Quick advice re: painter mistake - one kitchen, two whites

9 years ago

We ordered custom cabinets from a local shop and selected a white color for painting. Painter dropped off a sample we approved and they came and sprayed the cabinet boxes and took the doors and drawer fronts to paint at their shop. They returned yesterday and installed the doors and drawers and the whites don't match. The difference is subtle, but noticeable. It appears the doors and drawers are correct, it is the base cabinets that are the wrong color.

What is the best fix here? The cabinets have been painted with conversion varnish. I assume repainting the base cabinets will require sanding off the wrong color and repainting, but there is a lot of detail and moldings that could make that process tedious. Should we be concerned about the long term durability? I am looking for advice on possible fixes before the contractors offer an option that is not in our best interest.

Featured Answer

CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a

9 years ago

What's in your best interest is getting what you want and paid for.
Show them the difference and let them fix it. Require them to fix it.
There is no "possible" fix other than fixing it -- or not. Either way, one of the elements needs to be repainted. You pick.

Done.

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Comments (9)

PRO
Sina Sadeddin Architectural Design
9 years ago
Have them fix it, and ask them about durability. Also see if they have any sort of warranty they'll give you since they messed up.
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junco East Georgia zone 8a
9 years ago
MHgirl--Are you thinking that it might be better to repaint the doors and drawer fronts? Would you be willing to go with that color? That would allow them to take the pieces away for the correction, or even replace them rather than repaint.

Let us know what happens.
crcollins1_gw
9 years ago
Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines as junco, might be easier and less messy for you if you can live with the box color to have them correct the doors and drawers. How subtle is the difference?
PRO
User
9 years ago
If they sprayed conversion varnish in your house once, they can do it again. Have them take off all of the doors, etc. and respray the boxes. They do not need to be sanded to bare wood, and it's all flat work to be scuff sanded. All it needs is enough tooth to bite for a new color coat. It's the easier approach, and they will appreciate that, rather than going through the process to scuff sand a bunch of detailed doors.
millworkman
9 years ago
as Cook's says that is the best way to approach it. You are going over white with white, so should be easy for them, especially since they screwed the pooch the first time...................
DrB477
9 years ago
are the boxes regular paint? or conversion varnish too?
MHgirl
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you all so much for your comments and advice. As you can imagine, it's just unnerving to walk in and see a difference from doors and frames. To address the questions, yes, we understand that both the cabinet boxes and doors/drawers are conversion varnish. Durability in the long term is our number one concern which is why I turned to all of you for advice--and you've all been so kind and helpful, thank you! We prefer the color used on the doors, but would probably be willing to keep either color depending on the best way to fix the problem. The painter is coming by tomorrow to see the difference and hopefully we can agree on the best way to solve the issue.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
I can't imagine why anyone does on-site finishing. Make sure the conversion varnish is non-flammable, please.