Here’s a good one — and a good followup to yesterday’s story discussing “when is it *okay* to let go of something original?” and introducing the Retro Renovator’s Creed. Karen wants our help. She wants to brighten up her 1954 kitchen … should she replace the ceramic tile countertops with something more sparkly? Read on for her entire story and question… then let’s confuse her some more with all our ideas and opinion –>
Pam, You ROCK! Thank you so much for hosting this retro reno PARTY!
I’m throwing my hat in the ring. While my dilemma is not new or particularly unique, I could sure use some help from all your retronistas. The simple problem is whether to replace a perfectly good, original, 1954 tile countertop with one that will add pizzazz.
We bought the house 20 years ago from the original owners. It had not been touched since a year before, and sneaking into it late one night, we were truly caught in a time warp. Back then, we were too busy raising three daughters to make any changes to a perfectly usable pink bathroom and all original everything else, apart from new carpet and the addition of a dishwasher. When I began to breathe and look around, I had no idea what I had or what to do with it.
Then, I found this Brown Saltman sideboard in a dirty old junk store. It had amoeba handles and the glass top, and I HAD to have it. After we squished it into the dining room and I saw the flow to the corner fireplace, it truly hit me as an epiphany: This house was one of those fifties retro houses! Seriously, this is 15 years after we moved in.
Then came a year of mad ebay, yardsale and junk store shopping. I’ve settled down on the buying, but still pass the counter tops with a sigh. While replacing them seems sacrilegious, the grout is a germ magnet, and the colors are drab next to the gorgeous ash cabinets, well, they will be gorgeous once I steam and refinish them.I have my eye on some of that new glass tile for the backsplash and maybe a black formica counter? So, help. What do you think?
Any suggestions are soooooo much appreciated.
Thank you, Karen. But no: You ROCK. Your house is just lovely!
What do you think, readers?
Should Karen replace her original ceramic tile countertops?
If yes, with what?
If no, how to add the ‘pizzazz’ she seeks to this kitchen?
I will hold back and see what you say… but I for sure have some ideas.
Katie says
I think that if you refinish the cabinets, and change the floor to something lighter, you will be amazed by how much nicer the tile looks. I really love tile for looks and function, and since your tile is in such good shape, I’d strongly suggest keeping it. I think that the brown in the wall color might be picking up on the brownish color in the field tile, and making things look darker, so you might consider repainting, maybe a nice pink.
Joel says
I agree with Katie 100%. With new flooring and refinished cabinets, your tile countertops will sparkle. Please do everything else first and then make up your mind about the countertop. My 2 cents.
Kat says
I don’t see anything wrong with respectfully removing the parts of your house that don’t suit you. By respectfully, I guess I mean after living with it a while and giving it plenty of thought. (Now, removing the 30-year-old wall-to-freakin’-wall carpeting in the bathrooms of our ’70s house, didn’t require much debate at all. I mean, really.) But we’ve had aqua boomerang Formica countertops for almost a year now, and they make me happy every day! Bright, tough, and charmingly retro. Oh, and we also did a SolarTube smack in the middle of the kitchen and it’s delightful. Do it!
Debbi says
I vote for replacing the tile. It is drab and although refinishing the cabinets might help, the colors just aren’t that all attractive. Personally, I like kitchens that are light and bright. If it were my kitchen, I would refinish the cabinets, replace the hardware with the great Starburst knobs they have at Rejuvenation . I’d rip out all the old tile and do a soapstone or caesarstone counter with a little sparkle in it. Personally, I think black is a little harsh. I would do an off-white/cream color for the countertop. Then I would do a new tile blacksplash in maybe a turquoise, and find some vintage Starburst tiles and pop in a few for accents. The tile in your bathroom is great and totally does your bathroom justice. The tile in your kitchen, although in good shape, does nothing to enhance the appearance of your kitchen. It sounds like you have been unhappy with it for a long time. I say “go for it girl!”
lynda says
Soapstone only comes in black color. It is a natural stone and it sometimes has green veins or a grey tone to it. It is not a shiny finish. It is oiled to keep it dark. Here is one of many companies
http://www.greenmountainsoapstone.com/ It is softer than granite and can be a DIY job for a handy person. I personally think it is a nice look.
Amanda says
I agree with the suggestion of doing the floor. That’s what sticks out as drab for me. I bet a new floor would bring a new perspective. Great house!
