I need some help! Renovating a house - help me decide colors, etc

[merricks_girl]

Finally getting rid of the house I had with my ex-husband...it was neglected for a couple of years after we split, then I turned it into a rental for a year.

Now the fun has begun! I have some great contractors in place and we''re doing as much as we posibly can ourselves to keep costs down and we have to decide on kitchen cabinets! They''re really nice wood but would have to be refinished and don''t really match the old - or new - countertops! We put in laminate ones from Lowe''s - Milano Quartz - and are just having a hard time deciding if the cabinets should be light or dark - I like both options, but what do you think has the broadest appeal? The kitchen is very big, has light tile on the floor, has several windows and is open to the great room.

All the other colors are staring neutral - a nice taupe in most of it, a sage green in the master. But what about the bathrooms? The master is being tiled and it''s a travertine-look porcelain...everything is a sort of creamy off-white. The other bathroom is having standard neutral tiles on the floor and is also the neutral off-white tone with the bath, etc. We weren''t planning to paint the cabinets in either bathroom - the wood''s in pretty good shape - do you think that''s okay?

Other work happening:

popcorn ceilings are going away (yayyyy!)
fixed panel french doors replacing two sets of old sliding ones
new light fixtures/ceiling fans
carpet
new roof
small foundation repair
siding repaired and exterior painted

Fortunately, we''re in a place that still has a decent market, and I''ve owned the house for a long time so have quite a bit of equity, so hopefully it will sell quickly because we so don''t want to be paying two mortgages for long!

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[firebirdgold]

Light cabinets def have the broadest appeal! Besides it''ll make the kitchen look even bigger.

White is always a good color and seems to be popular in the kitchen remodel mags. A new coat of white paint, new spiffy knobs and handles, and they could look brand new!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I like contrast. If the countertops are light go with dark cabinets. If you are going with light countertops go with dark. I personally like dark cabinets with light countertops. to me it is a richer look. I think they are more popular now as well. (Sorry to disagree Indie). Getting rid of the popcorn is a *very* good investment. Also it is good to go with tan for the main rooms (glossy white trim) for the bathrooms I would do a soft green or a pale blue. Something spa like.

Just make sure you aren''t spending too much and over doing it. Otherwise you will never get that money back.

 

[lyra]

I hesitated to give an opinion yesterday, because I think that in different parts of the country, there are different tastes. Plus I'm in eastern Canada, so...

I like dark cabinets the most if you have a large open space with lots of light. It would contrast nicely with lighter coloured tiled floors, and can take just about any wall colour you choose IMO. That's what I'd choose for myself anyway, for keeps. Really don't know what most buyers in your area might be after. What is going into new home construction in the area? Usually they follow trends pretty closely, although in 10 years time those looks can be dated. (but you don't care, because you just want to sell)

Where would I be without the edit feature? Most people would appreciate at least new countertops in the bathrooms. Depends totally on what you already have, what kind of vanities you have, etc. But it is relatively cheap as the counter sizes are usually smaller, and it would bring a room more up-to-date. Or, for a mini-do, just changing the faucets to something trendier helps too. Anything that looks brand new in style. Deals can be found on these smaller items that do make a difference. Same goes for lighting.

 

[Hera]

I think it depends on your appliances. If your appliances are white, use a white cabinet. If not, then you can use the darker cabinet. White appliances are not going to look good in a room with dark cabinets. If you make the cabinets white, I would consider putting a warm taupe or neutral on the walls because you''ll want the kitchen to feel "warm" to the prospective buyers.

 

[firebirdgold]

I think it also matters if you''re painting or if you can stain the cabinets. I''m not sure painting cabinets a dark color is a good idea, but if they''re real wood you could stain them a darker color. That could look really nice.