I Love the idea from Buck Construction! I also agree to update the scalloped valance and change out the knobs. Good luck :)

I just painted several pieces of furniture using Annie Sloan chalk paint and had good results. I will be painting my cabinets in our laundry room. Chalk paint might work for you.

Thanks for all the suggestions! These are great. And yes, the valance (and anything else that's scalloped) is out : )

Look at J & K Cabinets. If want to work on an a budget.

I wrote an article on some affordable kitchen updates that might give you some inspiration... http://www.kylieminteriors.ca/how-to-update-your-kitchen-on-a-budget-top-6-ideas-and-tips/ I hope it helps :) http://www.kylieminteriors.ca/how-to-update-your-kitchen-on-a-budget-top-6-ideas-and-tips/

This was my last kitchen! I started by painting the cabinets and changing the hardware. The first color was a mossy grey with copper and black accents. I loved this but after I had the counter tops switched to black (slate) I had to lighten the cabinets to a soft creamy white, and sealed that with a coat of poly.. The floor tile had swirls of grey, pale green, and cream. I also removed the cornice over the window and added a small corbel to either corner to make it look a bit more finished. I wallpapered the back splash with a neutral, textured stone tile design until I could afford the real thing. One thing that saved me a ton of time and effort was a liquid sander, which you paint on before your first coat of primer. It makes the existing surface tacky so the primer sticks and gives you a solid base.

You could fill the grooves with wood putty and sand the surfaces so that they are very very very flat and very clean. Vacuum and then use a tack cloth to remove all sawdust. You can then apply adhesive and apply wood veneer to the surface. A veneer trimmer will help you to trim off the excess. If desired, you can stain the wood or simply apply polyurethane. Make sure you sand lightly between coats of poly. This would allow you to remove any evidence of the grooves & have beautiful wood cabinets again.

Make sure you mark which door goes to which cabinet on the back - the advantage is that the doors will fit perfectly. Sand the face frames as well if they need to be stained to match the finish on the newly veneered doors.

The least expensive way to modernize your kitchen would be to simply have someone replace your doors and hardware. If you want to put granite in, make sure your boxes and floors can handle the weight of granite.

I would paint a dove gray. Make sure you buy paint made for cabinets. Very important. Lowes sells. Then change out pulls. To brush nickel long. Lowes sells. Add ceiling lights recessed. No fan. Paint walls a darker gray than cabs. Counters granite in a white, gray black mix. You have a small amount of counters so won't cost much. Appl upgrade to stainless. There are pkg. deals you can get. Do microwave over the range. Flooring. Does kitchen flow to other rooms? If so flooring should be the same. If not go a dark gray slate in a random pattern, use matching grout. No small items on walls. A white pleated shade on window. Also Lowes.

If you don't like doors. You could reverse them, for a smooth look.

Ck with IKEA on Cabinets. The measure and install now. Hard to beat there price. Also most granite comes with a stainless sink free.

You have a charming kitchen, a really good space. I'm glad you are keeping the original wood cabinets. If you have to paint them, check into milk paint. I like the result. But maybe just a good cleaning , even to doing some steel wool sanding. Then use new stain. Changing the door knobs will give you a new look without a lot of expense.

Sometimes pictures don't tell the truth so bear that in mind. As I look at your kitchen, I get the feeling that I am boxed in. Therefore the first thing I would do is get rid of the top cabinets and be very selective where I placed new ones with glass doors. I would definitely change the color of the bottom ones as other commenters have mentioned. Perhaps if funds are available, even get rid of that area above the cabinets which is really wasted space and does contribute to the boxy feeling.

How about adding stained wood strips over the cut out parts to give a more raised look? that would be a lot simpler than painting all of them---might get some stripping and lay it out on one and see how you like that idea. That would be inexpensive and more time saving for you.

