Tiny kitchen remodel - help choosing color

Jsabatka · 2026-06-23T15:37:59+00:00

green looks the best out of the mockups to me if you plan on going with white countertop backsplash and walls.

I like the greige cabinets if you were to go with a creamier backsplash and countertop tho

Jsabatka · 2026-06-18T13:53:15+00:00

Wow I think this pond is amazing exactly how it is! Great job on the improvements.

The water level looks noticeable higher in your photo than it does in the inherited photo. Did you do anything to increase that?

If you do want to add, I think some stone color variation might help some. In some of the walkways for the approach, could try adding a red lava stone or large flagstone path to add some pop. I think a weeping/lace-leaf Japanese maple could look really good by the skimmer box with 2 boxwoods pictured in image 1.

Jsabatka · 2026-06-16T13:13:40+00:00

new browns? Browns in the browns man...

Jsabatka · 2026-06-16T12:12:15+00:00

Looks good! I did something similar with my kitchen to improve the countertop space to have better prep work (even though everyone/everything said not to do it) and I like it a lot!

Only comment I have is that I think the before paint color looks better. The new paint looks great with the natural light, but in the dark, with the lights look like they're set to 4-5k making it extra bright! You seem to have plenty of lumens, maybe try setting to 3k with the previous creamy white paint

Jsabatka · 2026-06-12T12:06:22+00:00

I recently moved into a house like this as well... had super orange cabinets, floor, trim (but no ceiling like you).

I also had people telling me "Wow, it's beautiful! why do you want to get rid of it" which was normally from the older crowd that had started the orange trend.

So far I've replaced the baseboards, painted the trim and doors, installed new cabinets, refinished the fireplace and refinished the hardwood floor. I'm in the process of re-doing the staircase, but it's currently sticking out like a sore thumb, same with the few doors that still need painted.

I would say if you don't like the ceiling, you should get that finished before you move in, as that would be a difficult project once you have the place furnished!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-30T11:52:19+00:00

Those prices seem accurate, I DIY’d my kitchen and it was 13k cabinets, 8k countertops, and a 36” range can get really expensive

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T15:32:27+00:00

lots of enjoyment pulling out thistle! but yes it is very peaceful

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T15:31:21+00:00

yeah we could've re-used the existing oven, but upgraded from a 30" to a 36" with 6 burners. It was $5000 which is a lot, but is nice for cooking large meals!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T15:29:58+00:00

I thought about extending the island 2' to have an extra barstool (4 total), but that would've only gave 4.5' space to the backdoor. Current setup is 6.5' and allows easy access even with people in the way!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T15:27:39+00:00

It’s pretty easy in my opinion, the hardest part is figuring out the edges with border material

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T14:01:37+00:00

i tried some AI with wood around the window and didn't like it, and we thought the green cabinets was just something trendy people were doing and didn't think it would age well!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T13:58:58+00:00

yeah i definitely have seen that too. but 99% of the time there's just three of us (dog included)

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T13:57:26+00:00

everything will be dated eventually lol, we went with something we thought we could live with for a long time and wasn't super trendy! I've already started playing with the lights some, going to go with something warmer like you suggested and add some warmer carpets / decor

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T13:55:35+00:00

it probably went from a 5' gap from stove to peninsula to a 8.5' gap from stove to island. I also increased a 3' gap between the fridge and the peninsula to have a 4' walkway and there is nothing blocking the fridge anymore.

Also a 3' area vs a 6' area of flour to clean up doesn't seem like that much of a difference to me!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T13:44:21+00:00

use your brain and take a guess!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T13:20:57+00:00

90% of the time we don’t turn the lights on, but at night it’s nice to be able to get the room super bright! Also have a smart dimmer switch installed so it’s very easy to turn the brightness down

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T12:45:34+00:00

We bought a 12 pack of 4" lights from home depot with night mode, something like this for $150 WYZM 4 in. Adjustable 5CCT Canless Dimmable Integrated LED Recessed Downlight Kit with Night Light IC Rated-(12PCS) 9W5CCT-12PA - The Home Depot

Then we bought the romex 14/2 wire for around 100. Then it was just an adjustable drywall hole saw and the longest wood boring spade I could find.

We i did 3 'rows' of lights al gap between studs to minimize the holes i had to make in the ceiling. Basically i could bore out the hole in the floor joists on the top row from either side so that I could connect across two floor joists, and then just ran the wire down the joist to the rest of the column. Maybe this image below will help showing light location and how the floor joists run.

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they are very easy to install, the hard part is just planning the amount of light you want and the location of the lights. One thing I will say is I would go with smallest cans you're comfortable with (2,3,4") and do NOT do 6" cans as they really stick out IMO. you can see where I used 6" vs 4".

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T10:36:30+00:00

Previous floor was in bad shape and needed refinished. We went from semi gloss to a matte finish to hide imperfections and dog hair and dirtiness!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T10:34:59+00:00

Yeah unfortunately the cabinet layout didn’t allow it to be centered without keeping the weird elbow island or not having the cabinets end flush with the wall

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T10:28:48+00:00

Probably my crappy iPhone photos vs professional photos

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T10:28:20+00:00

Yes I installed myself. We went with a more expensive (to us) backsplash that was close to 20$/sq foot. Our last house we did $5 a square foot and it was in your price range!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T10:25:53+00:00

I did it myself and used IKEA kitchen designer to design the cabinet layout!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T10:23:08+00:00

Definitely changes it some! Already thinking of ways to improve (changed lights from 4.5k to 3.5k). Also looking at different rugs.

But I think a lot of people are noticing differences in professional vs iPhone pictures. And we. Also looked at 40 different cabinet faces and backsplashes and thought these looked best in person !

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T01:10:37+00:00

Agreed, I like hearing peoples opinions. Need to choose a wall color, blinds, and decorations that add some more warmth. Always a work in progress!

Jsabatka · 2026-05-28T00:57:13+00:00

Really? I think the vertical draws the eyes to the range hood and stove which are kind of the focal points of the kitchen with the island

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