Happy Friday! After a week full of bigger projects — from surprising finds and a desk overhaul to showhouse progress — it felt great to slow down and tackle something quick and satisfying. Switching from broad planning and furniture decisions to a few small, practical tasks is refreshing. This tiny kitchen update was easy and rewarding, and I wanted to share the simple trick that made our dishwasher blend in better with the room.
Remember our almond-colored dishwasher?
We’ll replace the appliances during a full kitchen renovation down the line, but I’d heard a tip from a few of you that sounded almost too good to be true: some older appliances have removable face panels that can be flipped, swapped, or painted to change their appearance. Curious, I started unscrewing and exploring.
With three side screws removed, a thin metal trim piece popped off easily.
Then, to my delight, a removable panel slid right out — and the back side was white.
Pulling the panel out revealed two separate double-sided inserts, so I could compare the original cream-colored face with the bright white option. (The color you see behind them is just cardboard backing.)
On the flip side of the cream insert was a mustard color — a surprising alternative that was more of a joke than a design choice. I briefly held it up to shock John.
I reinstalled the white panel and stepped back for a photo, expecting an instant improvement. It was cleaner and matched the upper cabinets and shelves, but in the context of our darker lower cabinets it stood out too much and drew attention instead of blending in.
Luckily the white panel had a black backside. I removed it again, flipped it to the black side, and snapped it back in. That simple change made the dishwasher recede visually and coordinate much better with the surrounding cabinetry.
It’s not the fanciest dishwasher, but for about ten minutes of work and zero cost, this quick swap reduced the “almond” eye sore and helped the unit blend into the kitchen. If you want other looks, you could paint the panel before sliding it back in (retro red, anyone?), or trim a sheet of stainless steel to size with metal snips for a stainless appearance. There are several low-cost DIY options to update appliance fronts without replacing the whole unit.
This small victory also reinvigorated our momentum in the kitchen. Right now we’re working on:
- Removing a broken trash compactor and replacing it with a more attractive solution
- Redoing the countertops with concrete — messy, but a bold and dramatic update
Have you ever flipped a dishwasher panel or made other small appliance updates? We’ve been pleased with some of our previous tweaks — a painted refrigerator, a secondhand range hood, and moving the microwave into the pantry — and the stove is our last almond holdout. If you’ve used products like Ardex on counters or removed an old disposal, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Kitchen projects can be disruptive because the space is so central to daily life, but little changes like a flipped panel can make a big visual difference while you wait for a full renovation.