Paint them first and replace the hardware. I promise you'll be amazed at the transformation-I did the same thing on very similar cabinets and they looked fantastic, even though the panels weren't really my style.

I definitely advocate painting them because there's just way too much brown going on there, but I advise you to paint them before filling in the space between the paneling. Shaker-style cabinets can look very modern depending on the paint and the hardware. You might find that you like the paneling once you add color, which would give them more definition.

But please get rid of the scalloped thing above the sink and the frilly curtains. Those are really what make the cabinets look dated.

Ditto just paint - it will do a world of good. And then decide on whether you even want to do the hardware - painting might be enough for you for now.

You can embrace the style and make it a retro-vintage style kitchen which I think would suit the home. If that's not your gig, then go with what MADAME SUGGIA suggest.
Since your floors and counter-tops are light colored, I would stay away from white and go with a color of your liking in a lighter tone.
Good luck.

Im not really sure why these questions still surface on AT. There are a ton of scenarios where people have painted their dated wood cabinets or paneling only to have the end result be nothing less than amazing. Did this person not see last weeks post or the one before that...?

Alternatively just switch out the doors if you are not happy with the result of painting them.

If you paint them white they will look pretty similar to some of IKEAs kitchen cabinets, which would be fine. But what about painting them a color? Personally, I am getting tired of white kitchens. Now would be a good time to get a little crazy since you're going to be redoing the whole kitchen in a couple years anyway.

Like the first four comments, paint is your best bang for buck. We had a similar problem with our 30 year old honey stained oak cabinets. It has been 2 years since we have lived with the makeover and I am still so happy we did it. Hardware changes we actually did first and choose handles that would work in the existing 3 inch holes from the original brass handles. I highly recommend the investment on this. Since your counters are a cream colour, I also suggest finding a creamy off white to compliment them. Straight white cabinets will make the counters look dirty.

If you would like to see the before and after with details on the type of paint we used, have a look here: http://loopylocks.ca/2010/05/10/galley-kitchen-facelift/

@Garimi - I don't know, but I didn't bother asking whether I should paint my cabinets because the insides are so terrible that the outsides are irredeemable as well, even if they're in good condition. Everything is getting chucked into the dumpster as soon as we can budget for it.

You have trendy cabinets and you don't even know it. I agree with everyone else that you need to paint them (white or grey is my preference). But make sure you sand the polyurethane so it takes the paint.

http://www.mcsquaredconstruction.com/images/kitchen3/k3mc5a.jpg

Painting is a lot of work, with sanding and filling. Don't bother.

I'd dump the scallop, put up some really fun retro curtains (better for filtering the light and view, I LIKE curtains) and put something startling in the odd brown square over the stove vent/light, like a mural, or a piece of art, something to make you smile.

People worry too much about making everything perfect all the time. It's a dated kitchen, so what?

I agree with the others - just paint them and get cool new hardware, ditch the scalloped thing over the sink, new window treatment and you'll be good for a couple years. I would not recommend burning yourself out on a diy project that will be thrown out in a few years when you redo your whole kitchen. Save that energy - you're going to need it.

To get a more modern feel I would do a two tone paint job, darker on the bases and lighter or even white on the wall units. Some sleek nickel hardware will finish them off. Also - maybe a new faucet. Amazon has great deals. Good luck!

If painted then the end result would look like beadboard and I kind of like that look as it works well in modern kitchens as well as country ones. Get rid of the curvy thing over the sink, get rid of the frilly curtains and replace the hardware. You could also get butcher block countertops from Ikea for fairly cheap. Good luck!

This is a no brainer. Order replacement cabinet doors. You can get them in any style you like and paint or stain them. They cost a lot less than cabinets and if you get paintable MDF doors, they're even less. It's only temporary and no one will ever know if you paint the crap out of them. For a couple hundred dollars, it will look like a brand new kitchen. I just replaced the doors on my bathroom vanities. They totally changed the look of the bathroom.

Try barker doors: http://www.barkerdoor.com/?gclid=CLmA2YD8oLECFYTd4AodTykpYg

@Therese Z - because you don't like it? It might be a lot of work, but I couldn't live for years with cabinets I hated just because a renovation was on the horizon. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it shouldn't be something that you dislike.

I think a light blue color could look interesting on the cabinets. Or kind of a taupe color for something more edgy?

I bet when you paint them, they'll look really cool (like someone else said, very beadboard). We just bought a house with a similar looking kitchen, and painted the cabinets white with the "backsplash" and a couple walls a deep rich navy/midnight blue. It makes the cabinets really pop and looks fantastic. Good luck! Don't get too frustrated that your DIY ideas are taking waaayyyy longer than you'd have thought... it's a journey for sure :)

You could fill the ridges, but I think that would be a tremendous amount of work for not that much payoff. You are going to get such an impact from just painting and changing the hardware. I'd also saw out that scallop detail, paint, put up a new window treatment, and add some area rugs to obscure the floor, and you are good to go while you save for the renovation.
Congrats!

I agree with the others to paint first and then decide if you don't like the panels before you attempt to fill anything in.

