Happy Friday! After a week full of bigger updates — from that wild project reveal to a major desk haul and showhouse progress — it felt good to slow down and tackle a few smaller wins. Shifting from large planning decisions (like office layouts and furniture placement) to quick, practical fixes is always refreshing. Yesterday’s mirror swap was one of those little victories, and this dishwasher tweak was another easy win.
Remember our almond-colored dishwasher?
We plan to replace the appliances during a full kitchen renovation down the line, but after hearing a tip from readers, I decided to investigate a possible quick fix. The story goes that some older appliances have removable front panels that can be flipped or painted. So I grabbed a screwdriver and started unscrewing.
With three screws removed from the side, a thin metal trim piece popped off easily.
Then a removable panel slid out — and the back side was white.
Pulling the panel out fully revealed two separate, double-sided pieces. I lined up the original cream-colored panel next to the bright white one for comparison. The color visible behind them in the photo is just cardboard packing.
On the reverse of the cream panel there was an unexpected mustard option — which I held up briefly just to see John’s reaction.
I snapped the white panel in place, reattached the side trim, and stepped back expecting a big improvement. The white did match the shelves and upper cabinets, but against the dark lower cabinets it actually drew more attention instead of blending in.
Luckily, the white panel had a black side. I removed it, flipped it, and reinstalled the black-facing side. That was much better — the dishwasher receded into the cabinetry and the almond look was much less obvious.
It’s not a perfect solution, but for about ten minutes and zero dollars it was a satisfying improvement. If you wanted to customize further, you could spray-paint a panel, add a stainless-steel sheet cut to size, or even choose a bold color for a retro vibe. There are plenty of inexpensive options depending on the look you want.
This small success also jump-started more kitchen momentum. Right now we’re working on:
- Removing a broken trash compactor and replacing it with something visually cleaner
- Redoing the countertops in concrete — it’s messy but already making a dramatic difference
Have you ever flipped a dishwasher panel or updated an appliance in a simple, low-cost way? We’re still happy with our painted fridge, secondhand range hood, and relocated microwave — the stove is our last almond holdout. If you’ve used Ardex on counters or removed an old disposal, I’d love to hear how it went. Kitchen updates can be disruptive since it’s such a busy space, but they’re always worth it once everything comes together.