OMG! Leave those original walnut cabinets there! They are VERY "today". Changing just the counter to a white and the backsplash to something maybe in a glass tile, and you wouldn't need to spend tens of thousands to get what many many people already aspire to!

As someone who just installed cabinets that look a lot like yours...

Are they wood or vinyl? That'll impact whether or not you can (or should) paint them.

From here, the cabinet fronts look fine. I'd go with a modern rectangularish or bar pull and a new counter and backsplash. Go for a modernish Euro-look? Budget makes a difference here on countertop materials of course.

live_wire_oak, I wish they were original walnut cabinets! This is some sort of particle board monstrousity. See additional picture I added.

Assuming those are really walnut, they'd cost a bloody fortune today. So, please don't paint them. And if you truly hate them and decide to get rid of them consider selling them, don't just destroy them or hide them in the garage. If you find you don't hate the walnut, consider reusing the drawer fronts with custom cabinet boxes, since I can see how there may be issues with the layout.

Definitely change the hardware. And the laminate counter is just so sad. Even if you go with another laminate to save money, that "wood look" just clashes terribly with the cabinets. The one thing you want to avoid is a counter with lots of veining or business in the pattern. It will draw attention from the walnut. Same with the backsplash, you could do a fun color, but not anything with lots of pattern to it.

Fori, I think these are vinyl though I cannot be sure. They remind me of the cheap furniture... however, they are very sturdy and do not appear to be damaged. I think you are right about the bar pull front. Any idea on whether these could be painted based on the additional picture I added?

ControlFreakECS, thanks for the reply. These are definately not oak, but this is now making me wonder if I should consider leaving the cabinets as is but change out the hardware, countertop, and add a backsplash (versus the wallpaper). Thanks for the advise, also, on keeping the countertop and backsplash patternless. I will consider different options now.

The cabinets sure can psych people out as being high end from pictures at least! Love the idea of a temporary fix including modern hardware and a fix on the counters. I'm not sure if you should invest in a backsplash, though. How long are you wanting to work with these cabinets?

steph2000, I'm sure to be using this kitchen for another 2 years. :) Seems like I have expensive taste so it will take some time to save for what I want.

Welcome to the world of plastic wood! :)

We have that as the frames in my kitchen with MDF or particle board doors. I think you can paint vinyl wood (or so my mom keeps telling me) but it takes special primer and probably a LOT of work!

If you like the darker 'wood' for the cabinets, I would change out the hardware and maybe the counters and backsplash. We have that same style of countertop in our dining room (hutch) and if I had it in the kitchen, I'd probably keep it. But not if you're leaving the cabinets dark. If you do decide to paint them, the faux butcherblock might be a nice contrast.

Have fun with the kitchen and I always think green and cream look good with wood.

benjesbride, have you used a Rustoleum countertop transformation kit before? I was wondering if anyone has and what their experiences were. Seems like the cheapest option. Good idea on the floor too!

How soon is your real remodel? It's hard to tell from here how bad they are but I don't know that painting would improve those, no matter what they're made of. That door style is sort of meh when painted.

So these are not wood, just a wood sticker? I just removed my wood sticker cabinets and they can be very convincing (especially in a photo!). My own mother, who taught me all my snobbery, thought they were wood.

So unless those doors are way worse in person than they are on the internet, I'd let them be. Bright (apple green?) counter and backsplash? Scandinavianish MCM light fixture? Some IKEA pulls (Tyda) that are a good shape:

If you hope to gut in 2 years, I'd just paint the backsplash and call that part good. I'd work with those cabinets. If I changed anything, I'd find a cheap backsplash for temporary and some hardware you think you might like down the road. Good point above about investing in appliances now as you can use them later.

I've not used Rustoleum transformations. Bloggers seem to have positive reviews, but that might be because they're sponsored posts :-) Another product to try is putting Ardex over your existing countertops. There are a few bloggers who have done it like sarahsbigidea and littlegreennotebook. Ardex might actually be cheaper and also might give you a blacker finish than the rustoleum.

I would not waste money updating if you are going to remodel in the near future. Trust me, after living with a kitchen I hated for 15 years, 2 - 3 years is very much "near future"! Try a happy paint color on the backsplash, and start working on the design for the new kitchen (I spent a few years doing that, too, before I had it just right).

Is this house new to you? I think a hardware change and paint job would help a lot.

A good scrub can do wonders for old cabinets!

Another vote for getting the cheapest bar pulls you can find, then leaving the cabinets alone. If you really think you'll be renovating in the next five years, there is no point in putting a bunch of money into it. Replace the appliances that need it, maybe even the counters with something inexpensive but a light color, and call it done.

From the OP's picture of the cabinet doors, it looks to be particle board covered with a contact-paper stuff. I don't know what the stuff is called, but I have exactly the same thing on a cheap bathroom cabinet and have seen it a lot on old cabinets. It is not a wood door and painting them can cause the paper material to buckle. I primed and repainted my cabinet, and there is buckling on the door.

If you are really planning to redo the kitchen within the next few years, I would just live with the cabinets and take the time to plan your perfect kitchen.

