get some interesting 8x8 or larger ceramic tile...frame them... hang them?

Also forgot to mention: Hanging things on adobe walls is tricky ... please note the large hole over the stove where the previous resident tried and failed. We will put picture rail molding in the other rooms.

In general you have to stick to the areas where they put the lintels or the "gringo blocks" for mounting things.

The obvious would be painting the cabinets and adding hardware (another place to add color potentially). How much and which color would depend on the rest of the house. Removing doors from an upper cab or two and adding color with plates?

If you were going to paint the cabinets, you could add interest with moldings, (or maybe even new doors) since you wouldn't have to worry about matching the wood finish. Even if you don't paint them, hardware would help. Depending on the rest of the space connected with the kitchen, a different wall color might help. Maybe you could hang a decorative metal plaque above the stove, hanging it from the very back of the underside of the cabinet so you don't have to deal with the adobe wall.

Painting the walls a deeper, richer color would be a inexpensive way to take care of the boring birch kitchen. Perhaps you could do a medium to deep shade of the grey/ green color that is in your countertop. Pulls on the cabinets would also help. As far as wall decorations go, have you tried using 3M Command adhesive picture hangers. They stick to painted cinder block so they may stick to painted adobe.

That is pretty blah. I suggest painting the cabinet DOORS only, maybe a foxy red or even just a more calm taupe or soft yellow. It's easier to do just the doors and can really dress up some cabinets. Hardware could also be added and maybe angled on the doors for maybe something different.
With so few options as you mention the only other idea I have is an applied molding on the doors to give them a faux recessed panel look. Base cap molding is usually the one used for this as a similar effect on a DR wall to look like wainscoting.

Hi, Lazygardens. What a nifty problem to have! An 1890s adobe! I'm jealous. Especially because you have a nice layout and it's really a nice, nice room. Love those windows.

If only the cabinets were just boring. Unfortunately, they're as cheap as they can be and look it. They really need to go away visually. My big, main thought would be to remove all the uppers on the stove wall--the ones you see as you look directly into the kitchen--and replace them with a few sturdy open shelves, but not too many. The object would be both to eliminate those cabinet's visual dominance and to show off the architecture. Removing this upper wall of doors protruding into the room would also make the room feel more spacious for you while you work in there. You'd probably need a handful of hours from a handyman to fill the corner and hang the shelves. Budget is very low, but just $100-200 here would have a major, major impact. I'd also have him mount a simple board around the top of the wall units to the left to cover that little gap at the top. Or do it yourself if the ceiling's not too uneven. I'm not thinking fancy here.

Then, assuming the birch is a propos of nothing, and again to make the cabinets sink back and not be noticeable, I'd paint them, again with the idea of shifting focus to the architecture, views out the windows, and whatever's stored on the open shelves and/or disguising the quality of the cabinets. Either way, making them part of a better whole picture.

What color? You could go recessive, such as a soil color or a wall or counter color taken a tone or two darker. You could also do something a lot more colorful. The wall cabinets to the left could be a different color from the base cabinets. I can see both directions working pretty well if done well.

A giant improvement that never costs anything is to get the stuff that's come to occupy the counter over time off of it. This is a little renovation all in itself because everything looks so much better after. We get used to having this stuff around and start forgetting how ugly, and unappealing, the whole effect is.

I'm often amused to see the before and after pix on this forum and notice all the messy crud that got put away in the remodel--and by imagining what the new $40K kitchen would look like if it were all dragged out again.

In your case, until and if you can afford to mount the microwave on a wall or into a cabinet, I'm thinking both it and the toaster oven could go on the counter next to the fridge (better yet in a cupboard for the oven), where they wouldn't be so visible. If it's not a visual asset, it goes behind doors or in drawers. Except the coffeemaker, of course :)

Occasional fun at garage sales and second-hand shops would turn up some attractive mixing bowls, plates, bowls, glasses, cups, little paintings, cook books etc., chosen for the open shelves.

Just this last step of clearing the counters might be your first big redecorating step, though, because it wouldn't cost a penny and would allow the architecture to be noticed and make the room much more inviting and attractive. I've bit the bullet and done this in an old kitchen I once had, not half as nice and spacious as yours BTW, and it was so worth it.

I used to have those cabinets.

I guess it depends on how much money you want to spend.
I suggest painting the cabinets dark rusty red. That would give you some contrast to your floor. I don't think you can remove doors off of the uppers if they are like mine were-particle board and no real backs- so I would not do that unless they are real wood inside. You can also adjust the hinges so that the doors are straight. It's not easy with the plain old screw-in hinges, because you have to fill the old holes with toothpicks and glue first, but it can be done. Caulk between the cabinets with latex caulk, carefully finished. That helps minimize the gaps.

