Brightening a dark kitchen

[rubytue]

I found this picture on Pinterest looking for backsplash ideas. But it’s almost exactly what I have. Exact same backsplash. Cabinets almost the same color. Black granite counters. In a perfect world, I’d replace the counters. But, these are perfectly good and it seems so wasteful. So, do you thing there is any hope that replacing the backsplash could do anything useful to brighten things up?

edit, I found a picture of my kitchen (2nd attachment). But, it wasn’t staged for photos. It’s like the previous owners took that picture in as their inspiration. 😂

edit 2: the microwave is coming out, with a stainless hood replacing it. Hopefully this week. Appliances to be replaced as they need it. 

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[redheadk]

I think one of those glass subway tile backsplashes would look really nice. Not white but maybe something creamy beige? You would definitely need to get samples to find something that can come together with the cabinets and countertops but I think it would reflect light nicely back into the kitchen while not screaming "brand new backsplash!" I know subway tile is boring to a lot of people but with the cabinets and countertops already being strong, competing elements, I would lean towards something that will brighten it up while fading into the background. 

Maybe a bit lighter than this?

[rubytue]

redheadk, ooo. I like that. I was thinking going a sagey green for the walls, because it’s supposed to go with that floor color so well. I’m looking at SW sea salt (does that count at “sage”?). I bet a beach glass colored backsplash would tie in. Not that I’m going for “beachy,” but the colors may work well.

I did briefly price out new quarts counter. Between the price and the feeling of wastefulness, I just couldn’t pull the trigger. I know they have granite counters in the architectural salvage places, but they are so specific. It just doesn’t seem like it’s practical to think they will be reused.

[redheadk]

I love sea salt! Have you tested it in your house yet? It can lean green or blue depending on your space or lighting. I think the Sea Salt walls combined with a similar color backsplash would brighten everything up and also ensure that the backsplash isn't competing with your other fixed elements.

And I hear you on $$ and wastefulness. We really need to redo our countertops but I hate how $$$ and wasteful it is. Ours our white Corian with a sandy inlay on the edge so very dated but I also can't really hurt them. I keep kicking that can down the road.

[rubytue]

Sept 12, 2022 9:49:08 GMT -5 redheadk said:

I love sea salt! Have you tested it in your house yet? It can lean green or blue depending on your space or lighting. I think the Sea Salt walls combined with a similar color backsplash would brighten everything up and also ensure that the backsplash isn't competing with your other fixed elements.

And I hear you on $$ and wastefulness. We really need to redo our countertops but I hate how $$$ and wasteful it is. Ours our white Corian with a sandy inlay on the edge so very dated but I also can't really hurt them. I keep kicking that can down the road.

No. I just found it last night browsing for paint that goes with terra cotta floors. But, the most time I spent looking at it, it’s calling to me. 

So, I’m sure everyone knows how this goes. I was doing laundry and got pissed off at my small laundry room, and OMG it’s drab (that horrid color you can see on my walls, they sprayed the whole house with it when they sold). And thought “I should paint the laundry room, what color works with these floors?”  Rabbit hole… would that work in the kitchen? Could I brighten it all up with that? The laundry is in the room down the hall to the left in that picture, behind the stove. 

[rubytue]

At the risk of a lot of OMG what is she thinking 😂 let my spin the camera around to another corner of the kitchen, with my scrap corian that fit the island we added perfectly. Long term is to replace that, but it’s working. It has green bits in it (and others, kind of a terrazzo type look). 

this will all come together just in time for me to move. Literally every kitchen I’ve had we’ve pieced together updates and finished just in time to sell. 😂

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[pierogigirl]

We have donated a chandelier and flooring to Habitat for Humanity. I think they take things like vanities and countertops in good condition (if you wanted to replace it sooner)and get a donation slip, if you itemize.

I have Sea Salt in our family room. We liked it when we painted the swatch, but it feels very bedroom or bathroom in our space. I think I'm going to paint our bedroom Sea Salt and repaint the family room the color in the living and dining rooms and the hall to the bedrooms (SW Modern Gray). I do think it's a beautiful color.

