Should I re-stain or paint my cabinets?

I do cabinets for a living. I personally would never use chalk paint on cabinets. You would need to wax them. That is not a preferred top coat for something like cabinets. You need something to withstand cleaning etc. I clean prime and paint. all sprayed in an enamel.

I was stuck in-between budget with my kitchen also. You're lucky, you have beautiful counters and floors already. I used a white wash . There was one that had a blueish cast to it and another that was creamy. I went with creamy. I liked it so much that when we finished enclosing the old summer kitchen I wanted the old kitchen cabinets put there. So I still have them. With your counter the creamy would look really nice. Also, pop out a few panels and put in glass. The pane forms are inexpensive, but really classy.

I think the cabinets are lovely the way they are. Have you thought of just updating the hardware or using a molding added for more depth?

Defiantly paint.

I don't think your cabinets are the problem. What I believe is the problem, your cabinets and flooring color are close in value but not in color.

I may have a cheap and simple solution for you. If it doesn't solve the problem, at least it's cheap and easily undone.

I believe to solve the visual issue you need a black or dark brown cabinet floor base (sorry I'm drawing a blank on the proper name, but the wood base the cabinet body rest's on. Might be called mop board). I would take a piece of cardboard or scrap wood and paint it black than place it against the mop board. See if that helps. If it does, than change the mop boards or just paint them. if it's not quite right, I suggest changing the cabinet's hardware to black or dark brown also. Again to a trial, buy one knob or drawer pull and try it on.

Great kitchen. I love my painted cabinets... easy to clean. Here are my thoughts... I would consider a taupe colour on top cabinets and blue on bottom given yr floor and countertops.

Options....

Darker blue... navy

I have previously had a new house w/similar granite. The cabinets were finished w/a creamy glaze and the inner edges of the panels were highlighted w/ a subtle burned look. I would upgrade the cabinet knobs and handles first and do a back splash (hard to tell if that is tile or not). I like the cabinets----the kitchen could use some personalization unless you like the minimal look. It seems that when one upgrades one thing several other pop up. Been there and I empathize! Best of luck. Merry Christmas!

Paint cut out centers and add glass will change whole look and add hardware cheap fast fix

Those cabinets look great! Just paint them or give them to me. Seriously, a country or farm kitchen is the new fad. They will look great in white or blue. Good luck!

if you paint white, I would suggest you go with a softer hue. Maybe off white. Pure white does not have the character of a softer white. Maybe chalk paint would be pretty.

i know that painted cabinets are all the rage now. I would never have them. I grew up in a 1912 farmhouse that had white painted kitchen cabinets. There were problems with them. First every speck of dirt was noticeable. Every splash of food, every finger print. The paint would get chipped and when Mom repainted them the dings were still noticeable. This was a working diary farm in N Dak. There were 3 active kids. Every Friday afternoon it was my job to wash those cabinets in preparation for the Sabbath. I now have oak cabinets and love them. The cabinets of course still have to be cleaned but not every little thing shows and dings, which happen especially if one has children, are much much easier to hide. Mine are 20 plus years old and still look great. Think long and hard before you repaint them especially if you have children. I

I agree. Olga, if in keeping with the character of the house, you want to update but not to white, stick with what you have. If it's merely to tone down the blond appearing hue, go to a reputable paint store and get advice.

You'll want to talk to someone with experience, not a Christmas hire. That's all these guys (gals are better) do all day long; advise about paint and stains.

Can you remove a door or a drawer and take it with you? That way the person helping you will have visuals.

It appears someone has gone to the expense of granite countertops. Take those colors into consideration,too.

If it's paint you want, how about a carmel color?

Word of warning, you have one heck of a job ahead of you. All those doors should be removed before painting.

I'd get a wiping stain, put some on a door back and see if it looks good. However, with the factory finish, there is little chance the stain will absorb and make much difference.

Your cabinets are not ugly. I agree with many others do not paint them. But do paint your kick plate (someone called it a mopboard) black or dark brown, this will separate the floor and cabinets. Change your knobs to handles that match appliances, if you can't afford the expense at this time, paint the knobs either stainless, brushed nickle or oil rubbed bronze, (rustoleum product). Put a glass centre in your upper corner cabinet cabinet, if you don't want it clear, create panes with stained glass tape and use a glass paint (found at the craft store) on the inside to frost or make a pattern or put in a stained glass piece or see a glass shop that has muted glass for bathroom windows. You will be surprised at the difference these few changes will make. Good luck and please post when you have done your updates.

Your cabinets look great--just not the right color.

Take the doors off. Take hardware off (replace later).

Sand down to the bare wood --doors and boxes.

Stain a color you like. Poly 3 or more coats. and you will be happy.

Sand between each coat when dry.

