Leave them the heck alone. they are not bad as far as condition. heavy grain/ strong cathedral arch/ just live w them till future change.

There's nothing wrong with your cabinets. They aren't the latest trend, but then, any remodel will be dated in 10-15 years. They aren't high-end, but I've noticed people hate beautiful 90s Cherry as much as they hate builder-grade oak. Frankly, I don't think hardware makes much difference, but I'd go with heftier, if I were you.

Trends come around again. The white kitchen is going to be so dated pretty soon, who knows, maybe oak will come back. What's the rest of your kitchen like?

Thanks for the encouraging words! I feel so self-conscious about them.
@sigrid what do you mean by “heftier”?

Here’s a pic of the kitchen. The microwave was just replaced. Stove is next. Countertops bother me as well.

the old formica w the dark seam… yeah thats underwhelming stuff. cabs look solid enough for a formica tear out. the ikea butcher block could take you out a few years / not expensive .., oiling is an easy thing. thats something id consider . handyman sort of cost to do this.

@herbflavor would probably have to redo backsplash right? See how countertop continues onto wall

"I feel so self-conscious about them."

Why? You know what? I'll take yours over 99% of the white-on-white-on-white or grey kitchens that "everyone" has done/is doing -- yours have a lovely inviting warmth to them. See kculbers suggestions above.

Unless they are dripping particle board into the dishes, they are fine.

The OTR microwave should have been replaced with a real hood.

Sorry, that picture is two weeks old so it’s not the new microwave. But it is just a regular stainless steel GE microwave

@porkchop Thx!!!!!

Re backsplash.. get a handyman that exerts care . and repairs the wall … you always have these things . have him leave repaired wall board primed .. you can get nice washabble satin paint … keep costs down / w all the texture you dont need a backsplash. thats for future cash register “ca ching“ and bigger changes.

re backsplash cost etc..alternative with good painted wall there ........display some vintage wares you or family may possess....your doors are traditional..this kind of thing will POP in that area so you will like the new counters as part of this , if you can keep costs down.

10.5" Round Plates Dinnerware Set, Animal, Flower Designs, Cream, Set of 6 · More Info

no backsplash...pictures etc.

Historical Colonial in Pasadena · More Info

They appear to be in good condition. The current hardware blends in nicely and sort of disappears. Your countertops are a nice color with your cabinets and floors.

Would a fresh coat of paint or hanging a nice picture on any wall space in the kitchen help satisfy your itch for a mini-revamp?

First question - are the cabinet boxes in good condition? They have been referred to as "builder's grade" - which doesn't appear to be true. Not all red oak cabinets = builder's grade. Builder's grade cabinets are made out of cheaper materials. For example, 1/2" particle board + use laminated faux wood for end panels and large areas (for example, the back of an island) instead of using actual wood veneer. They are constructed very cheaply.

Red oak was a popular choice in the 90's - and 80's I believe. The raised panel cathedral door style definitely dates the cabinets to the 90's (although, most kitchens I've seen have the cathedral doors on the wall cabinets only - not on the base cabinets also - using the cathedral door style on every cabinet makes the kitchen even busier looking - especially with the plain sawn red oak).

There were goo quality red oak custom cabinets that were also installed during that time period (which is typically what occurs - some "look" starts being use in higher end kitchens - and then it trickles down into cheaper kitchens by being replicated with lesser quality materials).

Second question - how large is your kitchen? I know someone who makes new doors/drawer fronts for kitchens - he offers them professionally finished or unpainted diy. You are able to change your doors from partial overlay to full overlay = hides the face frames (and then can diy painting the boxes or pay someone to do that part). You can also change base cabinets with doors into drawers (or use pull out trays - but I would prefer to actually convert from doors to drawers if it was my kitchen). If I knew how many doors/drawer fronts + sizes, I could get you an estimate for the price - just so you'd have an idea if it would be feasible.

Third question (this should have been the first question) - how does your current layout function? If the kitchen does not function well, it doesn't make sense to replace the doors/drawer fronts because you will be stuck with the same poorly functioning kitchen layout.

You would be surprised at how much a kitchen can be transformed with new doors/countertop/backsplash/appliances (did you buy a stainless mw?). So many people say that it's almost the same cost to replace the doors/rawer fronts as it is to replace the entire cabinets - that is simply not true.

You can do it in stages + if you went with a painted cabinet door, you could use the IKEA butcher block countertops in order to save quite a bit of $$.