[rubytue]

Sept 12, 2022 18:27:55 GMT -5 pierogigirl said:

We have donated a chandelier and flooring to Habitat for Humanity. I think they take things like vanities and countertops in good condition (if you wanted to replace it sooner)and get a donation slip, if you itemize.

I know you *can* donate. Just with countertops, it’s just wish-recycling. I do a lot of shopping at habitat and the local architectural salvage place. I see how often the countertop (don’t) turn over. Something like granite would mean someone would have to have the exact same layout, down ti sink placement. It makes you feel you are recycling, but it’s really just throwing stone away. 

[pierogigirl]

Sept 12, 2022 18:39:18 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Sept 12, 2022 18:27:55 GMT -5 pierogigirl said:

We have donated a chandelier and flooring to Habitat for Humanity. I think they take things like vanities and countertops in good condition (if you wanted to replace it sooner)and get a donation slip, if you itemize.

I know you *can* donate. Just with countertops, it’s just wish-recycling. I do a lot of shopping at habitat and the local architectural salvage place. I see how often the countertop (don’t) turn over. Something like granite would mean someone would have to have the exact same layout, down ti sink placement. It makes you feel you are recycling, but it’s really just throwing stone away. 

I guess I assumed that some of the building donations were used in building/remodeling the Habitat houses and they could design a kitchen to use the donated slabs or cut a slab to use in a smaller space - like a bathroom.

[lessel]

What kind of lighting do you have in your kitchen? I know you're focusing on color of walls/backsplash, but a lot of brightening up can happen with good lighting too. Where you have your hanging pot rack, could you swap out with some hanging lights maybe? (Although that might create a storage issue, so sometimes it's function over form).

[rubytue]

Sept 13, 2022 8:01:38 GMT -5 lessel said:

What kind of lighting do you have in your kitchen? I know you're focusing on color of walls/backsplash, but a lot of brightening up can happen with good lighting too. Where you have your hanging pot rack, could you swap out with some hanging lights maybe? (Although that might create a storage issue, so sometimes it's function over form).

It’s bright recessed lights. The sliding door faces south and there is an east window over the sink. H is an electrician, so lighting is always about as good as possible. 😂  as for the pot rack, I think we could make do without (we probably could find storage). But, we really like them hanging. 

I just *need* rid of the drab walls. And I dislike the black counters. Ok, it’s a want, but… I’m at the point the drab, dirty beige/yellow posses me off every time I walk in. 

I was all excited. I got samples of sea salt and some similar colors. I mentally planned out a refresh of the annoying laundry room. Lalala just some paint and a new sink. I went in there to survey how much wall prep I’d need to do, thinking I could knock this out in a weekend by myself while H continues his basement. Big whomp whomp. I mean, I *could* paint and it would look better. But…. It really needs some thinking to maximize floor space. And to get rid of the circa 1968 cabinet. And if I want to get rid of the cabinets, that will mess up the paint. And, and, and… *sigh* I’m way far ahead mentally of what I can do right now. On my own. 🤬🤬🤬

[rubytue]

Also, picked up some samples to consider. I’m liking the green, as it’s different. We also found a super cool big, squished hexagon that we love. Except not at $40/sq ft. Even for just a backsplash, that adds up. It doesn’t come in a green, only a light blue. I love it so much. islandstone.com/collections/pattern-elongated-hexagon

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[sadie]

Sept 17, 2022 16:49:52 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Also, picked up some samples to consider. I’m liking the green, as it’s different. We also found a super cool big, squished hexagon that we love. Except not at $40/sq ft. Even for just a backsplash, that adds up. It doesn’t come in a green, only a light blue. I love it so much. islandstone.com/collections/pattern-elongated-hexagon

I love the squished hex tile too! #sorrynothelping

[redheadk]

Oooh lighting is a good point. Have your DH hardwire in some under cabinet lighting when you redo the backsplash.

[mrsd2006]

I was going to suggest under cabinet lighting as well. I think it will make a huge difference.