Gracie says
You will be sorry if you put in black formica! I like the tile, but I agree about the germs! I would stick with something really light in color. I have the same cabinets and the person before me refinished my original light yellow countertops with white… I’d rather have the yellow, but the white looks good next to the warmth of the wood. Just my 2 cents worth…
lisa says
I had black Formica and it was fine. I have a lighter version now, with more specks, and the cleaning routine isn’t very different.
Pamela Hazelton says
Replace them! Once those cabinets are clean, you’re going to want to brighten things a bit. Sorry to those who say not to touch the counters, but I’d go notes living with all that brown (from floor to ceiling).
I love boomerang!
On a side note, I don’t think those tiles scream 1950s as much as others because the design is similarly used even today.
laurie says
I am replacing my original laminate countertop with a new 50’s Boomerang style laminate. I can’t wait! My kitchen, even floor is ALL original, I am making it “new” with countertops and floors but still keeping the 50’s look. I have been collecting, shopping and hunting for decor for over 2 years and we FINALLY just got this house after waiting for almost 3 years! I am SO excited to get my kitchen done. I will post before and after pics.
Jay says
Karen, I sympathize with you. I am of the mindset that tile belongs on the wall and not counters for obvious reasons – hard to wipe down. I was surprised that for 56 the counters were tiled until I saw you lived in California. For some reason, tiled kitchen counters have been the number one choice through the years. The tile appears to be in great shape for its’ age and those appliances look to be in excellent condition. You might be opening a can of worms but having said that, I understand the urge to put your stamp on it and maybe it’s time. You have a lovely home with some great features. Treasure it!
Carol says
Hi, Karen. We have a ’63 ranch, and it came to us with cracked pale beige tile counters and a too-small double sink. We opted to replace the countertop, keep the cabinets with their ruffled trim (they are a natural ash that has darkened with age, and add a new wowsa glass tile backsplash. We went black Richlite for the countertop. I love the backsplash, and am glad we replaced the broken tile countertop, but have to agree with another of your replies regarding difficulty in keeping it clean looking. Had the tile been acceptable, I would probably have just kept it, however. One thing I notice about your kitchen is the hanging cabinet over the peninsula. We had one of these as well, and had it removed with our minor kitchen overhaul. I can’t begin to describe the difference this has made in the light and spacious feeling of our kitchen. It seemed like we added 100 square feet! If you can spare the cabinet space, you might consider that option to really add light to the room. Good luck, it sounds like you have plenty to mull over!
MCMeg says
I want to second the idea of taking out the cabinets over the peninsula. We did it in our kitchen and it opened up the kitchen to the dining area and made the peninsula a usable space. It changed the way we use our kitchen.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/megan60/sets/72157628895771725/
Ana says
Hi, Karen!
First, I have to say how jealous I am that you found that great Brown Saltman piece at a junk shop. And those are beautiful kitchen cabinets!
So I had a similar issue in my kitchen — tile countertops and backsplash around a wall faucet and single-basin sink. The plumbing needed work and the faucet (a Delta I’ve seen posted on RR a few times) leaked badly so the backsplash had to be removed.
If I had re-tiled with the same white 4×4 tiles, I had planned to use some Tile Tattoos to add some flare:
http://www.2jane.com/collections/tile-tattoos/products/mibo-tile-tattoos-in-shanklin-black-on-white
Those come in different colors and designs so definitely poke around on the site. It’s an easy fix that could make a big difference if you spruce up the cabinets and change your wall color.
What I ended up doing (since I had to re-do the bathroom floor, too, and had leftovers) was using aqua penny round tiles as the new backsplash, but I left the original tile counters alone.
http://www.completetile.com/products/porcelain/penny_rounds/penny-rounds/34-rounds/penny-round-mosaic-aqua-azores-gloss/
The brand I used was American Universal Corp., which offers several retro colors:
http://auc-tile.com/catalog/pennyround.html
Maybe consider carefully removing the backsplash and replacing it with something more to your taste that’s complementary to the tile counters, which look to be in excellent shape. Just throwing that out as an option.
That doesn’t solve the grout issue, but getting it professionally cleaned and sealed will help a lot. Please post back with photos to show us what you went with!
Ana
Chutti says
Oooooh! Thanks for the tip on the tile tattoos!
Never seen a contemporary product like that.
I have hoarded old decals for years, but it takes time to get enough for a full scale project….like old-if-fying a new refrigerator.
Those tattoos look also to be a great short term solution, or a great option for someone renting.
Thanks!