Much less expensive update = painting out your current cabinets/doors/drawer fronts. Many people have painted cabinets like yours over the past 10-15 years. If you do the right prep work and use the right finishing products, you can achieve a good result. There is a group on FaceBook that helps homeowners who want to do their own painting. They let you know how to prep and what to buy (including surprisingly inexpensive sprayers). If you painted yours, you could then install the IKEA butcher block countertops - and it would look quite a bit different (less busy and brighter/lighter).

If you decide in a few years to renovate your kitchen, you won't have spent a ton of money on an update.

Or - you could simply get them cleaned up + change the cabinet pulls + add more lighting + change some accessories for now- there is no reason to be embarrassed!

@dani, wow, thanks for all the info! I think the cabinet boxes are in good condition. How can I tell if they are builder's grade? I am not sure of size, but it's a good size for us; we can fit a small table for three :) The layout is good! And yes a stainless steel microwave..last year we did stainless steel dishwasher...fridge is covered with contact paper so you can't tell that it's the old Kenmore bisque! I need to reread your response a few times to take it all in! Very helpful and encouraging info.

@dani_m08 thank you for all the information! I will have to reread all of it a couple of times. I believe the cabinet boxes are in good condition. Not sure if it's builder's grade; I don't have an eye for it!! It is a decent sized kitchen for us with a good layout. We did stainless steel microwave, dishwasher, and picking out a stove hopefully tomorrow. The fridge is covered with contact paper, but that will be the next to go!! I wasn't even sure of the color; thanks for clarifying.

I don't think there is anything the matter with laminate counters, it would be nice if there was something with a little more color than the almond.

It's interesting that this was the default , safe, neutral scheme for many kitchens like that, and now we look at it and wonder why people liked something this ... bland, I guess. But I have a feelin that is what lots of people are going to say about the white and grey default kitchen of the 2000s. Not that there is really anything all that "wrong" about either, but I think just like people gravitate more to vintage kitchens with a little more color or individuality now, the same will happen with the generically "best kitchen for resale" of today. People may actually prefer something with a little more personality.

Good to know the new microwave is stainless steel, for less contrast with cabinets.

I too am wondering whether there might be a modern Formica in a different color, not exactly a “ pop” of color but not the almond, but warmer enough to go with the wood & floors.
A lot depends on the rest of the kitchen & adjacent rooms, how much counter, how it affects your sink, what is color scheme.

I like the view of the cabs better in the kitchen. than in the close up. I called them "builder grade" because they don't look particularly high-end. I did not mean that I thought they were MDF with a veneer.

By "heftier" I meant bigger and fatter. Of course, if you are going to replace the hardware, you need to match the screw-holes.

I don't know why you are "self-conscious" about your kitchen. It's pretty nice. Oak cabs were popular decades ago, which means many of them are in bad shape, so HGTV tends to remove them talking about how awful they are and replace them with something else, which they say is great. Just because some oak cabinets are looking worn doesn't mean that yours are or that oak cabinets are bad in general.

Builder's grade -

1. Are there a lot of fillers used in order to make the cabinets extend from wall to wall? More custom (semi-custom) cabinets are available in many different widths and will fit your space without unnecessary filler strips (not to be confused with filler strips that are needed for function - example, at the corners of a u-shaped kitchen so doors/drawers don't hit into each other and can open fully).

2. How thick are the cabinets boxes (you should be able to measure the sides of the cabinet boxes by looking at the underside of your wall cabinets. If they are 1/2" - that would be builder's grade. They should be 3/4" thick. If you can tell if plywood with wood veneer was used to construct the boxes = nicer cabinets - however, there are nice cabinets that use HDF with real wood veneer so no plywood doesn't automatically = builder's grade.

3. Is faux laminate wood used (look at a side of a cabinet box - they do not change color the same as real wood doors or real wood veneer. Also, they tend to be obvious due to how the grain is patterned.

4. How are the drawer boxes made? How thick are the sides/back? Are they dove tailed construction?

5. How old are the cabinets? Are they fallling apart or do they still feel solid?

I'm sure there are other ways to tell - these are just ways I know off the top of my head (although not all non dovetailed drawer boxes automatically = builder's grade cabinets if items 1-3 are in line with custom/semi-custom.

I am not a cabinet expert - so, I'm sure others are more qualified to assess the quality of your cabinets/cabinet boxes. Based upon your photos, it doesn't look like faux wood laminate was used on the sides of your boxes/panels.

