Kitchen Makeovers: Before and After

Changing the backsplash can make an amazing difference to a boring-looking kitchen. If your kitchen is basically OK – the layout works and the cabinets and finishes are in good shape, but the whole thing lacks pizazz – putting in a new backsplash is one of the easiest ways to make over the space.

This article covers a wide range of kitchen backsplash ideas that you can use in your own kitchen, either as part of a larger-scale kitchen makeover, or as a single project. Of course, you can also use them when remodeling ir building a brand new kitchen!

Existing Kitchen Backsplash Tile

Existing plain tile can be jazzed up without ripping out the whole thing. From least to most work:

• Add transfers, stickers or painted motifs to some plain tiles right where they are
• Hang a large flat object over the tiles: a platter, picture, photo, print, tray, laminated fabric or wallpaper panel, placemat, large single tile or plaque, or a shadow box. Make sure if you’re hanging it where it may get splashed, that it’s easily cleanable, and if it’s going behind the range, that it’s non-flammable and won’t get damaged by grease splashes.
• Add a border or molding tile to the top of the backsplash, or wood molding
• Install removable glass or clear plastic rigid sheet panels over top of the tile, in such a way that you can insert wallpaper or fabric behind the glass.
• Install a new backsplash right over the top of the old tiles, using tile, wood, metal or other materials
• Remove single tiles in a random or ordered pattern, and insert new tiles in a contrast or complementary color or pattern

Creating a New Backsplash

If you’re working on a fresh backsplash area, or you’ve ripped out the old one to put in a brand new one, you have lots of options.

Kitchen Backsplash Tile Designs

There are a huge number of ways to lay out tile. Using an unusual layout or arrangement can make even the most basic tile look special. Here are some possibilities, shown in black and white with tan grout but can be laid out in any color scheme:

Square tiles set on point, with smaller squares at meeting corners

These are plain square tiles set “on point” so they look like diamonds, with smaller squares set into the meeting points.The small and large squares can contrast or blend in color; you can use very special small tiles with plain, more economical large tiles; you could use textured small tiles, or pebbles or round glass blobs, even stars or other unusual shapes set into teh grout square formed by the cut off corners of the larger squares.

This design requires that every large tile has to have all its corners accurately cut off. That’s a lot of cutting. To reduce the amount of cutting, you can dispense with the small squares completely and use patterned or textured tiles for the large squares, or a checkerboard or other color pattern for the large squares. You could also only have small squares at the points every second or third large square instead of every one.

Square tiles with small diamonds at meeting corners

This design uses exactly the same shapes as the one above, but the design is at 45 degrees. There is less cutting of the large tiles at the edges of the design. All the same variations as above can be used.

Several different colors of glass tile would look especially good in this design: perhaps several tones of blue in the larger tiles, with green, purple, yellow or red tones for the small tiles.

Grout colors can make a surprising amount of difference to how your tile design looks. A grout color which blends with one tile color will have a very different effect from one that blends with another tile color, or that contrasts with all the tile colors.

Tile size can also make a big difference to the look: this pattern could be made the usual way using 6″ tile for the large tiles, or you could use much smaller field tiles (2″, with dots for the small diamonds) or much larger, like 12″, which for a backsplash would give you two rows of large tiles with only one row of small diamonds down the middle.

Subway tile set in running bond

Subway tiles are very fashionable now, and you can get them not only in traditional white, but many other colors, plus different sizes. Again, grout color combined with tile colors can have different effects, and while the traditional way to use subway tile is in a single color (with perhaps a band or border at the top or bottom), you can use different colors to make designs within the running bond brick-like pattern.

Historic subway tile was flat all over, whereas modern tile has a “pillowy” look to it, with the center higher than the edges. You can still get the flat type but historical accuracy will cost you more, so only get it if you need it.

