Sorry....

Here is a link that might be useful:

Congratulations on your new home!

I'll tell you the first thing I thought of when I saw your new kitchen--it could do with some color! If you don't want to paint walls, some good colorful accessories would really brighten up the space and make it feel cheery.

Canisters, dish towels, throw rugs, some art or flowers, maybe some new lighting....whatever colors you love. That's what I would do first.

Good luck!

Congratulations on the new place! I would bring in color as honeychurch suggested. I would also paint because to me, walls are such a drag.

I would also consider taking the upper cabinets to the ceiling. I've seen a picture floating around of a girl who just hung hers right at the ceiling and put a floating shelf underneath. It turned out really nice. Or, if you decide to paint the cabinets, you could add crown.

Finally, a backsplash would look nice.

I am envious that you have such a nice starting place! I don't think you even have to replace your cabinets or counters, if you didn't want to. Enjoy your new home!

Here's my first thought, but keep in mind that I am quite design challenged. Change the hardware on the cabinets to something dark, change out the counter stools to something dark with colored cushions. Put a table cloth on the table, or a rug underneath it. A vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit?

It's actually a nice kitchen to live with while you decide on what you want to do with it.

It's more than just needing an accent color, it's needing color complexity. I like to think that there are basically 5 color weights to choose from, from 1 (lightest) to 5 (heaviest, darkest). This kitchen is like my new oak kitchen with white fixtures and appliances--floor, fixtures, ceiling, cupboards, etc.--it only ranges from 3 to 1 in variation. This means you get to choose between a near-monochrome of weight in which you mess with subtleties OR you make a deep tone counterpoint OR you add a third color and use it at least 5 times. If you choose the subtleties method, you need to work in varieties of the oak tone, varieties of the whites, or varieties of a light colored contrasting color such as gray. If you choose to add the dark tones that the room lacks, there are options: a dark complex patterned oriental rug, a deep tone of paint used as an accent such as in a wide stripe above and below cupboards, some wrought iron in the table legs and light fixtures, a wall covering with some pattern including dark tones, you get the idea. If you choose the strong color counterpoint, you need to consider adjacent rooms, gardens or views seen out the window, etc. so that the color isn't jarring. Green apple green? Turquoise? Cherry red? A maroonish chocolate? tomato red? a set of complimentary greens? I suggest avoiding greyed colors--ex: clear greens instead of muddied greens unless there is a spectrum of greens.

Congratulations, Paulines! It's also great to see you back here on these pages. But, I must say -- given that you are a professional designer -- you really have me kind of stumped on this one! What can I suggest to you that you don't already know? LOL! Okay. Even if I were to try and play along here, let me ask this basic question: are you looking to do MCM again? Or another period - and if so - earlier or later?

Thank you so much for the warm wishes and great suggestions!

Color is a definite and Florantha, I found your post very interesting. DH is a stainless fabricator, so perhaps a ss backsplash is in our future.

Hi again Marthavila! I am always looking for new ideas, advice, input...especially when it's for me, lol I'm not sure yet where I want to take this house, definitely not MCM or country. This home is truly a blank slate...any ideas?

Luckily, it sounds as if the table doesn't come with the house. I know wallpaper is anathema to GW in general, but this could be the room for it. In addition to its relative colorlessness there is no texture or pattern to speak of.

Is the rest of the house like this, or was it just staged this way?

lol Pal-fire the stager, for sure.

The rest of the home is the same. And even worse, it appears slightly deeper than baby blue was their favorite color.

This type of kitchen is so disappointing because it's not that old or worn out, but needs a complete reno. The cathedral oak doors are so outdated that I wouldn't do much even temporarily unless you are very handy and don't mind refinishing or painting for the short term. The same with the counters and appliances. They all look quite serviceable until you can renovate.

Add some color with paint and accessories and leave it at that while you focus on painting over that blue in the rest of the house.

Hi Paulines!

It's great to see you back in Kitchensland. Congrats on the new house.

I have to admit, when I first saw the picture I didn't think it was all that bad. Basic and generic, bland and colorless, but not awful. Nothing that a little life couldn't fix.

Are you still in New England? That shiny tile floor looks like it belongs in Florida. A rug in the eating area and a Gel-Pro mat in the kitchen would be functional, warm and colorful. :) It also looks like there isn't adequate lighting. If so, maybe some indirects over the cabinets? And a torchere in the eating area? Add a great piece of art, as large as will fit, where that calendar is, some fun table linens, a fruit bowl, and some flowers or plants, and it could definitely live well for quite some time. Okay, that last part sounds very Staging 101, but it works! And I just don't see that much wrong with the bones.

I hope inspection goes off just fine and wish you a simple closing.

Hmm- here's an out of the box idea, but it would be minimal disruption.

Find a laminate you like - put it on the side of the fridge (the wood part), the sides of the island, and the exposed cabinet sides, upper and lower by the doorway to the painting, and two (?) uppers sides around the sink. And maybe the side of the desk.

laminate samples from wilsonart
here's a granite look that would be whimsical in a vertical
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Since you are planning a full scale remodel and the kitchen appears to be in really good shape:

I would probably live with most of it the way it is and just paint the walls. And maybe change out some hardware if I could find something really inexpensive.

The kitchen is just white and bland but it is completely inoffensive. Cathedral oak has never been my thing but it is still actually offered by many cabinet makers including full custom places. I think as "salvage" or a donatable item to a ReStore or Habitat, those cabinets in pristine original condition would have more value than painted cabinets. In fact, some places around here will not take this type of thing, (or furniture) if it has been painted.

In the short term, paint, lose that furniture style and get cute counter accessories. It is not really bad, but it is also not great. You can do more to make it prettier, but I'd spend little on the current look if you plan on redoing it big.
Keep an eye out for appliances on sales, clearance or Craigslist in the meantime.

Now, if you want to re-do it, the counters, floors and doors would be where I'd start.

The home inspection went well, a few concerns, but I think that's almost always the case.

"This type of kitchen is so disappointing because it's not that old or worn out, but needs a complete reno."

Exactly Steff.

Hi plllog, thank you for the welcome back! Yes, we are still in SE MA. Lol about the Fla tile, that was my first thought.

Lyvia, that's a great idea, but a tad too funky for this house, I think. Now in my old MCM home...

Great to see you again dianalo, thank you for the ideas!