By a box of colored pencils and draw a sketch of the kitchen. You can use your provided picture. It doesn't have to be great. Try the below and see if it works for you. Try other suggestions.
I think the groves in the doors should be ignored it's a tiny detail and you should always
go for the buck bang.
If you have enough storage consider removing all the window wall upper cabinets.
That would open up the narrow passage. (Noted above)
Remove hardware and replace w/ TBD. Don't know what color appliances you've purchased.
Consider quartz instead of granite which is very busy. I don't think a dark color counter top would be a good decision.
Add a back splash with color and then add that same color or a bit lighter to soffit.
Planning is your best friend.
I can see a brighter, more streamlined kitchen for not much money.
Good luck

I like the idea of keeping the cabinets (for now) and giving them an up dated look. Without modifying the cabinets you can change the whole look by staining or painting a slightly different color and finding a back splash to accent it. Also the light color counter top would accent the white appliances if you are not replacing them.

I love your idea of the molding over the groove. Since you really don't want to paint them, I think this is your best bet & you are the one that had the idea. It would really bring it back to life. Also, replace dated pulls & other things as previous posts have suggested. I like seeing real homes on here & not just the dream stuff. Thanks for showing us your kitchen. :)

I had flat pine doors. My husband added a border 2 and 3/8 inches wide, now they look like painted shaker style doors. We went with Benjamin Moore florentine plaster on the uppers and Stampede on the lowers. The drawers that were too small for this treatment, he applied the same thickness to the full front of the drawer. Total transformation. Hold off on the granite until you sort out the cupboards. Granite is a huge investment.

Do this... http://www.countrywomanmagazine.com/home-garden/kitchen-design-ideas/diy-budget-kitchen-makeover/
I would go white, I think a butter yellow would also be nice. But any color would work. I would so stainless steel appliance next after cabinet DIY. and then counter tops. Granite is not the best choice, its a lot of maintenance. Perhaps Engineered Quartz. Check out http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/tired-of-granite-countertops-here-are-8-alternatives-199630

Great ideas. Have you consider d possibly taking out the soffits over the cabinets and adding an open cabinet to extend to ceiling using crown molding? It may open the space more. You could add rope lights or other lighting to accent, add color to the wall behind to compliment what you satin or paint the cabinets. Good bones here, sweat equity can do a lot.

As great as the cabinets are, open shelving on the sink wall would make a dramatic change as well without big costs. It's work, but a good cleaning and possibly either going with a natural or a more dark stain rather than painting the cabinets. If you practiced routing the grooves to a more modern cut and accenting them? Otherwise the molding or putty sounds good.

Where is he fridge and what does the other side of the kitchen look like?

The scalloped wood over the sink really dates that kitchen, take that down to start. Replacing hardware is essential if you don't want to invest in even painting the cabinets (which would be a big improvement). You state you've replaced "some appliances" but it looks like all need replacing except the microwave.

A kitchen isn't just the heart of your home, it's what sells your home when the time comes. Invest wisely, don't skimp. Take the time to do it right.

Thanks everyone! I love the idea of removing the soffits over the cabinets and adding something open above them. Reversing the cabinet doors is an interesting idea I hadn't thought of before - I may have to see if that's a feasible option. I'll try to post a photo of the kitchen in it's current state later. Most of the appliances are currently stainless (except the stove - that's coming) and the walls are dove gray. I put inexpensive stainless hardware on the cabinets as a temporary measure since I hated the old yellowing knobs. Ceiling fan is gone and the scalloping certainly would be if we knew how to remove it cleanly. I should point out that neither my husband nor I are handy in any way, so whatever we do will have to involve us hiring someone for carpentry/painting/plumbing/electrical/etc. - part of the reason we're trying to save where we can while still making it a meaningful update!

As suggested earlier by Kathy Onarheim and others If you can eliminate the soffit or bulkhead above the cabinets it will create a MUCH more open feeling. You can add some decorative moulding (crown or other types of moulding) or something like the the "X" open cabinets that CYNDIE357 added are fantastic. Be sure to check that there is no plumbing or ductwork hidden behind the sheet rock up there.

I would NOT suggest a microwave over the range; it will be too low to make the cooking surface safe, you are better off with a sleek or low-profile hood. (This is a safety concern and a code issue in most places.)