I also replaced all the outlets and plug in covers,

cut out some or the door inserts in the corner

and replaced with glass

This takes a LOT of time but it is well worth it

White cabinets look beautiful...worth the little extra up keep....never go out of style.

Our cabinets are similar. When time comes we will stain.

We've painted cabinets white in several houses. Would do it again. It really improves the light.

I think you should take a look at your counters (gorgeous!) and find a nice light color that will compliment them but. To make them too bright. Blend t he colors you have to work with and tie them together so nothing screams at you.

WARNING!!! This a project that is bigger than I once thought. The preparation is very important. Do not skip steps.

I agree with all who say the prep work is most important. Yes, you will have to take off doors. I have solid wood cabinets, they are really shabby after 20 years. I considered having them painted ..... way expensive. My main problem, tho, was that the oak grain would probably show through the paint. Its been about three years since the estimate, and I am still deliberating.

I like wood, and more so with the grain...it grounds us. I agree that may be the hardware be updated (can be expensive so really shop around). I think the back splash is the issue. We renovated our kitchen and instead of tile we used glass sheets with a pattern( rain fall). Whats great its easy to clean and if you're creative you can come up with some very unique and original creations.

It also looks like the tops are open and with accent lighting, some plants and cantainers it will beef up the look

and tone down the cuboards.

If these are solid wood, it would be a shame to paint. Stains come in some really great options now too.

I had cabinets almost identical. They were in great shape though and had pull out shelves etc. I had them refaced for less than half of new cabinets and it turned out fantastic. The whole project only took 3 days.

Your kitchen is beautiful! Leave it. The painted cabinets are a fad. People are going to have chipping problems, looks cheap, etc. Then what? Stripping paint is a NIGHTMARE!

Thanks, Nancy. I doubt the solid wood cabinets will be painted in my lifetime. Solid wood' , you know, ( stars and flowers around that 'solid wood'.) I am thinking about a darker stain, tho. I would have to remove the lacquer finish...yes, lacquer. We have a ton of cupboards, so it takes some doing to get up enough oomph to start.

Perhaps use some of the thermo plastic look like tin for the center of the door panel. That way you can lighten them up some. Others have recommended using glue with these, but I did a back splash with a brad nailer to cover up red Z-brick. This is a very small kitchen, the white makes it look ten times better. The fake tin tiles I got at a yard sale for $5 for 7 of them. Best $7 I every spent!

Paint! New hardware! Wow what a kitchen!

grain does not have to be filled. painted oak looks fabulous. white, cream, black, navy or grey all look beautiful. https://www.google.ca/search?q=painted+oak+cabinets&rlz=1CAASUK_enCA716CA716&tbm=isch&imgil=l1iO1HP4wH-rCM%253A%253BTNE2ERDxRXAuQM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fdecorchick.com%25252Fhow-to-paint-cabinets%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=l1iO1HP4wH-rCM%253A%252CTNE2ERDxRXAuQM%252C_&usg=__YvoIqEfJlKDDcUBRVic9ysyQqIY%3D&biw=1366&bih=631&ved=0ahUKEwjx2q_ni6LRAhVnwYMKHR_JBF8QyjcIRQ&ei=so9pWPG5OOeCjwSfkpP4BQ#imgrc=_

chalk paint requires no prep. finish is fabulous.

I vote for painting them an off white/bone color. I had similar cabinets like yours & I had a professional painter do the work.

He he took the drawer fronts & drawer fronts to his shop and did a coat of primer and 2 coats of enamel paint. He sprayed them and he did the cabinet trim by hand with the primer & paint. The project took 4 days (1 day to remove the drawers & doors, 3 days for painting & last day to install everything back). He told me to be careful with them for 3 weeks so they had time to cure.

Heres es the picture of the "after" with them painted. Cost to have them professionally painted was $1,100.

I would suggest changing the wall color first. It could make a tremendous change in how the cabinets look.

I had these same cabinets! I chose to paint the walls the darker color in the grain- kind of a burnt orange / brick color. It was very high end looking and now I love the wood!

I would have glass put in some of the raised panel upper doors. Being able to see dishes and glasses will cut down on the too much wood vibe.

Doesn't sound like you want to paint them - they are fine and look nice, so leave them. Put in a nice tile backsplash to really brighten up the kitchen and replace the hardware with something nicer and paint the bland walls. It will seem like a new kitchen without the effort of painting those cabinets - which is a huge job btw!

I think I read you are painting them. I have the exact cabinets I plan on painting when it warms up. I've been researching grain filler. What did you decide on that?

