Happy Friday guys! Since the first three days of this week were full of bigger updates (like this craziness, our desk haul & overhaul, and a bunch of showhouse progress) it felt nice to switch gears and knock out a few smaller updates at the end. It’s always refreshing to bounce from broad planning stuff – like office layout debates and showhouse furniture arrangements – to focusing on a few quick tasks (like yesterday’s mirror switch). And thankfully this update couldn’t have been easier.
Remember our lovely almond dishwasher?
As you know, we’re planning to replace our appliances during a full kitchen renovation down the line, but I heard an almost-sounds-too-good-to-be-true tip from a few of you that I had to try. Urban legend has it that appliances like these often have removable panels (i.e. the almond colored part) that can be flipped over or painted. So the other day I did some exploratory unscrewing.
With three screws removed on the side, I was able to pop off a thin metal trim piece.
And then, lo and behold, out slid this removable panel. The best part? The backside was white!
When I pulled it out entirely I realized there were actually two separate panels in there, and each one was double-sided. Which meant I could snap this side-by-side photo of the original cream-colored panel and the bright white one next to it for comparison. The color that you see on the dishwasher behind them is just some sort of cardboard backing that was in there.
On the backside of the cream panel was this mustard option that would’ve been… um… an interesting choice. I couldn’t resist holding it up just to freak John out.
Predictably, I put the white panel in, reattached the side panel, and stepped back to take pictures – ready to marvel at how much better it looked. Except I didn’t like it. Sure, it was white like the shelves and the upper cabinets, but among all of the dark lowers it just kinda of called more attention to itself.
The backside of the white panel was black, so I removed the panel again, flipped it over to the black side, and tried again. MUCH better.
It’s still not the prettiest dishwasher there ever was, but for the 10 minutes and zero bucks, I’m glad to have banished a bit more “almond” from the room – and it definitely helps the dishwasher blend in a bit more with the surrounding cabinets. You could even spray paint the panel a color before sliding it back in (red for a retro kitchen?) or buy a sheet of stainless steel at Home Depot and cut it to size with metal snips if you’re going for the stainless look. Lots of possibilities…
The best part is that something about that easy switch kicked us into high gear in the kitchen again, because we’re currently working on:
- Removing our broken trash compactor to add something that’s a lot easier on the eyes in its place
- Finally redoing the counters with concrete (holy cow, it’s messy – but such a dramatic change)
Has anyone else flipped their dishwasher panel? Or updated their appliances in other ways? We’re still really happy with our updated fridge, our secondhand range hood, and our microwave in the pantry – so our last remaining almond eyesore is the stove. Have you ever used Ardex on counters or taken out an old broken disposal? Kitchen updates are usually disruptive since it’s such a busy room, but it’s so nice to enjoy them when they’re done.
mribaro says
Funny: I like the mustard one the best, and would spray paint all the lower cabinets to match that sunny color ????
YoungHouseLove says
That actually sounds really happy and cheerful!
xo
s
Tabbitha @ Turnip Tootsie says
Ha! I just flipped my dishwasher panel. There were no, well “fancy” colors like mustard. However, it did go from a dull flat white to a shiny bright white. My husband and I did a big high five. We are older college students (28 & 31) living in a little apartment. I check YHL everyday, and get excited to think about the day when we graduate, and can fix up our dream home. But today you gave us the opportunity to do something for free, that made a nice difference! Sherry, hope you and the Barnacle are doing well.
<3
Tabbitha
YoungHouseLove says
LOVE IT! High fives to you guys.
xo
s
Lynn says
I had to laugh at this update. Our dishwasher growing up had that ‘option’ too. I remember it being a HUGE selling feature to my mom when they ventured into Sears Roebuck CO for the big purchase :). She was so excited to be able to ‘freshen up the kitchen’ per season with all the color choices. Sigh. Innocent youth! The house is looking GREAT!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s like a choose your own adventure book! What color will the dishwasher be this time? Maybe Harvest Gold for spring?
xo
s
Alicia says
Fabulously frugal. Love it. I am anxiously awaiting your Ardex post. I have tile counters in my kitchen that I want to do away with, but I’m waiting to hear how it goes for you guys. I worry about wear.
Audrey says
can’t wait to hear about your concrete countertop…. and if we could do that in my household……
Joanna says
Harvest Gold, ack! When we bought our house, all of the kitchen appliances and the countertop were harvest gold. I was never so happy as the day that countertop was carried out the front door!