Subway-type tiles are available in various sizes and proportions, and different materials like stone as well as ceramic tiles, as these pictures show:

Stone tiles with textured copper tile band at the top

Elongated subway tiles with band of textured stone strips at the top

Grey marble backsplash design with mosaic band and molding above

Design ideas above by Powell River Custom Tile and Marble

Tiles are available in many materials and many sizes: ceramic, stone of many kinds, and glass: large and small, square, rectangular, hexagonal, harlequin diamonds, mosaic in patterns and random shades, even custom mosaic color patterns.

More tile ideas include:

• feature tiles in strategic places, using a few expensive antique or handmade tiles in a field of mostly economical tile
• tiled niches behind counters, sinks or ranges
• using quilt patterns as feature areas, assembled from cut squares and triangles of tile
• multi-section painted tile pictures and scenes

More Backsplash Materials

Anything you can use on a counter can be used on a backsplash, either to match or contrast with the counter. Solid surfacing, laminate, granite, terrazo, recycled glass, quartz – in some cases you can get the material in thinner sheets to use on the backsplash, which is less expensive than the thicker countertop material.

Flooring material can also make a good backsplash, and you can sometimes come across great deals where someone has a stash which is not enough for a floor, but plenty for a backsplash. Wood, stone, cork or bamboo flooring: laminate in wood or stone patterns: even sheet vinyl or genuine linoleum can all be used.

Metals can also make a great backsplash. Stainless steel is fashionable at the moment, and can be used flat or in various textures: other metal sheeting like copper can look great, especially in a hammered finish: patterned metal “tin” ceiling tiles can be pressed into service, though watch out for too much texture where it will be hard to clean. There are even plastic lookalike “metal” ceiling tiles which might be usable if they are tough enough.

Glass can make an excellent tough backsplash and can be used in several ways. Clear glass panels with changeable color/pattern panels behind them make it easy to change your mind about color and pattern. Mirrors, either sheet or tiles, clear or smoked, can open up a room in interesting ways when used below wall cabinets. Clear flass can be frosted or sandblasted, evenly or in patterns: textured glass can be backpainted or used over colored or patterned panels. Even windows can be inserted into the backsplash area, although you need to be very careful about how they will look from the outside. Glass block works well if you would end up gazing out onto an unpleasant view through your backsplash windows. It’s also possible to use clear plastic sheet instead of glass: however, it tends to scratch and doesn’t wear as well as glass. Obviously you’d want to use safety glass in case of breakage.

Wood makes a fine backsplash material and can give you several very different looks. Beadboard can look country or historic, usually painted, but you could clear finish it. Unusual veneers, protected with a clear finish, and using alternating grain directions for even more variety, could look stunning. Even extra doors to match your cabinet doors could be used. Wood can be coated with a variety of finishes for different effects: dark or light natural stains, colored stains, paint or clear polyurethane. Just watch out for “too much” wood if your cabinets and floor are also wood!

Brick backsplashes have to be sealed in some way otherwise they soak up food stains irreversibly, but if you can do that they can look great.

As you can see, the kitchen backsplash ideas available to you are almost unlimited and it’s usually quite simple to retrofit them into an existing kitchen. Have fun with your backsplash – it’s something you’ll be spending quite a lot of time looking at as you work at your counters!

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Granite countertops have moved from dream-house luxury to a standard kitchen material within the past decade or two.  The only question for many homeowners now is what color granite to buy for the new kitchen’s countertops. Do they want dark and shiny, warm and earthy, light and creamy, or bright and gaudy. Homeowners can find something in almost any color of granite for medium to high-budget remodels.

The available colors of granite range from the near-black of “Absolute Black” through the bright blue and rust abstract swirls of the aptly named “Van Gogh” to almost pure white. Mass-market retailers usually carry a small range of colors of granite in the most popular and affordable colors. If you want something different, you need to find a stone yard. To see the full range available, search online and check several stone merchants. Geology being what it is, there is far more gray and cream granite than brilliantly colored granite. Be warned; some of the rare granite colors, especially the blue shades, are expensive. If you fall in love with a budget-busting granite, consider using it for a very small, but prominent countertop and use an inexpensive coordinating color of granite for the remaining countertops.