A professional paint job will be about $2500-$3000 (maybe more depending on where you live). because you have so many cabinets. Some people opt out of painting the interior doors and insides. Personally, the doors must be painted on both sides to look right. I personally would not paint them. If you are a great DIYer, you could stain them. But you have to be meticulous to get a consistent matched look on all the cupboards. Maybe a new backsplash and knobs might help you at least like them a little. Another option might be to remove the two small doors over the fridge and use as display area or make a wine rack there.

Put glass inserts in just a few cabinets.

You do have a few different types of colors kind of competing against each other, the orange cupboard, the sort of cherry colored floor and the peachy pink neutral on the walls! and then the Browns and tans of your counters. I would paint a cream or off white color, or white wash them to neutralize some of the many color pallePTS and allow your floor and counters draw more attention. Do not do any grain filler, the grain looks very nice coming through. And I believe you can add handles to make them look a little more upgraded.

Oh, and definitely change the wall color. Gonna be a little hard to work with the floor and counters, you may have to go a grey tone on the walls to help blend with the counters(is that a grey shade in there?) and negate the color of the floor. But definitely go cream or white wash on the cupboards to help brighten and neutralize all the different colors.

As high as those ceilings are, and as bright as that room is, you can choose to go a little more dramatic without it being overkill. I would go with black, change the hardware to stainless to match the appliances, and then start thinking about the wall color. I'd love to see something from the "olive green" family. I would also use under-the-counter lights above AND below the cabinets, shining up AND down. If you are unsure about the lighting, try strands of Christmas lights first. Keep us posted!

Try painting the walls instead of the cabinets. The cabinets don't look bad at all -- at least not on my screen. Some Old English scratch cover might help even out the color on any pronounced grain. Changing the "too busy" pattern/color of the countertops could be worth considering.

By the way Olga, my friend in an apt used an Espresso color on the cabinets that have that faux grain kind of paper on them, and it looked fantastic to see the grain still coming through the paint!! Even though the grain was fake, but it still looked fantastic! She used a satin finish. I agree with going black and then painting the walls olive. I would even change out the floor color when you can. I think that is laminate, not hardwood, right? If it is wood then yippee, you on,y have to change the stain color!,

you have wood floors ..white sqare tile stainless steel appliances...a beautiful nuetrel colored counter top...hmmmmm do you want them to stand out or go away?...to blend in..white or beige or color of a newly painted wall...if to make them" pop" do dark earth tone...as in black leather brown...definately put stailess steel hard ware the long type that stands out..to bring out appliances color...you could take a sanding block and sand corners to bring out wood underneath...i do like the way the dark painted cabinets turned out...but in my kitchen...i like lighter colors....good luck

I would paint them an enamal cream color which will wash off nicely if anything gets on them and I would add some really nice hardware in silver Handel's you can always drill another hole I just seen these the other day on e-bay they are knifes forks spoons for cupboard and draws in fact I ordered some for my kitchen! Hope this helps!

Also you could redo your backsplash with self adhesive squares in multi colors of creams and browns. To match the enamel cream color paint for your cubboards!

paint them! it will look fresh. It's what people are doing now and go look at painted cabinets at pinterest or DIY.

Before you do anything, try using a degreaser and giving them a good old-fashioned scrubbing! You could be surprised by the color of the finish when you are done! It may take away that orangy tone that seems to be throwing off the balance of the room, colorwise.

My other suggestion, if that works out well, is to paint the walls a bright toned navy blue. With the beautiful crown molding, and lighter cabinets, the stainless will be the focal point. Change the hardware to stainless or nickel, and give the floor a good high gloss "waxing" and I think the room will have a completely different feel to it.

I just saw another posting about someone painting the cabinets black and it looks fantastic! I would do a search on this site for kitchen reno's and look at the ones where they have painted them black. Just a thought :)

I'm a kitchen and bath designer.....which means I see a lot of kitchens. Right now the hot color is grey. You could try painting the cabinets a medium grey, the walls a light grey.

Put some new handles and Knobs in stainless.

I have off white uppers and Java lowers.

I would have gone all white, but grandchildren are rough on the lowers!

if you do decide to paint the cabinets, make sure you sand and prime. The paint wont stand up to cleaning if you don't.

You can order paint and primer right from a cabinet company. It comes with directions.

Good luck.

Paint them. So much easier that restraining and much easier to touch up

I would keep it simple. If it were my kitchen, I would paint the cabinets white, them give them an antique finish with a brown glaze. Check with Sherwin Williams...they have the best cabinet paint. Paint the island a different color to add interest. New drawer pulls will make a big difference too! If the island has a thin Lauan panel on the outside where seating might be, you can add beadboard for better wear, and takes paint well. I can't see the island, but adding a decorative cornice at each end on the overhang adds a decorative feature also. First, take steps to prepare the cabinets correctly, and they should last.

