Kitchen makeover!

Michelle
by Michelle
We just bought this home, and first on my agenda is a kitchen update on a budget. The mauve countertops have got to go!!! :) I need some ideas!
I planned on painting the cabinets and distressing them with a off white paint and darker glaze. My kitchen sink is my biggest hurdle. It is a very nice soapstone 3 basin sink that I really like. Problem is....wrong color scheme for me. Its a light grey with specks of black, burgundy, & white. Any suggestions for cabinet and countertop painting ideas that would work well with this sink. I hate to replace it, and really can't afford to at this time. And I should also mention that the family room is right off this room in view, and my couches are a beige and sage green. :)
  14 answers
  • Carla Carla on Aug 10, 2015
    Have heard the Rustoleum countertop transformation really works well.
  • Sugardner Sugardner on Aug 10, 2015
    Just under your question (on my screen) was someone else asking what colors to go with sage green (like your couch which can be seen from the kitchen). These are two answers to her question in case you didn't see them: Sharon SmithWhite Cloud, MII have sage green in my area rug and other comfy things in our living room. I went with earth tones, browns, oranges (not bright, more burnt), wine and cream.... JacalynClearwater, FLI think Sharon's onto something. i like the wine and cream idea. So maybe you can pull out the burgundy (wine) color from your sink along with the off white of the cabinets for your color scheme. Add some wine colored accents in the family room. Light colored counter tops and back splash.
  • Cornelia Schott Cornelia Schott on Aug 10, 2015
    Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for painting countertops or cabinets. However, I do see lots of opportunity with your kitchen when it comes to redecorating on a budget. Your kitchen has lots of natural light. I like the HGTV swatch charts for color combinations you can find at Sherwin Williams. You can look for sage and see what corresponding colors go with your color scheme. Many people who use this site have posted their experience using Rustoleum countertop transformation. Buy yourself a mouse sander and sand your cabinets prior to painting. Good luck! Your kitchen will look beautiful!
  • EdiLeck EdiLeck on Aug 10, 2015
    The first thing I would do is muster up all the patience I could find! Then I would take a good clear photo of the sink (like the one you posted) and take it to the 'counter top store' and spend some time talking to the sales people and comparing different counter tops to find one that looks best with the photo. Maybe bring home some samples to 'live with' for awhile. I think I would also paint the cabinets first so I would have one more piece of the puzzle to use to help pick the final piece! Paint is easy to change if you don't like it. I wouldn't rush into purchasing something that was just OK. If you can't find something that fits, you could also consider selling your current sink and using that cash to help get something you really like!
  • Chris aka monkey Chris aka monkey on Aug 10, 2015
    @Michelle can you change your color scheme a little and do the bottom cabinets in the gray that is in the sink? painting them that color will help tone down the mauve and you can paint the counter tops there are a ton of tuts on here with many options including black chalk paint and rustoleums stuff and lots more just type counter top painting in the search box, your kitchen is huge and i love all the light xx
  • Lynda Dexter Lynda Dexter on Aug 11, 2015
    Pinterest has many many solutions to painting counter tops, And yes Rustoleum has great counter kits . I used it and it has lasted 6 years so far. I think doing a dark counter top (black with speckles of grey) that brings in the colors in the sink as well as your appliances. Then doing the cabinets in a distressed light grey add some accents in sage green, which goes well with both colors. That will tie both rooms together.
  • Barbara Barbara on Aug 11, 2015
    When we bought our home 3 1/2 years ago the only room I hated was the kitchen. I really disliked the black countertops but because they were new and we couldn't afford a major kitchen overhaul (in mid winter two weeks before Christmas). Since then we've painted the walls a barely there blue, sanded, sanded and sanded the cabinetry and remade the kitchen into our 'farmhouse' style we love. The black countertops are now the star of this kitchen with black knobs and drawer pulls, an old black wired lantern for our 'chandelier' and an over sink black wall lamp. We went with a pure white cabinetry to make the iron handles pop and tie it into the countertops. Now the kitchen is one of my favorite rooms. Go with colors you love that are compatible with your living/family room. We got rid of the dusty sage green in our kitchen because the darker color made our kitchen feel dark and dingy. Lighter colors reflect light and makes the room feel larger.
  • Dina Dina on Aug 11, 2015
    Hi Michelle, First, let me say "Congratulations & Welcome Home" !! I too just bought/moved in April, it's exciting & fun sucking all at the same time! It's amazing how we have such "selective vision" of the house during the purchase/inspection process. Your home is going to be amazing, 1st; your sink is amazing and once you get the mauve countertops away from it you will see it in a whole new light- you have a lot of options, if granite is something you love, go visit 1 or 3 of the closest to you, the have pieces or discontinued colors they would surely give you an exceptional deal on. Also, it seems from your beige/sage youight be a bit rustic, I would go with your current thought for your cabinets, only use a brighter shade of white, the antiquing glaze you use will bring it down to a comfortable notch. Check out one of my fav blogs akadesign.ca/Shannon Acheson (check out "how not to paint kitchen cabinets") (I wish I lived closer, I would love to help) Hope this helps a bit!! All the best from Michigan!
  • KKAbsherwrites KKAbsherwrites on Aug 11, 2015
    Giani granite has a gray slate countertop kit or even the white diamond kit would look good. Bloggers say it holds up well and easy once you watch the DVD. This would play up the colors in the sink and be more modern than mauve without highlighting the burgundy in the sink.
  • Carole Carole on Aug 11, 2015
    I am with the others here that say keep the sink and just pick out another colour or colours in the speckles and accentuate those and that will tone down the pink. You will soon forget it was ever there if you accentuate the black/grey by using those colours in your counter tops. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you will post here your progress. Would love to see it. What a great size kitchen to play with. So many options! Have fun!
  • Gail Gail on Aug 11, 2015
    When I bought my old house a year ago it had the same color countertops. I jokingly referred to them as my Zinfindel countertops. I painted them to look like black soapstone. This color will work with your sink, too!
  • Kayo Frazier Kayo Frazier on Aug 13, 2015
    Here's my 2 cents...Not sure if it's possible on your sink, it might not be the right material. That said, you can re-glaze the sink to a basic white until you can get a replacement. Not sure if this can be a DIY or a professional needs to do it. The prices I've seen are anywhere from $250-500 depending on what you are doing. For the sink it might a lot less. Worth checking out. For the counters...You could go for stainless steel or butcher block both are relatively cheap. For the island...You can raise it so that it is counter height it looks like it's a little low. For the island...You could make 1/2 of it butcher block & the other 1/2 copper for your baking needs. For the cabinets...I would go w/ white for the uppers and a charcoal grey for the lower cabinets including the island. Hope this helps
  • Suzanne Zaher Suzanne Zaher on Dec 04, 2015
    Just an FYI regarding the gray sink. Rubbing on mineral oil to soapstone makes it darker. We put in soapstone counters and love them.
  • Country Design Home Country Design Home on Dec 05, 2015
    Hi Michelle! What a great kitchen- so much space- lucky you! I had those exact same pink countertops years ago-ugh. They didn't have countertop paint back in the "old days"- lol, so I just had to live with them until I could replace them. But we recently painted my daughter's with a Rustoleum countertop paint and it came out great-looked like poured concrete. From my blog post: http://countrydesignhome.com/2013/01/18/a-counter-effect/