What are you looking to change. You could sand the floors and do a natural stain. Replace the splash back. Replace the benchtop. But if on,y decor-
I’d swap out the wooden cutting boards and add some glass boards on bench to add refection and colour. Add a flowering plant, accessories that are reflective

No, as I said I wanted to know if I could paint over the splashback - glass, I’m renting so I can’t make the changes yoyre talking about

Actually I’m sorry I DIDNT state as clearly as I should’ve - I want to change the colour of the splashback by painting it as it’s glass and the colour is awful - too dar for such a small place - also the bench tops are too dark - so my questions should’ve been how do I change the colours on the splashback and bench tops - are there products that can be used?

Surely of you're renting you can't paint over the splashback???

My friend owns the place and laughed at me and said “go for it”

The kitchen looks newish and while the colours might not be to your taste they do work. You need to think about how cleanable any surface treatments will be and how heatproof around the cooktop, though it looks like it's not gas so that's an advantage. If you're asking I suppose your budget doesn't extend to fully replacing any components or doing a Granite Transformation type partial reno? Which does make me wonder about the rental aspect of the arrangement. TV shows make budget-friendly reno's look so easy and I'm sure in some rooms they are but in rooms that work as hard as a kitchen I'd be reluctant to cover over hard-wearing surfaces with a coating which may not stand up to the conditions as well. Any product you consider, find out what sort of warranty it comes with and exclusion clauses. And read the Material Safety Data Sheet. Some surface treatments give off a lot of solvent so you want to allow time for that to air out. Is your friend accepting of the possibility of the splashback and benchtop not being able to be returned to original condition later?

Whatever you decide it should be done in consultation and coordination with your landlord. What happens if you "go for it" and you do a crappy job, which devalues the kitchen? Are you going to pay to re-instate it when you move out? Your landlord has no idea how a cheap, amateurish, "renovation" can have a negative effect on a property. Ruining your own property is bad enough but ruining a friends property is worse.
Best of luck, Dr Retro

Is there peel-able wallpaper you could stick over the glass? Take it off and bin it once you move out.
Something very light, even a scene might work...beach with loads of sun!?
Easy to wipe down,
Not near a naked flame so might not catch fire...
It might yellow over time, hence being removable.

There are sticky vinyl things to put on benches.
Not sure if they are removable though.

Led strip lights if all else fails, so it feels like you have daylight entering the room.

Yes well these are the things I was trying to find out from you all, the knowledgeable ones. If I was aware of the things that were available I wouldn’t have to ask on here!!
And rather than receiving an almost telling off about wanting to change the colours, I was rather hoping people on here that have the knowledge and expertise would simply offer products and ideas that are readily available in the market place, but it’s not seeming so.
Obviously my “landlord” is aware of allllll that has been mentioned or else she wouldn’t have suggested that I “go for it”, so please, rather than tell me what I shouldn’t be doing, can someone please just suggest some products that I can use and I can go from there.

I think whatever you do would need to be considered fire resistant behind a cooktop?

Yes. Of course I have realised that but again I was hoping “experts” on here would have suggestions as to what

To me it's just the splash back that is a bit dated. Once that is dealt with, you may not notice the bench.

Try this company, they have heat proof vinyl tiles. A huge range. You may find something that you like.
https://tictactiles.com.au/

And this for the benchtops
https://www.dulux.com.au/products/renovation-range/benchtops?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8oa-wZyf7gIVSFlgCh1flgbFEAAYASAAEgLr-PD_BwE&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI8oa-wZyf7gIVSFlgCh1flgbFEAAYASAAEgLr-PD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4713!3!411011109799!b!!g!!+benchtop +paint

Shauna, just revisiting your original post. It was written as though you had moved in to a friends house and were telling the person that lived there you did not like their house. I would say that is why comments were not to your liking. Not until you explained that you were renting did the true reasoning come to light.....just saying.

There you go, dreamers shown you vinyl tiles, get them first.. See if you can then live with the bench tops.

Better than my stickable wallpaper, decal idea.

As vinyl will be heat resistant.

Post a photo once it's done.

Red glass... I know we all wanted that 10 yrs ago ay!

Hahaha not me!! Will do kiwi

Hey dreamer thanks for the suggestions - love it, will go take a look and yes I didn’t realise I had left the “story” out of my original post - she’s a great friend and knows I don’t like her colour scheme - it’s such a tiny place and just makes the place so dark - I live in another unit in the same complex and my place is so light and bright in comparison, but thanks again!!

I'm sorry. It's guesswork a lot as what seems obvious to the poster isn't necessarily to the reader. It seems as if there might, might, be potential for 'go for it' to turn into 'expletive deleted this stuff is dirty/discoloured and won't peel off, how do I fix my kitchen, I'm sending my ex-friend the bill for this mess'. I mean we don't know how long you're going to be living there, whether your friend is thinking to renovate longterm, whether preserving resale value is important since the kitchen looks fine as is, whether either of you have thought that far ahead. And something like 'how to brighten' in the title would of sounded better than 'awful'. One person's too dark is another person's cosy and colourful.

Yea these places are waaay too small tor dark but thanks for your comments- understandable as I was very vague!