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.
Manda Wolf says
Can’t wait to see what you seal your counter tops with. I never could find a sealer that worked.
Corrin Toy says
Cant wait for the concrete “how to” page goes up. I’ve been waiting! I will be doing mine once I see how you guys do yours :). I have high hopes for you and love your work and easy steps! How much longer do i have to wait?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re working on phase one of coat 2 now (it takes a while to get them on, let them dry, and sand them) and we have a third coat to go. Hopefully sometime next week!
xo
s
Yancey says
I love easy fixes like the dishwasher panel swaparoo! But speaking of little changes that make a big difference, our new garbage disposal made a world of difference. We, of course, had a builder special installed when we moved in and it finally crashed and burned on us. We never knew that changing it to a nicer model would make a huge impact, but it did in the noise level alone, which is great in our open concept kitchen and living area. You can read about it here.
http://www.ysquaredlife.com/2011/03/give-me-more-horsepower.html
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds awesome!
xo
s
Maria Bravo says
Very nice change and specially if it didn’t cost a thing. We removed our horrible smelly trash compactor out. My husband, with the help of a friend, took the smelly monster out and with the wood with had left from another project, they builted a platform for my new roll out trash can!! We had a matching door that we took out from the cabinet on top of the peninsula and now it looks like its part of the original plan.
Katy says
Oh my gosh! My mom has had a mustard stove (that was used when she bought it when I was a kid 25 yrs ago), I wonder if can flip that panel for her?! That would be life-changing in her updated kitchen (everything but the stove, because “it still works great!”). Thanks for the post!
YoungHouseLove says
I hope you can! That would be so sweet.
xo
s
Christine says
I remember my mom and I discovering this secret when I was about 10 years old. Let’s just say in the mid 80’s. We thought we had discovered such an amazing thing and our dishwasher looked brand new!
Amber says
We tried Ardex about 2 months ago. We LOVE it! They seem to just get better with use! However … doing the initial counters was a ton more work than I had imagined. It took a lot of coats to get the look I was after and each coat took a long time to dry, so it took a weekend, plus another day. Still, worth the outcome! Can’t wait to see yours!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Amber! We have noticed it’s taking a while to get through coats! So glad to hear that’s normal!
xo
s
judi says
apologies b/c this comment has nothing to do w/ this post but i’m feeling a little too lazy to go back and find the ‘right’ one to comment on… the fact that you specifically noted that edgecomb gray was looking taupe-y in your house piqued my curiosity enough to try it b/c i felt like what i was looking for was something less gray but gray-ish? the perfect greige?! anyway, i don’t think i would have even picked it from the swatch but it TOTALLY is the perfect greige. THANK YOU. our (new) kitchen has dark cabinets and a white-but-kind-of-beige-y countertop and we have a lot of grays in the rest of the house. edgecomb gray is freaking fantastic. THANKS GUYS!!
YoungHouseLove says
SO GLAD! Why am I grinning like a weirdo over here? I love a good paint story with a happy ending I guess.
xo
s
Erin says
Unreasonably excited to see how the Ardex turns out. Good luck!!
Rachel says
What an awesome update! Who knew dishwashers had panels like that. Now if only ours would magically become stainless steel…
Mostly I’m excited about your concrete counter tops. Yay! My hubby and I decided we want to try that in our kitchen(we actually already have the concrete for it) but haven’t started on our renovation yet. I don’t know how you all manage to accomplish so much with a 3 year old and Sherry being pregnant! I was barely pregnant when we closed on our house last spring, and now he’s 4 months old, so I’ve felt totally useless (while pregnant) and now my whole job is to hold the baby and keep him out of the way. It seems like we can’t accomplish anything! Kudos to you :-) And I’m super looking forward to your counter top post!
Sandy says
Wow, you guys are in project high gear! I imagine you looking like cartoon whirlwinds swirling around your house from project to project. Ha ha! Good job, though. Motivates me to kick it up a notch too. Dying to see how the ardex counter turns out.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sandy! We’re really trying to knock stuff out before this little bun arrives! It’s so much fun to see progress (and lots of chaos, haha!).
xo
s
Peggy says
You are turning your laminate countertops into concrete with Ardex? Really? We are in the midst of a bit of a kitchen renovation. One that we are hoping to complete before my husband has to leave town again for his next TDY at the end of April. We originally looked at buying new countertops but so wanted to get the kitchen done as soon as possible. 1. I would like to be able to enjoy it with our son before he graduates and goes into the Army this summer 2. said son loves to cook 3. the kitchen was builder’s beige… the countertops still are!