Builder grade from the 70s and 80s was higher quality than modern builder grade. Those look like solid oak to me and when oak cabs were in style, people didn't do laminate, so don't bother to check. Obviously, some of us have a different definition of builder grade.

when oak cabs were in style, people didn't do laminate

I think this may be partly regional and that there was an overlapping time period where people with oak cabinets were popular and laminate was popular.

Where I grew up, there was a builder who did lots of custom builds in the 1970s with arched dark oak cabinets and laminate counters. And stained oak millwork throughout the house was extremely common and never has gone completely out of favor. It really depends on where this house is, and the more it is away from the coasts and the more rural it is, generally the less trend specific it is going to be, except for construction from the last decade or two.

Someday you may want to take out all the cabinets and replace them or you may want to move to another home and leave this for the next owner to do.

The countertop is one of those super simple answers that costs a couple of hundred dollars and will make a huge impact on how you feel about the kitchen.

These old laminate tops were made to be changed out easily or transformed. My niece had the yellow formica countertops in her kichen and was trying to find the solution when I explained that all she needed to do is cover them with new laminate.

The bullnosed edge laminate cannot be covered this easeily, but the tops with the squared off seamed edges are simply covered with a new piece of laminate.

The 4x8 sheets run around $100.00

My niece needed one sheet for her kitchen.

@jennifer Horgan do you have a pic?

Here’s a question. What is the correct order of replacement for the following: laminate countertops, backsplash, range, sink ?

"If you want to put in the effort you can use bondo to fill in the recessed cathedral arches and to smooth out the wood grain and then paint them."

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. The bondo attempts to defeat the whole function of a raised panel door, which is to accommodate movement in the door from seasonal changes. When the door moves, the bondo will fail. You could cut new flat plywood doors and wood tape the edges with as much work and expense, however, those doors would not fail.

"What is the correct order of replacement for the following: laminate countertops, backsplash, range, sink ?"

The most important thing is to think comprehensively. When you know what you're going to do as your budget allows, the order becomes obvious.

I don't have before and after pictures of her kitchen i will ask her if she has any pics I can share.

This is a good video of how to do it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=reace+formica+on+a+countertop&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS901US901&oq=&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgHEEUYOxjCAzIJCAAQRRg7GMIDMgkIARBFGDsYwgMyCQgCEEUYOxjCAzIJCAMQRRg7GMIDMgkIBBBFGDsYwgMyCQgFEEUYOxjCAzIJCAYQRRg7GMIDMgkIBxBFGDsYwgPSAQk2NDc1ajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:59b3ec47,vid:uObZY3YI6AM,st:0

Have heard of people flipping the doors around so that the cathedral arch is inside and the square framing is outside. Whether its worth the futzing, I dont know. The finish may be different. Agree though that there's other ways to jazz up the kitchen without spending tens of thousands on redoing cabinets. The color is fine, the pinky tones of the backsplash and the floor kinda clash though. Addressing those IMHO would be an easier fix, or paint job, than removing or painting cabinents.

@debbie what colors would you suggest?

What I try to figure out and don't really have an answer for is why people hate arched doors so much.

I have been here long enough that any wallpaper, All wallpaper, no matter what, was about the same as a scourge of locusts on the earth, and now it is perfectly fine again.

I am waiting for people to start complaining about how dated their white shaker cabinets are. (There are already some complaints about how common or overdone they are, but we haven't quite gotten to actual "dated" yet. I am not sure it is all that far off.)

Well, Pal, I'll the first to complain about ubiquitous white shaker kitchens. I renovated my kitchen in 2003 when white shaker cabinets were just beginning to topple cherry as the popular style. (Cherry cabs & uba tuba granite -- anybody remember that era?) White shaker cabs were lovely then & still are, but oh my gosh I am so tired seeing them.

We're looking for a new home, preferably something older to refresh, & I almost long for pine/oak/cherry arch top cabinets. To my eye they're starting to look fresh again. The formal, colonial look & the visual depth & warm glow of wood fit well here in New England (with good lighting, of course). But so many have been yanked out for white box sterility.

Michelle A., when you replace the range, counters, backsplash, & add better lighting, the kitchen will refresh nicely. And your old cabinets will look rich & beautiful alongside the new.

@awn thank you!!!!!

@awn and that’s an interesting perspective. Maybe I have waited so long , my cabinets will be back in style lol

I was playing with your kitchen photo. Please forgive, I'm not a good photoshopper. Also, maybe this design direction doesn't work for your house. But if I could find cabinets where I could do something along these lines I'd be happy:

@awn OMG that is SO COOL!!!!! Thank you!!!!!