The decision you make for your kitchen will depend entirely on your personal style. I have a 'farmhouse style' kitchen in our early 50's home simply because I like the look. I like your existing flooring and I'd stay away from anything tiled, grout is such a beast in kitchens exposed to fumes/grease from cooking. I'd paint the cabinets in a soft ivory semi-gloss, paint the surrounding walls a slightly darker color of your choice (mine would be a 'country blue') and keep the ceilings and other woodwork (window and door trim) stark white for lift and contrast. Changing the drawer pulls and knobs can blend or add interest - I used oil-rubbed bronze to coordinate with two new light fixtures and our existing black granite countertops. Light reflecting decor items on top of the cabinets, maybe Ball canning jars or a pretty dish collection with color, could round out the finished kitchen with minimal $$ investment. I found our cabinet hinges and the knobs/pulls new on Ebay instead of paying exorbitant prices elsewhere. Go with good paint: Sherwin Williams, I painted our kitchen 10 years ago and there are no chips, scratches dings, etc - SW just has the best paint, a little more expensive, but worth it in the end, you won't have to redo them every 2-3 years. Our kitchen was 'greige' originally as it was trendy at the time, but made it too dark and depressing for me.

Painting is definitely easier if you're wanting something quick stay away from trends especially if you potentially may want to sell the home...trending a kitchen and a bath can date your home and make it difficult to sell later down the road... try to stick with something that is Earth Tones that most people can work with. .. going gray or black dates you're home and causes difficulties for sales or even if you want to change up your kitchen later it's a lot more work..

Depending on whether you want to go to light or dark you have wood floors you have a light-colored backsplash your countertops have a nice color to them I would pick a color in your countertop whether it be dark or light to do your cabinets in.

My sister painted her a grey/white and they are georgeous! I would stay away from black unless you have a childless household. Limited black, like for an island..is a statement..in mass...not so nice. If you doubt me, hang a black sheet over a few doors for yourself.

good luck...

You have pretty granite countertops. They'd look fabulous if the cabinets were "French vanilla" with brown glaze! Please show us all what you end up doing!

I wish I had them, I would just clean with a good orange cleaner. my cabinets are metal with contact paper.

I was so tired of my oak cabinets. I kept talking to my husband about painting them, which he constantly turned his nose up to the idea. So, one day I just took a few of them off & started painting them. Once I finished painting all of them we got new black handles & knobs on them. He was really happy with the outcome! It was funny too, my Mother-in-law came down for a visit & thought that we had gotten new cabinets. How funny is that? She also loved them, as does everyone that's been over. We had some new windows put in our home, & when the Specialist from Lowes came over to give us an estimate, he was just amazed at how good they looked. He said that his wife had been wanting to paint theirs too. So he took pictures to show her how ours came out. Needless to say, now my husband lets me do whatever I want to Our Home! haha

Keep in mind, if you paint you can never go back to stain unless you strip them. I would stain them a different color and if you still aren't happy with them, go ahead and paint them.

Stain comes in many colors and basically simple to do. Later when you have the budget to renovate, you could sell your stained ones online whereas painted ones might not sell as quickly. Great kitchen.

I had my cabinets painted with Benj. Moore oil paint. So pleased. If you want latex base, get Advance paint by Benj. Moore. The grain coming through won't hurt anything. Many new cabinets in kitchen display places have the grain showing and the cabinets are painted.

I had contemplating doing the staining of cabinets in my old house in Missouri however I was also introduced to a paint that you can use on kitchen cabinets and it lets the woodgrain come through and it actually looked very nice

I just refinished our kitchen with General Finishes Gel Stain in an Antique Walnut color. They have a lot of different finishes. Antique Walnut is still dark but not as dark as Java. The stain was easy to apply and you don't have to sand, which with painting you usually do. I have more cabinets than you and I was able to keep my cost under $100.

Here is a link for the different colors they have. https://generalfinishes.com/retail-products/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/gf-oil-based-gel-stains#.WKyJr_krLIU

They also have milk paint which also has good reviews.

Here is a link to my project I just posted here on Hometalk about it. http://www.hometalk.com/diy/kitchen-dining/kitchen-dining-furniture/my-100-kitchen-cabinet-makeover-27824743

Good luck!

My vote is for gel stain

I thought this DIYer did an awesome job w/ gel staining her cabinets. She used your least fav color, but just pick the color that suits you.

http://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/cabinets/diy-kitchen-update-for-under-200-before-and-after-25260896

I'd paint them white and do the island a grey. Or all of them black with brushed nickel mental pulls.

You can use the cabinet kits from Lowe's. or do it yourself. You will not have to strip them. The kits have paint, a dark stain that will bring the wood grain back out. (kind of magical how that works.) and then a poly coat sealer. White is the new thing. but colors work also.