I can hardly wait for the post!! Will it be anytime soon? :-)
YoungHouseLove says
We’re hoping to share it sometime next week for you! Each coat has a few steps so it takes a while, but we can’t wait to get them done.
xo
s
Dianne says
I believe the bottom panel usually has the same panel colors as the door panel. Lovely change while waiting for the “big” update down the road!
sarina says
I actually have known about this flippable insert thing for a while. It can come in handy when you may want to find an old craigslist unit and make it “match”. However, If I were you, I wouldn’t have been satisfied with just “black”. Since you have two panels.. why don’t you try a spray paint finish on the other one.. (on the gold paint side?) there are some nice metalic finishis.. that might be in an oiled bronze finish that would blend nicely with your lower cabinets!
YoungHouseLove says
Two others recommended the ORB thing too! I love that idea!
xo
s
Amy says
Trash compactors…hate them. We bought a house recently and discovered that the previous owners had moved the compactor to the basement because it was jammed shut. They left it full of glass, trash and god knows what else. It weighed at least two hundred pounds and had to be dragged up the concrete staircase in the backyard to a dumpster by my husband and a friend…talk about hard work! I’m just glad that the eyesore is gone!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like a nightmare!
xo
s
jen says
Um, I feel like you just left us with a cliff hanger.. what did you do with the old garbage compactor? When do we get to see the new countertops?? Oh the suspense!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! We’re hoping to share all the good with you next week ;)
xo
s
Jill says
My Mom did the dishwasher face switcharoo too! I was so proud of her! She went to Lowes looking for a stainless sheet to put in the front and one of the employees there told her about that trick. She came home and popped it off herself. SUPER proud of her for doing that! We still REALLY needt to replace that ol Hot Point DW tho… gah it is awfully old, inefficient, and ugly.
Lisa says
I remember my parents dishwasher in the lovely mustard yellow color. It matched our red, yellow and orange linoleum floor.
Yikes!
Can’t wait to see how the counter top turns out.
Gretchen Brown says
Nice!! You can also cover the panel in stainless steel looking contact paper (or any contact paper, I suppose). I did that with a plastic trash can and it totally looks like it’s metal!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that too!
xo
s
Rachel Bartelsmeyer says
You both are so creative. I love following your blog, as I graduated in Interior Design, but I can’t always afford the things I like. It’s great to see people thinking outside of the box.
Question I have… my husband and I are looking for a home currently and most of the homes we find are ‘not up to date’ lets say. ;) In this post you mentioned you are redoing your countertops in concrete? Are you just putting the concrete right on top of the Kitchen countertops? Can’t wait for the post!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, there’s something called Adrex Feather Finish that we’ve read a lot about! So far it’s messy and takes a while but it looks awesome!
xo
s
Jill says
P.S. I kind of love the mustard.
Ruth says
Just an old person chiming in to say to you youngsters, that’s not mustard nor is it ‘that yellow color’. That is harvest gold. It’s not the more upscale (?) harvest gold with the brown ombre perimeter, but it’s definitely harvest gold from around the time when color preferences were moving away from that and avocado to almond. They don’t make appliances anymore that last like that, either.
Now, I think there are some kids on my lawn… ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Ruth!
xo
s
Barbara says
I agree…black to blend in was a good choice.
We are just starting a major ‘update’ in our 30 yr old kitchen. We have been scouting clearance appliances and have scored big time at Lowe’s! Have picked up stainless steel dishwasher, gas cooktop and electric wall oven, each for about 60-65% off!!! We installed the dishwasher to make sure all the parts were there (since it was a return) and I am loving it! Now to find a sink and hood and we are good to start on countertops!
Reva says
I have been eagerly awaiting your Ardex countertops and here it is! I can’t wait to see it finished. I’m considering doing the same in our kitchen but was hoping you would tackle it first. Will you be doing a tutorial? (Please do a tutorial.) You do the best tutorials on the internets!
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely planning on a tutorial for ya!
xo
s
Shannon says
I am so excited to see these counter tops! We are just about to start doing a budget kitchen renovation (until we can do a total redo). We’re yanking out old tile flooring and trying a plywood plank floor, rearranging cabinets and painting them, and doing something with our counters. I hope we get to see yours before we start ours. It might be something for us to consider. I love getting ideas from your projects.
