Any idea how much it would cost to refinish floors?

We have floors this color. We did natural cherry (real cherry wood) cabinets and a granite that has greens and tans in it, with a matte grey backsplash and paint. It looks AMAZING.

Probably 1200 sqft of my home is hardwood

I would go to the ceiling with your cabinets like I did in my pictures above, too. :)

Most quotes in my area are $2-3 a square foot for refinishing

zennifer,,,,she isn't changing her cabinets! you have cherry,,and green counter and backsplash. all of that looks great with red/orange floors.

Kjobe,,,have no idea where you live or what they charge in your area. call out 2-3 companies and get some quotes. it's free. since it's not that bad, maybe it won't cost as much. I don't know, i'm not there.

another option is to do them yourselves. rent a sander and watch tons of videos from This Old House on how to redo the floors. you could practice on one of the back rooms.

as I've said,,you could just have the kitchen and family room redone,,,leave the bedrooms if money is tight.

were you planning on painting the cabs yourself or hiring someone?

She doesn’t say she is or isn’t- she asked for what color cabinets. It’s not clear in any OP comment that I can see whether the cabinets stay or go- she’s asking for help with layout and color.

good point zennifer. when she said she didn't have the money to redo the floors, I figured she was looking into painting the cabinets and walls.

kjobe, you said you don't have a budget to redo the floors,,,but you have the budget to replace cabinets and countertop? That's a minimum of 10-15K. and that's for really cheap cabinets.

Thanks for the suggestions! I would love to do cabinets to the ceiling but we have a vent there. Not sure of the rules on that. Our bedrooms & bathrooms are the only spots without this hardwood. Our kitchen, living room, hallway, and laundry room all have it so we would do all of it if we considered doing it at all. I honestly would have no problem redoing my whole house little by little but we don't plan on living here forever.
As far as the cabinets go, if we painted we would consider doing them ourselves.

Yeah, our whole kitchen was $15k including appliances for flat pack diy cabinets (conestoga).

You do have a good layout already- you could consider a gel stain if you want to keep the wood tone.

You could do a “fake” cabinet there with louvered doors...like there’s a shorter cabinet below and then more face frame and doors that are just louvered...

are you guys handy? Floors will be there for another 50 years. I'd do those first, and tackle the cabinets as a DIY. (unless you can find a good deal on some new ones off craigslist or something. I've seen 3 year old kitchens for sale on there for less that 1K,,,including the granite)

no gel stain. it's even more work (to do correctly) than painting

anyway, this can be done for a few hundred if you and your other half do them. Correctly. I have a link if you need it on the exact how to's. (I like the blue kitchen I posted above. and it would look great w/new walnut stained floors)

We got an estimate to redo our cabinets and countertop Etc. a while back and it was $15k. We considered it but then thought about painting them. I actually have always wanted to do my floors a darker color and have the white cabinets but we just don't have the money to remodel both. We could prob swing doing the floors and painting the cabinets though. Since our hardwood floors are in the majority of our house I figured the price would be up there, and since they are in good condition I never truly considered it. I guess getting a free estimate wouldn't hurt. If we knew this was going to be our forever home I would have zero problems making this home how I want it, but kinda hard spending a lot when you know it won't be. We are in NJ BTW.

kjobe, when it comes time to sell, you won't lose money on the flooring redo. that alone will make you house look very nice. people love nicely done, original floors.

as for those cabs, you've seen the pics I posted. you can make them look like that. perhaps you can move the vent, and take up your boxes using this simple add on,,,really makes the kitchen area look great.

if you guys are into the DIY, you could save thousands, and still have a very nice looking kitchen. you have to do your research on how-to's. Like, "how to add boxes to existing kitchen cabinets". Pinterest.

This link is how to paint your cabinets. Prep has to been done properly, or it won't last. She gives the best how to;s and products. I've done 3 of them myself, and have done it just like she does. leave yourself a month or so to do these, it's tedious work.

https://www.evolutionofstyleblog.com/2012/01/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets-like.html

look into pre-fab granite or quartz countertops. a 9'x22" countertop averages 300-550 bucks. you hire a fabricator to fit it your dimensions on site. about another 600-1K.

they come in all colors

so,,lets say 4K to have the floors refinished, another 1500 or so for countertop, a few hundred to paint your cabs, and maybe another 500 for backsplash. you do the math, but it's a lot less than 15K.

