Kitchens

[John Terefenko]

Kitchens. Being I am asking these questions why not add one more and will keep it separate from the painting rooms one. What does everyone do with the kitchen walls?? Do you paint them or wall paper?? Right now mine are wall paper but that all comes out. The cabinets will be a light colored tan wood. Also what about floor covering in Kitchen. Imitation wood or imitation tile. Basically 2 walls showing. Thanks.

[Brian Deakin]

I live in the Uk but the same thought process would apply

Walls
In the Uk you are able to purchase paints in a number of different finishes eg, Matt, Flat matt, silk ,vinyl silk

If your walls are uneven then a flat matt finish will help hide any imperfections as the finish reflects less light Conversely silk and vinyl silk reflect more light but will amplify any imperfections

One finish available in the Uk is called Diamond matt This is a paint is 10 times harder than ordinary emulsion and is wipeable so it is more suited to Kitchens and high traffic areas of the house where there is a greater likelihood of the walls becoming marked

Floors
The main issue I found here is wood and laminate finishes get scuff marks over time The best approach is to speak to friends or look at the types of flooring used in shops and pubic places

[Lisa Starr]

John, Most people would probably consider wallpaper a "dated" look, but the right paper might still look nice. What about your backsplash area? . That takes tons of abuse. Ceramic tile is durable, but tends to make a busier look. If the walls are smooth enough, you can consider laminate for your backsplash? Some paints are durable enough for that area as well, but make sure they are labeled as scrub-able. Depending on your tastes, natural light in the room and colors throughout the house, you can do a bit of color on the walls. Most people will tell you to chose your cabinets, then countertops, then backsplash, then flooring and then finally paint. This is basically because paint is available in infinitely more colors and thus easier to find one that looks good with your other choices. Consider reading "Kitchen Discussions" in the Gardenweb portion of Houzz. There are literally 1000s of posts and photos showing how people did their kitchens and the outcomes. Don't let the over-the-top kitchens that cost more than my home scare you. There is lots of really good info there.

[Matt Day]

Please don’t use wallpaper, unless it’s an accent wall or something. Paint it, white or grey if you want it up to date. Anything else will look old.
I’ll be installing LVT over my dated ceramic tile.

[Frank Pratt]

After papering the main living areas of a house & then having to strip & paint said house several years later, I decided that I would never do that to myself again. Nothing gets dated looking faster than wall paper & it's so much work to remove & clean up.

[Robert Engel]

We had our ceramic tile floor replaced with waterproof vinyl.

Its a matter of taste, but I would not put wallpaper in a kitchen.

[Jim Becker]

Paint. I'm not fond of wall paper, honestly, but that's a subjective thing. For paint, just be sure to use something that's scrubbable, such as SW Emerald or BM Aura. Splatters happen... (and yes that includes the ceiling...DAMHIKT!)

[John Terefenko]

John, Most people would probably consider wallpaper a "dated" look, but the right paper might still look nice. What about your backsplash area? . That takes tons of abuse. Ceramic tile is durable, but tends to make a busier look. If the walls are smooth enough, you can consider laminate for your backsplash? Some paints are durable enough for that area as well, but make sure they are labeled as scrub-able. Depending on your tastes, natural light in the room and colors throughout the house, you can do a bit of color on the walls. Most people will tell you to chose your cabinets, then countertops, then backsplash, then flooring and then finally paint. This is basically because paint is available in infinitely more colors and thus easier to find one that looks good with your other choices. Consider reading "Kitchen Discussions" in the Gardenweb portion of Houzz. There are literally 1000s of posts and photos showing how people did their kitchens and the outcomes. Don't let the over-the-top kitchens that cost more than my home scare you. There is lots of really good info there.

Great info thanks

[John Terefenko]

Yes there is wallpaper on the walls now and I think from steam and heat from oven it has rolled the seams back so paper is out. The other thought I had was wainscoting and paint on top. Kicking that one around. Also ceramic tile on floors is out it will be a vinyl product or laminate. Tile backspalsh.

Another question has come up. My current cabinets have about a 10" or 12" blank space on top. Should I go with cabinets that go all the way to ceiling or just keep space on top. I can not reach much higher than what cabinets are at now. The space is sheetrocked and has that same ugly wall paper on it. What is the trend today. ?? Thanks again everyone this is a huge help.

[Jim Becker]

John, for your uppers, there's an advantage to going all the way up in that it does provide additional storage space (usually and extra shelf worth), even though it might require a step stool occasionally if you need to get to "that thing" that is stored and not used very often. If you don't go all the way up, unless you have a specific display thing planned, put in a soffit so the tops of the cabinets are not just dust collectors. One other suggestion...give serious consideration to deeper upper cabinets. I did that here in this property and it's been wonderful. Even the 12" "chargers" I use for special meals fit in flat-stacked. The home we are buying has the more traditional 12" cabinets so that's going to take some getting used to...we're spoiled.