Nicole says
Hi Sherry & John,
This website has a great how-to for adding stainless steel faux cover to dishwasher! I stumbled across it today from this list: http://www.viralnova.com/simple-home-ideas/
Perfect timing. http://julieblanner.com/diy-stainless-steel-makeover/
Hope you like it!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Nicole!
xo
s
Amanda says
Holy cow! I cannot wait to hear about the counter. My 1970’s era house has the original yellow counter top, back splash AND matching sink. It is driving me insane, and I’m thinking about spray painting it, but the concrete is so tempting. Any thoughts on how to remedy the yellow back splash? I’m in no position to remove it at the moment because it’s glued to the wall.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe you can put beadboard in front of it and paint it and trim it out? Ive seen other do that to hide tile they don’t like. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Kathryn says
Ha! The mustard side would have actually helped our dishwasher blend in better with our 1978 kitchen: zero wood cabinetry, uppers and lowers are mustard. I’ll admit it—we love it! Mustard, coppertone, avocado… they’re comin’ back, baby! (okay maybe not, but some of us out there like them).
Pretty wild that three additional colour options were hiding under there all the while! I’d check ours (the dishwasher is the same vintage), but I’m a tenant. Sigh.
Pam the Goatherd says
Depending on the age of the dishwasher you might be able to order a stainless panel that would fit on the front directly from the manufacturer. If that isn’t available I think I would be tempted to try some of the Rustoleum metal look spray paint on it.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Pam!
xo
s
Sara Richins says
Surprise, who knew? I just recently saw the idea of using contact paper that looks like stainless steel on the dishwasher, but I really didn’t think that would be durable. This was a much better fix.
Good luck with your delivery. I’m 38 weeks myself and feeling like there’s tons to do before we can be “ready” for our little guy to appear. . .
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sara!
xo
s
Laurie E. says
We just used Ardex concrete to cover our bathroom countertops that were tile. We tried three different sealers that we found locally, but didn’t like how they ended up looking/feeling. We finally decided to order the GST International Satin Seal (as recommended by Kara Paslay). It literally took a month to get here, but we are glad we decided to wait for it. It has definitely been the best one. I just put the 3rd coat on this morning, and while it still feels a little pourous and not super smooth, I hope a couple more coats will do the trick. It doesn’t make the concrete super dark and splotchy like another sealer did. It does darken it a bit, but in a good way. Since we lived with unsealed countertops for over a month, I had to go back and do another layer of the Ardex in some areas to cover some oil marks from essential oils, and it dried lighter than the original layer. I worried that once sealed that these areas would look patched or something, but it doesn’t! The sealer kind of evens it out, but still gives you that great concrete look. Hope this helps!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tips Laurie!
xo
s
Ashley says
YES!!! I’m so excited to hear about how you do the Ardex! I have already bought it and pinned my pinterest how-tos, but trust you SO MUCH MORE. So.. yeah.. can’t wait!
Lindsey says
Harvest Gold FTW! For me, it would be the clear winner out of the available options (though I might also consider painting one of those panels a fun color and then include other similarly colored components like dish towels or cups/mugs to integrate it in the room). I think we do a disservice to certain design choices by labeling them “dated” and thus bad or in poor taste. In an updated kitchen like yours, this little patch of retro color on the dishwasher looks fresh and fun.
Dana@chocolateandsunshine says
Don’t you just love it when there are free alternatives for home fix-ups? I have a stainless steel dishwasher from Bosch but now it’s not getting anything clean. The dishes come out dirtier than they went in (almost). I’d like to find a free alternative to calling a repairman for this project. :)
I agree that while the white seemed like the correct choice, the black one made all the difference.
eileen marie says
Mustard yellow? I think not. It’s Harvest Gold -way more classy & refined! ;) I would know -I grew up with a Harvest Gold kitchen -even the rotary phone was yellow! And the Evanston shower tile? That’s where we live! Home to Northwestern U -go Wildcats! I’m definitely going to try that dishwasher trick -maybe try that stainless steel paint! And I hope your birthday was great, $herdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Eileen Marie!
xo
s
Pat S says
I’ve never flipped a dishwasher panel although I did know they came that way. In fact I think the installer of my current one asked me what color I wanted. I’ve also seen updates done with a stainless sheet that can be applied – kind of like contact paper only much better.
You are right – the black blends in much better with your dark cabinet bases.
