I think I agree to paint the walls a warm, light neutral. Then, I'd add in some lamps or warmer lighting and forgo flicking on those fluorescents. A bright rug and some artwork on the wall would help too. It sounds like it would look cheap,but I had the same cabinets in a college apartment and I found really pretty paper (fabric would work too) and used double sided tape to cover the whites parts. It looked great and I got a lot of compliments on them. I also had a friend who used her cabinets like that as an extended fridge wall - covering them in pictures, recipes etc. It looked funky and cool.

I wholeheartedly agree on the current wall color emphasizing the fact that the cabinets, floors, counters and appliances are NOT white. A grey beige (which, btw, is currently quite on trend) will pull the grey out of the countertops and floors and accent the almond color of the appliances and cabinets and make their non-white color appear intentional instead of inadvertent.

Even a dusty, muted *color* will make everything less "dingy" looking.

Whitening the cabinets is not working in your favor, if the dinginess is most strongly associated with the appliances.

I actually think the culprit here is lighting.

I would paint the walls a shade lighter than the cabinets and fridge. Then, I would add a large, bright, simple abstract art (nothing too expensive, it is in the kitchen, after all--so maybe a framed poster?) to the wall where you currently have the corkboard. Also, try to find a place where you can hide the cleaning supplies--on the inside of the closet door? The black pots and pans can be kept inside the oven when not in use. A nice runner on the floor will de-emphasize the tile. A small, simple wine rack on top of your fridge can be used to store bottles of wine (though check the temp up there--it might be too warm).

I agree that if you want the beige to appear less dingy, you need to remove the white. It only accentuates the beige. You don't want to hide the beige so much as let it fade into the background so you don't notice it. (OK, you might want to hide the beige, but I just don't think there's anything you can do to cover it all up.)

I wouldn't paint it beige or ivory as suggested. I would:

1. Install a non-fluorescent light fixture overhead. You'll need to swap back maybe at end of rental, or ask LL permission for this, but if it's an upgrade he should be OK with it.
2. Consider under-counter lighting. There are many that are plug-in and not hard-wired.
3. Paint kitchen a warm yellow or a dusky green. Less of a contrast with the cabinets.
4. Install artwork, not a mop, at focal back wall.

Etsy has these great decals that are safe to put up and easy to put down for renters, that could spruce the place up color wise and, if you get one custom made(just search for wall de cals, you'll find someone)you could cover the fridge up entirely. Here's one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50654525/wall-art-vinyl-decal-sticker-home-kids?ref=sr_gallery_40&ga_search_query=your wall decals&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=2&order=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Agree on paint, but I'd go with something with a tinch of yellow in it. I see some black items on the stove (plus the toaster), a gold-yellow towel, and a blue broom. All of that would stand out nicely against a sunnier paint, and the beige would blend.

Something simple (and free) that would detract from the "dingy" feeling, would be to move your broom and mop from the corner. Do you have a laundry closet/nook, or perhaps a balconey you could move it to?

Change the light spectrum to one that contains more of a natural light hue.

The lighting might be part of the problem, but the wall color is just killing you. It's too cool of a tone to work with the cabinets and the appliances. Try a beige, a light butter color, or a mossy green.

@priyasaurus - I was *just* going to say decals... until I read your post! So, I second the decal idea - there are so many great designs to choose from these days (modern/formal but funky/repeating patterns/etc) that you'd have to try hard to make it look bad!

Also: I know it's a rental, but could you just paint the wood "trim" on the cabinets & that "frame" with no doors above the sink? Either matching the cabinet color for a streamlined look, or a purposefully contrasting color would work well - I think that would take the 80s feel out of the equation.

I agree on the yellow paint. It's the contrast with the blue and bright white contact paper that is making everything else seem blah.

What about putting black chalkboard contact paper on the fridge? They have some available on Amazon.com or at teaching supply stores. I would also go with a grey for paint as others have suggested.

-Ruth

I love cptnruthless's idea of chalkboard paper on the fridge. And something more neutral and warm on the walls. Usually when I'm dealing with ugly brown stuff, I try to work with it rather than against it. I think even a dark brown would work on those walls, though it might be too dark. I'd go with mossy green, as others have said.

On another note, isn't it so sad that pretty much every single affordable rental kitchen in the US looks like this?

"On another note, isn't it so sad that pretty much every single affordable rental kitchen in the US looks like this?"

I'd almost kill for a kitchen like that. it has cabinets and counters and drawers. and...is that a dishwasher i see? my place has none of those things.
anyway, for starters, I'd find a home for the cast iron stuff on your stove, mine lives in the oven when not in use. also maybe see if you can squeeze the mop and broom in between the fridge and the wall and stash the bucket under the sink? I'd definitely ask the landlord for the missing doors on that one cabinet and, if you're stuck with the color, some blue paint to cover that beige spot behind the stove. the white with the blue looks nice but you'd have to cover every cabinet face and the fridge with it to keep out the dinginess. if you can't paint, it might be worth it. i have some dark brown faux wood paneling that really looks better papered over.

Just for fun I whipped up a quick mockup for you. I changed out the paint colour by selecting your appliance colour and then darkening it, then I selected graphic black and white accessories, added texture with wicker and plants, and threw in some red to brighten the whole thing up! I also "cleaned up" a little of the clutter (broom, mop, etc.). In real life I would try to add a small black or white lamp like this one from Ikea. You can check out the results here! Lemme know what you think. Perfect? No. Cute and cheap? Yup!

Try taking the cabinet doors off and bring color and pattern in with accessories.

And I'm adding another vote for yellow walls.

Paint the walls a warm colour. I have these exact same cabinets in my kitchen and believe it or not, I love my kitchen. I painted the walls a bright coral colour which is probably not the *BEST* shade I could have gone with in terms of flattering the hue of the wood in the cabinets, but it's warm so it's definitely not as bad as the blue, and I love the coral colour so much I just kind of don't care. And I got a framed black chalkboard... the frame is painted a distressed cream colour, and I hung it on the wall and write my weekly meal plans on it. I found those two elements really made the kitchen a lot more inviting.

AccidentalHousewife- love your mock-up!

Yes, well done, AccidentalHousewife! I think a lot of people (including me) shy away from beige because it seems boring, but in this case, it definitely works better than the blue. Your digital decluttering and accessorizing looks great too!

Thanks! It was fun! Bring on the next one! lol!