Kitchen needs a refresh!

8 years ago

Our budget for the kitchen is very limited, so as much as I'd love to start again with a blank canvas, this is what I'm working with. How can I make it feel a bit more bright and breezy? Is it possible to retain a country feel at the same time? The walls are currently a very light turquoise/aqua.

Any suggestions as to what I could do with the gap by the side of the washing machine?

In an ideal world, I'd like to get rid of the dresser, which frequently turns into a dumping ground, and replace it with some sort of table, but I don't think there's room for anything bigger than the bar stools and tall table that the previous owners had (see last photo).

Any suggestions gratefully received!! Thanks

Featured Answer

Carolina

8 years ago

Alternatively, and since you want a country feel in the kitchen, you could put a curtain in front of the gap next to the washing machine and have one (or hopefully two will fit next to each other) storage cart there. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/bathroom-storage/molger-trolley-birch-art-20241409/

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/search/?k=Kitchen%20trolleys

Shelves above, as colourhappy said. Or simply hang a couple of simple white kitchen cupboards there (Ikea is a great source for those too).

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Comments (21)

PRO
SUN STUDIO.London - Glassworks and Prints
8 years ago
Hi Mel,

Have you thought about new worktops or splashback?
Mel B
Original Author
8 years ago
The worktops are granite and I'm not sure I'll get my husband to agree to replacing them unfortunately! I agree that if I could trade the black tops for something lighter that this would make a huge difference - the black is a devil to keep clean, it always looks smeared with kiddies' fingerprints on the front edge!
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Sorry no, that would mean knocking down walls and etc and will overcapitalise in the future. I like the floor plan as is. I would prefer to change the windows into a French door have a L shape kitchen and then can fit an island with a hob. I can also have tall units and i won't need to move the sink too far. A full kitchen reno would be in 3 years and right now need a budget refresh kitchen makeover....
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Jemma Todd
8 years ago
I think the bones of the kitchen are great, if it was mine I would use a professional company to spray paint the kitchen in a colour of your choice, hang a replacement door on the open cupboard. Hopefully you could then transfer some of the clutter from the sideboard which I think ins lovely and adds character to your room. I will try to find links to some of the companies I've seen offering this service.
Mel B thanked Jemma Todd
Juliet Docherty
8 years ago
Ideally the area where the washing machine is needs the most attention. You could remove the top and get somebody to install carcasses for an integrated machine and cupboard next to it that would be a big improvement. You would have to sell your machine and buy an integrated one and then re install the top. I would then shelve that area and remove as much stuff as possible from the dresser and then decide if you can lose it.
Mel B thanked Juliet Docherty
PRO
SUN STUDIO.London - Glassworks and Prints
8 years ago
Mel B, no worries, let us know if you need anything.
I hope these arguments will help you to convince your husband, 25% discount for worktops and splashbacks bought together :))

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:))
Mel B thanked SUN STUDIO.London - Glassworks and Prints
E D
8 years ago
Excellent suggestion from Carolina!

I'm sure those curtains would work really well with your dresser's look. Since the country look is what you want to go for (and why not?) I wouldn't ditch the dresser, but perhaps look at a more appealing seating arrangement.
Mel B thanked E D
joannemorrison99
8 years ago
Could the washing machine go under your kitchen sink on the left? I see you have a dish washer on the right. Then could you get rid of the desk/chair,. Move the dresser to the centre of that wall and have a small round kitchen table in the corner near the side door.
Mel B thanked joannemorrison99
joannemorrison99
8 years ago
Just to add,. I like the openness of the washing machine corner. It's a bright space near the window from the door. I wouldn't personally want to see the walls in that corner filled with cupboards or shelves as currently it looks a nice bright space. If nothing else just add the curtain / door next to the washing machine to hide the clutter and free up the space around the dresser by removing the desk/chair.
Mel B thanked joannemorrison99
Carolina
8 years ago
Have you tried turning the desk around, with the short side against the wall, to see if you'll have enough space/it's not in the way? I'm guessing you have about 200 cm between wall and counter? Bit difficult to judge from the pics.

If you need the dresser for storage, you could perhaps remove the top part so it has less visual impact. Hang a couple of pretty pics above, or a notice/chalk board.
Mel B thanked Carolina
PRO
User
8 years ago
I think the biggest improvement could be the Utility area. I'd make that in to a cupboard. Pain the dresser to match your bright turquoise table.
Update the flooring??

