apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

YES! YES! YES!

Your kitchen has so much going for it - great counters, nice appliances - a coat of paint on those oak cabinets would really freshen it up a lot.

Also, consider painting them a color or at least painting the lower cabinets a color and the uppers white. A beautiful sea glass light green would be great or a pretty gray (light or dark) would be fantastic too.

I think painting the cabinets a nice bright white and adding some nice silver-colored hardware (to match the stainless appliances) would give them a much-needed update and make them look much more modern. Your living room is so lovely and light!

I think the problem may be the countertop more than the cabinets - can you afford to replace the countertop with something more fitting your taste?

If not, then sure, paint the cabinets if you dont like them, but I think you would also have to paint the wall to create some contrast.

I agree with LilyC. You can rarely go wrong with white which complements most styles. The hardware you choose will help denote your style further.

I think if they were white, it would be so much better and airier. I don't know about painting them difference colors as LilyC suggests but I'd definitely try a beautiful white.

Good luck!

Definitely paint them! We had a similar issue in our own house, and I was tentative to paint, but am so happy with the result. It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, either.

It's fairly inexpensive to reface cabinets. In fact,refacing just the upper cabinets and pantry would be a big improvement. Reface some in single light glass and the rest like the ower cabinets.

Paint the lower cabinets a amtte black (farrow and ball downpipe is gorgeous) and paint the upper cabinets white for contrast that also ties in with your livng room.

oops, I meant to write matte.

At first I was going to say stick with the natural wood, but seeing the rest of the living room, I think you should go for it.

While white would be nice, if you're going through all the trouble painting I might go with a light grey color. That would keep the counter from sticking up like a sore thumb.

Good luck. Very nice living room, btw.

Are the walls white? In the first pic, they look white, in the second one, they look a bit blue. If the walls are white, I think white cabinets might make it look too stark. If you paint the cabinets white, how about painting the walls? Lily C had some interesting color ideas. Or maybe adding a back splash...glass tiles, perhaps?

Love your living room, btw.

Your living room is lovely - I agree that painting the cabinets may be a good solution, but in addition you need to look at installing a tile backsplash.

Perhaps painting the base cabinets a dark taupey-grey would help integrate the countertops into the overall design as well - and don't overlook the interiors - painting the interiors a nice bright apple green or prussian blue would make your kitchen much more interesting.

I agree with Lily. White (glossy) for upper cabinets and dark gray (glossy) for lower cabinets. I also agree with Monica -- use stainless steel hardware to match your appliances. It will look wonderful and much more contemporary (not like the kitchen on the Sopranos).

Thanks so much for all of the great suggestions thus far!!

The walls are a very light blue, but I know it's difficult to see that. While the color is quite light, I think there would be enough contrast with the white cabinets (all of the wood trim in the kitchen is white and you can definitely see a difference).

Paint it, for sure. They do look very country-ish and tired, even though they're new. What a beautiful living room, and the kitchen looks wonderful otherwise!

I agree--paint the cabinets white, put on interesting knobs, and paint the walls a slightly more distinct color than the blue. I also agree that the counters are a problem...

adding to the above...another idea is to remove the doors on the upper cabinets, creating open shelving. I'd still paint it all white.

Either reface, or replace all the cabinet doors with ones that have large glass inserts. Put up some lighting inside the cabinets (to be had inexpensively at Home Depot).

If you do repaint, spend the money to hire someone who's really good. Your doors have some detailing, and if that's not handled well it's going to look gloppy -- like you're trying to hide something (which you are).

Paint them. Not white - so tired and uninspired. Cream. Pale grey. Blue grey. Sage green. Taupe. Anything muted and subdued. Check out the finishes on ready-made cabinets that you would choose for inspiration. According to the pic of your living room, your style is not modern at all. Choose a colour for your cabinets that is classic and understated to coordinate with your tasteful mix of old and new.

WHITE! :-) It'll be so pretty. And I agree about adding hardware. You could also tile the backsplash . . . that would be a fun way to add some character and even color if you like. Countertops look nice. I think you'll like them more once the wood is white.

