Need Help with Kitchen

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DanTheMan77

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We are buying a house that has an old, dated kitchen:

kitchen_zpsce391fcd.jpg


I need some ideas for ways to make it look better, but don't have a lot of money to spend. We definitely need to make the existing cabinets work for a year or two. I've thought about painting them, or possibly staining them, but I'm not sure how it will come out. I believe the cabinets are pine with a heavy coat of varnish on them. Also, the doors and drawers are not flat; the left and right sides of each panel is routed quarter-round. All of the pictures I have seen of people painting their cabinets have "flat" doors, and I just can't picture how this would look.

Does anyone have any ideas they could share? Pictures would be extremely helpful. Thanks in advance.
 
Sometimes simple projects are all it takes to make a room feel fresh....new hardware on the cabinets, an updated floor covering, etc. How you feel about wood is a key question to ask yourself. Right now, wood seems to be out of fashion for kitchens, but fashions change. It always seems that just about the time that I change something, it comes back into fashion:eek:

The scalloped fascias may be something to upgrade. That says "country" more than anything else in the picture.
 
I don't like the wood - it makes it feel very 1950's to me, which it is. I've thought about changing out the hardware etc. and maybe putting a new (cheap) countertop down, but there's still all that exposed wood. I guess I doubt how much I can freshen it up without doing something to transform that blank expanse of old wood.
 
well, yeah; the wood is the focal point because there is so much of it. Painting is possible, but you will have to get the varnish out of the way first. Are you sure it's varnish - or some other finish? You can also consider getting new cabinet faces (door & drawer faces), but i have no experience with that to share.
 
We don't close on the house until next month, so I don't have access to check on the finish right now. I'll be in the house next week when we have our inspections done, and I'll check them then.

Generally, how successful is painting cabinets? I'd imagine there are problems with adhesion of the paint. Also, I'm concerned about the durability of the paint as well as being able to clean the painted surface.

I was hoping someone might have an idea of what else could be done inexpensively to update the look a bit. I'm open to any and all suggestions.
 
I sanded mine , painted with some exterior paint that happened to be in the garage. Then I thiought I would put varathane over the paint to protect it, which I have done before, works well. But I found some with a stain in it and did a coat of that. Paint is a little darker but the colour showed up in all the nooks and crannies and the it all looks like it's been antiqued. That was in the bathroom. In the kichen I restained and they look like crap, will paint them when I get around to it. Later or much later. ;)
 
The kitchen in VERY dated. The guys have made some very good suggestions, especially updating the hardware.

Every room needs contrasting light and dark to balance the room. Dark counters with light cabinets ... dark cabinets with light flooring ... Plenty of task lighting for efficiency and feel.

Painting is a great idea but those countertops are nasty. What you have is a timing problem. You want to upgrade a bit but the ultimate or "final" look is down the road. So, you don't want to spend a lot of $$$ right now.

I would use a high density foam roller to paint the cabinets with multiple coats. Leaves a good surface, no brush marks, and easy clean up (toss the roller when done with each coat). You might start with a fresh undercoat of KILS to seal the old finish and give you something for the new color.

The scalloped fascia has to go NOW. I would eliminate it entirely to open the kitchen.

Your floor screams "OLD" ... Think about your eventual kitchen design before investing in new flooring. You might just want to live with that ugly stuff for a while so you can plan the eventual dream kitchen ... which would include new countertops and flooring and double sing with upgraded faucet.

Look at the lighting too. Recessed lights make the room feel larger and more modern. Task lights under the cabinets (LED strips) give you excellent efficiency and upgraded feel.

Oh, and that hideous tile backsplash? OMG ... When you get around to doing the countertops, plan on demolishing that mess. There are so many options available which would really pop your kitchen ... but that step is way down the road.

This is a wonderful project but take the time to think it through. Kitchen and bathrooms are the rooms where investments earn 100% or more paybacks. But if you blow it, the cost is a headache.

KITCHEN.JPG
 
Update kitchen flooring will give a new look and also change cabinets hardware and rearrange kitchen appliances that make kitchen spacious and appealing.
 
You are looking for the most bang for your buck and although the kitchen Villa posted is beautiful and I’m sure what you would like it’s also way out of your budget for quite some time.

Everyone’s tastes vary and what’s dated to one person is retro to the next.

With a limited budget if you don’t like the wood, then painting is your best bet. Upgrading the pulls will really change the style more than anything. You have white appliances and they look fairly new so to change to black or silver would be a big expense. I would work around that white as my appliance color. The tile wall and back splash looks to be ok and changing that out would also cost some money unless you have those DIY skills or want to learn them. If you keep the tile then your colors are yellow and white. The floor is fairly easy to update and a good DIY project if you like wood look the laminates work well and go over just about anything.

I don’t mind the sine wave valances as much as everyone else but if you don’t like it a trim piece to the face might be all it takes to hide it without busting it out or just trim it off straight. I would fill in the hole next to the stove that looks like a dust catcher.

I would take all the doors off and take them outside or garage / basement. Light sanding prime and paint. I would spray them but brush or roller or pad would work.

I have put tile counter top surface right over a counter like you have before is that the look you want.

I don’t know your style and modern contemporary may be what you want. I see your kitchen as French country but that’s my tastes and I see that working in better with what you have now.
 
I don't understand the need for so many cabinets.

My kitchen is simple, easy to clean and cheap. Built with 2x4's and porcelain glazed tiles.
 
That was a pretty standard cupboard in the fifties but they were always painted plywood, so someone paid a good dollar for the upgrage to solid wood.
 
slownsteady said:
worth repeating
Click to expand...

Well, more contemporary has a larger appeal to the potential future market ... While retro might appeal to some (a small market), I think updating will provide more bang for the buck in the out years.

If this was not the case, people would stop improving their homes and settle for 1960's boring ... or 1950's inefficient ...

PAINTED.jpg
 
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