Kitchen cabinet help needed - can these doors and drawers be salvaged?
by
Bbrutans
+22
If you have a kitchen from the 80's like mine, can these doors be fixed up or painted over? Any suggestions? The brand is KraftMaid.
17 answers
-
Hi, Would you lke your kitchen to end up contemporary or country? If contemporary, simply paint your cabinets including the trim or leave wood trim as is. Any box/paint store can guide you to which paint to use on formica. You will have to rough it up with a very light sanding so the paint will adhere. Your colourway appears neutral so you could paint any colour you like. If country is your preference, remove remove mouldings at top of cabinets and add a wood or mdf crown mouling and paint it white or off white. You could paint out the cabinets to a soft country colour with something like chalk paint. Or, you could glue Bboard to the fronts and finiish edges with trim mouldings - placed right over your wood trim. Buy an old wood chair for your desk and refinish to coordinate with cabinets - chalk paint distressed style. Change your lamp to one which has a country flair or paint it or glue jute arount it. Add some country accents around the room. You could replace your cabinet doors and drawer fronts but you are looking at a fair amount of money to do that. You might want to consider hiring an intereior decorator for a consult first - cheaper than just going to replace all your door fronts. Any local home builder could give you the name of a decorator they use. PattiOttawa, Canada
Patti
on Sep 18, 2014
-
I thought I posted earlier but it is not showing up. I have had these cabinets in an active bathroom area since 1985. About 15 years ago I painted out the wood...trim, sides, kick plate...using 1 coat of Kilz and 2 coats of Kitchen/Bath flat white. I put a little "tinting" using baked sconce (a Behr color that I had on hand..a light toasty color) just to cut the too white glare. It has held up perfectly...not a scratch or blemish on it. I think the success was because I was working and had to let it dry over the week until I could get back to it the next week. I would never remove the formica because that is the wonderful thing about these...just wipe them off. After almost 30 years, mine are still clean and white. Painting is a lot cheaper than a kitchen redo. If you want country or traditional, use handles similar to mine!
Jeanette S
on Sep 18, 2014
- See 3 previous
-
@bbrutans the advice from @Jeanette S is right on...kraft maid use to be a top notch cabinet maker so if you just want an update follow her advice xx
Chris aka monkey
on Sep 18, 2014
-
I like this style - sort of Scandinavian. Think you need some splashes of colour. I'd do some research into Scandinavian art, etc. Am not in love with the flooring.
Marion Nesbitt
on Sep 18, 2014
-
I had these exact cabinets and was never so happy to tear them out of my kitchen. I would not remove the veneer. Some of our veneer was coming off when we ripped our out of the kitchen. The wood underneath is not very nice and you would have more of a job if you removed the veneer. There are so many great products out there that you can use to paint these cabinets. You could also use embossing cremes to create some texture. Do the research and make sure that your prep and priming is the most important step.
117135
on Sep 18, 2014
-
You could paint out the oak trim and doors, with a BIN or Kilz primer, and a high quality top coat. If you are interested in trim, Addicted to Decorating did a whole trim blog post this week. http://www.addicted2decorating.com/oh-difference-trim-makes.html
Amber
on Sep 19, 2014
-
Yes, you can paint these, but don't try to take any shortcuts if you want the paint job to last.It is best if you can remove the doors, but they can be painted in place. Make sure your cabinets are clean and grease free. Then use a liquid deglosser/sanpaper (follow their directions).Prime with high quality oil based primer--not latex. Two thin coats of primer is best. Follow with at least 2 coats of oil based paint in semi-gloss finish applied with a foam roller made for cabinetry. Oil based paint needs usually needs to dry 24 hrs. between coats. Oil based paint is harder to clean off of your hands so wear thin disposable gloves; clean spills & drips immediately with mineral spirits.This way takes a little longer & is a little more work, but will be washable & will last for years. Also, add knobs/handles to your doors & drawers to update the whole look. Best of luck! (Yes I have done this to my kitchen, also bookcases, etc. that have that shiny finish.)
Debi53
on Sep 20, 2014
-
bbrutans, I have those same exact cabinet doors. I HATE THEM! Yes, they are easy to clean, but that's the only positive I can think of. Our cabinets themselves are solid wood and aren't in that bad of shape, but I hate these doors. I thought about getting that Rustoleum Cabinet paint kit, but I think that's just a cheap fix that wouldn't be permanent. I also don't think it increases the value of your home by doing it that way. In the end, I'm either going to have to buy new cabinet/drawer doors or completely new cabinets. We have that horrible laminate countertop, too, except it was extended up the walls to underneath the cabinets. If we decide to not do a full kitchen remodel and keep our existing cabinets we plan to just tile over it by sanding it down to take off the shine and make it dull so the tiles will stick to it. So far, we've taken out a false ceiling and put in new lights, updated with some new appliances (Whirlpool Gold White Ice collection) and painted the wall above the cabinets Benjamin Moore Caliente (red), which goes beautifully with the color of the cabinets, but I still HATE those doors LOL.
Meg Hauss Aguilar
on Jan 01, 2015
-
I'm a real estate agent and seen many cabinets refinished. This type is the most popular in our area. I've seen them painted black and that looks awesome but you need the right black. I've also seen them left alone with only the bottom edge painted in a deep red color. It was okay but not my style. I would find a beautiful piece of art and take a color from it maybe a primary color not light but dark and go with it
Cheryl
on Jan 02, 2015
-
Chalk based paints like Van Gogh Fossil paint will do the trick. No prep needed, just paint. Dries in 20 minutes ans no odor. Finish off with their Table Top Finish and you're good to go. I've seen many kitchens cabinets redone twitch this and they look amazing. You can paint over any kind of surface.
Jody
on Mar 08, 2015
-
I have the same cabinets in my kitchen and absolutely HATE them. Because I couldn't afford a pricy remodel we removed the doors, scuff sanded then painted. We used a light grayish white for the cabinets and a pear green on the ugly "oak" trim that matched the wood trim in the rest of the room.. I still hate the cabinets and they are in pretty sad state now after a total of 9 family members use in 14 years and who knows how many before that!! I can't wait to rip them out.. sigh
Sarah
on Mar 18, 2015
-
Yes all these suggestions are excellent & what ever you choose to do I think these cabinets definitely need handles or pulls to finish the look....the new long contemporary handles would compliment the smooth look of the cabinet doors too!
Jan Loehr
on Mar 18, 2015
-
I used Benjamin Moore Fresh Start on my kitchen laminate. It makes the surface like fresh Sheetrock when it's done. Then paint any color you want. If you want white, I found an article by a designer who suggested using Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace OC-65 for kitchens with white cabinets (see link.). You can't go wrong with any neutral but pick a color that blends with your home and style. You will love it. Link: http://www.abbyminteriorsblog.com/2014/02/my-go-to-paint-colorskitchen-cabinets.html?m=1#.VW8B60b3bCQ
Sharon
on Jun 03, 2015
-
Thanks so much...
Bbrutans
on Jun 03, 2015
-
we need to update "vintage" metal kitchen cabinets that are now white. would welcome suggestions
Bev1359113
on Jun 12, 2015
-
Those doors screen THE EIGHTIES, don't they? If the insides are in good shape a good cabinet refaced can bring them up to date with new doors for a fraction of the cost of installing new cabinets.
AdrianaG
on Dec 10, 2015
-
I have the same cupboards and repainted using Benjamin Moore Advance because I painted inside in winter. I left the inside white. They turned out great. I did go with finger pulls for the handles so we wouldn't dig into the paint with our fingernails.
Connie
on Dec 10, 2015
- See 1 previous
Sign Up to Answer