I would either a) stain the cabinets darker, like the wood in your living room, b) stain the outer rims of the doors, and replace the middle with frosted glass/etched glass/something not wood, or c) paint them black with silver knobs.

I think the white would be too bright next to your black and stainless appliances, just my opinion.

First off from a design pov your kitchen is complementary to your chosen home furnishing and living room.
You have a traditional look, these cabinets work fine.
Decorate the window with a shade.
Paint the kitchen. Get rid of the ugly clock.
Get rid of all that contractor white.

DO NOT paint brand new cabinets, it will make the house less resalable, very quickly paint on cabinets look shoddy if it is not done professionally! You can have the cabinets re-faced with anything you want!
Get good quality beautiful hardware.

Painting the cabinets is a lot of work, so be sure you're going to like the end result before you start.

I'd suggest looking into replacing the doors with something that doesn't have that "country" arch in the panel. If you paint them white as-is, you'll just have white cabinets with a "country feel."

Also, white is not your only option to brighten up the space. Light grays and taupes as suggested may help unify all the colors of the kitchen together, white still reflecting more light.

I think part of the problem is also that the cabinet doors and the drawer fronts don't seem to match. I would re-face, as Seaside already suggested. If it's your style, you could even leave some of the top cabinets open for display. Paint everything white (your new refaced doors will already be white, or whatever color you choose, so you'll only be paining the frames to match).

I might also: swap out the counter tops for butcher block (inexpensive) or white marble (not inexpensive!), or even a black soapstone for contrast.

I personally would also get rid of the crown molding at the top of the cabinets.

I meant to say, "WHILE reflecting more light."

For really inexpensive fix to the kitchen first change the look of the room by painting the backsplash and around the windows with a Benjamin Moore historic blue called Phillipsburg Blue in washable flat.
Perfect color, for the to change the tone of the all the oak in the room. Aslo get good lighting in the room.
I've used it and it is fantastic saturated color in a bright room.
It is the deepest color in your living room area rug.

White for sure. OH or a bright bright color for some pop. OR, take off the doors or replace them with glass doors.

or or or, haha.

if youre sold on a different look, id re-face them. but honestly theyre nice as is. youre lucky theyre brand new.. mine are strange/homemade looking, but ive learned to love them, sort of. haha.

We had the same cabinets in our new house when we moved in last year and we painted them white. What an improvement!

I painted the cabinet bases myself and had the doors sprayed at a cabinet place, which made for a much more durable surface and more professional look overall. We added some mordern hardware, and you hardly noticed the country/traditional arches.

Also, I HATED our countertops, but didn't feel we could afford to replace them....once the cabinets were painted though the counter looked completely different and so much better.
Good luck!

get a great sander as those cabinets look slick. Buy a semigloss finish so you can clean your new cabinets when they get splattered on occassion.
I would keep the crown because it gives a much more polished, custom look to any kitchen.
Get brushed nickle handles, a modern, rubber-backed rug and you're in business.
We have white cabinets, and stainless oven - it looks very clean. We've added a backsplash with white tile to lighten the space even more.
If you want a cheap new counter, we installed IKEA's butcher block counters - I think they were under $150.

Paint it, get some unique hardware for the doors/drawers also putting up a vintage glass tile backsplash would make a huge difference.

I think it depends on how long you intend to stay in the house. Painting brand new cabinets will probably decrease the desirability and value of the house. But if you plan on staying there for a long time, then go for it.

Insul-X makes a great paint for cabinets called Cabinet Coat. I know someone who used Insul-X in "almond" and their old cabinets were absolutely transformed. The "almond" color is just barely off-white... just enough to avoid that glaring white color that you may not want. Apparently you can use Cabinet Coat without primer. Just be sure to sand first. Good luck.

PS - I LOVE your countertops! I have dingy white formica counters from the 60s, and oh, what I would do for granite or corian :)

One more for the "Paint them!" pile! Your kitchen will be so airy and bright with white cabinets.

Another thought: I know I've seen wood filler products recommended here on AT. Maybe that would be a good solution for the "country" feel of the arched carving on the cabinets - you could fill in the carving and have a flat surface to paint. It would look much more modern and clean. Check it out - BUT I don't know if it's meant for such deep carving, and I don't know how complicated it is to use.

