Asked on Feb 20, 2014

I need to match older white cabinets to the new ones.

I would like to paint white cabinets to match the new wood grain ones I installed. Any ideas ?
  19 answers
  • Adrianne C Adrianne C on Feb 21, 2014
    I recommend purchasing new doors to match, then strip the paint off the face fronts and seal.
  • Kris Broughton Kris Broughton on Feb 21, 2014
    I would paint the doors of the wood cabinets white. Paint everything to match. I would take off the white cabinet doors and make them open shelving. I would also add a crown molding across the top of all the cabinets, and put beadboard or beadboard wall paper under the cabinets to the counter. It would tie in with your beautiful vintage character ceiling!
  • Bethany P Bethany P on Feb 21, 2014
    Another option would be to get the trim molding to mimic the raised panel that is on the new cabinets - and put it on the front of your old doors. As for me - I would just try to make the old doors look as much like the same "style" as possible and I would paint them a great accent color and keep the contrast. If replacing them isn't an option right now, I would make it look like I MEANT to have two different colors.
  • I am not sure how successful you will be trying to paint painted white doors to look like oak. If you do not want to paint the Oak cabinets, then paint the white cabinets a color and if you are going to add cabinets under the counter top or even keep the curtain look, then go with the same color there too. change the handles too. Other thoughts, if you have the time, would be to cut out the white doors and add plexiglass, chicken wire, fabric, tin, or some other decorative treatment and then paint the white a color close the oak like a since there is minimal wood that would show.
  • Z Z on Feb 21, 2014
    I can see on the sides of the two longer white cabinets that they once where the color of your new oak cabinets. Though this may be a tedious job I'd remove the paint and stain them. If you have a heat gun with scraper that works well, but is very hard work. If you're not sure when they were painted I'd check for lead paint before stripping though. 3M makes a simple test you can buy at most paint stores. Once the cabinets are stripped test stain on the inside of one of the doors until you find a match. I also like @The Garden Frog with C Renee idea of cutting out the doors (either plain or cathedral would work).
  • Pat Dollar Pat Dollar on Feb 21, 2014
    I would strip the paint from the cabinet frames, stain to match your new cabinets if necessary then top coat with polyurethane and replace the doors. Do a search on Google for cabinet doors, take measurements of the existing and get estimates for the 4 doors you want to replace. You might look at http://www.kraftmaid.com for some ideas.
  • Moxie Moxie on Feb 21, 2014
    I too would replace the doors with new ones to match your new cabinets and maybe veneer the old box fronts with the iron on veneer and stain to match....or you could, just take the doors off and rework the boxes and do the open shelving thing if you like that look...or replace doors with glass doors...endless options. Good luck!
  • Z Z on Feb 21, 2014
    If you do replace the doors check Habitat for Humanity Restore. They always have cabinets doors at our local stores for five dollars each door! There's always a number of sizes and styles, many matching sets too.
    • See 2 previous
    • Z Z on Feb 22, 2014
      @Diane, I really like the cabinets painted dark. Not so much of a contrast. I'm guessing you don't want to strip, so I'd suggest when you find base cabinets you paint the center section to match these and it will look intentional. I almost mentioned that in my first comment, but noticed you didn't have base cabinets. Please come back and share when you do find more cabinets. I need to go to our Restore more often. It's about 20 minutes away, but I hate making a trip just to go there incase I don't find anything. I'm a head into the city when I have loads of errands to run type of person.
  • Katie Katie on Feb 22, 2014
    It's a bit of a difficult mix because the scale and style of the two cabinets is so different. I hate to say this since you just purchased the oak cabinets, but my suggestion would be to sand and paint them out (along with the older white ones) a colour you love. I would then take up the suggestion of @c Renee Fuller and remove the centres of the old doors and replace them with glass, chicken wire, etc. I'd love to see the before and after shots when you are done, whatever you decide! It looks like a very sweet kitchen! You could use a drop cloth to make some awesome curtains for your lower cabinets.
