out for this house - what gets replaced & when (carpets/flooring) what needs to be renovated (main bath) and what needs to be built (a garage) because like I said, I spent all my savings to buy the house now I have to save up some money again to get it the way I want it.
I think I'll leave the cabinets alone -- for now anyway. While it does currently co-ordinate with the flooring, laminate in a kitchen, especially this laminate which is not sealed properly, is a step in the wrong direction. I see some ceramic floor tile in about...let me check my plan....2 years! ;-)
Thanks for the help!
M.H.
I do have yellow canisters on the counter and like the way they pop against the blue. I do have blue hand towels tho many in the wrong shade of blue that I purchased while I was deciding on what exact color of blue to put on the walls. And my fruit baskets, serving trays and paper towel holders are all in a natural wood which looks good with blue and oak.
I have the bookshelf filled with all my cookbooks and I have nothing plastered to the fridge or cupboards, i.e. no elementary school artwork to hang as my kids are in university. I also have a white microwave and a white toaster oven to go along with all the other white.
The backsplash is a future project that will involve counter top replacement at the same time. I hope to do that in about 3 years time. I have a 5 year plan worked out for this house - what gets replaced & when (carpets/flooring) what needs to be renovated (main bath) and what needs to be built (a garage) because like I said, I spent all my savings to buy the house now I have to save up some money again to get it the way I want it.
I think I'll leave the cabinets alone -- for now anyway. While it does currently co-ordinate with the flooring, laminate in a kitchen, especially this laminate which is not sealed properly, is a step in the wrong direction. I see some ceramic floor tile in about...let me check my plan....2 years! ;-)
Thanks for the help!
M.H.