A dear friend of mine recently moved, and she asked for some ideas to rehab the older kitchen in her new place. Of course, I jumped at the chance!

Here are the pics she sent to me:

And here are the requirements:

• She is very, very busy person, so these ideas need to be pretty quick and easy to implement.
• She doesn’t have a ton of extra money after moving, which makes total sense, so the changes have to be affordable. This also means she can’t replace the cabinets or countertop right now.
• She absolutely loves the Tiffany ceiling lamp, and the embroidery hanging on the wall is very special to her family (although it can be re-framed if needed).
• She hates the backsplash between the upper and lower cabinets.

What would you recommend?

My first goal was to bring more light to this room. And, second, I wanted to bring more color to match the Tiffany lamp that she loves.

I spent some time scouring the internet and LOVED this article. That’s probably because the mustard yellow is the same color I painted the kitchen cabinets in my first condo! Mustard yellow won’t work in my friend’s house because of her Tiffany lamp, so I needed to find something brighter. Still, I kept those pictures in mind for inspiration.

In her kitchen, the only expensive change I’d recommend is a change to the lighting. I’d love to see her install two can lights in the kitchen and replace the light/fan combo in the kitchen with the Tiffany pendant that she loves. Over the table, I’d put a vintage-style fixture that doesn’t seem out of step with the Tiffany pendant but also doesn’t introduce more color (in case she decides to change the decor in the future). A three-light brass chandelier with milk glass would be perfect, and it would be a good size for her four-person table. I love this one, but it’s a little pricey.

At some point, I’d love to see her replace the blue countertops with butcher block, but that’s not realistic right now. She tells me that the cabinets aren’t in great shape, but replacing them isn’t in the budget. What if we paint them a cream color? That would play well with the blue countertops and the tile floors.

For the oak cabinets, I’d use the same matte Fusion Mineral Paint in Raw Silk that I used for the cabinets in our beach house. (If cabinet doors are smooth, you can use glossy paint, but if cabinets are older or made with natural wood, matte paint will hide the natural imperfections and grooves in the wood.) I think black handles would look great on the cabinets.

I think we should repaint the walls, too. Maybe a creamy white with a yellow undertone, a little lighter than the cabinet color? My all-time favorite is Cloud White by Benjamin Moore.

My friend absolutely hates the backsplash. Let’s paint it in a harlequin, checkerboard style! Nothing too flashy, maybe just the same cream color as the walls alternating with a light blue to incorporate the countertops.

I’d love to repaint the floor, but I think she might draw the line — I’m asking too much! Instead, what about brightening it up with a yellow and white rug? Because of her dogs, it has to be either really durable or really inexpensive. I found the option pictured below at Walmart, as well as another one that’s available at Home Depot and Target.

It might seem like the wall paint won’t go with the cabinet paint, but I’ve used these paints together in the past and been happy with them. What do you think about this vintage-inspired kitchen from our beach place?

The cabinets pictured above are Raw Silk, and the walls are Cloud White. I think the two colors complement each other without being too much of a statement — we want to make our statements elsewhere! In my friend’s kitchen, it would be awesome to add wooden elements and white, shiny elements. Maybe a few cutting boards propped up against the backsplash and a glossy white teakettle on the stove?

Now let’s brighten up the dining space using the blue from the countertops and the yellow from the Tiffany light. Maybe some fun wallpaper on the back wall behind the table?

But crazy wallpaper needs to be tempered, in my opinion, so I’d also add a gallery wall on top of the wallpaper. I’d love to see a symmetrical gallery with four or six wood frames containing black and white photos of her family. I’d go no smaller than 8×10 photos with white 11×17 mats.

Somewhere else in the kitchen, I’d hang a poster of Ryan Montbleau. He’s her absolute favorite singer, and I found this poster with the colors of her new kitchen. Kismet!

What do you think? Would you rehab your kitchen this way? Also, shout out to my dear buddy — we’re happy to come help you whenever you want, whether or not you implement these ideas!