[Dave Seng]

Splatters happen... (and yes that includes the ceiling...DAMHIKT!)

Yeah - I did hot soup in the blender exactly once. (there's that "little" expansion rate of steam issue) Then I bought an immersion blender.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Yeah - I did hot soup in the blender exactly once. (there's that "little" expansion rate of steam issue) Then I bought an immersion blender.

Did you know that if you drop a large pot with 10+ lbs of mashed potatoes in it, and it hits the floor perfectly flat, there can be a bit of hydraulic magic? Best description I know of is a 'potato cannon' - and no, I'm not talking some pneumatic raw potato sissy gun. This is a man's cannon! Ceilings are no match for it.

[Stan Calow]

After the painful experience of removing wallpaper from a bedroom, I would never choose to use it again. Floors: we have an oak kitchen floor, and while wood is warmer and more resilient than tile, I would prefer tile or even a high grade vinyl. Wood looks nice, but in a kitchen there are inevitably spills and leaks that can cause warping. Our dishwasher, for example, leaked enough to damage the floor around it for several square feet. Water slops from the sink, dog bowl, etc. And then there are the scratches from pets.

[Frank Pratt]

Did you know that if you drop a large pot with 10+ lbs of mashed potatoes in it, and it hits the floor perfectly flat, there can be a bit of hydraulic magic? Best description I know of is a 'potato cannon' - and no, I'm not talking some pneumatic raw potato sissy gun. This is a man's cannon! Ceilings are no match for it.

Haha! Same with a bottle of ketchup. And that stuff is hell to get off a popcorn texture ceiling :(

[Jim Becker]

Haha! Same with a bottle of ketchup. And that stuff is hell to get off a popcorn texture ceiling :(
And painting over it is equally "fun"....

----
I'm about to have to deal with old wallpaper in one area of our house that has to come down before painting. It's a thankless, messy task. And even the very best wall paper application eventually can have issues. Paint is so much easier to renew.

[John Terefenko]

Let me add another question to my kitchen thread. What is a good counter top material used these days. There is no center island. Just wall area.

[Mel Fulks]

I love good wall paper ,especially the “fantasy flower” patterns of 18th and early 19th century. But it’s too beautiful and expensive to
allow it to be used in the kitchens of those of us who like fried food. Never looked thru the patterns of the vinyl stuff. If I saw a good one
then I would say “vinyl wall covering in a kitchen is good !
I like the idea of having one wall with no furniture,stove ,sink, or fridge; that could be hung with a custom mural . Having one for each
season would be even better.

[Dave Seng]

For MY money, the best value is still regular old "Formica" (aka laminate). There are tons of colors and patterns and the stuff can last for 20-30 years. My current kitchen has Corian - great stuff, but definitely more expensive. The nice thing about solid surface materials is that you can have an undermount sink (among other benefits). My personal favorite is soapstone - relatively easy to DIY and it looks and feels great, but you have to accept that it will acquire a patina of use over the years.

[Warren Lake]

soap stone might look good but I had a guy say they had it some years and ripped it out, then a real estate said the same. Id do some research before using that, I do like the look.

[Dave Seng]

Warren,

I agree that soapstone isn't necessarily for everyone. I installed soapstone counters in the kitchen and one bathroom in my last home. There are different types of soapstone with different colors and characteristics, just like other natural stone counter materials. And it can require more maintenance and care than most other counter top materials. But the look and feel...just fantastic.
453532

[Jim Becker]

Let me add another question to my kitchen thread. What is a good counter top material used these days. There is no center island. Just wall area.

In our current home, we have soapstone in the kitchen and honed/antiqued granite for surfaces in our addition. (master bath, guest bath, wetbar) The new-to-us house has "shiny" granite. Aside from the fact that soapstone can get damaged and needs periodic maintenance, I really love the surface...it's soft to the touch, cleans up easy and is NOT shiny...we prefer that. It was fabricated on-site with regular woodworking tools in the driveway. For durability, the honed granite has a very similar look but it's a harder, more durable surface, yet is not as slippery as the more common polished granite.

There are actually a lot of really nice countertop materials these days...it comes down to budget.

[Bill Dufour]

I consider wallpaper old fashioned I think it went out when interior latex paint came in around 1950. That said some wallpaper is shown in art museums. No relation to this Dufour but I know there is some at the museum of the legion of honor in San Francisco. That is a real museum with sculptures by Rodan etc. not some modern art junk.
Bill Dufour

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Dufour_et_Cie

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Dufour_et_Cie)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_of_Honor_(museum)


I had no idea they have a famous? commode in their collection.
https://art.famsf.org/pierre-langlois/strawberry-hill-commode-198558a-b

[Brian Elfert]

I found that quartz countertops are not that expensive installed, at least for my small kitchen with no island. I went with Silestone from Home Depot. I used one of the less expensive colors, but it still looks nice. Total was $2,006. I had to do something as the sink was literally going to fall through the laminate countertop due to water issues the previous owners never took care of.