After picking a color range, the next question is what texture and particle size you want to use. Granite textures can be an almost uniform monochrome, salt and pepper speckled like the classic Rosa Beta, veined like marble, or wildly mottled like Harlequin. The grain can be small and almost uniform, can contain large crystalline inclusions like Snowflake, or can even look like it has whole pebbles embedded in it like the Marinacce and Mosaic granites.

Maintaining your countertop surface is always an issue. The mottled neutral colors of some granite countertops, such as those made from Santa Cecilia granite, disguise the water spots and small stains that make maintaining dark granites a daily task. A high-gloss Absolute Black, on the other hand, will show every particle of dust that lands on it. The pale cream and white granites may need sealing to avoid staining when colored foods are spilled on them.

Granite has a color and pattern for the countertops of any style home, and a price for almost any budget. If your home is traditional, use the classic speckled gray and beige granite colors, or the classic blacks, whites, and creams with slight veining. Contemporary kitchens look good with countertops in the more lively stones such as Baltic Brown, the mottled Juperanas, Santa Cecilia, or even the pebble-filled Marinacce granites. If your decor is ultra modern, the pure simplicity of the pure black marbles such as Absolute Black might appeal to you. Or go ultra-edgy with the wild Van Gogh and other gaudy granite colors if your budget can handle the price.

Where do they get the names for granite? Some are named for the towns the quarry is near, some are named for the appearance of the granite, and some are named by the quarry’s marketing staff to make an ordinary granite sound special. “Snowflake Black” not only sounds better than “New Hampshire Plutonic Suite granite”, it’s easier to imagine what it looks like.

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As far as Kitchen remodeling goes you have multiple different aspects that must be paid attention to. Besides cabinetry, flooring, paint, and furniture you have counter tops to worry about.

If you want something well worth the money you should try quartz counter tops. Not only are you going to get an immaculate addition to your newly redone kitchen. You will be choosing a natural product with elegant charm. Its natural beauty will help complete your new kitchen. It comes in many different colors some companies even offer up to 50 different color choices. Ranging from dark to light color you will have more than enough to choose from to make your kitchen remodel a success.

One place to find the quartz countertops would be a local home center such as a Lowes Home Improvement, or a Home Depot. You can also call local remodeling business in your area and see if they can provide you with local quartz counter top providers. Be sure to shop around and get the best price and quality. Don’t settle with looking at just one company you need to look at a few different places also see if you can get a discount on installation if you order from a certain company. Prices usually range from $50-$90 installed.

Quartz counter tops must be professionally installed. They are also very hygienic and a great surface for cooking and preparing food on. Quartz is heavier than other stone tops such as granite but it is also more durable. Quartz is also more flexible than other stones which makes instillation easier and faster. Common brands and providers of quartz counter tops are Caesarstone, Zodiac, Silestone, Technistone, Legacy, Cambria but they are not limited to that.

Quartz counter tops are stain resistant to items such as wine, fruit juices, liquid food coloring, tea, nail polish and remover, and felt-tip markers. Other Counter top materials are not as resistant to stains. It can be damaged by high heat or prolonged exposure to heat. With any other stone or surface material, strong chemicals and solvents such as Drano, Liquid Plumber, oven cleaners and floor strippers will damage the surface. So be very careful when cleaning your new counter tops or things around it. Continuous long-term exposure to direct sunlight may result in slight discoloration of Quartz Stone countertops.

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Choosing kitchen paint colors seems an easy enough task, but once you start looking at the vast area of colors available, it can be a little overwhelming. The kitchen tends to be one of those rooms where people gather for conversation, family games, and holidays. The color of a room can make people feel happy or sad or anxious. Think of that dull green of hospitals that was so common years ago. This has been replaced in many hospitals with bright yellow because administrators realize that color plays a key role in illness and depression.