If you like the idea of open shelves or glass doors but are concerned with the maintenance you can have some of your current doors modified... you can have the center portion routed our cut out and seeded or frosted or obscured glass installed, this will enhance a more open feeling but you will not be a slave to fingerprints or clutter within the cabinets. I wouldn't do them all, but maybe the units on the sink wall side. Dishes and glasses look great behind glass, canned and boxed pantry items... not so much.

Consider Gel Stain. Since you like the colour of the cabinets, the gel stain can refresh them and make them come to life again (it's an oil based product). Make sure to clean the cabinet first with TSP and make sure you wipe ALL of the TSP off. You can make the cabinets slightly darker if you like which might modernize them a bit as well. New hardware will also make a great difference, switch to handles rather than pulls to update them. I wrote this post on Ideas to Update Oak Cabinets which will also give you some valuable input... http://www.kylieminteriors.ca/tips-ideas-update-oak-wood-cabinets/ Hope it helps! Kylie

You might want to just take the doors off the cabinets on the sink wall first to see how it feels and how you arrange the contents. If you like it after a while then you know paying to have someone come in and do it makes sense for you. Paint the walls and inside of the cabinets on that wall an accent color to go with your gray or use some removable wallpaper on the back walls for pop without commitment

I find it ironic that everyone has ignored the fact that a) you like the color of the wood, b) you don't really like painted surfaces, and c) you don't want to spend very much.

Degreasing, sanding, and painting is absolutely the cheapest way to go, but you'd lose the wood color & you've already said you don't want to do that.

The best way to eliminate the routed groove, keep the doors, spend relatively little, and keep the wood is to apply veneer. It's relatively cheap (under $1,000), and would end up giving you exactly the look you say you want.

I'll leave you to the soffit police and the people who don't listen now.

Here's a source for veneer http://www.vandykes.com/quarter-sawn-african-mahogany-veneer/p/200717/

a 2 foot x 8 foot roll of paper backed mahogany (which I believe gets ironed onto a freshly sanded wood surface) is around $80. They also have 4 foot x 8 foot rolls for $116 per roll. The beautiful warm color and subdued grain pattern of the cabinets leads me to believe that your cabinets are mahogany, which is an absolutely lovely wood.

I agree with what some of the other's are saying about accentuating the grooves. If you aren't too keen with that you could go more mid-century modern and keep the cabinets as they are (Maybe polish them to make them look a little better). Replace the hardware with something more modern. Add a nice neutral (and simple) back-splash and clean counter-tops. If you're trying to stay in budget you can go for quartz over granite. In situations like yours, quartz might be a better option as it tends to be more clean and simple.

What's the condition of the insides of the doors like? If it's reasonable, and has the ungrooved look you want, you might be able to flip them over. The only thing you'd have to fill then would be the hole for the door handle which would either be at the bottom of the lower doors or the top of the upper doors, and not very noticeable in either case if you couldn't get the colour exactly right.

I would second the idea to use chalk paint-then you can apply the dark wax to the grooves and they look like cool vintage instead of dated. The white counters won't look so bad then either. Good luck!!

I like the idea of replacing the doors. But if that is not in the budget, here are some photos from House magazine. This was Kitchen of the month for April 2011. I immediately remembered this kitchen when I saw your cabinets. Good Luck.

I tried to do 3 photos on one file. Did not work. Here they are.

I know you said you don't like painted cabinets, but I truly love mine painted.

Don't know what part of the country you live in, but the suggestion to paint everything different shades of gray and gray flooring would be depressing for half the year here in the Pacific Northwest. Amounts of natural and artificial light rooms receive during different seasons makes a huge difference.

Before you add molding to the cabinet doors, I want warn you about something. I have kitchen cabinet doors that came with molding and they have to be continuously cleaned. The lower cabinet doors catch dust, crumbs, spills, and etc. The upper cabinet doors catch dust and grease. When I had some new vanities built for our bathrooms I told the man building them to make them as flat as possible. Flat with a groove is much better than molding to clean every time you clean the kitchen.