Cabinet hardware costs an arm and a leg, so I would stick with cheap wood knobs either sealed with polyurethane or painted the same red as the cabinets.

I would put a shelf up over the range and put the microwave there.

If you have any money left over, I'd tile the insides of your deep window sill in rusty red and gray-green tiles. Maybe the other two windows too, and behind the stove.

Alternatively, you could take down your curtain, paint the cabinets white and the walls khaki tan, and put knobs on the doors. Buy a few real slate look tiles to put behind the range and in the deep window sill.

I hated painting those cabinets. I painted mine white: one coat of primer, two coats of paint. Be sure to label all of the doors when you take them apart so you can put them back on the right cabinet frame.

Good luck with your kitchen update.

Renee

Hardware and cute wts. Keep it simple. A coordinating canister set with the wts would be a nice touch too.

Painting cabinets is a royal pain in the rear. I did it, and I'm happy with my results, but you have to really want the look to put up with the hassle (maybe I'm just tired and cynical tonight, though). The easiest solution IMO would be to paint the walls, add knobs to the cabinets and a couple rugs.

I think painting the walls would do a lot. Since you say it would be hard to hang art you might consider stenciling something on the wall to spice things up if you are creative. If you go with a darker wall color you can use the trim color (white) to stencil something artsy on the wall. There are many stencil patterns available on the web. I think last month's Sunset magazine had a bathroom which was a deep orange with white stenciled flowers which looked lovely.

If you have uneven walls, stencils may be tough, but you could use stamps better. Freehand painting might work. If you are not artistic, use a projector to project an image on the wall that you can trace.

Here is a website for stencils

Here is a link that might be useful: stencil website

If it were my kitchen, I'd go funky and fun. Paint the cabinets the dark rusty red others have suggested. Start by doing just the doors...I think it might work well and it sure would be easier! I could see painted wooden knobs, colorful tile knobs or black iron hardware on them.

Paint the walls a medium grey-green...nothing too pale.

Find someway to hang something largish above the range. If you can't go into the wall...how about attaching a narrow birch strip to the two flanking cabinets and using it to anchor something. Like maybe a vintage sign?

Or this:

Or this:

or this:

In short, whatever floats your boat, but hopefully with some of the same red/copper/green tones you've got elsewhere.

It seems as if you've replaced the DW sometime, switching to black. As the other appliances die and/or you can afford it, switch them to black. They'll help tie in the black mullions and sashes of the window.

When the fan dies, look for one with birch colored wood blades and black hardware.

It actually does look like a pretty functional kitchen and looks like you could really have some fun with it.

What style do you like lazygardens? I think those cabinets would be great painted and with faux beams somewhere down the line.

This is what I did with my garage cabinets, because I just had a bunch of mismatched wood to work with.

{{gwi:1742305}}

Sorry, that's the best picture I have.

But I can see rust or dusty green color on them, with some glaze to give them an older look. You could paint a backsplash the same color as your laminate. There are stick on tiles, but I don't know if I would do that to adobe if it would damage it to take them off later.

Great house! I've heard they are so energy efficient too.

"Cabinet hardware costs an arm and a leg,"

It doesn't have to. What I picked out is about 3-4.00 at HD. I found my 2nd favorite pulls at our local hdw for about 5.00 each.

i'd love an adobe house! do you want to go w/a Mexican / Spanish style? colors?

I'd paint the cabs in turquoise (my choice probably anyway) and wipe it down dark.

you can stencil on a wall that isn't that even - do it like southwestern / Indian paintings / trim work. They painted on rocks and cave walls and they weren't even.

the Formica counter top sample in your pics is one I've picked out as a possible choice too. I think it'd look good with turquoise cabinets.

sample of the turquoise cabs. Get a striped rug like in the pic and your kitchen won't be plain or blah anymore!

pulls that are around 5.00 each - and a pattern that could be stenciled on the BS area too. I'd use enamel paint or if not, put a coat over it when done to make it cleanable.

an updated ceiling fan (w/light) if/when you decide to change that out.

Oooh- I like the turquoise. Great color, desertsteph.
Renee

Hi Lazygardens,

I'm so glad you mention faux tiles, as I would have suggested a faux tile backsplash. Maybe a faux slate, picking colors from your countertop? It's a lot of work (hope you're not really lazy), but such fun to do. Paint the wall above the backsplash and add hardware (try IKEA). And maybe paint your cabinets. They look fine to me in the photographs, but if you're bored with the, you can paint them. Good luck with whatever you decide!!

I like that turquoise too. Perfect for an adobe kitchen.