Home improvement centers and paint stores are full of color samples and cards to help you choose. But there are so many, so here are some kitchen color ideas to help you choose the right one.

First, begin by looking at the other kitchen paint colors in the room. For instance, if your cabinets are a dark colored wood, a bright yellow or green would not be appropriate. Other examples of things to be considered are the presence of stainless steel appliances, countertop colors, whether or not the room has wallpaper or chair rails. Are there windows or doors in the room? Do you want the same colors for those or would you prefer a contrasting color? All these things must be considered before choosing your kitchen paint colors.

The important part of choosing kitchen paint colors is to compliment the other items in the room, not take away from them. For some kitchen color schemes and ideas, first visit your local paint store and get some sample cards. Hold them against the cabinets and appliances in the room to get a general idea of what looks good, what kitchen paint colors you like and what seem to go best with your other furnishings. Ask yourself what exactly you hope to achieve with the new paint color. If you’re looking to make the kitchen seem bigger, choose a brighter color such as a birght yellow or green. If you want a cozier feel, choose a warm color such as tan or muted blue.

Wallpaper can compliment these colors, but choose carefully. Avoid stripes or dots and go for something that will blend in, not be spotlighted. You want people to feel relaxed and at ease during their meals and color can greatly influence this. Don’t choose anything too distracting.

The kitchen should be a peaceful yet happy place and the color you choose will be important. Also, remember that if you already have white trim around doors and windows, these will look great with your new wall paint colors so plan on sprucing these up at the same time. If they are not painted white, this may be a good time to paint them. Nothing looks better than bright white trim! Once you’ve done this, narrow down your choices to two or three colors that you really prefer and then revisit the paint store. Ask for or purchase a small amount of each of the paint colors and then paint a small area of the room with these colors. See the colors in different light situations and at different times of day. Get other family members opinions and ideas.

Once you decide the color, you must then decide what type of finish you want. A flat finish looks beautiful and smooth, but is not good for clean ups. The best paint for kitchens seems to be a satin or semi-gloss paint. This can easily be wiped down and cleaned which is important in the kitchen, where grease, smoke and odors can dull the paint.

Choosing kitchen paint colors can be overwhelming, but with the above tips, you will hopefully have an easier time. Remember also that the employees in the paint store can help you too!

Imagine having a stressful work week, then coming home to a neatly cleaned house. With a great aroma of your favorite food cooking, windows open because of the great weather, birds chirping… but you have BLACK and ugly furnishings, countertops, curtains and designs – yuck!

Where would you begin fixing it? How would you update your kitchen cabinets? After all, they are a mainstay in your kitchen. One has to know how to accentuate every angle, and turn a nasty situation into something that you can enjoy. A theme of a house is the storybook to its eternity. Furnishings, carpets, drapes and extras – everything surrounds how the cabinets look. From the carpet, to the curtains, everything has to match.

Why don’t you start by making your cabinets look great? Stained Kitchen cabinets come in all shapes and sizes. Black, white, cream, pastel and bright colors. How will you represent yourself as a classy individual? Cabinets and colors must be coordinated with kitchen color schemes. There are various mixtures and patterns that one may choose from, but why not start by going to your local hardware store and seeing the kitchen color schemes that they have to offer? By the time you leave, you will see that there are many designs and a wide pattern of colors, but you want something unique. Something fresh and clean and a great representation of yourself and what you are proud of.  Go to the hardware store, spend hours there-looking, trying and putting schemes next to one one another to get a feel of what your kitchen could look like. Find the samples, design a template and get your kitchen color ideas, come home, sit down and look at what you have to choose from.

Your kitchen cabinet colors should be something you should be proud of. You should have plenty from the day. They will represent you from the dining room to the kitchen and beyond. It will be a base to your foundation, make it count.  Once you have the kitchen color schemes that you are choosing from, pick a good kitchen paint color to start with. Base everything around that. After all, painting and design is going to be a big part of your life.

