apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That looks fantastic!

This is absolutely wonderful...Its so bright and clean looking now...Great work!

Awesome Show! Great Job!

Wow!!

That is phenomenol! Great work! I think most things look better in white:)

It really does look amazing - what a transformation!

The white of the cabinets actually draws out the tile backsplash which was the one thing worth keeping.

And also interesting how the white transforms the beveling in the doors from archaic to almost modern.

What a win!

Brilliant! Not crazy about aluminum but still a wonderful job.

F A B U L O U S !

What kind of paint did you use? Please tell us.

This is my kind of budget...too many times I see "makeovers" of bathrooms and kitchens and wonder how regular people afford $50,000 just so they have a warming drawer for their plates and such. This kitchen is beautiful and it should teach us all that we don't NEED stainless and granite to have a lovely kitchen.

Yes, do tell what kind of paint you used. I have been wanting to try this for years but hesitate for fear of putting in the elbow grease only to have the paint chip off within a year.

What a change, good work guys. Love your dog:)

This looks fantastic. I'm inspired to start the little project I thought would be a lot of work - painting the inside of a large cabinet with glass doors.

bravo! you did a lovely job! with my super-tight budget, i'm really inspired!

This is brilliant!

Very nice!
They just need some handles on those drawers or they'll be chipped up in a few months...

This is drool inducing. Also loving the beams above.

Fantastic job! I agree this is a great example of how to drastically improve your space w/o spending tons of money.

Wow! An amazingly well done transformation.

Bravo!!! Good for you for recycling and renovation all at the same time.

really great transformation on a low budget- great job!

Looks fantastic!

Truly Impressive. And it inspires me to update my beech cabinets! I've always wanted frosted glass panes in my cabinet doors -- not sure that will happen, but bright clean white may go a long way towards much better. :-)

I agree with the others--this is totally inspiring. Thank you for sharing!

Bravo! This is brilliant!!!

Wow, great job! You could always go with etched glass decals on the original glass panels to avoid the bowing of the aluminum, but it looks great.

It's really quite lovely. I've been debating whether it's worth it to paint my builder's oak cabinets and I think this post seals the deal. But only a weekend? Really? With sanding and everything?

THAT is a very good make-over.

i too hate oak. it's just so pale and country-esque.

We too turned to painting older dark pine cabinets and using inserts to update their look. We used Benjamin Moore's alkyd high gloss enamel. It levels very nicely and gives a finish that can be washed over and over and even scrubbed. Yes, it can be a nuisance to work with, a day or more and light sanding in between coats and the smell takes some time to dissipate. The smooth finish is well worth it. Rolling it onto flat serfaces and then brushing it out worked best for us. For the inside of the cabinets (I didn't want to open the cabinets and see dark wood) we used the high gloss latex enamel which dries quicker but does not level as well as the alkyd.

I love you. This made my day.

Very cool and very green. I have been regretting my kitchen gut and wish I would have been more creative. Nice job. It's good to see that you really can make a major improvement with little money. I lack vision but am trying to sharpen my imagination and the goal is 20/20.

T8
www.strangeclosets.com
When design takes priority, the result is often strange closets.

Love it!

That is really motivating to me - I've been putting off painting our kitchen cabinets/walls, but this looks really beautiful.

Is there a way around using an oil-based paint on the cabinets? We have two young kids and hate to expose them to the fumes. Is there a way to get a durable finish with a latex paint?

I've heard that if you put a layer of water-based poly over the latex, the finish is much much more durable. I don't have direct experience though.

Thanks everyone for all the great comments.
Here are a few more details about the project....

The paint is: Sears Brand Easy Living 15 year wall and trim paint (latex).
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03096115000P?vName=Tools&cName=Paint %26 Accessories&sName=Interior Paint
I was super impressed with the quality. I'm usually a Behr or Martha Stewart paint person but had to use what the previous owner used on the other cabinets (not seen in the photos).

As for the labor: I removed the cabinets (use a power drill to save time), glass, and hardware, sanded with a hand sander the best I could. Wiped with a rag and then started painting. 3 coats, but the paint dried amazingly fast.

For the hinges I used ACE brand enamel based Metallic spray paint (17047 Chrome), 2 coats. I am guessing that there will be some touch up needed eventually, but i'm not going to sweat it.

We measured (using the old glass) and cut the screens with heavy duty scissors. Popped them in and reused the edging strips that were holding the glass in.
And yes, 1 weekend :)
-kim

Wow! That is so pretty and fresh!
And I really like the aluminum screen - it goes well with the hardware and the white.

Thanks for the details. And for using products that we can actually find in our own town. Congratulations! It was a lot of work, but it really turned out well. You should be very proud.

Awesome. Where is the magazine rack from?

IKEA.