(if doing a backsplash, do not get the 4" countertop piece for the wall)

I just mentioned the floors to my husband- he was not for it at all!

why? you were going to drop 15k on cabs/countertop. if you save money doing the other options, what's the diff?

Just wasn't in our initial plan ...

The floors go through the whole home. What good is a shiny new kitchen with a whole home of crappy floors that now need to be replaced because you wouldn’t do the standard required maintenance on them? Better to live with things as is and do the floors first, and do the rest piecemeal. You can only hope that you can do a bare bones basic redo for 15K when the national average is 65K.

Penny wise and pound foolish will never learn.

Just wasn't in our initial plan ...

Okayyyy. so does that mean it can't happen? look, it's your home. do what you want. you came on here asking for advice and I'm trying to give you the best that I can. If you want to spend all that money on cabs/counters in order to make your floor look better, then fine. or spend way less, do your floor, make it look great, and do a DIY paint project and have good looking cabinets until your move. oh, and you'll save about 10K. hmmm,,,and your husband won't go for that because it wasn't in the initial plan?? maybe he didn't get the full explanation?

I have some confusion - not unusual:)

You don't like the tone of the floors much but you said they were in fine shape. If they are in fine shape then I understand not blowing the budget on them. They are a very traditional color - nothing wrong with that and you can change the color in a few years if you still don't like it.

Layout is almost OK except as I mentioned in your other post, I think moving the range closer to the fridge, giving you more space between the sink and range would be a good idea - don't think it would cost that much to move the vent and gas / electrical a bit, but I don't know for sure.

I would look into new cabinets. I would look into it because you have big wide doors and long run of wood - which, if you just paint - will be replaced by long run of wide door, painted cabinets. That will not add anything but a change of color. You have nothing to lose by talking with a kitchen and bath store, especially if you are not changing the layout or just tweak it - like moving that range down.

If you can get cabinets with narrower doors and break that line of cabinets with a pretty hood - it will make a big difference.

Ok, so not your long-term home. I think most buyers will look at your floor, see wood, and be fine with it. You don’t hate it, so I get not wanting to spend the money on it. While it certainly isn’t a trendy color, at least its consistent.

What will make you happy for the investment in the years you have left in this house? If it’s cabinets, then paint them (but do it right) and change the lighting and the hardware. I think the creamy white of your table could work.

"We don't plan on living here forever"....I say consult w a local realtor about what is a good investment with any of your home improvements. Spending any money on new cabinets (painted or new) and new counters but not addressing the floors may be a deal breaker w resale. When budget is not a concern then resale value is usually not a concern and vice versa.

Thank you for everyones input, especially those who understand I am NOT a pro, and just wanted some advice on how they would design the kitchen. My post was never about redoing the floors. However, I do appreciate the feedback on how redoing them could impact my home. The color of the floor isn't even that bothersome to me, I just would prefer another color. Some people do come off on this site as pretty harsh for no reason.

Jeesh some of the "pros" on here act like there opinions are gold. In real life most people have limitations such as floor colors to work around. If you don't want to redo your floors then work around it. They are not the worst thing in the world and as you stated they are in fine shape. I think if you plan to resell a nice creamy white is your best bet. And if your still there in a few years when they need refinished you could pay the money then. Your layout looks really functional. I like the options PP offered of adding the trim to the top. adding some trim detail to the island could also go along way. Our granite was about 4k for similiar size.

If you are little handy both are pretty easy to do.

Another thing I would consider is adding more lighting. It looks like a light under the sink and one in the center is all you have. Under counter lighting would be fairly simple upgrade.

In one photo, the floors look a bit orangey, but not abnormally so. In the other photo, the floor looks a bit browner. Different lighting makes the floor color look different. Redoing ALL your flooring would be costly. Having your cabinets painted by a professional would not be cheap, but could be cheaper, and a lot easier than moving everything to redo all the floors.

You say you are thinking of "redesigning" the kitchen. What else did you have in mind?

http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/kitchen.design.rules.htm#.Wrj8fn9OnYU

A good local realtors opinion can be worth ‘gold’. If houses in your area sell perfectly fine with dated floors then by all means go for it with a paint job on cabinets. However, if houses are sitting for months and then being reduced in price for dated floors then you might want to bite the bullet. In the latter case you get to enjoy floors you like for the time you live there. Again, if this was your forever home the rationale would be different. I always advise a hard look at the local real estate scene if selling is anywhere in the near future and you’re looking to maximize profit. I’ve seen people spend 15k to paint their cabinets to ‘sell’ but then the house sat for a YEAR and was reduced numerous times because the floors were dated. The ultimate buyer came in and gutted the house (including those freshly painted cabinets).

