apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Is your landlord allowing you to paint? If so, then paint, but for what it's worth, don't pay for cabinets to be installed in a place that you don't actually own, unless your landlord is willing to pay for them.

Keep in mind the cabinet color has to coordinate with the backsplash and countertops, and the white appliances.

I know how difficult it is to find property in NYC.]

If you plan on staying for a long time and you have entertained the idea of the Ikea cabinets, try to work something out with the landlord. Plan everything out, you don't necessarily have to go with granite or anything, keep the same configuration, appliances, etc.

I could see those cabinets, countertop and sink from Ikea coming in well under 2k.

One of the big reasons why I would encourage this is because after removing the cabinetry, you may find the source of the critter problem and you can attack it from there.

If you do the Ikea thing make sure you have some "handy" help.

I stopped my thought short when I said I know how difficult it is finding property in NYC. I meant to go on to say that if you've been fortunate enough to find a place and plan on staying for a long time, changing the cabinets may be a good investment.

How about using contact paper on the faces of the cupboards? I've seen a brushed metal version, and then just paint out the frame? Or getting some cheap frames, replace the glass with mirror attaching them in the center of the cupboard for a regency kinda look?

Also chalk board paint gives a nice slate-like look for the lower cabinet doors.

Another idea is take the doors off and store everything in cool plexi containers, color coded of course, it keeps the creepy crawlies out.

For the back splash, how about velcro -ing some pre cut zinc, stainless or mirrored panels?

Thanks for all the comments so far!

The landlord is ok with us painting the existing cabinets. He will not pay for new ones (though that could change if the pest problem returns, but for now it's just a gross factor).

The floor has tones of dark grey and orange in it (looks sort of like slate) and orange is going to be the accent color for the kitchen. We'll be replacing the countertop (likely with something darker to match the floor) as we found some nice stuff at Home Depot that wasn't too expensive.

The main goal is to make the cabinets look new and improved and cover up the residual "yuck" vibes of the previous tenants.

I'm not sure what color would be best or what type of finish (semi-gloss?)....

Actually, it's the landlord's responsiblity to find the source of the pests and get rid of them. It is a gross problem. Peppermint oil can repel them, and make the cabinets more bearable. Also, storing stuff in metal or glass jars/containers helps.

Tearing cabinets out can become a real domino problem. You may have to get permits, change plumbing and gas, etc. It might take a while to plan. In the meantime, have you considered just refacing the cabinets and painting the walls? Good luck!

In the March/April 2007 Blueprint they did a makeover of the editor's apartment. Rather than trying to paint those hard-to-paint laminate doors, they took them off. Given the aforementioned pest problem, taking the doors off will encourage keeping food packed in air-tight containers and everything clean and open. You can then paint the frame and back of the cabinet. If the landlord wants to hold onto the doors, he/she can store them. The original article (with much small pictures) can be found here:
http://www.marthastewart.com:80/article/small-space-makeover?xsc=stf_MSLO-ARTICLE

good luck, and let us know what you end up doing.

Is it safe to paint the insides of cabinets where you keep food and dishes? I know heavy-duty lead paint has been banned, but is the typical interior paint okay for use around food? Anyone know?

If you have a pest problem, don't use contact paper to cover the cabinets - roaches are attracted to the glue. Even though it's a rental - if you plan on being there for several years, I am all for getting new cabinets. Just because you don't own it, doesn't mean it's not your home. Maybe the landlord would be willing to pay for it or maybe for part of it. Good luck.

In the picture, those look like beautiful 1950s birch plywood cabinets. Or are they fake wood made of plastic?

I doubt there's a roach free cabinet anywhere in New York. Or are you talking about mice? Either way, wash the cabinets with a combo of bleach, soap and water, then lay down shelf paper. Keep all your food in airtight containers. Spray every two weeks.

New cabinets and someone to install them will run more than $2,000. Possibly $5,000. Or more if you run into unexpected problems. And they will be made of particleboard too. Ikea cabinets are particleboard. And they may not fit as well into the space as the ones you have here.

