Best way to update dark wood 70s kitchen cabinets?
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These cabinets are dark with black inlays, I need to brighten my small kitchen and don't know if I should strip? Stain? Paint? Replace?
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If the cabinets are still in good shape, the easiest, least expensive fix is to paint them. You'll need to remove the cabinet doors, sand them and the "boxes" cabinets still attached to the wall and the drawer fronts....enough to rough them up so paint primer will adhere. Prime all of the cabinetry with the best stain blocking primer you can afford. Sand VERY lightly and apply the color of your choice in a satin finish. The lighter paint you choose the lighter, brighter, and larger your kitchen will appear. Replacing is VERY expensive and since you have a small kitchen, you'd likely need to have it arranged the way it is now.....so paint! :) The most difficult part is just getting started.
Check out Pinterest. It will have numerous before and afters of all colors and methods to use. I don’t start any project without doing a search on Pinterest first!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142074563217830537/?lp=true
sand and paint with new hardware
Sand lightly with the grain, clean, prime and then paint. You could also stain: sand lightly to remove sheen, clean thoroughly of grease, etc with Hot water, Dawn and baking soda. Let dry thoroughly. You can now stain to a lighter shade. Varathane at least two coats after staining. Lightly sand after the first coat of varathane to remove any bumps. Use good quality brushes for this job. Refinishing is far less expensive than replacing.