Next, I wanted to address the counter tops. Our cabinets would not hold granite. I had fallen in love with a piece of Santa Cecilia and was very disappointed. However, I found a company near me who had a piece of laminate that looked almost just like it! They put a finish on it that made it appear even more granite-like. People who come in my house think it is granite until they touch it! It saved me a great deal of money. It cost under $500 to put it in our very small kitchen. (This included measurement services and installation and the cost of the pieces for the bathroom which were not the same as the kitchen.) It is also much easier to maintain than granite!

I am sure your cabinets look better with new hardware. That was the first thing I noticed about the cabinets that might have made them not as appealing to you. Please do post an updated photo!

O.K. Houzzers, I want to know about removing the valance cleanly, too. I have one of those in my kitchen right now. How do you take that thing off and when you do, what do you do about the difference in the color of the wood that is under there? How big a headache will that be?

Best wishes with your remodel. I look forward to seeing the progress!!

I agree with the molding idea. The very first thought that came to mind when I saw your cabinets was to put some decorative molding right over the groves. That will definitely update them. Yes, remove the scalloped valance over the sink and change out the hardwood. I also agree with those who think you should reconsider painting them. It will refresh and brighten your whole kitchen! Good luck.

Almost forgot, removing the soffit and adding crown on top of the cabinets will really help as well.

On one of our remodels in an older kitchen, my husband took off the doors ~ put the side I wasn't fond of, on the inside. Before doing that that, he scored random lines on the new fronts. We did paint them a soft cream; but I was looking for a lighter, softer feeling; the dark stain was absorbing the light. I wanted them to reflect a brighter kitchen look.

My mountain cabin had white walls and cheap wooden cabinets. The tomato soup color walls flecked with gold and orange makes it look terrific. A hand knotted Rug with red and gold finishes the look.

Haven't heard an update lately, but wanted to share this idea if you're stilling thinking about it, http://theletteredcottage.net/tudor-style/.

You could try just replacing the doors, if the boxes are still in good shape. I stumbled upon a company who custom makes cabinet doors to order, and for not a huge price tag, in my opinion. Their web site is:

http://www.barkerdoor.com/Wood-Cabinet-Doors-s/5.htm

I did a remodel on my own kitchen last year, but I did go the painted cabinet route. If you'd like to check out before and afters, you can see them on my blog, The {DIY} Domicile, at:

http://www.diydomicile.com

Good luck with your kitchen!

If you try refinishing one door you will know if this is what you want to do.

The doors would not be difficult, but would be time consuming.

But once refinished you may find that the groves don't bother you much at all.

Thank you all for your suggestions! Some really great ideas in here. To update, we've found a contractor (who used to be a designer) that we like and will be implementing a lot of the ideas offered. Here's what we've decided to do:

- Add a border/molding to the cabinet doors, and paint them a shade of white - I've given in to the husband

- Add molding to the soffits to better "connect" them to the cabinets and ceiling and paint

- Remove any decorative cabinetry borders and replace hardware

- Granite countertops (I still can't decide if we should go white or dark, but our kitchen gets minimal sun)

- Change the linoleum floors to hardwood to match those in the rest of the house (another reason for my going with the white cabinets)

- Remove the cabinets above the stove and add in a nice (higher) hood

- Put in a gas range (in the current stove spot), potentially adding cabinets under the range and removing that oven

- Move the fridge to the wall to the left of the entrance to the dining room door and have a cabinet built in around it

- In the old fridge spot, build in a microwave and a convection wall oven

We should be able to get all this done within budget, though we've decided to postpone everything but the floors until June (a few months after the baby comes, rather than trying to fit it all in this month).

Again, thank you all!

Awesome - hope the project goes quickly and smoothly and that you totally enjoy the remodeled kitchen!

Sounds great-good luck and don't forget to post the afters.

Be sure to post a pic when it's all done. It sounds like it will look great.

I'm in the Pacific Northwest, with little sun in the winter and switching from dark stone counters to light made such a big difference.