Otherwise, if open storage is your style, you could take the doors off... but no matter what you do, it's going to be gorgeous when it's white. Post an update when you're done, please!

unless your totally stuck on the white paint idea (which i think would be nice too), i'd go to a hardware store and see if you like any of the dark oak stain finishes. like someone mentioned above, i think that would go better with the existing countertops. a dark gel stain would be nice, and i think it would look good with the traditional look you've got going on. and when your budget allows i would see about putting some type of glass inserts in the uppers and pantry, to get rid of those arches (if possible) and lighten the look a bit.

don't paint them! I bought my house w/painted cabinets, and it just looked cheap. The problem is that the cabinets have all that weird decorative bevelling that makes them look cheesy. Get new doors, and see how that makes it feel -- seems like it would be fairly cheap and with nice handles, it could make it look more streamlined.

Oh, god yes. I echo all the other comments. Paint them white and add some metal period knobs to match the SS appliances. Of course, you then might want to paint the walls a different color, like a pale buttery cream or yellow. If you can afford it, get new door and cabinet fronts, but really, just white paint would make the whole thing 100x better.

Another way to add back to the period of your house is to purchase some 1930's accessories for the kitchen such as some reproduction embroidered sack dish cloths, some canisters, blue bell mason jars, etc. I'm mean, not too much so it's all brick-a-brak, but just enough to take away from the Home Depot remodel feel of the thing. (I'm starting to feel most granite counters, ss appliances combo in kitchen are looking really dated 2000s at this point.)

Also, a couple of nice lighting fixtures such as those from Schoolhouse Electric or Rejuvenation would bring it all back to period and tie it in with the rest of the house.

In fact, for inspiration, I'd check out the Rejuvenation website which has a whole section dedicated to room ideas, many of them actual period kitchens in my town of Portland, Oregon (where the company is located): http://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/settings/kitchen.html

Painting them is a great idea...Also, since there's the grey from the stainless steel appliances and the countertops..I would also bring in gray (somehow??) to tie it all together...but definitely paint them cabinets:)) Good Luck..by the way..LOVE the blue in the living room!

FOR SURE! Builders grade stock cabinets aren't very special. I definitely recommend having them painted by a painter (with a spray gun). I've done the DIY method, and paid a pro, and the difference is night and day. Friends/family/clients are amazed that my kitchen cabinets aren't factory finished.

Contrary to many here...a white finish would reinforce the stock quality of them...anything but white. A unique color would help to add a more custom element to them.

BTW: Matte black in a kitchen would be a real problem. Grease spots will glow against a matte finish, and you will risk damaging the finish trying to clean them. No matter how careful you are, its unavoidable.

Paint the cabinets, but do it right. There are few things more unattractive and depreciating than bad DIY paint jobs.

This means you need to:
---Take everything apart
---Remove all hinges
---Clean and sand
---Prime
---Use multiple coats of a quality durable finish paint (lightly sanding between coats)
---Paint all surfaces, including the interiors

Ideally, I would suggest having this done professionally if at all possible. But note that it will not be cheap.

A note about paint choice: We had new cabinets professionally painted about 5 years ago. The painter used an oil based enamel for its durability. There are a few cabinets that are still off-gassing. Unless the cabinets can CURE (not the same as drying) outside for an appropriate amount of time, you need to go with a low VOC paint. Not all paints are created equal. Do some research and choose the best quality paint you can find. Do not try to save money on paint.

Do not go with a high gloss finish -- it will look horrific. Choose semi-gloss instead.

Do you have the budget to replace your counter tops? If so, choose something that would complement white paint.

If you're not replacing the counter tops, it would be better to paint the cabinets a muted taupe or grey (as many have suggested). It looks like your counter tops are warm in tone, so choose a color that will complement them. It will be beautiful, and much softer in feeling than white.

We have almost the exact same cabinets in our kitchen. Same style/color etc. We painted them semi-gloss white against the advice of everyone including my parents who helped us paint them... but now everyone comes over and raves about what a good decision it was. You can see the before and after on my blog, http://www.maghanoy.com/2007_07_01_maghanoy_archive.html. Go to the July 21st entry.