Add in turquoise acrylic or tile to under the units and around the sink. Glass would be great, but a lot more expensive.
Mel B thanked User
E D
8 years ago
Am I correct in thinking the turquoise breakfast set is no longer in the house?
Mel B thanked E D
PRO
User
8 years ago
Any room for the washing machine under the sink??
Mel B thanked User
Mel B
Original Author
8 years ago
Wow, so many brilliant ideas! Thank you everyone, I knew you'd come up with things I hadn't even thought of.

The area around the washing machine is definitely going to need to be the priority. It looks awful and doesn't really serve any purpose. I like the idea of boxing in the 'utility area' into a cupboard, and will investigate this as a longer term option. In the meantime a curtain across next to the washing machine will be an inexpensive solution. I will contact the kitchen supplier and find out about integrated appliances and cupboard doors, and will also investigate the possibility of moving the washing machine to the other end of the kitchen, although unfortunately I don't think there is enough width to be able to do this whilst avoiding the bowl of the sink. Ultimately, I would like to move the washing machine into the garage and remove the worktop in that area, which might give us enough room for a small table and chairs.

The current table and chair was loaned to us to see how much we used it and whether it works in the space that we have. The children don't use it for homework as I had hoped! I think I'm the only one who has used the table, and I've only used it a couple of times, so perhaps I could do without it altogether.

E D - yes, you're correct. The breakfast set is no longer there, I just included the photo to give an idea of the seating that the previous owners had, and to give more of an idea of scale.

Carolina - yes, I've opened the table out into a square and there was enough room to get around the kitchen still, but I don't think I'd want to use that much space for a permanent arrangement. I really like your idea of removing the top half of the dresser and retaining the storage at the bottom, with some pictures on the wall behind it. Although it looks like a lovely big kitchen, it really is limited in terms of cupboard space (either that, or I have way too much stuff)!

Thank you again for all your ideas, it's helped to open my eyes to some more options that I would never have thought of. I will come back and update when we've decided what to do.
Mel B
Original Author
8 years ago
Just had a thought.... to the right of the drawers there is an undercounter fridge, and to the left of the drawers, an undercounter freezer. Neither is really big enough for our family of four, and we end up trekking out to the garage to get drinks etc.

What about putting the washing machine to the right of the drawers, take out the freezer and replace it with a cupboard (which would probably house most stuff from the dresser unit, if I had a bit of a clear out) and then put an american fridge freezer at the other end, where the washing machine is? Or would that be too far away from the 'main' part of the kitchen? I'm not sure how to photoshop, so I can't see what it would look like in a picture! If all the stuff from the dresser unit were to fit in the new cupboard, I could even lose the dresser altogether.
Juliet Docherty
8 years ago
That sounds like a great idea. Those American fridges are so huge and deep so if you have an alcove to put it in then that's the best solution. Good luck.
Mel B thanked Juliet Docherty
Mel B
Original Author
8 years ago
It's only set back about 40cm or so, but it currently accommodates the depth of the washing machine, so I shouldn't imagine a big fridge freezer being any deeper than that.

Although this would mean having to buy the fridge freezer, the benefits would be that the appliance would be at a more accessible height, and we would be able to store everything in the kitchen. We would no longer need the dresser unit for storage, so we could open up the space where that is, which would compensate for the loss of space where the washing machine is currently.

Now I need to find somebody 'in the know' who might be able to tell me if it is possible to put a washing machine to the right of the drawer unit... I'm rubbish at the technical aspect of these things!
PRO
User
8 years ago
Like the idea about shuffling the cupboards and getting the Fridge Freezer. If you were to be able to do without the dresser and the seating area, the American Fridge Freezer could go in that space.

If you could move the washing machine though ( maybe to the garage ), then you will free up that corner and still be able to have a good seating area.
Carolina
8 years ago
Sounds like a plan indeed. I've had an American style fridge freezer for years, have an integrated full height fridge and full height freezer now and they provide way more storage and are less deep. So that might be a thing to consider too. And even if you can't get the same cabinets anymore, you could just house them in different cabinets. I think that that will look good.

Example of different cabinets in a kitchen:

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PRO
J.N.Rusticus
8 years ago
hey Mel B, something as simple as replacing the bar stools could give the kitchen a new look. check out our range.

https://www.jnrusticus.com/furniture-c1/rustic-seating-c4

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Mel B
Original Author
8 years ago
That's an interesting idea, Carolina. The 'utility area' is completely separate from the rest of the kitchen, so perhaps a different colour /style of unit would work well if we were to go for something a little less expensive than the current units - I had a quote about a year ago from the original supplier and my eyes watered at the price of two additional wall units to go over the space where the washing machine is. It put me off so much that this is the first time I've given any thought to the kitchen since!

Isn't it amazing how a few suggestions from other people can open up a whole lot of new ideas? Thank you again everyone.