So we just had our bathroom overhauled and at the same time got them to install a new laminate kitchen counter, sink and faucet...and outside of the blacksplash walls being almost 2" off square and going without a kitchen sink because they sized it wrong...for a week...was fairly smooth sailing.
I decided that since removing the countertop would ruin the first run of original backsplash tiles I would give it and the cupboards a facelift at the same time.
The uppers were painted with standard white melamine and I can't remember the color on the walls but is white with greyish-tint...not noticeable in the pics. We were thinking about another color for the walls but the only color we can think of is a taupe or pale yellow....the thing I do like about the white is that is really opens up an otherwise small and dark kitchen.
Behold the transition below :)
1. When we first moved in - YUCK!
2. After temporary "fixes" to make it useable: removed old push-button stovetop and non-functioning stainless steel wall double-oven replaced with standard range; painted backsplash, countertop, walls, dishwasher panel and cupboard handles, new vinyl black and white sticky tiles on floor
3. New countertop, sink, faucet, backsplash, window and painted out cupboard uppers in white and lowers in black with new handles (still need another coat on lowers and handles installed vertically...this weekend if I have the opportunity)
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I had the perlato etchings counter done in my last house and really liked it (can't remember which company makes it). Anyway at that time (4 years ago now) I went with Home Depot as they were the same price as everyone else and had the % off for first credit card purchase or some deal going on. NO complaints, it was a good job, done when they said it would be done.
Since then we had the boom (which has quieted a bit thank heavens) but HD pissed me off when I got this house (2 years ago) and they had changed their 'estimate' policies to not even giving a wild assed guess unless you hand over $150. Rona was the same pricing and didn't have that stupid condition and would still give a reasonable estimate right in the store without a hitch. You pay a measure charge when you decide to go with them which is pretty typical. I didn't find any real difference in prices when I checked smaller stores but Floform was recommended to me by a few people (again, same prices when I got a quote). Most places will carry those two lines so you really are checking on their reputations more than anything I think. Floform has bigger samples to see which is a good thing. those little ones can leave you a little surprised when you suddenly see a full sheet of some of their patterns.
HD and Rona also sell DIY of at least one colour of the etchings counters so if you know someone who can install for you. It's really reasonable that way but you need someone who knows what they are doing in corners especially but if you just have short straight runs of counter it wouldn't be that hard. IN that first house we realized the height of the standard backsplash roll part had changed so they had some fiddling to do to make up that .5" or so. That's when it's nice to have people who know what they are doing or I would have had to rip out the existing tile.
IKea also installs the same thing I think and I can't remember the prices there. Their installers are through one of the handyman networks. I had them do butcher block in this house since I couldn't get my dream copper and they were okay too although I had to arrange to have the countertops loaded into my car or delivered as their installers didn't do that part. That's something you don't have to even think about with other stores so it pays to ask.
One thing I discovered is you need to ask about removal (like take the old one away when they are done) , sink removal and install, and tap removal and install. Some places do it as part of the job, some charge extra, some don't do it at all. So that also affects price. When I had HD do it, they did everything as part of the price. When Ikea did mine, I had to pay about $100 extra to have the sink and taps put back.
Once you have your measurements and know which pattern and edge style you want it gets pretty easy to compare prices. Also check how long the wait is as they can get really busy this time of year and I think you'd be very lucky to get it done within a month. The closer they get to people wanting things done by Christmas, the longer it takes.
Thank you, DBD. I will do that. I am in Calgary too. I always read your postings, which are always informative.
I understand there are some local countertop companies that are carring those brand-name laminate products too and they are usually cheaper than HD and Rona. Do you have any recommendation on some local companies or suggest just stay with HD/Rona? Thanks.
Just jumping in but both the big laminate companies (Wilsonart and Formica) have very nice stone like laminates and depending on the length of your counter (they charge by the running foot) you could do it for under $1000. Call Home Depot or Rona and ask them what the laminates that look like stone cost installed (usually they have the 'etchings' finish) and that will give you a good idea.
I like your new countertop very much. It looks like stone, but you mentioned it's laminate. May I know the brand, color and finish? Do you think if a budget of $1000 would be ok with replacing a new laminate countertop? Thank you.
Everyone I talk to says not to paint the countertops. Did you paint them or replace them altogether?
Thanks!
Mary
The second picture shows the countertops painted and the 3rd and 4th picture they have been replaced. I had heard about not painting countertops as well, but we knew it to be a temporary solution until we could afford to have new ones put in.
I sanded them lightly and used melamine paint with sponge rollers. I think I had put on 2 coats and it stood up fairly well considering the wear a kitchen countertop gets, I think it was almost a full year before we started seeing small knicks and scratches from where we would forget to use a cutting board :)
I was really impressed with the paint job and would recommend it if you are in a crunch and want a change...just don't expect a long term solution :)
Hi there,
Everyone I talk to says not to paint the countertops. Did you paint them or replace them altogether?
Thanks!
Mary
Well I can't really take credit for the towel ring actually, it was there when we moved in but it is handy and attractive :)
thank you for sharing your kitchen....it really looks amazing :clapping: .....i hope mine can turn out even half as nice.....
smiles
janetc
I just wanted to post to say I took another look at your pictures and had a 'duh' moment. You know, one of those times when something strikes you that should have been obvious but just had never dawned on you before, and I'm glad I had it. It's the towel loop/circle thingie, hanging from the bottom of the cupboard. it just seems like such a good idea, and I've seen those towel holders before, but I never would have thought of putting it under the cupboard where it's handy. I just think 'wall or door' and go no further. Just goes to show, how good it is to see people's pictures and you never know what will provide an inspiration. Again, glad you posted your pictures.