I would so paint them. I had similar nasty oak cabinets in my last home and I never regretted painting them. You can see a pic here on my blog. There are great resources on the net for how to paint wood--sand, prime, sand, paint, etc.

http://deepthoughtsbycynthia.blogspot.com/2005/09/confessions-of-hgtv-addict.html

I have seen so many old homes get remodeled with a kitchen that looks exactly like yours!! People need to pay attention to the style of the home when remodeling! I agree with you that it's an eyesore. It's so boring and typical and really doesn't match the home. Definitely paint it white!!!

Your living room is stunning by the way!

consider painting just the doors white & leaving the millwork/trim wood which would leave a more subtle contrast that also compliments everything else you have in your home. also, consider white washing the cabinets instead bright white paint.

We had a similar issue when we moved into our house, arched upper cabinet doors and all. What I've done so far is to remove many of the upper cabinet doors to create an open shelving look. We are planning to completely remove some of the upper cabinets and replace them with stainless steel open shelving. I have also added lots of colorful accents to break up the sea of wood. Good luck with whatever you decide.

to be honest, it looks like more trouble than it's worth. cabinets are expensive and i wonder if it would decrease the value. i can see it being a real hassle and not coming out that well on the other end. hate to be the pessimist but...

My husband and I are looking for a house now and I hate seeing bad remodels in gorgeous old houses. I'd rather they just left it and let the new buyer remodel to their taste.

That's an eyesore?
*#^~%&^*&*)%&*!!!!!!!!!

those look like merillat cabinets to me, but as long as they're not a funky brand, i think you can probably look around in the cabinets, find the maker for this type of cabinet. check the drawers -- they probably say on the sides if they are merillat. if they are easy to source, you can very easily purchase new doors for all of the upper, country-fied doors to match the square lower cabinet pattern. then get some hardware that's a little more modern and i think you will be much happier.

We painted the cabinets white in our last house after the previous owner had painted them black(!), and although I loved how it turned out, chipping was an issue over the long term. Just something to keep in mind.

To answer a few questions about the paint ... I spoke with a painter in town we really trust, and he actually said I don't need to sand the cabinets.

Instead, he said we just need to clean them with a household cleaner to remove any grease. Then prime twice with something called Stix (apparently some amazing new primer that sticks to anything ... forever ... including glass and tile. Also, low VOC, low odor). And then two coats of paint. We chose the new line from Benjamin Moore called Aura, which is low VOC and water-based so we are not dealing with the smell from oil-based paint. It doesn't come cheap ($50/gal), but to me it is worth it if does the job!

I have to admit I was thrilled to not have to sand ... but I am still a bit nervous about that. Does anyone have experience with Stix? Crossing my fingers I can trust my painter!

I am doing the painting myself because the estimates I got to paint them were in the $2-3k range ... and for that, I would rather fork over the rest for a whole new set of cabinets. I am going to do one door entirely first and make sure this no-sanding method works ... and that I like how it looks. If not, I only have to buy one new door.

Thank you for all of the advice! Keep it coming if you are so inclined!

p.s. This is a temporary fix ... I hope to gut the kitchen entirely in 6-8 years.

Why do people consistently pick the bland oak country look when they're about to move out? My parents house had the same stuff until they renovated it a few years ago. Why? It's ugly. Why not simple shaker doors? Why, house sellers, why must you put these things up?

I vote white paint!

I think I like the idea of white cabinets, but you might consider a wallpaper on the walls, that might at least somewhat acknowledge some of the black in those appliances? I'm not sure exactly what or how.

But otherwise, you might really need to do some kind of beige on the walls, so the white doesn't make those appliances hit in the face with their metallicity.

Ok.
The bottoms are not too bad, I think I might paint a seaside or darker blue, then I would replace the top cabinet doors with SHaker style doors in a white. I think the countertops will be fine then. Look at Cottage living etc to see how they mix cabinet colors.

I'm for painting the walls. I have cabinets that are that same oak. I was planning to paint them, but first I painted the kitchen a cherry/primary red, and the oak just popped! I would change out the doors with the country arch, though.