Taking the doors off looks tacky. Someone I knew once put black laminate (contact paper) over his cupboards and it made a vast improvement. But they were plain beige plastic to start with. Not wood. I wouldn't recommend covering real wood. Alternatively, if they are plastic fake wood grain, you could do it up real good and decorate with some hilarious other fake wood grain stuff -- maybe some canisters on the counter and something on the wall. (Perhaps refrain from a deer's head, fake wood grain candles, and Martha Stewart wood grain curtains.)

Paint is safe for use around food as long as it's completely dry. The same is true of wood finishes on things like salad bowls, cutting boards, table tops, etc. -- even though people generally use "safe" vegetable or mineral oil for wood utensils, even polyurethane and wood stains/finishes that are toxic when wet become virtually harmless once it dries.

I refinished and painted the cabinets in my first apartment. They were simply varnished plywood squares with hinges and knobs. I removed all the doors, then sanded and painted the cabinets with two coats of enamel and replaced the knobs. The project was a great success, and the cabinet finishes lasted throughout my 15 year tenancy.

Before setting out on this project, visit a number of high-end kitchen cabinet showrooms and look at their cabinets. If after seeing the possibilities, you like plain, then just refinish in the color of your choice. If you decide you'd like a little more style, then take a trip to a millwork store, Home Depot or Lowes and test out different configurations of moldings to apply to the cabinet doors and/or frames. With a miterbox, handsaw, the right moulding combination, and paint, you could create quite a spectacular set of kitchen cabinets.

get new doors, and new countertops, and thoroughly disinfect the interior of the cabinets. I have the same problem in my current rental (beautiful apt, absolutely heinous kitchen) and dream of swapping out the cabinets...

Maybe you could just buy new doors for the cabinets? Then you wouldn't have to worry about the major reno, but could totally change the look.

I sanded and painted very similar cabinets in my place. Be prepared for it to take a lot of labor. I sanded with a medium grit to rough up the finish, then primed with kilz. Then used a semi-gloss paint -- it took about 3 coats to get a smooth, even finish, drying a full day outside between each. Added brushed nickel hardware - you'd never know they were ugly laminate to start with.

I did not, however, tackle painting the inside of the cabinets. I just didn't have it in me. I covered with contact paper and gave everything a good scrub, but the shelves are so full that you don't really notice that they're still laminate-colored.

melissa,

a friend of mine was not ready to fork out the $ to do a reno in his kitchen and, at the suggestion of his handyman, painted his cabinets a high gloss dark grey using car paint in a dark grey mercedes color and added long silver pulls. the effect is awesome. the cabinets look like a cross between custom fiberglass cabinets & something sort of high 80s memphis movement. definitely a job for a professional painter though.

I know an artist couple who simply primed all their cabinet doors and then invited friends over for a painting party. Each friend got to design and paint a door as if it were a canvas. (The couple provided a limited color palette, so everything worked together when the cabinets went back up.) The kitchen became everyone's favorite room to hang out in, and the "renovation" cost maybe $50.

John H made an excellent suggestion about going out and looking at cabinets to decide what you want to do.

Personally, I wouldn't invest the kind of money it would take to replace cabinet doors when it is someone else's property. Very few people keep the interior of their cabinets neat and organized enough to do open cabinets, either. I certainly don't.

Go out and look to see what you like. Refinish or paint as you like and invest in new hardware - you'd be surprised how much of a difference that will make. New handles can create a whole different sense of style in a simple kitchen.

Lisa Hunter has brilliant friends! They sound like a lot of fun.

These look like your garden variety "golden oak" cabinets, which means they probably have a textural grain to them. As such, I think painting them is going to be a challenge because you have that texture underneath. Also, those visible hinges are an eyesore- you're not going to get a fabulous look if you cannot conceal those hinges.

