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ik_john

kitchen facelift

Ik John
last month

So I recently closed on a townhome but hate the brown wallpapers on the kitchen wall. I'm thinking of removing the wallpaper and painting it grey or adding tile backsplash but I don't know what color of tiles will fit my countertop. Also, I'm thinking of putting black handles on the cabinets and changing the water faucet to black. I do not want to do a complete upgrade after spending so much on downpayment and closing cost. Please share your ideas.

Comments (7)

  • ShadyWillowFarm
    last month

    Congratulations!!🎉🍾. Maybe live with it a while. It’s not awful, and maybe you’ll find another project that you’d rather tackle. Or maybe something about the kitchen layout will bug you and you’ll want to do a more expensive reno, and regret spending a few thousand on a facelift.

  • herbflavor
    last month

    If the wallpaper is wipeable vinyl..with texture [appears so]...Id leave it and get something else going w the small island. thats the thing that looks dated. a new top ? a new island with drawers ? Just get satin nickel hardware. Good Luck....

  • Ik John
    Original Author
    last month

    @shady thank you, I could live with it but when you're up close to the wallpaper in the kitchen the material looks appalling I think it's a wool fabric or something and it has wool hair poking out, hence the real reason I want to remove it.

  • palimpsest
    last month
    last modified: last month

    It's grasscloth made of natural grass attached to a paper backing with woven thread.

    The short backsplash of countertop material is your backsplash. Your range has a back console so that protects that area. You do not need to add a band of tile above it.

    I don't think it's good companion to the cabinets, or to the countertop: the color combination is not good. I agree with removing it.

  • Jennifer Hogan
    last month

    If this were my kitchen I would remove the grasscloth and paint the walls the same color as the other walls.





    I may ocnsider painting the island as well.





    Keep it simple until you have moved in and lived there for a bit.


    Don't junk up the cabinets with hardware when it isn't needed.


    As for the faucet, the chrome, brushed chrome and stainless have the least amount of issues with the finish wearing over time. Brushed doesn't show as many water marks as shiny.

    Black will show water marks.


    Just some food for thought when thinking about replacing the faucet. Won't add that much to the overall design.



  • Jennifer Hogan
    last month

    I have learned to use GARDZ primer after removing wallpaper. Sometimes you have no issues, but if there is any wallpaper glue that has absorbed into the drywall or plaster (they didn't prime first) it bleeds through the paint over time and causes yellow stains. Gardz prevents this from happening. It is a clear primer, so after gardz I use a regular primer and 2 coats of paint.

  • Cookie Montgomery
    last month

    I love grasscloth but not in a kitchen and definitely not in a backsplash area. Remove it. There isn't much of it so it won't take you too long.


    Grasscloth is not easy to install and yours looks to be done quite well which leads me to think that the person knew what they were doing and properly prepared the walls with the correct primer before hanging the grasscloth.

    Wallpaper on a properly prepared wall is super easy to remove. Wallpaper on a unprepared wall can be difficult to remove.


    If you have trouble removing it you can buy a steamer for $60 at Home Depot. Prime with Gardz then repaint.

    I would put some some carpet runners to break up the wood cabinet on wood floor look. And put some chairs at the island with a back to hide the back of the island