I would remove the doors from the uppers - keep uppers open shelving and paint upper and lower cabs (with doors) white and get nickel pulls. I agree with earlier post that if you paint upper doors white, you still have upper cabs that will look country-ish.

The seller of my home installed same style of new cabs when I bought my house in Alexandria. I ended up ripping it all out, donating cabs to habitat for humanity restore and installing new ikea kitch cabs.

Also, these look like american woodmark cabs from home depot/lowes. maybe you can just buy new doors for all your uppers and lowers.

I think you could get them painted for half the quote...especially in todays current economy. If that still too much, see about renting a sprayer! I cannot tell you the difference between brush painted (or sponge roller) and a sprayed finish. The sprayed finish is a flawless flat finish, brush strokes kind of look bad. If you are going to brush paint, SAND, vacuum surface, tack cloth clean, paint the first coat with the paint cut at 50% so that it can set in the grain, fine sand again, 2nd coat 75%. 100% tends to clog up detail and dull lines and looks pretty bad. If you are going to use a latex, consider a clear top coat.

Even though you are planning to gut the kitchen in 6 years or so, a half a**ed job will wear very quickly and then you are stuck with a shabby looking kitchen, and that's even worse than if you had left them. Take the time, make the effort to try and do it right. 5-6 years is a long time to live with cabinets that look messed up.

Best of luck!

I am normally in the don't-paint-it camp, but these cabinets don't belong in a Craftsman house with original woodwork. They're going to look junky next to the rest of the house.

That said, I wouldn't paint them white. Maybe slate gray or a gray-blue?

Paint them!!

Paint!!!!!!!!

Oops...

i think the consensus is paint! white in small spaces is a good idea.

i would also consider adding glass fronted doors to some of the cabinets on the walls - then display some gorgeous tableware

i think the kitchen would appear bigger if you decluttered your benchtops too - only essentials on the bench! i have a small kitchen and this helps the space appear less cramped.

Yes please. White paint will soften the hard edges of the stainless and granite. Do a nice arcing door pull to mimic the handle on the range.

Here's a brilliantly thorough link that I'm recycling from a previous AT post ... also, the cabinets shown would fall in line with your 30s bungalow style!

http://day-lab-diy.blogspot.com/2007/09/cabinet-paint.html

Enviable project ... most people are starting with junk and trying to dress it up! You've got the luxury of a solid foundation ... Have fun!

I haven't read all 64 comments but I'd paint the lower cabinets and do open shelves on the uppers - it opens the space visually and seems less oppressive in a small kitchen.
You might be able to donate the upper cabinets.

I think it'll look better if you stain the wood so that it is darker.

Oh and also add hardware to make it look custom.

I'd pain the lower cabinets a federal blue or a putty and the upper cabinets a creamy white. And I, too, would add hardware to the cabinets-- perhaps clear glass knobs. Love the living room, btw.

FYI on painting

We did this in our 2 kitchens. Lessons learned:

1. Use oil paint and suffer with the fumes while painting. Make sure you do it outside. Latex is NOT a hard wearing paint and will knick and if you need to wipe a little bit of paint will come off each time. Oil paint will create a nice hard finish.

2. Spray it. Don't brush or roll. No matter how careful you are you will get strokes or roller texture. The sprayer will give it a nice professional finish. It takes a fraction of the time and you can do many layers very easily. I believe you could rent one if you don't want to buy.

I agree with painting the cupboards white (top and bottom), and as a backsplash I suggest using the same type of granite from your worktop. You'd get a unified and clean look.

P.S. And to illustrate the above answer, look what I found googling around:

http://romandevelopment.com/images/DSC00549.JPG

Also like the color of the walls on that photo (you can get it by picking the lighter tones from your granite counter top).

I wouldn't consider that small, but it's all perspective, I guess.

At the least paint them white and get better handles. But I'd also suggested getting new doors (already white) so you lose the "country" molding and you'll have less to paint. :)

PAINT 'EM White

We have similar cabinets and are planning on painting them as well. I think white will look fantastic with the rest of the house.

"paint the cabinets" win if you go by everyone here.
Just DO it right, otherwise it can look so bad. I have seen painted cabinets look so sad!

