Orange kitchen countertops are an abomination

We’re not talking a burnt orange color, although that would be equally hideous.  We’re talking neon, cones in the middle of the road orange.

This can not stand.

Tomorrow, I’m going to do something about it.  I am going to paint them.  You heard me, I’m going to paint the suckers a light cement gray.  It’s only temporary until I figure out what to replace them with but I can’t go another day with the negative afterimage I get when cooking.  Yes, the cabinets are going to get painted too. Not sure if I want an all white kitchen or a Tuxedo kitchen.  Thots?  (I’m going to have to get very creative with my budget to get anywhere near that kitchen but what the heck?  This kitchen can’t get worse.)

Update: A lot of you seem to be a.) alarmed with painting the countertop and/or b.) glamoured by granite.  To the paint phobes, don’t worry.  There’s a specific paint for laminate countertops and while it’s not perfect, this is only a temporary solution.  As to the granite option, not in my kitchen.  I don’t like granite, faux or real.  No granite in here, nosiree.  If that’s your thing, knock yourself out but I don’t want to have to wrap my kitchen around a granite countertop any more than I want to wrap it around an orange one.

There are alternatives that are budget friendly.  For example, butcher block.  See this video for an example.  Some people like concrete.  That’s a bit more work but it looks pretty good.  Stainless steel is also an option. You can get them from restaurant supply stores or have one made.  I happen to like solid surface and if I can afford it, that’s probably the way I’m going to go.

Here are a few more helpful tips for those of us who can’t afford to gut and renovate a kitchen from Canadian House and Home.  One of the first things I did when I moved in here was have task lighting installed in this kitchen.  Before, there was only one ceiling fan/light combo in the middle of the kitchen ceiling.  Since I needed an electrical contractor to update the outlets and other electrical in the kitchen anyway, I had him install 4 recessed lights in strategic areas.  It was a minor expense due to the other work that needed to be done and it has made instant impact.

I’ve also ordered new door fronts (shaker style) for all of the cabinet doors and drawer fronts.  That was $300.  The reasoning is that although the cabinets are hideously ugly, they’re solid as a rock and not falling apart.  Better to just paint the s^&* out of them and slap a new door on them.  I’ve done this before in my previous house and it was a great cosmetic solution that I lived with for about 7 years before the cabinets really did need to be replaced.  The doors will be painted the same shade as the walls so the walls will look more continuous and not chopped up.  Eggshell finish on the walls, semi-gloss on the cabinets.  Same creamy white.  The door to the left in this pic is going to be painted a fresh green (Valspar Crocodile Smile)

The countertop is the only “?” at this point and I’m pretty pleased with my budget friendly options.