Allison- yes would definitely add trim to the island section similar to what is in your pictures. I think it would make it look so much better. And we do have under cabinet lighting, you just can't tell from the picture :) I would not change the layout at all since I do find it very functional and spacious the way that it is.

Having put IN floors 6 years ago of that color, I think they are fine. Not fashionable, but fine and pretty classic.

I do look at homes every now and then in my area to see what is selling. A lot of homes were built builders grade and are selling fine without any upgrades. I don't believe we would have any issues either regardless if we change anything. My home is functional and there is nothing "wrong" with anything, rather just updating because of personal preference. My husband is handy and can fix a thing or two so if we paint the cabinets he would spray them to make them look more professional instead of with a foam roller.

I know someone suggested BM "simply white". Any other suggestions for paint color if we choose that route?

Hey Kjobe29, I agree with them on getting a lighter color for the cabinets, But i also get that you don't want it on white color. So what about a light gray?

Here is some ideas for you.

I do like gray! I may get a few samples but I have a feeling I will lean toward a creamy white. I know there are hundreds of shades of white though. From Google, do les anyone think BM White Dove would be good?

For the kitchen walls and backsplash, you might want to
consider an easy-to-install peel & stick approach for wall tiles that’s less
costly and time consuming, yet stylish and enhanced with 3D subtlety. https://www.houzz.com/projects/1262017/kitchen-backsplash

Ohhh thanks for the suggestion. Also wanted to add that we would prob be repainting as well!! My walls right now are MUCH lighter than how they photographed. They are more of a mint green

Hi Kjobe29

When ever I start a job I like to ask the client a few questions.

What is your dream space?

Do you have any inspiration photos?

What color and materials do you like?

What cabinet style do you like? Modern, contemporary, transitional, or traditional

The trick is to take what my client really wants/likes and transform their space into it. There are always challenges, be it floors, budget, mechanical, or structural. It's about making the the right decisions and choices, along with some giving in, to make sure everything works well.

It needs to look good, function well and integrate with the rest of the existing house/ rooms.

Any designer [or diy-er] will give you recommendations and let you know what they would do. These days everyone has an opinion and they think theirs is the best.

I rather know what you want and make it a reality for you.

UPDATE:

We decided to give painting our cabinets a shot because we figured we didn't have much to lose. We are definitely happy we did!! I have attached a before & after picture. We are going to purchase a new fridge this weekend and get a new stove in the near future as well to help upgrade. As you can tell, we added trim and wainscoting to the top and bottom of the cabinets to give it more appeal. The bottom peninsula is NOT completely done - we will be adding molding to that too.

We will be adding a new countertop, backslash, sink, & hardware. Any recommendations on color schemes/ designs would be lovely!

Hi kjobe

I just read this thread and I must say, you held up really well to the “help” offered! Kudos to you. I’d say some posts were rather pushy and they were not listening to you, but I think they did mean well.

Your kitchen looks so much brighter and together with just that paint update. I admire your DIY spirit. I think your floors are fine, your layout is very good, cabinets look great! You’ve made a lovely space for your family!

Thanks Avignon! Yes, I decided to post on this forum asking for opinions so I had to take all of the criticism with it. I am all ears and love opinions but at the end of the day only we can make the decision of how we want to spend our money. Fortunately for us, I think this was a good decision. This is a starter home for us so we figured, why not try painting our kitchen. If in a year or so we will see how it holds up, and if we don't like the results, then we know never to waste time with paint again. We may eventually refinish our floors like some posters fixated on, but we welcomed a puppy to our home a month ago so it just doesn't make sense to do that now.

I always like black hardware on white cabinets, especially if you are doing back appliances. If you are doing white, I’d go with matte nickel contemporary pulls. If stainless, you could go matte or black.

I updated my oak cabs by veneering top cabs and leaving bottoms in oak because of cost cambria countertops and marble backsplash But I should have painted cabinets and bought new doors live and learn

nice Carol Jean. could you still paint the lowers to match the uppers?

Still searching for the right countertop & backsplash. We are upgrading our appliances with stainless- just bought the fridge & will get the new dishwasher & stove in the near future. In regards to hardware, I think it will really depend on color of countertop.

Cabinets look great Carol Jean! Love the subway tile backslash! I think that's the style we will end up going with & I love the grey tone of them.

It looks fantastic!!

What paint color did you go with in your cabinets?