Thanks to a hearty tax refund, we are updating the kitchen post haste (partly for me, partly for resale- either way Hooray!). This week I will enlist your help in making some decisions that will help with resale, which shouldn't be too hard for y'all because I know how opinionated you are! See, I know what I like... but what I like is odd, so I don't want to do anything too crazy, I want it to look uber-great when it goes up for sale next year. So that is where you ladies come in!
First things first. Here is the kitchen.
It looks kinda patriotic now that I look at it, but it was never intended to be that way. I fell in love with my red KitchenAid and all my kitchen utensils/accents are red. And there was this insanely bright blue paint that I adored. So it went in the kitchen. But I digress. We need new counter tops, a new sink, new faucet and a new dishwasher.
My first question to you, dear readers, is this: MUST I repaint? Is the blue too much?
I really, really don't want to since it is less than 2 years old and frankly, I think it looks great with the white cabinets and honey floors. But be honest, do I have to bite the bullet?
Tomorrow: Counter tops!!!!
10 comments:
My thought is this. If you are going to put in new counter tops, sink, faucet, and dishwasher, you can keep the paint. You are doing the expensive stuff that will surely get noticed. If you love your blue, keep it. The new owners can repaint.
I really like the bright blue with the bright white below, white appliances and pretty floor. It's cheerful.
Have fun spending that tax refund!
My opinion is based on countless hours watching HGTV, especially my two favorites - Get It Sold and Designed to Sell. In this case, I think the designers on both of those shows would say "yes" to the need to repaint the walls. That color of blue, as awesome as I think it is, is probably too taste-specific. Unless the real estate market is in a boom near you, I would say yes to repainting.
BUT, there's no reason you have to repaint until you are going to put your house on the market. So if that's a long way off, save that project for later, and just make sure you pick everything else neutral / appealing to a wide range of buyers. :-D
I'm excited you want our opinions! The kitchen in the home I'm trying to sell TOTALLY needed a makeover, but there was never enough cash or ambition during the year I lived there to make it happen. *sigh* I shall live vicariously through you!
$.01: Love, love the blue.
$.02: What's the market like? We live in a house with lots of color on the walls too. One of my friends is a real estate agent and she told us painting was not imperative - unless it is truly hideous (think wall paper from the 70's sort of thing.) The paint can be a selling point for the right buyer and it can make a house stick in a potential buyers mind, if you are in a sellers market.
I say keep the paint but make new purchases neutral.
Oh and $.03 - I love the red KitchenAid!!! Mine's black...snooze...
I have a very similar blue in my kitchen and love it with the white appliances. But I also have a bright red dining room, celery green "formal" living room, and sunshine yellow "family" room all in the same open L-shape downstairs space. The way the furniture is arranged you really don't notice the other colors when using any one space but when you walk in the front door (next to the kitchen) you can actually glimpse all 4 at once. It overwhelms visitors for a moment but then they get used to it and until I sell, I don't really care. I love all the spaces as they are and the colors are so much more fun than the beige that covered 100% of the house when I moved in. When we bought the paint the guy actually asked if we were doing a circus theme for a kids room. Uh... nope. :-) My choices are odd too so don't feel you have to listen to me. I think it looks great as is! :-)
If you are sticking with white for the new dishwasher, sink and other appliances I think the blue works well.
I like the blue, and I didn't think it looked patriotic as much as it went with that cool print!
Are there cabinets for all the stuff on the fridge? Can you perhaps expand your workspace by putting either a butcher block or a cabinet with a counter top next to the stove? This would give you someplace to store all that stuff.
Sometimes you can go to cabinet outlets and find what you need. Just take the measurements, and install them yourselves or ask a handyman to do it. Countertops are expensive --and if you're thinking of selling, don't go overboard --especially in this market.
If I remember my last trip to a home improvement store correctly, you can get dishwashers and counter tops in blue, or w/hints of blue. I'm not sure how well the blue walls will go over w/potential owners, so neutral appliances and counter tops, or w/small hints of blue may work best. Good luck w/everything!
I'm biased toward distinctive colors (and I like the blue!), but then I'm not trying to sell a place right now. I'd probably chicken out and go with something a little more neutral -- but as Loqi points out, you could wait until later for that.
P.S. I killed my red Kitchenaid last Christmas, so I actually had a little twinge when I saw yours. Love the red appliances/accents.
As a former kitchen designer.. if you are going to be selling, repaint right before you leave. other than that, enjoy the colour.
Now... where are the cabinets?
I think the blue is pretty taste-specific, as someone already said, but you'll never pick a color that appeals to everyone unless you go with beige or white, which everyone more or less tolerates.
I've never owned a house, but I assume I would want to paint before moving in no matter what, so unless the colors are horrid, I'm not sure it matters that much.
My Kitchenaid is blue, so maybe I'm biased. :-)
I love the blue! And agree that painting can wait until you want to sell.
I wanted accent walls in a house of ours so I have two walls that are a lighter shade of green and the other walls are all ... I guess tan'ish. I mistakenly matched colors to a painting I have and then moved out. Haha Renters did ask if they could repaint so it was one solid color, which we said yes to, but they never did.
I have a red kitchenaid too!
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