That looks like black mold inside of your cabinets. You need to have that tested before you decide what to do with the cabinets and hardware.

I would keep the handles and polish them, but I like old things with history. If you don't, replace them. And if you like the style, similar can be had for very cheap, in a black finish. I just bought a whole set to use on my island, to match the one that was placed on the house's window about 60ish years ago.

Agree about the mold, too.

Got it, and have both bob villa and another how to remove mold naturally 7 ways. It's limited to the cabinet below the sink. So it's manageable, not full on remediation expert. Aware might need to go to sanding to fully remove, but it's on the inside of it, and frankly will be cutting out a lot of it to fit the dishwasher.

Back to the question, is copper a short lived thing, or trending?
Cleaning them and leaving copper frankly saves a lot of spray painting to another metal color. Are there enough people to think it's hip, or a turn off to most?

Thanks for your feedback so far!

I don't think that is the kind of copper that is on trend.

Like...Donald Trump could put out a rap album, but it wouldn't make him Jay-Z

are you fixing up for your pleasure or for resale?

Yes resale, low end first home in a highly desirable area. Most the homes are not really rehabbed yet on street. Enter market at 20% more or equal to some non rehabbed homes.

On trend The style- no. The actual copper metal matches the high end ones once the grime is off posted in houzz photos. Copper hammered finish. They are real copper.

Plan is White cabinets, likely white apron sink, subway tile backsplash herringbone pattern. Granite or laminate countertops, single lever high pull out faucet. Can do copper as well on faucet. Either white or SS appliances.

Alternative is spray paint them another metal color.

Most cost is filling in everything on the wood fronts and trying to get hinges and pulls and handles that are as close to typical no style ones in run of the mill SS like finish.
20 handles, 30 hinges with labor and we are $400 in costs, easy.

Versus just clean ($10) or clean and spray paint ($50)

Thanks for your comments!

IMO ahuge waste of time and money to do anything with that kitchen it is agut job for who ever buys it and that mold is never going to be gone it is probably through all the walls

I think copper in definitely in but it think the style is out so you can clean it up but it will still look out. It will also only accent that the cabinets are original even if they get painted which I'm not sure that you want that accented. It appears as though there are not many cabinets so the hardware is not too expensive IMO buy new

For resale? Gut job.

Even super cheap cabibets are better better than those old things.

What do comps in the area with the selling price you want to get have in their kitchens?

also ethically... to just cover that mold (even after a clean but not remediation) is just being...

plus white paint on those things is lipstick on a pig. Why bother with new counters and backsplash? You aren't fooling anyone that it is a new kitchen. I've rented apartments while in college and grade school with kitchen cabinets like that. Kids in college don't care much about the state of their apartments

As An adult buyer I would look at the property as one that absolutely needed a new kitchen and I'd make my offer accordingly.

Even painted, those kinds of old cabinets always give off a kind of gross feeling. Not what you want in the place you store your food and cooking supplies.

I love those original cabinets. Very hard to see you paint them. Copper is passing through; I'd add something to make it more of a burnished bronze.

I went back and looked at the mold. Very sad. Yes that has to be ripped and remediate. Not enough bleach...

Those cabinets are worthless and not worth painting. Gut the kitchen.

Hi Everyone,
This is such a timely subject as I am embarking on a similar project and I need advise. I have higher end cabinets with the same pulls. Not copper just silver with a touch of rubbed black for effect. I do not have the 90 degrees hinges, just the same design as the pulls, but exterior hinges. Is this type of pull with the matching exterior hinge so totally dated in a negative way that I should just switch to a different design? I plan to live in my house 5 years or so, then use for resale. I am planning in painting the cabinets white, then polishing the hardware to a clean shiny silver color. Am I on the right track or wasting my time. Please any advise would be greatly appreciated!!

These are the pulls and hinges. Please read the above situation and offer advice. It would be greatly appreciated.

In my opinion, they just look dated and cheesy.

Unless you live in a medieval castle

That's a gut renovation. Those are not ''higher end'' by any stretch of imagination. A higher end home would have had a complete kitchen renovation in the last 50 years. Probably 2-3 renovations, actually.

Thanks, Funny you say that. This house is modeled after an actual house from Switzerland. In the 60's the original owners fell in love with a house there, found the blueprints, and replicated the house in Wi.
This house was built with a lot of love and thought, but I think i should not be so sentimental and move on a bit. : )

You're going to have to take off the doors in order to repaint/refinish anyway, so you should replace the hardware. Those drawers and cabinets look crooked, too, so not sure a paint job and new hardware is enough. If you want to maximize your investment, you need to make the kitchen look like it's move-in ready.

Thanks Sophie,
I am an amateur, what I meant to say is at the time this house was built, these cabinets were really great cabinets. Solid wood, no particle wood to be found. I began ripping them out only to realize, current cabinet construction does not come close to these cabinets. I stopped and realized it would be silly for me to get rid of them. My imagination began to stretch at that point.

Thank you, Julie
Yes, The crookedness would need to be rectified. I do have a project ahead of me : )
Thank you for your opinion to switch them out.

I am commenting on the original post by truegrid. I think you should start your own post if you want advice, rather than hijacking someone else's.

Truegrid: It looks like the cabinet hardware is the least of your problems, so just clean them up. That house looks filthy, neglected, and abused. You've got a big job ahead of you. Just remember that all the electrical and plumbing behind those walls are in just as bad a shape as everything else. I'm just a long-time homeowner who has always lived with older original kitchens (1939 and 1954). They were worn and outdated for sure, but nothing like what you are dealing with. After 20 years in the 1954, I had the kitchen (and laundry room and back bathroom) gutted and rebuilt. Well worth going into debt for another 15 years lol!

@trugrid.... it depends on where you are in the Northeast... Unfortunately around lower NY that hardware is a dead giveaway for an old kitchen no matter what color they are. And to properly paint cabinets, all hardware should be removed... so if you have gone that far already it is not as expensive as you think to replace. I would also suggest that you completely remove the cabinet with the mold so you can see what is happening behind and under it. If there are issues there that aren't address and you sell the house, you might be help liable for that and it will surely be a greater cost than taking the time to look into it now.

Good luck on your first flip! You will learn valuable information that will make your next go much better... there is a steep learning curve....

@stamseq I love those old strap hinges... I would suggest painting one of the doors white and then just cleaning up the hinge and see how you like it with the white..

Some photos to inspire both of you... these remind me of the beautiful old country cottages found in New England - keep the charm of those homes...

Good luck!

Are buyers in the neighborhood expecting a fully remodeled kitchen or are they happy to get into the area with something they know will need work? If it's the latter, I think they can be cleaned up if you're sure the mold is confined to the interior of the cabinet. IMO, copper is not a trend but a classic and would be something you'd expect to see in a kitchen of that era. I don't think a farmhouse sink is a necessity. I'd keep the finishes clean and simple with the idea that the new homeowner will eventually want to remodel.

I have the same type of cabinets, in better shape than yours. Tile counters in good shape, original kitchen. I removed the hardware and replaced with hidden hinges, painted out the cabinets white. Very pleased with the end result. The thing you need to understand is that at resale time, your kitchen will be considered a "tear out" by potential buyers as mine will be. We are living here forever, could care less about resale value. If you care, maybe a new kitchen is in your foreseeable future.

Joy! i wish i could see a photo of yours!