Isabel says
I love little easy updates like that! I went from living with a 1965 stove for 6 years in my old house (the entire kitchen was that vintage actually and 40 years later the previous owner was as proud of it as day 1) to living with all new appliances, so the sacrifice was worth it. 3 months later we’re just two coats of white paint on two cabinet doors away from completing our phase one kitchen update – yahooo! Talk about disruptive! We would have been done 2 weeks ago but after a serious conversation with self about storage needs in the kitchen, I suggested we switch the 2 uppers flanking the window with open shelves and hubby jumped on it. OMG what a difference! The window feels gigantic and we get so much more light bouncing around. We’re loving this “new” kitchen!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds awesome Isabel!
xo
s
Katy says
We had all almond appliances in our first home. As two students we didn’t have a lot of cash to splash, so we saved and finally bought the fridge replacement in stainless. We then went to our local home improvement store and bought a very affordable 36×36 aluminum sheet for under $20. We cut it to size, slid it in, and had the most affordable stainless-matching dishwasher we could manage! So simple and quick! Glad you are sharing this :)
Katy x
YoungHouseLove says
Love that Katy. You guys = resourceful and home-savy students :)
xo
s
Annette says
You could’ve also gone with some kind of decal on the panel. You know, kind of like these http://www.thisismykea.com/designs/product/Expedit+Bookcase (not the right size, these are meant for expedit book cases. But you’ll get the idea.)
Add some color and art to the kitchen.
Or maybe just draw a fun pattern with a marker right on the white side. I mean what’s to lose, you could still use the black side if it doesn’t work out.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s fun too!
xo
s
Venia | Organized Bites says
I may or may not have gaslighted a friend back in the day when I was housesitting. “Sure, that’s always been black. What are you talking about?”
YoungHouseLove says
Ha!
xo
s
Jamie says
You know, I’m totally loving the aqua dishwasher racks you have going on there. Pretty cute!
YoungHouseLove says
Those are a sweet surprise, aren’t they?
xo
s
Darcey says
I can’t wait to see how the counters look! I love how small improvements inspire much more! :)
Lara McDonnell says
The black does make more sense. You could always paint it a deep brown like the cupboards the cupboards for more matchy matchy goodness.
Darcey says
This is just a thought- what about spray painting it with some orb? Would that look too odd with the stainless details on the dishwasher itself?
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else recommended that! So smart!
xo
s
Gilly says
CAN’T WAIT to read about the counter tops!! Can you make that post extra skeptic/husband-friendly so when I say, “Guess what John and Sherry just did?” maybe the eye rolling and huffing and puffing will be less dramatic. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Ha!
xo
s
Kathleen says
Another quick, easy, and free appliance fix that many people don’t know about is the ability to make the doors on stuff like your over-under fridge and dryer hinge open the other way. When we first got our fridge, the hinges were on the right – opposite of the kitchen workspace! We popped open some concealed covers, unscrewed a few things,and reversed it!
YoungHouseLove says
LOVE THAT TIP!
xo
s
rachel says
I think you would want to know that I just saw a pop-over ad with a “one question site survey” about supplements…
YoungHouseLove says
Ugh, thanks Rachel! We have been blocking those and they’re rapidly changing their code and coming up again. If anyone ever sees pop ups please tell us! We hate them with a fiery passion.
xo
s
Lisa in Seattle says
I saw one of these about oatmeal today.
Kati @ This Wandering Life says
Mmm. Oatmeal.
Shannon says
When we remodeled our kitchen last year, we had stainless steel countertops made. The dishwasher was the only appliance that wasn’t stainless (though it had black accents like our other stainless appliances). We asked our countertop guy to cut us a sheet of stainless steel, and used it to replace the original black panel on the dishwasher. For $8, it gave us all matching appliances (and you would never know the washer wasn’t designed that way).
YoungHouseLove says
Really smart! They sell sheets of it at Home Depot too (we noticed them last week) for anyone who wants to try this!
xo
s
Kristin says
We removed a trash compactor in one of our houses and replaced it with a wine fridge. We found one that was the perfect dimensions and we loved having it!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Plein Jane says
Friends of ours did that, too. But they mostly used it for water, juice and soda so their kids weren’t opening the “big fridge” all day. The kids liked being able to help themselves to things from “their” fridge.