Cabinets, countertops, floor, curtains, they all will flow evenly and it will be relaxing to feel how it will be like when you are finally exhausted, but done with the project when you are finally able to sit at home, enjoying a nice cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, with the birds chirping and breeze flowing through your house, with nice beautiful kitchen cabinets, followed by a beautiful color scheme and soft curtains accenting the masterpiece you have worked on so diligently. Be proud, you have put thought into what you are doing, and now are the envy of the town.

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Remodeling your kitchen to make it more modern or to clean up any old or damaged fixtures can add both financial and aesthetic value to your home.

Kitchen cabinets are often one of the first fixtures to require attention, however replacing the entire cabinet unit can be very costly and time consuming. An alternative to complete cabinet replacement is to simply install replacement cabinet doors to your existing cabinets.

Replacement cabinet doors can be custom made to fit your cabinets and your desired look. Cheaper replacement cabinet doors are often made from laminate, which is often a fiberboard material covered in a durable and long lasting plastic coating. You can also buy unfinished cabinet doors that are ready for your primer and paint. Unfinished cabinet doors are often fiberboard or wood that have no existing coats of paint, varnish, or sealer on them so that they accept paint well.

Replacement cabinet doors are available online from wholesalers or from local carpenters. You can even visit large commercial chain hardware stores to order cabinets, although these locations often charge more for the product. Shopping around for the best price can really pay off!

Also wise is the decision to consider a variety of finishes (i.e. paint, stains, glazes, etc.) for the one that will last the longest and look the best in your existing kitchen decor. Finally, additions such as unique hinges can really bring an interesting look to your cabinets. Search online or in the hardware store for these, or be adventurous and look at junk yards or resale shops for antique pieces.

No matter what you decide, though, remodeling your cabinets is certainly a wise-investment in your home for both equity and look.

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Many people are frustrated with their out of date kitchen cabinets. The prospect of purchasing new kitchen cabinets can be an expensive and an intimidating thought. However, it is possible to completely update a kitchen’s look by changing the kitchen cabinet handles and knobs. New kitchen cabinet handles can really change the entire look. Adding discount cabinet hardware can be the difference between a bland cabinet and one that looks as if it costs a lot more.

There are endless options available. You can go with one of several popular brushed metal looks, and go from knobs to pulls. There are many different styles of kitchen cabinet pulls that can be placed either on the cabinet door or drawer.

You can do something different by adding a natural wood handle. Not many people have a wood pull, but they are available. You can get a pull that is colored natural oak color pull that blends in with the cabinet door or drawer. This is very original and can be a really unique look. The cabinet door almost looks like one solid piece of wood.

If you’re trying to change the look of a kitchen that’s used a lot by kids, you can add more color by using acrylic kitchen cabinet handles and pulls that accent the cabinet doors and drawers very well. There is even hardware that is themed with cartoon characters. You don’t need to worry if your children are hard on this hardware, as it’s durable and perfect for a kid-focused kitchen.

Another option is a bail pull. This type of pull looks similar to a front door knocker and can be very attractive for kitchen cabinet pulls. This look can be great in a darker finish of metal, like oil rubbed bronze, and also works well with a darker wood finish.

If you’re looking on more of an antique style there are many other finishes and styles of pulls and knobs that you can get. You can refinish the cabinet surface to a darker color wood grain, and add a more dramatic effect with the antique hardware.

If you want to go with a more contemporary feeling you can choose a lighter finish of wood with a handle that has a more squared-off edge that looks cleaner. It’s also a very modern look to have a full length pull, often in stainless steel which can match your stainless steel appliance pulls.

You can also change out other kitchen cabinet hardware apart from handles, such as the hinges. There are endless options with hinges as well, and you can change the look significantly by adding new ones. If you currently have a standard offset hinge on your cabinet door, consider hinges that are hidden inside the cabinet and don’t show when the door is closed, giving the cabinet a cleaner more modern look. Or, you could keep the visible hinges but update them by changing them to match the material of your new cabinet pulls so all your kitchen cabinet hardware coordinates.