Diane

Oh yeah...new photo does look like particle board. I suppose it could be real veneer over it--they do look pretty intact for their assumed age. I must agree with others--if you plan to do a big remodel in the next 5 years or less, don't spend on much more than paint (unless it can go to the new kitchen).

(That said, I'd still at least price out inexpensive countertops!)

I "painted" particle board with printed wood paper (?) using gel stain. I also tried the Cabinet Transformation, which just slid around on the surface.
So, for starters, I'd see what they look like once you've cleaned them. You're sure it's not a veneer?
If it's vinyl or plastic, you could also try painting them after first using a gripper primer, but that's a lot of work.

It's really difficult to tell online if that's contact paper stuff or a thin veneer. Particle board is the best subsurface for veneer as it doesn't telegraph any grain patterns through and is very smooth for the application.

If it's veneer, I'd really talk to a local cabinet maker about taking what's there and doing a gentle reworking with some matching pieces and some repair. Or, sell it to some MCM enthusiasts as "original".

If it's vinyl or paper, well, it does no harm to leave it for a few years and stash away those pennies. I would not paint laminate counters. It's way too cheap to just go to a box store and buy some stock laminate counters. Or, find a local laminate fabricator and choose a plain white in a plain waterfall edge in a matte finish (the cheapest possible laminate) and he can probably fabricate and install for just a bit more.

With vinyl, you would find the exact same pattern of grain / knots in several places. With veneer - there would be no repeats, right?

Maybe price out a new counter in laminate --- and in a fun color that pops. Especially if it's just for a few years. (The counter you have is more of an eye sore, IMO, than anything else.) (Black laminate would, I think, too easily show any marks that develop.)

OMG, I wouldn't dream of touching anything if you're going to start a major renovation in 2 years. I'd clean thoroughly and carry on. Save any spare money from skipping the short term fix and put it towards the major renovation. You'll want every spare penny, lol.

Honestly, I lived with a basement hotplate and microwave temporary kitchen for 6 months, so your kitchen looks JUST FINE for 2 years. :)

my daughter has done the Rustoleum thing in 2 different kitchens, the first on the tile backsplash (it was pink) and just recently on her dark green fake marble look laminate. It has worked very well both times.

If I were doing a tide-me-over reno of that kitchen, I'd run with something contemporary mid-century modern revival. Clean the doors for sure. I'm a big fan of murphy's oil soap. Change out the door handles for something bolder and more fun. Put stainless contact paper on the dishwasher and range.

Take out the entire right bank of upper cabinets. (There are just too many cabinets in that space and the lines are too straight, imo, but not in a way that is appealing to today's eyes.) Use that whole wall as a backsplash focal point ... could be really cheap like painted plywood, or pieces of sheet metal. Put a few open shelves against it. Do something with the remaining backsplash space (paint maybe?) and install a thin narrow coordinating shelf against it. The remaining bank of cabinets is crying out for a trim piece of valance.

Try the rustoleum thing. Or I have similar countertops that I played with before we decided to go for a 'real' reno. My last desperate plan was to peel off the laminate and sand/stain down the plywood base which was really sturdy plywood in my case. (Metal strapping around all the soffit edges too ... they built to last). Or maybe you could find some cheap laminate at a supplier like this: https://surplus-warehouse.com/department/kitchens/counter-tops. I'd stick a rug on the floor, maybe even just up against the side wall to pull the eye away from the flooring.

And maybe take some clutter off the countertops.

But in the same boat, I just lived with my awful kitchen for two years, construction-gluing up the ugliest shelf in the universe to have a place to stick my everyday dishes, and put my effort into planning.

Wow! Thanks everyone for the comments. At this point, I'm going to consider doing the following: replacing the hardward, cleaning the cabinets (Murphy's oil soap, of course), removing wallpaper/painting walls (many of you thought that was a backsplash, ha!), spending my money on appliances in preparation for the remodel. Thanks, again, everyone

Do the current appliances work? I caution you against buying an appliance until you have a new plan in place. You might find you need a different size or color to fit your new plan.

If this were my kitchen and I planned on a gut job in the near future, I would for the time being just paint walls, replace cab handles, change to an inexpensive laminate counter and replace the ceiling fixture. I'd definitely wait on purchasing new appliances too if those all work fine.

The cabinets look like some kind of laminate to me. That was very popular in the 1970's My mother had similar ones in her kitchen. If they are laminate, I'm not sure they can be painted. (although check this out on the paint forums, there are so many good paints today they may be able to advise you on that) Your cabinets look to be in good condition though. If you are saving for a remodel I wouldn't spend a lot on temporary updates. Maybe some new hardware, perhaps a new laminate countertop (looks like you have a faux butcher block laminate there, this was also very popular in the 1970's Laminate comes in so many styles and colors today and if you choose from the standard types, they are not too expensive. The premiums, such as Wilsonart HD are very nice but pricier. To change to some new hardware and an inexpensive counter would be a very cost effective way to update until you can do the full remodel.

I am interested in if you have remodeled yet and what has or is to become of your old cabinets...and location :-)