Here's a link to a great makeover that used a lot of the original kitchen and painted. It has a similar feel to your current kitchen and it turns out amazing in the after! I heart the green and white so much. Don't be afraid to try a little colour and the 2 colour look is very popular right now. It would modernize the kitchen while you wait to do the big Reno. If you're not sure about the colour on the bottom you could do white on top and a med-dark grey on the bottom instead.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/transforming-my-kitchen-a-process-171402

I bet you'd be surprised how good the panels will look once it's painted. Or at least be able to live with them til you reno

I agree with the idea to just paint - and to maybe try something a little bold with the color. If it doesn't work - hey, you only have to live with it for a little while. If it does, you will have something fun and different until it's time to fully redo the kitchen.

Although I like white kitchen cabinets (and have them myself), I'd argue against that for you, because you've already got so much white and beige going on in there that you run the risk of (a) white overload or (b) that not-quite-matching-whites thing that always makes something look dingy. My personal pick would be some deep color - muted enough to work with the beige and the flooring, but still not a neutral - with some funky printed fabric for the new window treatment.

I agree with STREAM13! And a few others. Go with a fun color. I like the turquoise, or maybe a peacock or navy blue? Or a red? Yellow? The paint palette is your friend! (Do a Google search for painted cabinets, or even look in Pinterest. I bet you'll find tons of inspiration!)

Before you start changing everything, live with it for a while. Check out retrorenovation.com -- it is a site for people who want to restore or preserve their houses, and it has a lot of good information for fixing things up without ripping everything out.

I agree with everyone else as far as painting, maybe a French Graygreen, sort of the color of a green mud facial mask. It's classic but still neutral enough, and will go well with the counters and floor that you have now.

That said, I would have a hard time not replacing those counters. Even formica in an interesting color, with a squared off edge would add some design style without costing much. And the floors. You could still do vinyl, but update to something low cost but with more personality, and a deeper neutral color to ground the space.

Good luck and congrats on your house.

Paint them gray or a gray/green for an updated look. I've had great luck with that in several older houses I've staged for resale. Some colors I like: BM Sandy Hook Gray, BM Nantucket Gray, BM Rockport Gray. They will look amazing.

I'm with PI on this one. If you can't afford a major renovation because you haven't saved for it yet, that doesn't mean that $1500 in the short run can't give you a perfectly acceptable cosmetic facelift in the interim. Sure, you might have to lower your standards and wait for the subzero and granite countertops but with some moderate amount of work, you can have a nice kitchen that you will love to cook in and show off to your friends. i did it with granite-esque laminate, new cabinet doors, a new faucet and a whole lotta paint. It was perfect for about 8 years. Last year, I replaced the kitchen but the makeover served me well on a very affordable budget.

I once glazed over some Off white cabinents to give it an "Old World" or "French Country Kitchen" look, it was very easy to do and loved the finished product.

http://www.finishesbyfriday.com/p19-cabinets-old-world-finishes.php

http://indulgy.com/post/9eRwOW4ZD1/distressed-cabinets-stain-over-paint-interestin

http://www.finishesbyfriday.com/p11-cabinets.php

I had this same scenario in my basement. I painted doors glossy white, frame glossy grey, hardware is fun retro orange. Only downside, is that I am so pleased with the outcome, that it has lowered the priority of my overall basement remodel project.

Personally, I wouldn't do anything to the kitchen right now except removing the curtain and that scalloped edge because I hate sanding and painting (so tedious) and I refuse to put that much effort into something I know I will get rid of eventually. I'd rather spend my weekends hanging out with my friends in an ugly kitchen than painting said kitchen. But that's just me.
To get rid of some of that paneled wood, you could remove the doors on the upper cabinets and paint the inside of the cabinets a really fun color (assuming the inside is in OK condition). Then paint everything else white, replace the hardware, and maybe replace the counters.

Consider using oil paint. Line them all up after sanding and tack clothing and roll it on. Wood darkens over time and gets dirty and greasy around the handle of the often-used cupboards. I loved the soft sheen of the oil and the texture of the roller but especially the thousands of dollars I did not spend on my cupboards but did spend on travel with my family.

Oh yeah, paint the cabinets. Just keep in mind that bright, bold, trendy colors are fun but you may want to limit them to the easier to paint/change walls and accent accessories. Trust me that the work involved in painting the cabinets isn't something you're going to want to reproduce when you get tired of the trend. Go with a white, off white or other appropriate neutral..just remember to be aware of the undertones in your counter and choose something that doesn't clash with it. Changing up the hardware and as everyone else has said losing the scalloped piece will make an amazing difference. The rest will be so much fun...and the difference will be astonishing. Please post pics!.

1. One of the fun things about old homes is that imperfections can be part of their appeal. 2. If you DO paint the cabinets, I recommend skipping all of the latex primers, no matter what they promise on the label, and going with an oil-based primer. I've wasted time and money on well-known latex primers that promised to block stains and wood tanins, but I end up going back to the store and buying oil-based.