Rachelle says
We used the Ardex product over our laminate counters about 6 months ago. Staining is the biggest complaint about these counters but we still don’t have any stains – not even slopped red wine that guests Who Shall Remain Nameless kept slopping on our baby counters while laughing maniacally. When I get home, I’ll look to see the brand of our sealer for you because it’s been fantastic. On the blogs, applying Ardex looks all WEEEEEE! But we made some mistakes that nobody warned us about, so I hope you address those when you talk about it, as a general service to the public. I didn’t want to talk about them in my comments because my comment is already sounding like the crazy lady at the dr’s office who whips out her photo album of her Ardex counters and won’t shut up about them.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! I’d love that sealer info!
xo
s
Rachelle says
The sealer we used is the Ardex brand High Performance Sealer Concrete Guard in Clear. It was expensive, but 6 months later, our countertops still look like the day we finished them. We put on 3 coats. I was thinking we should re-coat every so often, but we haven’t yet.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Rachelle!
xo
s
Emily @ Life on Food says
It is creepy how much your house is like our recently purchased out. That is similar to our dishwasher. I wish our only problem was the color. It stopped working or more accurately rising correctly in January. The way it is put in we have to rip up half the kitchen. Hello kitchen reno!
Diana says
My parents’ dishwasher when I was growing up had those same blue racks inside. Kinda disappointed mine don’t now!
Lee Ann says
Oo, the trash compactor fix next, please! Mine is taking up valuable kitchen space, and I want to get rid of it. Can’t wait to see how you handle it! Thanks!
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
Seriously, Sherry, how have you not gone into labor with all of the work you’re doing? Seriously – I’m just impressed!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet. This was just me parking my butt on the floor. Easiest switch ever!
xo
s
Aimee says
Ha! My dishwasher does that too! I was so smug about figuring it out and then… I didn’t like the white either! I’m too lazy to change it again though. :-/
Elisa says
We did that, too! Bought sheets of stainless steel for about $25 (custom cut) and refaced our dishwasher and trash compactor. Made a HUGE difference! Here’s a link: http://buckleyfamily.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/stainless-steel-remodel-at-a-fraction-of-the-cost/
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Plein Jane says
Congratulate yourselves on being too young to remember that the mustard color was actually called “harvest gold” in its day. If you didn’t have avocado green appliances in the ’70s, it had to be harvest gold! (It’s especially great-looking with the “wood” trim.)
Good choice on the black!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Tamara says
Ooo, I can’t wait to read/see the Ardex project! This is something I’ve wanted to tackle but I want to hear about it from someone I sort of know and trust. Yeah, that would be you two even though I don’t really know you!
Stephanie B. says
Oh my goodness. I cannot wait to hear about the concrete counter tops! Love your little updates, too. Reminds me that I can be motivated to do little things!
Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says
They thought of everything back then didn’t they? It reminds me of the Electrolux salesmen that always came by trying to sell all the cool “switch-outable” parts for their vacuums to my mom and dad. Concrete huh? Our friends have had theirs for years and the husband loves it and the wife is more like “meh”. I think because they went super moody dark with theirs and it fulfills a certain mancave penchant he’s going for that gave us pause to go the same route but now that I’ve started snooping around again I’m seeing some really nice lighter options that I never even thought could happen. So yeah, concrete is back on the list! Q: Where did you purchase your Ardex from?
My best, Lynn
*have a great weekend guys!
YoungHouseLove says
We found our Ardex at a local supplier called Fishman Flooring.
xo
s
Erica says
Woohoo for concrete counters! I’m dying to see how they turn out. :)
Elise says
We rent and our kitchen has tile that mustard color (maybe a little lighter) with brown trim. The lady that lived here before us was over 100 and had a stove, washing machine and refrigerator that matched (she’d had to replace the dryer). In our bathroom we have pink tile and the tub and toilet are rose pink. She would have loved a matching yellow dishwasher!
Kate says
Unrelated to dishwashers… y’all sure looked good smiling out at me from the pages of my new issue of Garden & Gun. How fun to get to be the “VA is for Lovers” tourism family!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that crazy? When VA Tourism asked if we wanted to be in their real people campaign we loved getting to wear our VA love on our sleeves :)
xo
s
Pam the Goatherd says
There is a magazine called Garden and Gun?!?! How is it I have lived this long and never heard of that before! I learn new things every day from you guys! Now I’m heading over to their website to see about a subscription.