Update - honey oak kitchen cabinets are painted!
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9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoThanks so much for the great comments, all! I think the painted cabinets have helped to make other details stand out, like my slate flooring and granite backsplash.
I also love the pop of color in the plate rack now and how the color works better with the other items I have in the kitchen, like my small sofa and antique scale.
(For staging, the sideboard/bar will be moved into the great room with mirror hung above it, the sofa will move to that corner, and we're bringing in a pub table and stools where the sofa is now.)
The door hardware and adding some trim to the outside of the base cabinets definitely made a big difference in making the cabinets look finished.
I actually like my granite more than I did before too, and that was my biggest concern in choosing a cabinet color! It's not my dreamy soapstone that I planned on if we were staying, but it's actually been a very nice, hardworking counter for our family and it works so much better with the white cabinets than it did with the golden oak.
Thanks so much for the encouragement. It helped me make the decision to finally paint the cabinets after talking about it for the last 15 years. Just wish I had done it sooner before selling!
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Thanks! My main technique was hiring very good painters to do the work :)
I have always thought about tackling this myself, since we are very DIY, but after seeing all the work and amount of detail that goes into achieving a high quality finish, I'm so glad I left this up the professionals. I just don't have the time and energy that I used to for that kind of work!
A team of 2 painters prepped just the frame for 3 days (removing and carefully numbering all doors and drawers, meticulously taping and applying plastic to protect surfaces, and sanding, sanding, sanding) before applying at least 2 coats of primer.
I had the carpenter come in during that time and frame out the end cabinets with the same rails and stiles so they look like false doors, except no raised panel like the cabinets. No time but that's okay - I think he did a great job and it looks so much better than before.
Then they applied the lacquer paint finish to the frame before starting the whole process over with the drawers and doors. They did those in a temporary tented paint area set up in my backyard and garage.
Everything was applied with a sprayer, except for some touching up to the ceiling and walls. Before, during and after painting they carefully caulked and sealed all cracks and crevices so it all looks finished.
You can still see the slight wood grain in some places but I don't really care - that never bothered me and at least you know they're solid wood doors underneath.
I bought a soft close hinge for each door that they switched out when putting the doors back on. Those and some small rubber bumpers I put on each door and drawer makes a world of difference. I hate slamming doors and drawers! Some of the heavier doors could use 2 hinges though.
DH installed all hardware, except the lazy susan and one other base cabinet because we're still undecided - I want a pull but DH thinks a knob would be better :)
It took 2 painters 7-8 full days and the price was very affordable considering the amount of work, so I think it was definitely worth it. We've already had one pre-listing showing and the buyer noticed and appreciated the "remodeled" kitchen :)
Here's one of my favorite things - I repurposed a drawer with a knife insert and some organizers to hold my coffee and tea things. That eliminated 2 knife blocks and a very messy looking bowl from the counters. Wish I had done this sooner too!
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
9 years ago- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Thanks so much, catmom, arcy, purrus, nini, and lisa!
They did the real estate photos yesterday and after some light staging I think the house looked amazing. We just edited out a few more things from the counter and added some decor items.
We brought in a bistro table and stools to take the place of the sideboard that was moved to the great room.
I also used the floating shelf I just had made for over the tub and used it for the blank space over the sofa instead. I convinced DH to hang it as part of a compromise in which he did not have to move and rehang the heavy wall clock :)
These are just a few cell phone pics but I can't wait to see the professional photos!
- 9 years ago
Lisa - I forgot to add that I got the pulls and knobs from Amazon for a great price. I originally bought the RH Bistro hardware but couldn't see spending over $500 when we're moving so I returned them. These are actually really nice, especially the 5 inch pulls.
- 9 years ago
- 9 years ago
1929Spanish-GW