Change cabinets/woodwork? Help please??

11 years ago

I am trying to decide if we should have our cabinets painted white and change out all the woodwork to white or what other options I have? I think if we have the cabinets refinished and painted white we need to change all the oak woodwork to match? Is it worth it or not. We have a greyish corian countertop. My other option would be to keep everything oak and get a new dark granite countertop to create some depth. Any thoughts/advice?

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PRO

Interior Affairs -- Vickie Daeley

11 years ago

I have a couple of questions that may help you in making your decision on changing the cabinets out or not...First where is the property? The reason I ask this question is that here in California people for the most part are changing the oak out for another type of wood...
Two: What style are you trying to achieve? Modern or Traditional?
Three: Is the floor Pergo?

If this were me and I had the budget to make real changes...I would do the following:
change the cabinets out for a different wood ...alder
change the granite out to a more richer color
Replace the upper cabinets with cabinets that go to the ceiling.
Add back splash in natural stone with some decorative pieces.
Possibly change the floor if it is Pergo.

If this is not in the budget then I would do this...

Paint the oak in a softer white color...not bright white..
replace the granite for something with a richer color tone.
Add back splash detail

if you live in the area Southern Ca. we have a design/build team that can do it all no matter what your decision. Hope this helps!
Interior Affairs, Interior Design at its Finest!
Anaheim Hills Ca
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714-970-8000
www.interioraffairs.com

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Comments (11)

PRO
Stone Harbor Hardware
11 years ago
From what I've heard, painting oak cabinets can be a lot of work if you DIY and a lot of expense if you hire a professional.

If it were me, I'd be tempted to make some easier/smaller changes (like adding cabinet hardware or a new backsplash) first and see if that helps, before I tackled a big job like painting cabinets or replacing the counters. (I attached a couple cabinet hardware options to give you some ideas, if you wanted to go that route.)

Good luck with the project!
PRO
User
11 years ago
its the wall color... paint it a lighter color, soft sage, light gray....add door hardware. there is nothing wrong with the cabinets or the counters...its the wall color soaking up all the light and boxing it in. also take all the stuff off the top of the cabinets....see the color you have on the pantry wall,,,,looks so much more open. then your fireplace accent wall makes more sense. check it out.
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PRO
User
11 years ago
thought about changing that fan ?????
zazfuzzroc
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Hi, I'm not quite sure what you should do and have to give it some thought. :) But I do have to say whatever you do, keep that cute accent piece with the boots and blonde hair on your counter. LOL :) So cute! :)
PRO
Gray & Walter, Ltd.
11 years ago
You could stain them a pickled white finish, that would be more forgiving than simply painting them white. Painted cabinets are good if you can maintain them, they scratch more readily. You do not need to change your trim because you have changed the cabinet finish...that is unless you want to.
PRO
San Diego Master Craftsmen
11 years ago
Oak is tough to refinish. The grain is deep and will show through paint. If you can avoid painting them and focus on other things in the kitchen you'll be avoiding a lot of headaches.

If you do decide to paint and like the look of the wood grain through the paint then there's just some minor prep to do. Otherwise, to get a smooth finish you'd need to prep the cabinets with a paste filler or similar product and sand them smooth (a ton of work).
PRO
Sayler | Owens | Kerr design studio
11 years ago
Kitchen looks good now. Add some detailing with tall tile back splash for interest.
PRO
McNICHOLS CO.
11 years ago
Another alternative to paint or woodwork could be cabinet insets with McNICHOLS® Wire Mesh or Perforated Metal. Please visit our Houzz Ideabooks for examples, and our website, www.mcnichols.com, for product information.
halfpint2
11 years ago
How about painting the walls a lighter color. Add a colorful backsplash.
PRO
Aaba Kitchen and Granite
11 years ago
Hello, i think the cabinets are looking okay. changing the countertop might work.may be something like white and brown granite countertop or black. namely, star beech, ghibli, tan brown, giallo ornamental, absolute black or black galaxy. You may like few colours of quartz too. or if you are changing the cabinets with white color. it will look good. I hope this information will be helpful to you.