I had thought of some kind of southwestern stencil, especially over and around that little window.

Love the turquoise! And it would look quite nice with your counters and floor. If you paint the cabinets in a turquoise, distressed look as in the pictures, you wouldn't have to worry about them being perfectly painted. It is a forgiving technique.

I think you could build a shelf for the microwave that attaches only to the sides of the cabinets, using wood brackets or wood strips to hold the shelf and assuming the cabinets are sturdy enough. That would help the microwave disappear.

As was suggested some interesting artifacts or pottery, even Fiestaware would add some umph to the kitchen. I like the idea of removing some of the cabinet doors for an open shelving look, but that may not be possible.

I hope you post some "after" pictures!
Diane

Lazygardens, our previous house was a New Mexico adobe, but 1980s rather than 1890s and I certainly understand your situation.

We were luckier than you in that the builders had furred out (that *can't* be the correct spelling!) the kitchen cabinet walls with 2x4s and drywall so the cabs could be hung, backsplash tile set, etc. We also had a wood-faced concrete bond beam acting as our picture rail. But I sure understand difficulties in working with the adobes themselves: none of the walls were level or plumb and the floors were brick laid on sand so they weren't level or flat either!

I had golden oak cabs that I stained dark and, like jessicaml says about painting cabs, it's a PITA. But yes, it's DIY and sure makes a *huge* change for *little* money.

I think Rosie had a good idea with minimizing the upper cabs, but removing the cabs and installing shelves will be problematic. Even if the cab interiors are particle board like hosenemesis believes, could the insides be painted to cover? Then you'd have the openness that Rosie describes but without having to risk hard-to-patch holes in the wall. Perhaps having the insides painted white would echo how exterior portals often have white walls underneath the overhang.

Of course, living in New Mexico, I'm sure you know about the wealth of decorating possibilities if you like Southwestern style. I went more with natural stone than Talavera as I felt it kept with the 'natural elements' feel of the house.

good luck!

Thanks to all for shaking my brain loose, It's been detailed to death in the past couple of months. But reading through it all, I ended up with an idea that is workable and low-cost.

Open shelving - the cats, the ubiquitous dust, and the expense of getting the shelves correctly hung make it a no-go. What you don't see behind the cabinets is the support stuff they had to install to keep them on the wall. Workmen who can do adobe stuff don't come cheap.

The cabinets are deceptively cheap-looking, mostly because the POs were not TKO or even decor sensitive, but they are custom-built plywood with self-closing 3-way adjustable hinges, drawers are plywood. Solidly built, just boring.

AnnaC54 - Moldings are easy and cheap. I might do "sombraje" panels (closely spaced twigs) on the fronts of some cabinets elsewhere in the house. The materials are free for the gathering along the river.

Sombraje looks like this -- can be natural color or stained or dyed with RIT. http://www.watersongfurniture.com/images/spirit-portal-2.jpg

dianalo stencils or stamps? oh yes! A faux tile painted (stamped or stenciled) backsplash would be interesting, using the current blah cream as the grout color and the classic cobalt, rust, creamy yellow and deep green colors of traditional azulejos for the tile bodies.

http://www.myrustica.com/media/00/a207919135d5f403d2af0f_m.jpg

That could overwhelm the countertops, which are a namby-pamby french blue/pale rust/cream swirly thing that is nowhere near what real slate looks like.

Maybe something like this, which would blend better, with shades of rust and greyed blue as the primary solid colors and/or patterned tiles in less intense colors.

http://www.mexicantiles.com/artman2/uploads/1/kitchen-backsplash-talavera-angeles-mexican-tile.jpg

marti8a - Oh wow, you nailed it (pun intended) ... if I'm going to have boxes hanging on my walls, I might as well have BOXES on the walls! Take the place back to its mining town days, when the wooden boxes things were shipped in were as useful as the contents.

Add fake board grooves to the doors with my router or with a chisel, paint or stain to get the mixed old wood look, add molding, and stencil or paste reproduction labels onto a few of them. Paint the face frames to set off the "boxes" and the tiles.

+++++++++++++
As for the rest of the house, the walls are white, the carpet (over who knows what, probably oak strip flooring, maybe local planks) is elderly pinky-beige plush which will stay there until we're ready to tackle floors, the curtains are cream and the woodwork is pale coffee-cream. So none of the undertones match at all.

But the location is great, the layout is very convenient and the price was really good. Patience and paint is mostly what it needs.

The thermal properties of adobe, especially when the interior walls are adobe like thses, is everything you have heard of. When it stabilizes at a temperature, it's hard to move it. I had to use the furnace a few nights, but it's been off since early March.