What can I do with an ugly Kitchen?

Question

I have recently moved into a house that I love for it's size and most of its features but my kitchen is SOOOO ugly. The bad part is that it is also old so ripping up the countertop and pulling out the cabinets would really do more harm than good. Can I paint metal cabinets? Can I paint tile? And what do you do with and countertop that can not be removed and there is NO working with the colors? Can you apply something over it? I need lots of help.

Answer 1

Yes you can paint metal cabinets. Go to Home Depot or Lowes. Ask the people in the paint department the correct type of paint to use. What color are the countertops and tile. Let me know and I will help you with color. Our kitchen was ugly too. The house was built in 1958; the kitchen was remodeled in the 70's and was UGLY and dated. The cabinets are wood. We sanded and painted them white and they look great. The counter was ugly, but I could have lived with it; but not my husband wanted a new one. The backsplashed matched the countertop. We took it down (it was formica) and replaced it with beadboard. Very inexpensive. I have used a wallpaper that looks like tile. It could be used to cover the ugly walltile. So many things can be done without spending much money. I did my whole kitchen: countertops, beadboard, painted cabinets, hardware, sink, faucet and floor for under $800. I did a lot of shopping on ebay. for ideas go to www.hgtv.com. You can find so many neat ideas there If you email me more info and pics if possible, I would love to help you with ideas.
Good Luck
Kelli

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Answer 2

Hi, I painted metal cabinets in my kitchen that had already been painted before. I primed them and then painted them with latex semigloss using a roller. It worked really well. Then I put some new handles on them and it really made a difference in the look of my kitchen for not much money!
I also painted the tile on the backsplash in my kitchen. I bought a primer especially made for tile to put on first, and then painted it. It turned out very nice. Ask the person at the paint store what type of primer you need.
I have never painted a countertop although I have seen it done on HGTV. It is a multi-step process. Here is a temporary cheap fix I saw on TV for ugly countertops: Get a piece of plexiglass cut to the size of your countertop. Paint the back of it whatever color you want to use. Then put the painted side down on top of your existing countertop. Put a screw in each corner to hold it in place OR buy some wood or metal countertop edging to hold it in place. Or below is a site with instructions for installing a laminate countertop.
To spruce up your floors, you could use the peel and stick tile. Be sure to start in the center of the room and work your way out. It's very easy and fairly inexpensive.
Don't forget to paint the walls and put up fresh new curtains or miniblinds. You will have a brand new room before you know it.

Answer 3

Here are some beginning suggestions:

Yes you can paint metal cabinets. But they will need to be sanded down, primed, and spray-painted. Brush-on paint will look terrible.

I'm not certain why you would want to paint tile, except that the color doesn't please you. This is not a good idea unless it is done absolutely correctly. There are epoxy paints that you can use to cover tile. Their drawbacks are that they are toxic, smelly, complicated to prep, mix, and apply, and when you're done, you have a tiled surface that is one solid color.

There are overlays for countertops, so that you do not have to remove the old countertop.

If you are going to do this yourself, you must start studying kitchen remodeling. Look at lots of magazine pictures, and you need to read books and websites to learn techniques that will work for your space. This is all you can do, other than to hire somebody to do it for you. Of course, if you have a friend who has done this, they might (key word: might) be able to give you good advice.

Do your homework, and undertake your projects carefully and one-at-a-time, as it sounds like you haven't done this before. If you or somebody else in your home is a sloppy or careless worker, you don't want them doing projects like this on their own, or else you will have 2nd or 3rd rate results that you will have to put up with forever (or until you tear the whole kitchen out).

I will leave it to you to find good websites and books, because the only way you will get good at this is by hunting for resources. Go to your library. Also talk to the people at your local home-improvement center and ask them what books they would consult.

Best wishes with your new kitchen.

Answer 4

I don't understand how gutting the kitchen will do more harm than good. The kitchen is not holding up the house but it is surely holding up your enjoyment of it. You can paint just about anything but I think it will look like an ugly kitchen with new paint.
Tear it out, your house will appreciate in value at least the amount of the cost of the reno. Leave it ugly to motivate you to save and budget for it and then have some fun ripping it out.

Answer 5

Yes, you can paint tile! As for the countertop, try contacting a local construction company for a "mini remodel." There should be one near you who offers countertop refacing. Good luck with your project!

Answer 6

u can clean or put new tiles and paintthe walls as per ur choise and have a separate place 4 utensils

Answer 7

Anything is possible w/ proper priming, etc. However, why can't it be ripped out? As said, anything is possible. If it was put in, it will come out.

Answer 8

Sounds like you need to gut it and start from scratch.

Deliver pizzas until you save enough to do it. It will be worth it.

Answer 9

Write to those makeover people!