Kacey says
We just finished up our Ardex concrete countertops in our kitchen. Love the look and feel however, being in a kitchen with oil and grease they have gotten stained near the stove. I don’t know if we used the wrong sealer (we went with the matte finish) Still deciding what to do next. I’m excited to see how yours turn out and what you think of them.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, the sealer seems to be the most important step to get right to provide that protection. So much pressure! Anyone with sealer recommendations?
xo
s
Jenna @ Wife in Progress says
I used stainless steel contact paper to update my black dishwasher. You’d never know it’s fake! :-)
http://www.wifeinprogressblog.com/kitchen-makeover-part-2/
YoungHouseLove says
Really smart!
xo
s
Laura says
The folks over at A Beautiful Mess also tried out concrete countertops:
http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/01/concrete-countertop-diy.html
They look great, can’t wait to see yours!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that kitchen! So charming!
xo
s
Jennifer M. says
Gotta love that old Harvest Gold! Oh, the ugly memories of my childhood!
Mollie says
We used Ardex on our laminate kitchen counters 5 months ago and they are holding up great! We are resealing every 2-3 months (you start to see what appears to be cracks when you wipe them down -they are just cracks in the sealer). They have held up so well and have been a dramatic transformation for the little bit of cash (but lots of upper arm labor) that they required. Can’t wait to see the finished product!
YoungHouseLove says
What sealer did you use Millie? That has been the hardest part – finding one that everyone likes (they all have such mixed reviews)!
xo
s
Richelle says
CONCRETE? So excited to hear about that one. We have about 10 miles of countertop in our kitchen with ugly formica, and I have been trying to talk the hubs in to concrete (or anything other than ugly formica, really)…
Nancy says
Flipping the dishwasher panel is our (daughter & I) favorite!! I’ve been tempted to try putting wallpaper or something on one side just for fun, but never have. I have seen some fun artwork done on them before.
Emmy Beth says
Let me tell you something about those hideous dishwashers… They work WAY better than new ones! At least ours did. I felt so vain for immediately switching ours out for a shiny stainless $600 model, and we have to pre-rinse when we never did before. My mom told me this would be the case and she was right–as always!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s so funny!
xo
s
Bethany says
I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for the Ardex tutorial. We’re going to do the same to our kitchen counters. I’m majorly dreading the mess and chaos, but at such a great price with a great outcome, I can’t not do it. Excited to see your final product! :)
Rebecca W says
I can’t help laughing that the dish washer is blue inside! Ya know, to match all that blue trim!
YoungHouseLove says
HILARIOUS! Didn’t even make that connection.
xo
s
Melissa says
I’m eager to see the details of your concrete counters. We are in the planning stages of our kitchen re-do and are definitely going with concrete counters. Have you decided what sealer you are using?
YoungHouseLove says
Not yet but we are hearing a lot of conflicting reviews/reports. I think it’ll be the hardest choice. Anyone with sealer tips, we’d love to hear them!
xo
s
Pascale says
I’m just curious what you’ll be putting in place of the trash compactor? We have the same issue and we’re specking out a wine fridge.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re in the midst of debating a few different storage ideas for that nook, so we’ll have to see where we end up. Can’t wait to get rid of that gaping hole!
xo
s
Corynn F. says
Ummm…mustard? Sorry sister that would Harvest Gold and in it’s hay-day was HIGHLY sought after (and yes I just dated myself as ancient).
YoungHouseLove says
So funny, I forgot all about the term “Harvest Gold” but it’s a stroke of marketing genius.
xo
s
Rita says
About a month ago I checked on doing Ardex on the counters! Such a fun idea! I’m not sure if I should do it though b/c I make cakes and I roll out my fondant on my counter :/ So excited to see how yours looks!
Lesley says
I did flip our panel once – sign of a cheap dishwasher, it has clipped on sides instead of screws so it was super easy. I showed the Avocado side… for 2 DAYS before my husband even noticed.
He will never live that down, I hold that it’s because that’s how infrequently he actually uses it!
YoungHouseLove says
That. Is. Awesome.
xo
s
mary says
That is hilarious.
Kristen says
I recently added curtains in our bedroom (finally) while my boyfriend wasn’t home one day. Later that night, I ask if he liked the curtains…his response – “I didn’t notice them”
It’s a man thing, pretty sure haha.
