Any advice if I try to figure out some of this myself? I found this website http://www.ikeasaudi.com/ikea.com.sa/images/stories/new2010/Web%20BG%202011/Kitchen/FAKTUM/FAKTUM_bg_GB.pdf Its overwelming for me. Did you use the online ikea design tool. I love your color scheme. How did you decide on that granite? I found this website too . Perhaps those cabinets are not available here but just where you are. either way I can find something similiar. Did you have any issues with ordering..getting parts.. assemely? Do you have any helpful tips for designing ? Did you actually hang them yourself? Is there anything about the cabinets that you find defective or insufficient or think could be better? Thank you so much for all your help.

First I need to say that I've been caught out by old threads too so everybody, it's an OLD THREAD and the poster has already said what she ended up doing. But FWIW I thought your blinds looked good but I can understand wanting a colour change and grey would also be lovely from outside and a nice change inside. I hope you didn't give up on the vertical blind idea only because of the negativity from 'style experts'. We 'upgraded' our front room windows and although I like the appearance of what we have there now I am frequently conscious of the fact that I can't "filter the amount of light & privacy". Vertical blinds are very functional and how cheap or expensive they look is influenced by the choice of fabric, of course as with everything people's personal tastes vary, but the negativity toward vertical blinds sounds like a case of 'Emperor's New Clothes'.

I think colour is all you really need. A tin of paint is really cheap and not too technical to do. Small spaces take to bold colour beautifully! It seems to stop it looking so cluttered. I have painted a tiny office bold teal on the lower and then its oiled plywood on the upper above the rail. I used a matte paint and I find it creates the illusion of pushing the walls back and makes the corners disappear. In this photo they feature the teal and placing the pot plant at the corner further dissolves the corner. Using bold colour takes a little guts and knowing what you like, but I find generally blues are not too controversial. Most people like blue. My favourite colour is green, but i'm going for blues with green pops and accents. My general rule is to go full strength on a tight space, half strength on a small space and quarter on a big space. You can use the same colour at various strengths to create depth and variation but tie it all together. I do like the idea of a small house or apartment having the same colours over the whole place. That also helps give the home a sense of spaciousness and cohesion

Well the first part is done - we have white walls! Amazing what a coat of paint does. The kitchen will have to wait a bit with us both slammed at work, but at the very least the paint job has made it a far nicer space for guests. We'll update the lighting and paint the kitchen cabinetry and tiles (leaving the benchtops) - still contemplating changing the floors in the kitchen/sitting space as the juxtaposition of cork and carpet is hideous, but we'll see. Thanks again all!