Rustoleum has paint kits for both cabinets and countertops. I have no idea how good they look but the concept is intriguing to me. Has anyone tried either of these?

Paint them. If you really can't stand the paneled doors, consider this: http://manhattan-nest.com/category/bathroom/ and scroll down to the bit about changing the look of the vanity doors. Should cost less than purchasing new doors.

This was my kitchen, right down to the layout and cabinet faces. Consider this: remove the scallop; sand it off and put the now-straight trim piece back, if you need to. Change the hardware from brass to nickel (think about a strong vertical for the doors, like the Ikea Lansa, and a small square or round pull for drawers). Replace the faucet and do something fun for the window (roman shade with great ribbon trim?). Find tile you like in a color that works with the existing counter and cabinets and add a backsplash; cheap undercabinet LED strips can highlight the tile. You can't believe how a backsplash can transform this kitchen, and if you don't splurge on the tile, it's worth it even if you rip it out in 5 years. If you're still not happy after you've made these changes, then paint the cabinets. This layout could be from the age of asbestos tile, so you may find those 9"x9" tiles below the floor you have now; beware if you pull it up.

@MOMLADY : I would agree about the bold colours if this wasn't something that was being torn out in 2-3 years. It sounds like they're just trying to do a temporary fix until they can afford the reno in a "few years". The 2 tone cupboards look has been around for a couple years now and it doesn't seem to be going away so why not go for a trend on something that's not permanent and go classic white when it's the actual renovation?

What you could do is maybe have new doors constructed for the cabinets, since you said the actual cabinet is in good condition. If you didn't want to do that or spend the money, it wouldn't be too hard to implement the same idea on your own.

First, take down all your doors and sand REALLY GOOD. I think you'll be surprised at how much grease and dirt can build up over time.

Second, buy wood filler and fill in all those grooves. Painting alone would help to improve the look but ultimately I feel the grooves in the cabinet doors are what date the space. After you've filled in the grooves, sand each door down so that you don't have a wavy look. You might want to invest in a small hand-sander anyway. They don't cost much and save a lot of time.

Thirdly, and this is what will really change the look. Go to your local hardware/home-improvement store and buy strips of lath. At Lowes they will come bundled. Nail/glue a strip on each side of each door to achieve a Shaker-style cabinet front. Sand again, the you're ready to paint.

Hardware will also improve and help you achieve the ultimate look you're going for.

I'm the only person in the world, maybe, who feels this way: I love those scallops. I'm not saying you should keep them, because I understand they're totally dated and everyone else in the world thinks they're ridic. I'm just confessing. My parents' house still has them in the kitchen and bathroom, and I love them.

I think the idea to paint them two tone is the perfect tide-you-over. As usual, PARNASSUS has good advice in the face-mask green suggestion. Very Martha at Skylands. Or a dark gray on the bottom, lighter on the uppers.

I wish I could post a photo here because I just redid a very similar kitchen. "Redid" - painted the cabinets and puy on new hardware. People think we have new cabinets - and they look fantastic!!!

If I were you I would paint the bottom cabinets a matte dark navy so that the lines of the panels blend in. THen I would remove the doors from the top cabinets and put some bright white dishes in there with lights from ikea to make it all look pretty. Ikea has some pretty cheap white dish sets but i really love the muji ones...

Um, flip them over. Chances are, the inside is flat wood. I saw it done on a tv DIY show. The outside becomes the inside and vice-versa. Yes, you will have to redrill for the hinges/handles and fill in existing holes.

For what it's worth, I would LOVE to have beadboard cabinets. Once you've painted them, you might like them much better.

I wouldn't paint them white, though. Older kitchens tend to look shabby with fresh white paint -- it makes everything else look drab. A more forgiving, vintage color might be the way to go.

I have the same cabinets and hated them at first. I painted the base cabinets Sherwin Williams rosemary and top cabinets Benjamin Moore Navajo white and the result is amazing. Also, I changed the hardware. Try painting the, first before playing with wood filler and other stuff. Also,of you got rid of the panel above the window the kitchen will look much better.

@chitownanna: do you have photos anywhere of the rosemary and white? :)

@Lisa (Montreal) - couldn't agree more. Pure white is going to make the rest of the kitchen look grubby by contrast. There are lots of other good suggestions here for colours, though.

I'm with all the others who have suggested painting them cabinets first and then appraising the look.

I've done a bunch of old houses in the last 17 years. wait until you've got a really good picture of what your house needs [pricey invisible things like wiring and plumbing inside the walls] before you spend money on aesthetics. paint the kitchen, go with something fun and outlandish, because someday you will end up doing the kitchen in a more long term format. congratulations and good luck

the cabinets are ok compared to the floor, then the curtains, then the hardware, then the scallop @ the window. a black/white checkerboard, barest ivory, or even red floor tile (slightly speckled or every bit of dirt will be an offense) would be retro/modern. the tiles can be marmoleum or vinyl. no one would miss the existing curtains. change the hardware before painting the cabinets & you may decide they may not need painting. a really good scrub w/ imitation tsp (real tsp not being good for anyone) is advisable regardless.