Danielle says
We happen to love our 1990 trash compactor. It’s ugly but works great, so I’m curious to hear if anyone else figured a way to pretty up theirs …
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have tips for Danielle? Ours was broken from the day we got the house.
xo
s
Sarah says
I did this with my dishwasher! I was going to put silver contact paper on it, and then i discovered that it had removable panels! I ended up just buying a large sheet of aluminum at the hardware store, and put that in place of the panel, and I had a nice stainless-look dishwasher for super cheap.
Marie says
I have never heard of this panel thing! I’ll have to try mine.
Donna says
Wish our 1980s almond oven had a flip panel!
mary says
I know you just recently ‘solved’ your trash can issue, but the compactor hole is another good spot for those. I had a large trash can and a large recycling bin both in ours, in the island, and loved how accessible and out of the way they are. Now I have one like you have, on the slide-out in a cabinet, and it’s ok but kind of small and annoying to have to open a door all the time.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome!
xo
s
MikeLove says
Growing up we had a mustard color dishwasher.. If I only knew what I know now.. smh.
Bill says
I changed my white dishwasher to “stainless steel” a few years ago. I used stainless steel contact paper that I purchased on e-bay.
It’s not perfect, but it fools most people most of the time.
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!
xo
s
Megan says
Just an FYI. I had a survey just pop up. “One Question Site Survey” asking me what supplements I’m aware of. The survey was powered by Vizu. Thought you’d like to know!
YoungHouseLove says
Argh, thanks Megan! Someone else mentioned the same one this morning so we hope we can close in on it soon!
xo
s
Nicole Higgins says
I’m so excited to see you guys are starting your countertops! Ever since you first mentioned doing the ardex counter tops I’ve been waiting to start mine, I know you guys will give a proper tutorial. Seems like most of the tutorials online aren’t complete.
I’ve already bought most of the supplies, just waiting on the awesome tutorial you guys will give to give me the courage to start them.
Also still waiting for my awesome dog and octopus hooks to ship from Target! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We hear a lot of them are all packaged up and going out today. Ahhhh!
xo
s
Zuzanna says
Funny how I can see your reflection in the mustard panel :) You look so focused…
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
dave says
you’re gonna leave us hanging with that little pic of those counters??? That’s as bad as a midseason WD cliffhanger! I have been waiting for this since you first mentioned maybe using Ardex… I have seen the other bloggers posts on it, but I can’t wait for YOUR final thoughts on the process. My laundry room is calling that products name…
Amanda says
Love it! I redid my white dishwasher with stainless contact paper ($15 at Home Depot by the shelf liners), black spray paint on the white handle part, and car window tinting film over the control panel. Its my favorite quick fix so far! Excited for the concrete reveal! I did it over a tabletop made of chipboard for a chic RH look. Loooove it!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome! What did you use to seal it with? We keep hearing varying results from the same stuff, so we’d love recommendations!
xo
s
hjc says
Man, Sherry, I feel bad no one is answering your questions today! I’d answer them, but I don’t have any idea what the answers are (about Discus or concrete sealers). Although now that I think about it, Kara Paslay (sp?) has done lots of projects with Ardex and she might have a sealer recommendation on her blog. Happy Friday (yay Spring Break next week!).
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks HJC! We got a few tips for a sealer on other threads and they point to using the exact same stuff Kara recommends, so that has been nice peace of mind! I think we’re going to go for it!
xo
s
Ashley B. says
We also switched out our trash compactor when we moved into a home with an outdated kitchen. I’m not even sure if it worked – never tried. We put a wine fridge in, and even though we’re not big wine drinkers, still looks better and we can keep waters and such in there. Made a big difference.
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else did that too! Smart!
xo
s
Kate C says
I’ve done this! I had totally forgotten. Years ago, while living in an apartment, my dishwasher needed servicing. The service man was packing up and about to put the panel back one when he offered to flip it for me. Previously the face had been a dark brown (hello 1970s!), but it was a crisp white after the flip. It made a world of difference!
YoungHouseLove says
So nice of him!
xo
s
Jenn C. says
Our home was avocado green everywhere when we bought it and had a very similar dishwasher. We didn’t discover the different panels until we were removing it. Ours had about 8 colors including 2 shades of mustard, mauve and the avocado green! Glad you got yours figured out sooner than we did!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh mauve! You must have had the top of the line extra-options one!
xo
s
Dina says
I can’t wait to see how the countertops turn out. I’m not familiar with Ardex, but we have had concrete countertops for 6 years. We were looking for something different at the time, because everyone was doing granite. We love ours, but they can scratch easily and you have to be careful with foods that are acidic.