Outdated Kitchen cabinets

6 years ago

I have knotty pine solid wood kitchen cabinets that are 20 years old. Some cringe with the idea of painting real wood but I cringe when looking at how outdated they are. I'm also very worried about painted cabinets not holding up well with 2 toddlers and really don't want to throw money down the drain if the knots bleed through or I have a lot of paint chipping in a year or two. I can't dedicate the time into doing it myself so getting estimates currently which have varied from $700 - $5000. My whole house needs to be updated but I'm trying to take one piece at a time: cabinets, countertops, backsplash, blinds/shutters, appliances, all new flooring, and finally decorating. I would love any opinions, suggestions and advice!!!

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Beth H. :

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Amy, if you like the layout, get the cabs refaced and the boxes painted. it will look better and run the same cost as a high end, pro paint job. (that 800 quote is him applying paint w/no sanding, priming or anything else. that will bleed and peel in a month). The wood has to be degreased, sanded and sealed w/a shellac primer to prevent the knots from bleed through. prob is you will always have those grooves. If you're willing to take the time, you can fill them with wood filler, sand, prime and paint.

remove the scallop thing over the window.

Now this you can do yourself, for cheap. it may take you awhile, but it can be done.

If you don't have the time, then spend the money on refacing, or buying the cheaper, cabs for about $3500. You can also look on Craigslist for people selling their oak cabinets. those would paint up a bit better.

but you only have 13 or so doors and 6 or so drawer faces. to get those refaced w/ simple shaker door or even a flat panel, wouldn't be too bad. then you have everything sprayed. but since it's already in their warehouse and the wood is new, it's half the work of doing paint your old ones, so the cost wouldn't be too much more

find remnant granite for the counters and do a butcher block for the island. you could even do a little overhang for stools.

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Comments (13)

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Nancy the Stager & Redesigner
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I would make sure a professional painter does this job. Ask to see samples of his work. Because of the knots in the wood, there needs to be a primer applied before painting. Because these are all wood cabinets I would invest in painting them correctly. The next thing I would do would be to replace the floor. Then do your counters. I I would take the island out it is taking up space, making the kitchen look small. I have included pictures of a painted kitchen, these cabinets were dated oak cabinets, my clients invested the money to update the kitchen for a fraction of the cost to redo the entire kitchen.
Amy B thanked Nancy the Stager & Redesigner
phuninthesun
6 years ago
I don't think it would be worth the $$ to paint those cabinets. You can purchase new cabinet doors from Home Depot/Lowes. They come with concealed hinges. Then I would pay to have them painted. Replacing the doors is a lot less expensive than replacing the entire cabinets. I would also remove the wood trim over the sink.
Amy B thanked phuninthesun
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You are more than welcome Teresa, glad I can help. I can now completely understand why changing the panels would be a real hassle - it would essentially be taking the kitchen apart and reinstalling. As the panels are Wenge effect then painting will not be an issue at all. Just make sure you give them a good clean and wipe over with sugar soap before applying any primer/light sanding. If you are struggling to get a good colour match to the doors - it might be worth hunting down a company that specialises in paint colour matching. Explain to them that you are looking to paint end panels I'm assuming they are laminated/MFC and they should be able to guide you on what base would be best as well as the prep work involved to make sure the panels are as hardwearing as they can be. I think a pop of pink would be fabulous! That's the beauty of making the kitchen your own and adding colour with accessories - you can have what you love and if you change your mind years down the line you won't have to redo the whole kitchen. What sort of pink are you thinking? Do you have any artwork in the kitchen that has a small amount of pink that you could tie in? With the colour palette you have any kind of pink would work well in there, from a nice dusty rose, blush pink to a hot pink (if you are daring enough). If you need any help with sourcing or suppliers for splashbacks please let me now. Kind regards, Charlie Covey Kitchens www.coveykitchens.co.uk
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PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago
Please get a kitchen designer involved ASAP to make sure you are not throwing good money out the window.
Amy B thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Amy B
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks Nancy! I really like grey color cabinets in the update picture. I thought about doing grey on the bottom and white at top. I agree with the island making the kitchen look smaller but I honestly don't know where I would put everything. I'm already having a hard time with such little cabinet space. Would you recommend I add a border like the cabinets in your picture, even though they have the vertical lines?
Amy B
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks Phuninthesun, I def agree that the scallop above he sink. However I'm worried that I will not be able to find crown mounding to match what I have. So I've considered just leaving but cutting it straight across and just leaving a few inches and putting back up. I will def look into the cost of new doors but I believe it will be out of my cabinet budget. Worth a look though so thanks!
Amy B
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks Patricia, even though I'm on a tight budget, I can see where spending some upfront $$$ for a designer may save a lot of costly mistakes in the backend. Finding one that is affordable and reputable may be the hard part but I will check that out!
PRO
Sterl Kitchens Co. Inc.
6 years ago
new good wood soft close cabinets and new granite can be done for $4000. thats not floors or backsplash and it's you installing the cabinets. Putting granite on old cabinets or refacing are not cost effective in any way in the long run.
Amy B thanked Sterl Kitchens Co. Inc.
PRO
Beth H. :
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Sterl,,,that's not true. her boxes are solid wood. those cheap chinese cabs are crap and in no way would last the 60 years that hers have. If she found a local carpenter (do not go through Home Depot or lowes for refacing!) who only charged a few thousand to make new faces, then she could paint them. Her cabs would be solid wood and pretty much brand new. plus she won't have go through the hassle of install.
gtcircus
6 years ago
My brother had similar cabinets and painted them a dark grey, put shiny modern chrome pulls on and it looks great. He then got remnant stone for the counters. Looks awesome.
jhmarie
6 years ago
I would do white paint rather than gray. White is more timeless and less trendy. I don't have a problem with painting pine, but I agree, you could run into trouble with chips and a need to touch up frequently. I have some painted cabinets and white trim, and there is some upkeep involved. My kitchen cabinets are stained and when I thought about pulling together a kitchenette for my basement I refinished and stained old cabinets rather than paint because that is a kid used kitchen.

Part of me likes the pine because it makes me think of my favorite place which is a cabin on a lake:)

I did put new counters, sink and backsplash on my older cabinets - however, before doing that be sure the cabinets are sturdy and that you do not think that you would be able to budget for new cabinets for over 10 years. I would look into new doors. A local cabinetmaker made me some for a bathroom vanity and I stained them to match the vanity. That is even easier if you paint.

My kitchen is in my "my pics" idea book.
PRO
Brunswick Design
6 years ago
If you decide to paint the cabinets, make sure to choose an experienced professional, as these cabinets are good. Maybe outdated, but good. Next, you should think about getting a nice backsplash. You have some porcelain tile backsplashes that look exactly like marble - http://brunswickdesign.com/tile-brunswick-nj/marble-kitchen-dwell/. And I would definitely change the flooring. If you want more of a natural look, you can consider porcelain tile brick look - http://brunswickdesign.com/tile-brunswick-nj/porcelain-tile-that-looks-like-stone-brick-msi-stone/ or, if you go with grey cabinets, something like this for a nice contrast.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago
Okay , yes the cabinets can be painted but really do you love this kitchen? IMO if you aregoing to spend the money on adding lipstick to a pig I think you need some help .Go to Ikea they will help you design your kitchen or Home Depot it is not as good as an actual KD but better than trying to make this something it will never be. BTW you should be thinking of the floor before anything else is done so that you will have the same flooring running through the whole house . This looks like a smaller sized home and when that is the case good planning is everything.

Outdated Kitchen cabinets

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