NEW APARTMENT WHERE DO I START

Blossom826 · 2025-04-28T01:38:46+00:00

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We are moving into a 2 bed/2 bath condo. We want to paint the entire apartment ballet white. We need area rugs on 75% of the floors. Not sure about furniture but we like very clean simple mid-century modern, (think West Elm.) The small open kitchen has black quartz counters, (hate them, HELP!), white marble backsplash (hate) and oak cabinets, yuk! How do I pull it together with this awful kitchen, particularly the black counters and white back splash?

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Comments

DanielaAraya

Don't panic! You just have to put your personal touch and infuse personality in the space 💛 What is it about the floors that you don't like? They're quite beautiful, but I could see how this dark wood + the grey walls + black countertops + orange wood cabinets could make you feel icky. Are you looking for renter-friendly solutions? I would start by adding contact paper to the countertops. It's simple to install and remove, and it will instantly brighten up the kitchen. The white paint you plan to use in the house will too! Is the backsplash smooth enough for you to do peel and stick tiles over? I'd start there and see how the kitchen feels to you. Changing out the hardware will also give the kitchen personality. If you really aren't vibing with the cabinets by then, you can decide what to do next. But I'd take it step by step!

Blossom826

Hi Daniela: Thanks for the response!!!! We are purchasing the apartment so we don't have to do a "facelift." We're doing the full body surgery, LOL. I don't want to do anything "peel/stick." I'm looking more for permanent solutions and since it is an open kitchen/living room layout, I want to coordinate both areas. I will change the hardware on the cabinets but what color to refinish? The living room will be midcentury modern, no coffee table, no heavy furniture. Splashes of color will be done with throw pillows and where the wine bottles are hung I will hang 4 bright yellow plates that were a gift from my beloved sister-in-law. I can live with the floor but what color area rug do you suggest? Thanks again for the advice. I really need the help!!!!!

barbara8962

OMG! It’s not the end of the world. How about being thankful for what you have. Take a breath and think this through.

sue4773

No accounting for tastes. I love the kitchen. It looks clean and full of light. Even though the counters are dark the lighting balances it out. It also looks like a great place to cook. Convenient. Sorry, I have nothing to add.

Shelly

Think about white countertops and very pale yellow or apricot on the walls. I know you said white paint but a warm color would bring together the cabinets and floors. Then you would not have to paint the cabinets. If you are committed to white walls and hate the cabinet color consider painting them a sage green that would complement the floors. I am adding photos but you can only see a tiny bit of the countertop and cupboard in the after picture.

Blossom826

I am VERY thankful barbara8962….my questions about design are because I don't have the talent/gifts to do home decor. So I ask the experts!!!

Blossom826

Yes Sue, no accounting for personal tastes. We are coming from a beach community and I loved our bright, sun filled apartment. I'm not going to recreate that here but I do tend to lean to neutral shades with pops of color. Just missing that in the design of this particular kitchen. That's MY personal taste.

Blossom826

Thanks Shelly. Love the green pop of color of the "coffee table." Also the forsythia at the entrance!

Zephy

This is an attractive apartment, from the picture! Taking a cue from the bright yellow plates you mentioned, I would try to find other colors that go nicely with yellow and use yellow as an accent in the LR area too. I personally like honey-brown kitchen cabinets (I seem to be the only one), but they might not go so well with bright yellow, depending on the shade. You could refinish the cabinets in a wood tone to match the MCM wood furniture you're going to have, or match the current floors, or do a limed or pickled oak finish (which puts a white wash over the wood and neutralizes the orange, makes it more a taupe color). Or just paint them in any color you like! For the LR, yellow goes nicely with blue or with green. For MCM, a common color scheme is avocado green, light wood, rattan, and yellow accents. Yellow and blue is always cheery. I also like soft gray and white with yellow, wood, and some black accents — very elegant. I'm not a fan of black counters or marble backsplashes either, but if you don't want to cover them up (I'm with you on that!), then you have to replace them, which of course is a bigger job. Keep us posted — it'll be interesting to see what you decide to do!

lillysomethingsx

I always suggest redesigning the space in 3d when I see questions like this. It really helps visualize everything so much better and you actually get new ideas while you are in the process.

As for the specific suggestions, I really liked some ideas from @Zephy and @Shelly like the white countertop and refinishing the cabinets in pickled oak.

Hope this helps!

Blossom826

Zephyr…thank you for the reply and very helpful suggestions. I'd forgotten about avocado green which I think would be a pop of color in the living room. The couches will be a shade of cafe au last, (only description I could think of,) so an avocado green chair in the LR might work. I'm leaning to replacing the countertops, I dislike them that much and I don't see how I can make them work with the LR. .. but first I need an estimate. Grateful for your input!!

Zephy

Happy to help! I'm no designer, but I love to think about colors. Good luck!

DanielaAraya

Full body surgery made me laugh 😂 well congrats on the big purchase! How exciting. I do see a lot of MCM kitchens with this color cabinet, but I think whether or not you keep them depends on your tolerance to the wood. The thing about color is that your perception of it can change based on the other colors a shade is surrounded by, so I bet painting your walls and changing the countertops would make a big difference. What is your gut reaction to something like this? Orangey wood grain but with a brighter countertop

Blossom826

Hi Lillysomethingsx: I like your suggestionregading the use of 3D technology. Is there a service or other source that will create this? Thanks!

Blossom826

Hi Daniela: I'm coming around to accepting the color of the cabinets and updating the hardware in addition to changing the countertops. The suggestions here have been very helpful!!!Thank you!