[rubytue]

Oh yes, we will get under cabinet lighting. We have some now, but it’s annoying. I’m not even sure where the switch is.
And H definitely wants to replace it!

Speaking of lights and switches. Right now, we have 4 recessed lights, on 3 separate switches. So, if you want to turn on all the lights, yiu have to do a lap around the kitchen 😂 He is also going to fix this issue. Luckily, there is enough natural light we rarely need the lights. So, I guess it’s dark in color but not in actual light. I may have been misleading. Sorry!

[wildrice]

This is probably a stupid idea, but I saw a TikTok recently where a woman painted her granite countertops because she didn't like the color of her granite either. I think she used some kind of special paint to make it not look obviously painted. I mean, it was a TikTok so who knows what it looks like in real life, but I imagine granite holds up well to paint removal so if it looked stupid I think it could be corrected? So... maybe try that if you don't think you'll want to replace your countertops?

Your kitchen looks nice but I do think that black countertops make kitchens look so dark, unless maybe if they are paired with white or other really light colored cabinets.

[lust2hart]

Of the samples you picked up, my favorite by far is the rectangle on the left. I think it looks really good with your counters and cabinets.

[rubytue]

In a weird, but amazing, 6-degrees thing. I went to see Pet Shop Boys with my friends and her group of HS friends who live nearby. One friend is an interior designer by training and current working as a kitchen and bath designer for a local design build firm. And, because I live so close to the venue, people came to my place to park. So, after a bit of “I’m sure this annoys you when people do this, but….”, I got a wee bit of design advice.

Which was that the squished hexagon was awesome. And blue works well with my terra cotta floors and the cabinets have orange tones, so that is good. And she mentioned a few other tricks in the discussion, like pulling elements from elsewhere (like, my front door being turquoise). So something in the blue family got a 👍. And then, she also gave an opinion on the tile we already have for the chimney (which is a black/grey chevron). And I was thinking about that “pulling in subtle elements from elsewhere” thing. So… I have arrived at a blue, glass tile. Exact shade TBD with samples. Maybe hexagon. Maybe subway laid in a herringbone pattern (pulling from that fireplace tile). And I have a few more samples coming 😁. But, I feel like I am getting somewhere past “I need to do something, but what?!”

[rubytue]

Procrastination and watch/wait pays off.  My squished hexagon glass tile is on close out. Or, one that it’s really close in color to the one I was looking at. A was the one I picked. B is on close out. $900 cheaper, and I don’t see a $900 difference in color. 

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[aprilsails]

Option B looks good to me. I don’t think it would hurt to place the order.

[deadwing]

I have a slight preference for A, but I agree it's not worth paying $900 extra for. B is very close.

[rubytue]

Oct 21, 2022 6:32:49 GMT -5 deadwing said:

I have a slight preference for A, but I agree it's not worth paying $900 extra for. B is very close.

Yeah. I do like the blue in A a bit better. But not over twice the price better. I placed the order last night. It was a maximum of 36 sq ft per order (and only full boxes), so we went and measured what we had to cover exactly (before, we had just ball parked it). 28 sq ft. So, chances are, I’ll be able to tile around the window and maybe have enough left to backsplash the laundry room sink. 

[rubytue]

Clearance tile is here! It definitely checks the “bring in color” box. 😁 It was matte and I had glossy glass in my head, but not enough to regret it.

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[sassystace]

Sept 22, 2022 16:16:38 GMT -5 lust2hart said:

Of the samples you picked up, my favorite by far is the rectangle on the left. I think it looks really good with your counters and cabinets.

I agree with this statement - the beige-y one on the left goes the best.

And now I see I'm way too late to the party and you bought some tile already - can't wait to see it on the wall!

[rubytue]

It’s happening! 

edit, it’s happening sideways 🤣

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[momin2013]

Oh that colour is so pretty - love it so far!

[deadwing]

Looking good!

[libbygrl109]

That looks so good!

[gt7301b]

I love it, so fun!