A labour of love!!! Looks wonderful! What a change! A very nice kitchen!
Well done..........again amazing what paint will do!
Fantastic job on your kitchen. I love your backsplash & hardware!
I agree with dustbunnydiva, I would stick with your white paint. It's a classic look that you have now.
love everything
That is an amazing transformation!! Great job!! :clapping:
Just goes to show you that you don't need to spend a ton of money to make a huge change to a room. Some hard work and creativity and vision is all you really need :) Well, OK, and maybe a bit of money so you don't have to steal stuff from Home Depot ;)
I was actually thinking about maybe just making the hole taller. The cupboard on top of ours is actually in the bedroom behind the kitchen and I just use it for bed linens right now and could proabably adjust to being a little shorter.
Seems like a big job but the benefits would be truely beneficial. Will have to add to my long list of projects :)
And thanks again for the compliments, feels so good to know that others like it as much as I do :D
Love the kitchen. You did a great job at completely gorgifying it (I just made that word up because I can't think of a proper word to use at the moment). I even liked the temp version. it's so Nice (from the perspective of also having an old kitchen that is in the process of changing) to see what a big change DIY can make. Thanks for posting those pictures.
Those backsplash tiles really do look nice and I love the black and white cupboards, floors, curtains, well everything. As far as paint goes, this is totally against my normal grain, but I think you should stick with white. it just works with the kitchen and I have a feeling that unless you go with a very contemporary colour like a taupe or grey, you will end up with a more vintage or kitch look than maybe you want. With the white you have now it is absolutely timeless, has some fun while still being sophisticated, and I think I'd stick with that.
As for the fridge, I have a fridge in a hole in the wall too. When I moved in last year I wanted to replace the appliances and that darned hole was just too small for a decent sized fridge (it basicaly would only hold an apt sized unit). What I discovered was if I could go a couple of inches taller I wouldn't have to worry about the width as much and could get the sq ft I wanted. Also the new fridges require no clearance at all anymore so you can squeeze it right up against the walls now.
I have a cupboard above the hole for my fridge, so a friend of mine came over, ripped the doors off and smacked out the bottom shelf (now if I did that again, friend would not be called as all that needed doing was taking screws out to get doors off and I wouldn't be stuck trying to put smacked trim back up). Anyway getting those doors and shelf out of there made the room I needed without attacking the walls themselves. When I get around to it, I'll put the trim back, cut the doors down and cover what's left of that cupboard and no one will be the wiser. so check fridge sizes as you may find you are okay with some minor adaptations.
Great job- it looks like a new kitchen. I really like the black/white combination, looks so crisp and clean.
Gerri
Your kitchen looks amazing! So fresh and new! I love the black cupboards on the bottom with the white on the top.
And I hear you about the melamine.it's been 4 weeks since I started my kitchen makeover, and I feel like all I do is paint, wait, flip, paint, wait flip......
wow, what a change! Well done, looks great.
Thanks for the compliments :D
SueH...yes, those are the faux tin tiles from HD...in fact, I just saw the post in Fab Finds about them and was going to link this post to recount my experience with them. They were super easy to install and the one thing I did note was that they mention you can use either a utility knife or scissors or tin snips even to cut them...I totally recommend using scissors as it was much easier and faster than a utility knife. They also describe the tiles as 18x24, and if I had used that configuration I would have had to purchase 14 tiles, but I repositioned and installed them sideways (24x18) and saved over $100 by only having to use 9 tiles. Two edges of the tiles are designed to overlap but it is still possible by installing them from the lower left-hand corner.
As far as other recommendations, I would suggest using melamine paint on the cupboards as it is by far more resilient then regular latex paint and the finish comes out nice and smooth because of the unfortunate 16hrs of drying time...so just make sure you have lots of time to dedicate to applying, drying and recoating of them. But other than time consuming it wasn't that bad, I removed the doors and hardware, lightly sanded the doors and cabinets, filled holes and any other gouges and used a foam roller to apply two coats of paint.
Because of the pain involved in cleaning oil paint from brushes and paint trays, I just purchased the cheaper oil brushes, extra foam rollers and the thin paint trays so I could just throw them out after I was finished.
jan in van: Yes I'm sure I saved a ton of cash and luckily since we had just finished shelling out for an entire professional bathroom renovation (in essence just so I could get a new tub :P ). I still have more dreams for the kitchen but they will have to wait till the money saves up again :D I would love to remove the wall to the left of the microwave and open it up into a back extension room that overlooks our backyard which would bring in so much more light. Also our frig is "literally" in a hole in the wall across from the stove and that limits the size of the frig and what we can get to replace it so I'm still trying to figure out a solution for that because it's in desperate need of one that works better :D
WOW! That's amazing. Great work, you should be proud. :clapping:
Wow-you did a really great job! I love the look of your new kitchen. I think you made perfect choices for the cabinets especially-love the new hardware!
Well done! :applaud:
More than a pick me up - a major transformation. Job well done! It seems like you did it with a reasonable budget and lots of labour. Those black & white floor tiles are a classic, imo. The value of your house just went way up.
Your kitchen looks really good, huge transformation. I would like to paint my kitchen cupboards also, would you have any words of wisdom, like do's or don'ts? Love your floor tiles and your backsplash,
are those by any chance the faux tin tiles they're selling at Home Depot now?
looks great...I'm sure you saved a ton of cash by working with wht you had and it looks brand new. :) Great job!