    • Diane Rock Rathbun Diane Rock Rathbun on Feb 22, 2014
      @Katie Yes, I do plan on getting a new look down there, want a few more shelves first. Thanks for you comments..
  • Christine Christine on Feb 22, 2014
    cathedral doors are easier and easier to find at reuse center. Luckily, you've purchased a style many are getting rid of. I'd either look for doors to match the style of your wood ones, or buy matching doors. At reuse centers, you can get these doors for as little as $2.00 and as much as $35. Still less than buying them new. You cannot recreate routed cathedral doors with applied molding, and I doubt you've got the skill to make the doors -- unless you're holding out on us! If you're not into finding new doors, I'd strip them ALL, stain them the same color, as suggested above, add crown and maybe do something open shelving. If you decide to strip them, forgo the difficult and dangerous things like heat guns and chemicals. Pick up some Citristrip, slap it on thick, leave it overnight and the next morning you'll be able to squeegee off the old paint and finish. No flesh-eating chemicals, no space suit, no fire, just WOW happening really easily. You can even squish the old paint into a plastic bag, because it doesn't eat everything in its way. Neutralize it with water, not mineral spirits. You can do this in place, as I have for antique pocket doors and a bunch of kitchen cabinets. Soygel or Citristrip makes this really easy.
    • Christine Christine on Feb 22, 2014
      @Christine I forgot to mention. If you're looking for someone to tell you how to faux finish that wood to match your new cabs? Forget it. Not only would it look like crap, but matching grain, let alone color, is almost impossible unless you're very much a pro at this.
  • Diane Rock Rathbun Diane Rock Rathbun on Feb 22, 2014
    Thanks Christine, I do plan on looking for the matching doors... :)
    • See 4 previous
    • Diane Rock Rathbun Diane Rock Rathbun on Feb 23, 2014
      @Christine Yes, it is original tin. I've lived here over 30 yrs. and many homes around me have the same ceiling with a slight difference in the patterns.
  • Diane Rock Rathbun Diane Rock Rathbun on Feb 22, 2014
    @No search results.Christine...Yes, I have lots of mis-matched items and need to replace this sink, want to redo all the counter tops to a matching color. I do love to take old things and make them work for me. I will keep you posted on my changes as they go. Thanks for the comments.. :)
  • Diane Rock Rathbun Diane Rock Rathbun on Feb 23, 2014
    Yes, it is original tin. I've lived here over 30 yrs. and many homes around me have the same ceiling with a slight difference in the patterns.
  • Michelle Michelle on Feb 23, 2014
    I say remove white doors and have open shelving there.
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Mar 11, 2015
    I agree with both ideas,,,,, open or new doors..The white are much more modern, your decor is more casual country..new doors would make them match the new ones.. open shelves are nice, or if you have just a few pieces you'd like to show off..... IF you are a person who can keep them neat..(I'm NOT)....Since you have the tin on the ceiling. You might think of leaving the center 2 doors off, and just finding 2 doors , and doing tin behind the shelves..
  • C&K Custom Remodeling C&K Custom Remodeling on Mar 11, 2015
    Any cabinet company should be able to match and install the doors for a reasonable price. We have matched existing and we may even have some pictures on our website, CkCustomRemodeling.com
  • Barbara Valenti Barbara Valenti on Sep 16, 2015
    If I understand right why not try and find some wall paper with that color brown in it. Something to try and match up with your new. Some grassclothe or burlap, or just a stain. I am grasping for something to get out of painting. Maybe a veneer that could adhere to the cabinet fronts. Same color as others. Pick up some other colors in your kitchen. It's hard to tell what's going on with the bottom. I am sure you'll find many options available. Let us know!
  • LWellborn LWellborn on Sep 27, 2015
    Perhaps you could base coat white cabinets with light brown/tan color and then use a wood graining tool with oak gel stain. Similar to "antiquing" that was done in the 70's.
  • Kjarvie Kjarvie on Sep 22, 2016
    People have different cabinets all the time. Bring them together with the same hardware and put a fame around plain ones. We have the same look it's fine. Ours was accudental . one side is with arch and other side is trimmed out square. Never even noticed for tmtears