I really liked the yellow and probably would have opted to cover the bits of wood showing on the sides of the doors and cabinets. Would have gone nicely with the damask backsplash too.

that placemat idea is brilliant!

I also prefer the yellow cabinets, but I definitely like their ingenuity. It's a nice reminder to not just sit and feel defeated when you've got a design problem and limited money or other obstacles. Creative thinking, elbow grease and little to no cash can yield big rewards.

I like the backsplash idea too. It makes a big impact and (depending on the material) I assume they can either be washed or wiped down if something splatters on them.

hm, I also personally prefer the yellow..it actually looks more modern in the 'old things are new tastes' sense of the word. The vanilla looks rather..vanilla. Admire the ingenuity for sure.

saer
http://cravenmaven.wordpress.com

CONTACT PAPER? Nooooo.

I'll be in the minority and say I don't like that shade of yellow at all. That said, the white is a bit... white. I would have opted for another shade. Of course, that's just personal preference.

Great way to change the kitchen on a budget and make it your own. Love the creativity of the backsplash. Great job!

Great job! With limited options, you really pulled off a nice little face lift!

Wow...it's great! I can see why some people might not go for it, but I never would have thought of it. It's a huge improvement and she has a total right to be a proud. Good job!

My concern would be, what happens if you remove the contact paper? If the cabinets were painted, then taking off the contact paper will probably rip off some of the paint. Most contact paper I've dealt with says it comes off easily without damaging the surface underneath, but generally it doesn't.

This is GENIUS!

Fabulous improvement. As for removing the contact paper - shooting a hairdryer (set at medium) over the cabinet as you peel it off should do the trick for clean removal.

I worked in a head office for a company that was located in a old house on a main road. The kitchen bench tops were horrid, so to fix it the boss got a piece of sheet metal (stainless steel perhaps - very thin probably 1-2mm) and just placed it on top - cut to fit and VOILA! Instant make-over!! It looked great, and worked great. No need for adhesives. . .

That's freaking awesome. :)

I did something similar in my rental kitchen, but I used poster paper secured with double-stick tape around the edges so it will come off without damaging the cabinets too much. I covered the dark wood cabinets with blue and orange paper, and it really brightened up the room. The only problem I'm having is that the paper warps with humidity, but I can live with it. Also, my cat has torn off some of the paper from the lower cabinets while begging me to feed her. I should probably fix that sometime...

Just removing the plastic paper-towel holder under the cabinets did wonders! That was the first thing I did last time we moved, except "ours" was country-esque pine. Love the backsplash idea! It really sparks the whole look. Great job!

Love the frugality of your redo great idea with the placemats. I'm either gonna do that, or paint my wall with scrubbable kitchen/bath paint

I "refaced" my cabinets with cloth held up with spray starch. Made a huge difference, and I can easily take them down and wipe lean with a damp sponge.

http://healthy-delicious.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/kitchen-1.jpg
http://healthy-delicious.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/kitchen-2.jpg

I didn't hate the yellow doors, but you've done a great job. I might have to look around for some placemats to help out my tough little rental kitchen...

This is brilliant. As a renter in your average no thrills apartment building I was feeling rather defeated by the dark wood cupboard doors in my kitchen. Hello weekend project and bright kitchen!

That's my kitchen, On The Kitchn! Squeee!
Thanks for the kind comments.
I just wanted to say that the low res. before picture doesn't really do justice to how terrible the cabinets are.
They are more mustard than yellow and have brown and gold flecks on them. Like someone threw a shredded Mother of the Bride outfit (circa 1984) at a the cabinets!
x Erin

Love the idea! For those people who commented that the yellow was "better", not everyone likes yellow. Personally it reminds me of living inside a McDonalds. The white really brightens up what is probably a small kitchen (like most rentals) and is to the renter's liking...that's the most important part. It looks great.

...and we removed the clutter from the counter and created a non-durable photo op.

When the cook goes back to work, the detergent bottle will reappear.

A can of paint and some stencilling would make more sense.

Granted, a new look is nice, but spending fifteen bucks on a look that will have to be fixed soon is not cheap.

@ gundis. I don't understand. What do you think will need to be fixed? The back splash is removable so that it can be washed when it needs more than a wipe down. Half the contact paper up there has been there for three years without needing to be "fixed".

What you see is the "clutter" that we have. We have more cupboard space than we do counter space.
But yes the detergent bottle has reappeared!

Great result. So glad the yellow went: I'm allergic to yellow. Made me itchy just looking at it.