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I am looking to revamp this dated looking kitchen a bit to make it look newer and more modern, Any suggestions for what you think I should do?
I dont want to do anything too drastic like changing all the cabinets.
I am open to painting the cabinets and changing the handles etc.
I particularly am looking into doing something about this benchtop as Its really bothering me.
I am debating between painting over it or replacing it with a laminate benchtop, Not sure what is better.
I also am not sure if i should paint the floor tiles and/or the splash back tiles. What do you guys recommended
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @kiwiqueen. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about renovating your kitchen.
Is the current benchtop stone or laminate? I haven't heard of any options for painting it if it's stone.
Your kitchen isn't particularly outdated, but it is a bit drab. It needs some life and possibly just a change up. What sort of style are you going for? If you were to provide some inspiration images of what you'd like to achieve, our members would be much better placed to advise on how you can get there.
There are heaps of kitchen renovation projects that our members have contributed. I'd encourage you to read through a few to understand what you can achieve. Our Top 10 most popular kitchen projects is an excellent place to start gathering inspiration.
Personally, I feel everything is just a bit too bland currently. I'd repaint the walls in a stark white to offset them from the cabinetry as they just kind of blend into it. Replace the stone with timber benchtops or something of a more current styling. Add an updated sink and tapware. Install a Venetian blind as, once again, the window is just kind of blending into the wall. Or, paint the window frame a different colour to the wall. Update the handles of the cupboards. I'd consider laying hybrid flooring for the floor instead of attempting to paint it. There are tonnes of splashback options, and many will go over the existing tiles. The 200mm tile is really dating the kitchen.
I'll be looking forward to seeing what you can achieve with this space. Please let us know if you have any questions, as our knowledgeable members are always willing to lend a hand.
Mitchell
Hi @kiwiqueen,
Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're pleased to have you join us and look forward to seeing how you can transform your kitchen (with a little bit of help and inspiration from the community).
I'll tag @EricL to see if he can share his thoughts on how he might go about tackling this renovation project.
I would also encourage you to check out this article - 10 kitchens transformed with paint - as it shows how you can achieve a significant makeover on even a very limited budget using paint.
Jason
Hello @kiwiqueen
It's great that you've received fantastic advice from @MitchellMc. There are literally dozens of options when it comes to revamping your kitchen. My colleague's question has me curious as well. Do you have a stone benchtop? If it is and you do want to replace it, there's always the option of re-selling it. You can then start thinking of what kind of elements you would like to put into your revamp.
- Most modern kitchens now have straight edge benchtops.
- Adding earth tones or timber finishes soften the look of kitchens.
- Matching your floor to the benchtop gives the whole area a unified look.
- There is always the option of changing the entire door set to new ones.
Changing the door set will require you to special order custom-sized panels from the store. I've placed below an example of what your kitchen might look like with the benchtop changed and the doors changed. Please have a good look and tell us what you think. Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the left-hand side of the kitchen? This will give us a better overall picture of the layout.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Wow!
Your layout is our house in 1989 - however your kitchen looks much, much better than ours did. 
When we finally upgraded in 2016 - we and Masters (God bless them) decided to rid ourselves of that 'breakfast stool bench' area and extend the bench/cupboards/drawers under the windows right to the end of the wall seen at far right of your top photo. Opened up the whole area and made more room for a dining table. Resulted in more bench space - as my wife loves baking.
We can show you before and after photos if interested.
Cheers!
Hi @Noyade
Let me tag @kiwiqueen to make them aware of your recommendation. That's actually a very good idea, however, you do lose a little bit of cabinetry if the little breakfast area is removed. You could make a free-standing island, on the condition that there is enough space to build one. It's an idea worth exploring.
Eric
Hi Eric!
"however, you do lose a little bit of cabinetry"
Yeah it's hard to tell from the photo - but I thought (or it looked) they had around 2 metres to play with?
This is how our corner turned out and we definitely got more bench top space - no regrets.