My advice would be to remove those doors, hinges and drawerfronts, and either patch up the hinge holes, or apply some kind of thin laminate material all over the exposed cabinet frame surface. Paint the cabinet frame silver grey. Buy a couple of sheets of furniture grade birch plywood and cut them down to the size of the door openings/drawerfronts. Sand and finish in either a nice dark stain or paint. I would attach the doors using a concealed hinge, e.g., the Anordna hinge from Ikea ($5 for a 2-pack). For a kitchen this size, this should be an under $150 job if you have the tools at your disposal.

your kitchen is an identical layout of one that Nick Olsen redecorated on the cheap for Time Out NY:
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/real-estate/1957/how-to

i'd paint 'em or remove the doors and paint the cabinet frames. leave the cabinets open where you store glasses and plates (provided they all match or at least look nice) and maybe hang a curtain where you store your food stuff. but yes, absolutely paint them (just remember to sand and prime first!)

also, i'd consider painting your kitchen a true white or a different color all together. that horrible cream color next to the white appliances looks really dingy.

Lisa Hunter and AmyV,

All things considered, paint is relatively safe to use inside your cabinets. I would suggest using a low-VOC paint, such as Ben Moore's Eco Spec or Aura lines, as this will reduce the amount of chemicals off-gassing in the area where you store your food. Low-VOC paints are easy to find in most paint stores. (VOCs are a major contributor to indoor air pollution.) Look for paints that are Green Seal certified: http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/paints.cfm

Particle board, which is a major component of many Ikea cabinets and furnishings, is often made with formaldehyde, a resin that holds the wood bits together. That's what you're smelling when you open the box of parts and are putting your piece together. The particle board will off-gas for a while (months).

It's difficult to know if the composite materials used in your particle board furnishing are made with formaldehyde or not. You can try contacting the manufacturer, but your best bet is to avoid using these composite products altogether.

Check out the US Green Building Council for standards used in green building, if you're looking for more info. http://www.usgbc.org/

I too had worn out, mismatched wood /particle board cabinets that had seen better days. I just took the plunge and painted the outsides white over a long weekend: sanded one night (the worst part), primed two coats the next day, and painted two coats the third day. It's not the most professional smooth job, but for less than $50 bucks it transformed the whole room.
Another less labor intensive option is to get some stainless steel contact paper and cover the cabinet doors: http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Stainless-Steel-Contact-Paper/dp/B000KKKSQQ
I bought some at Target for $8 a roll and covered my ugly beige dishwasher with it in 5 minutes.
I suggest you not agonize over what to do and just go for it. You already hate what's there, so no matter what you do you'll probably like it better.

I'd go for semi-gloss and not worry about the wood grain. I like the look of wood grain under paint, it gives it texture. But if your concerned with how it will look, try sampling with different finishes or colors where it won't readily show (say at the bottom of the lower cabinets). I think high-gloss will be too shiny, and anything below semi-gloss too dull.

Buy an insecticide and spray the cabinets,including the hinges
....scrub the cabinets with ammonia,let them dry overnight.Then lightly sand the wood,paint all the cabinets and let dry thoroughly before you put the dishes and groceries backin...

I'd take all the doors off and paint them all white. This will work great, especially if you have some nice dishes and glassware to display. Then maybe spend your money on a nicer countertop.

This might be good if you don't new a new installation.

http://alsacorp.com/products/sheetingfx/sheetingfx.htm

Thanks everyone for all of the extremely helpful suggestions! We have a lot of great ideas to consider and we're hoping to get the kitchen finished by the beginning of January (in and around the holidays!). We'll let you know how it turns out!

Thanks AT!

Melissa

Wood paint/ stain for the outside. Very common change.
It could look really beautiful with a black wood stain. You can add hardware pulls and really change the look.
I have painted the inside of my rental cabinets. The outside were good but I had the same creepy last tenant vibe. I had the painter use the same house paint (flat B.Moore) that I painted the walls. Did the job beautifully and it has not peeled off.

Go to a good local paint store (I love the guys at Epstein's on 9th Avenue and 54th Street) all the set decorators and prop people use this resource for paint, stains etc and the intelligence and knowledge of the store owners.