DO NOT put the cabinet knobs in the wrong placement.

They belong on the bottom of the cabinets in this picture! It makes a project look unprofessional to place hardware wrong.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3420/1285/1600/Picture%20245.jpg

Your cabinets loo lovely, but yes, you should paint them white to match our decor. Your living room is so lovely btw :)

NO NO NO!!! DO NOT PAINT THEM SOLID WHITE!!! The reason I say this is that while I can't stand the oak either, given the panel style of the doors, white will only make them look like the lowest-end Home Despot cabinets available--think cheap bathroom vanity.

Maybe paint them, but NOT WHITE. Light green? Yellow? Dark stain? Can you just replace the doors? Yes, add hardware.

Good luck, and show us the "after"!

Pickle white with a mixture of 50% primer and 50% water based urethane. First lightly sand, then apply with a brush then wipe off. So gorgeous. It'll heighten the beauty of the wood. Then add some nice mismatched knobs from anthropologie!

http://search.anthropologie.com/?q=knobs

Is the Pope Catholic?

Firstly, don't jump into painting right away! Don't do a stark white if you do....a slight cream would be less harsh.

To my mom and I, we think the cabinets look like a good quality! I would tear out the counter and put something more appropriate and then tile the back splash up to the upper counters. Plus have a great contractor like my amazing brother at carpenterguy.com cut out the upper panels and put in some soda glass and put in lighting like Ikea carries.
I do like the suggestion of different colors for upper and lower, if you do paint. Frazee paint has a low VOC OIL paint which can e cleaned up with water. Check out Ebay for low cost handles.
Your home looks lovely and tasteful! Good Luck!!!!
Jien

I'd replace the upper cabinet fronts with chicken wire (if you didn't want people seeing into the cabinets you could put a fabric panel behind them). The chicken wire would mimic the diamond window panes in the living room. Also, the arched doors are very country-ish and no amount of paint color can change that.

Then, I'd try to replace the bottom cabinet fronts with a flat door like the silverware drawers. That way, you could frame each panel with a flat molding to give it a more craftsman look.

But then, absolutely...I'd paint 'em!

PS - I love the living room.

Definetly paint them.
It doesn't matter if they're good quality or not, if you don't like them, you change it. That counter top looks somewhat expensive (because most that allow an undermount sink are), so if you like that, fix what you don't like!

If a more contemporary kitchen is what you're after, paint alone isn't going to do what you likely want to do. The oak isn't so much the problem, but the style of the doors themselves, which are very traditional and sadly common.

I suggest painting the cabinet boxes white, or another color AND getting new doors. Perhaps these RUBRIK doors from IKEA, which are fabulously made in glass and aluminum:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90136103

And if you're not a fan of the counter top, instead of ripping it out and installing a new one, I suggest having a stainless steel "cap" made that would just go over the existing granite.

That way, you keep the resale value of granite but you get a whole new look WITHOUT the demo.

Just some thoughts!

Paint those suckers!

Here is a link to my blog that gives a quick and dirty DIY. If you need specifics, just email me!

http://cottageofstone.blogspot.com/2009/01/diy-painting-kitchen-cabinets.html

Oh, and your living room is gorgeous. I love the chairs!!!

I think I am in the position to tell you exactly what to do, well...because I took the plunge and did it myself. Friends were too chicken to follow suit so they are stuck with ugly kitchen cabinets.

Paint them BLACK because your wall color, granite color and appliance colors are asking for black cabinets (we have very similar kitchens) and trust me you will love it!!! It will add a touch of modernity and chicness to a traditional home. Trust me black is the new white.

I used a tinted grey primer and I think that was key and I went over it with jet black paint then sprayed a matt coat on it. Very time consuming since you have to take off the doors and hardware but well worth it. I also added brushed metal knobs from Restoration Hardware, would recommend the same.

The whole project barely cost anything but I can honestly say I have one of the prettiest kitchens and most people think that I got custom cabinets. A friend even came over and filmed a web cooking show in it.

I have been struggling with the same question. Did you paint your cabinets? If so what paint did you use?

Your living room is beautiful. I would love to know what paint you used on the walls.