Updating a Kitchen that has Soffits

Before the Transformation

There are many things that "date" a kitchen but one thing that broadcasts the fact that the kitchen is older is the presence of soffits. So, when you are selling your home - what do you do to offset these architectural wonders, other than an expensive renovation? Well - one thing you can do is to paint the entire kitchen a color that blends with the color of the cabinetry. If you have warm oak cabinets, paint the kitchen a warm, yellow/beige, for example. You want the soffits to recede - so don't paint them a contrasting color that will make them stand out.


We transformed these kitchen cabinets by using the soffits - but we added crown molding, paint and then did a faux oak woodgraining to match the already existing cabinets.

That's me, putting the first layer of woodgraining on the soffits

After we finished graining and matching the color of the oak cabinets (it was a bit hard because each cabinet had a slightly different tone of oak - probably from age), we then added a faux wood inlaid design on the soffit.

After: The cabinetry looks taller and more modern

With a little creativity, you can turn a negative into a positive. Before, these cabinets made the room look shorter - and the cabinets seemed shorter. This technique helps to "bring the eye up" and to bring a more modern feel to the room.