Upgrading kitchen units

[ChrisM334]

Hi all,

I am a first-time buyer, so first-time home improver! Hopefully this is the right forum for this post...

The house I am purchasing has a kitchen that I would like to 'upgrade' - but upgrade it cheaply (i.e not replace the entire thing).

Do you guys have any suggestions how to improve the looks of this? We would like to make it look quite modern!

My initial thoughts:
- Paint the wall a light cream colour
- Somehow change the doors/kitchen hood to be gloss white - any ideas? Then in the future add some black to the floor tiles to offset the white.
- Is there any easy way to make the dishwasher appear integrated?
- How can I make the fridge/freezer 'fit' in with the kitchen?

Note - the fridge freezer/dishwasher shall go with the seller.

Thanks

 

[endecotp]

Looks fine to me. Isn't there anything more urgent than this that needs doing? Lucky you if so!
Paint the walls if you want but "cream" aka magnolia is passé.
It's not difficult to replace cupbord doors if you must.
Personally I prefer dishwasher, fridge etc. to look like what they are, not another cupboard.

 

[ChrisM334]

Looks fine to me. Isn't there anything more urgent than this that needs doing? Lucky you if so!
Paint the walls if you want but "cream" aka magnolia is passé.
It's not difficult to replace cupbord doors if you must.
Personally I prefer dishwasher, fridge etc. to look like what they are, not another cupboard.

All the other core rooms are well decorated . So yeah we have got a bit lucky!

Any other colour suggestions?

 

[Ricardus]

You could replace the white tiles with something a bit flashier and get some more decorative switches and sockets.
I've got similar oak shaker units in my kitchen with a black marble effect laminate worktop and backed them with 10cm gloss black tiles interspersed with red and pale grey ones and chrome edging strip, which I think looks rather nice. My kitchen is in a corner with windows East and South so light isn't a problem.

But whatever, that lime green doesnt work with the oak

 

[ChrisM334]

You could replace the white tiles with something a bit flashier and get some more decorative switches and sockets.
I've got similar oak shaker units in my kitchen with a black marble effect laminate worktop and backed them with 10cm gloss black tiles interspersed with red and pale grey ones and chrome edging strip, which I think looks rather nice. My kitchen is in a corner with windows East and South so light isn't a problem.

But whatever, that lime green doesnt work with the oak

Hahaha I agree 100%. Your kitchen does sound good!

We are a young couple - as such - modernising it tempts me a lot. New sockets would be good. I like the flashy USB sockets they do nowadays! Very handy for the modern life.

What are your thoughts on:
Glossing the doors/wood white to give that modernish look (for £££ purposes, cheap and effective)
Grey slate tiles (should cost c. £150 for tiles, may be able to get fitted for free)
and unsure on wall colour? Grey too maybe?

I think that would look good - but as I am an accountant have the creativity of a lettuce.

 

[foxhole]

As new home owners don't rush to change things, take a month or two before you change anything, start with the simple [decoration] then one thing at a time, many rush to change things and then regret.
Unless you are an expert with a spray gun painting the doors gloss will look messy.They will also need removing to paint effectively.Dishwasher if not made to be intergrated should not be messed with, stand alone appliances are too wide and deep to be hidden.

 

[ChrisM334]

As new home owners don't rush to change things, take a month or two before you change anything, start with the simple [decoration] then one thing at a time, many rush to change things and then regret.
Unless you are an expert with a spray gun painting the doors gloss will look messy.They will also need removing to paint effectively.Dishwasher if not made to be intergrated should not be messed with, stand alone appliances are too wide and deep to be hidden.

Gotcha. Thanks. Happy with removing everything to spray, that's no issue . Good advice regarding waiting, carpets will be done before we move in, then will consider other things.

Thanks for the advice! The lime green has to go ASAP though, even if it's just for white!

 

[Ricardus]

From the picture it looks like your units have oak veneer carcasses, so IMO replacing the doors and drawer fronts only with gloss white (or other solid colour) wouldn't work as the units would be two-tone. Having the odd bit of contrasting trim can work (like when we installed a spare bit of oak flooring plank as a plinth in my parents kitchen until they bought more of the proper stuff).
I suppose you could go for frosted glass doors with either oak or brushed steel/ally frames which would work quite well with the oak carcasses, but I doubt it would be cheap!

I'm no artist or interior designer, but my view would be to have the walls in a light, neutral colour and use the kitchen cabinets, worktops and the tiles as the contrast.

 

[ChrisM334]

From the picture it looks like your units have oak veneer carcasses, so IMO replacing the doors and drawer fronts only with gloss white (or other solid colour) wouldn't work as the units would be two-tone. Having the odd bit of contrasting trim can work (like when we installed a spare bit of oak flooring plank as a plinth in my parents kitchen until they bought more of the proper stuff).
I suppose you could go for frosted glass doors with either oak or brushed steel/ally frames which would work quite well with the oak carcasses, but I doubt it would be cheap!

I'm no artist or interior designer, but my view would be to have the walls in a light, neutral colour and use the kitchen cabinets, worktops and the tiles as the contrast.

Hey Ricard - The units would be white too - just the oven that wouldn't fit in I guess! Haven't actually moved in yet.

I think we may paint in neutral/light colour first to see what the looks like first

 

[Newboy]

By the time you've removed all the units and sprayed them white it would be simpler (and a better end result) to just buy new units!

 

[ChrisM334]

How much would that be do you reckon?

 

[Newboy]

Depends on the quality you're looking for and if you're prepared to do some assembly yourself - built or flat-pack. A significant part of the cost will be the door & handles. Don't forget that if you replace the units then the worktops will need to be either replaced or re-fitted.

Have a look around a few suppliers, your shopping list is (I think!)

Drawline base units 2 no. 800 / 2 no. 600 / 1 no. 400 / 1no. oven housing unit / 2 no. end panels
Standard wall units 2 no. 800 / 1 no. 600 / 1 no. end panel
Tall wall units 1 no. 600
Integrated over hob extractor
Cornice, pelmet & kickboard

Double check the cabinet dimensions - I'm just guessing from the photograph

 

[roboughton]

As said above I would stick it out with that kitchen for a month or two.

Around my way there is a guy that will spray doors however you want them and also any trims that are the wrong colour he sorts them to. I have never had it done but from the pictures I have seen he does a really good job.

Good luck whatever you choose!!

 

[alan333]

Don't do it, except paintng the walls. Wait until you've lived there a while and decided what layout you want, then do it properly. We did ours within a few weeks of moving in and, with benefit of hindsight, would have done it differently.

It looks like quite a big kitchen (and very similar to a friend of ours') but it also looks like the only useable worktop space is the bit next to the dishwasher/sink (and your dirty dishes will end up here), and the bit with the microwave. The bit under the boiler is too low to work under. Is there another side to the kitchen with a washing machine etc, or is that elsewhere? You also might want a table if there isn't one out of shot to the right. Or, if a dining room is off to the right, you might want to knock them through, or put a breakfast bar between them.

Seriously, it's perfectly fine as it is.... Put some serious thought into it first.