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before
Originally uploaded by petit hiboux

I rather like the buttery yellow cabinet color myself, but petit hiboux is right that color just doesn’t go with the newer bright colors in the other rooms.

In the after shot – the cabinets have been painted white, the copper-colored hinges have been stripped back to the underlying pewter color, and the walls are bright blue. All good, but now the harvest gold fridge sticks out like a sore thumb and it’s hard to know what you could do with the spotty tile. Tile over it would probably be the best bet, if it’s solidly attached to the wall.

after
Originally uploaded by petit hiboux

I’ve been wandering through the many kitchen makeover videos online, looking at what other people have done to their existing kitchen cabinets, since I don’t plan on ripping my perfectly serviceable (if ugly) cabinets out.

The kitchen cabinets in this video are very similar to mine – face frames with flat slab doors. These people painted the frames black, then glued pale birch veneer onto the door fronts and varnished. Looks great, though I would probably go with a light color for the frames instead of black. They also did a lot of other work but left some old countertops in place. Given that counters are one of the simplest things to change, that seems a bit odd, but maybe they have Stage II in mind!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jori2AAyU38&fmt=18

Next, a low budget makeover on a kitchen that was really pretty good to start with. They changed the wall color from dark green to a light color, changed the faucet and the light fixtures, and the cabinet pulls, and bingo – what a difference!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUhNLLtxpaE&fmt=18

Finally… well, to me, this is a “what not to do” makeover. Bright red floor, bright red door centers on white cabinets, bright red tabletop, and far, far too much fruity wallpaper. The final straw is the ugliest chandelier in the world over the sink. I wonder how long the homeowners kept it like this?

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOPcQczh51M&fmt=18

I’ll just have to remember to take video of mine when the time comes, eh. Still working on the bathroom right now though, sanding drywall mud <cough>.

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Here are the pictures of my kitchen in its “before” state.

First, here’s how it looked when I viewed the house before buying. There’s a black dishwasher in place, the range is sitting properly between base cabinets, it’s ugly (and dirty, though you can’t see that) but there’s a 6ft clear counter run and plenty of storage. The fridge is only a few years old.

Here’s how it looked as I was moving in. The dishwasher has vanished and the hole is boarded up.

The range has been pulled out into the middle of the floor and it won’t go back between the cabinets. Between my 6′ 3″ friend and I, we tried real hard, but it wouldn’t go. There was a piece missing off the end of the (almost new) countertop beside it, too. I later found out that an electrician who had been called in to fix the supply wiring to the range while the house was up for sale, had had to cut the counter top in order to get the range out, it was glued in so thoroughly by grease and food-goo. The reason we couldn’t get it to go back in was that the second oven, the one at the top, wouldn’t fit between the upper cabinets (which had been cut years before to get it in, but not with enough clearance. Or maybe they were built around it originally and were cut to get it out. Whatever. There was no bottom shelf to the cabinet over the range.)

You can see from this that the kitchen is quite long – 16 feet. It’s a pity that the range and sink are, to my mind, the wrong way round: I want to move from prep at the sink, to cooking at the range, to serving into the dining room, all in the same direction. Not finish cooking at the far end near the back door!

Here’s the old range in all its glory. It had originally been harvest gold, but then painted white with flat latex paint, and the white was peeling off. It actually functioned quite well (I liked the eye-level oven), and it even came with all the parts to a rotisserie attachment, but it had to go. Off to a friend’s cabin it went.

I replaced it with a lightly used Kenmore self-cleaning convection range. I don’t mind the curly-wurly burners, they work just fine (and I hate the way things get baked on those smooth ceramic range tops) and I love the convection oven. AND it fits all the way back against the wall between the cabinets!

Next up: the weird lacy cabinet handles and the carpeted toekick!