Could you post pictures of th

The cabinets

I would suggest removing the doors and hardware, and having them professionally sprayed. The boxes you should be ok painting yourself.
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Here is a picture of the cabinets. The finish is a cream color. Thanks

The professionals around our area say because of the finish (pickleing treatment) they can not be painted.

I don't understand why not, unless they were finished with a wax base. Even so, they should be able to dip the doors in remover, sand and then paint.

Did they tell you what exactly about the pickling treatment is preventing them from being painted?

They said the paint would not stick and turn out well and trying to remove it would be hard because of the pickleing deep in the wood. I will admit, as many products/treatments on the market today, it does not make sense to me that there is not one that could be used to either paint or whatever, but we asked 3 different contractors. I don't really understand what pickling process really is. We could paint the boxes but no one wants to even take on the job of spraying the doors. The cabinets were made by the first owners 30 yrs ago who built the home.

Ok, two points. One, if the finish is wearing away, that tells me it's not as permanent as the contractors think it is, right? I mean if it's wearing away how forever permanent could it be?

Two, would you be interested in having new doors made and professionally painted teal? Keep the pickled boxes but have teal doors?

Have you spoken to a professional custom cabinet maker? It's possible the contractors you spoke too don't want to take the risk, or just plain don't know so it's easier to say 'no'. I'd go to a cabinet shop with your picture and talk to someone there.

We don't want 2-tone cabinets and have been told to go back to the company who made them and see if they can repair the doors. Fact is, these cabinets have undergone a slight color change over time with age and probably not worth the time of the cabinet maker to try to match. One reason we don't get new cabinets is the granite is new and cut from a special piece and we are afraid they would break if trying to remove them from the cabinets to put on new ones. The installer of the granite broke 2 tops just trying to install it and we want to keep these pieces. Just seemed easier for us to do something with the cabinets as at the time we did not know they could not be painted. We only kept the cabinets when we remodeled the kitchen because of costs (can't spend money one does not have).

In that case my only other suggestion is one you probably won't like - remove a door, sand down the inside and attempt to paint it. If it works, great, if it doesn't you could end up in worse shape. Sorry!

No, that does sound like a good suggestion . . Doing a test area. At least if it does not stay on we can always scrap it off, and who really sees the inside right? Fact is, my husband is an artist and built shelves that matched the cabinets (with paint) in a space where a trash compactor was under one cabinet. Blends in well and I put pretty baskets on those shelves to hold the contents. Thnnks for your time and help.

You're welcome! Please remember to prime the surface before you paint, you'll have better adhesion this way.

I will and thanks again. . .

I have a similar project for our kitchen that I am trying to find a solution for- how did yours turn out?

Amy, we have not gotten around to the cabinets yet. We have other projects in the home we are working on now but will probably try painting them, which we will do ourselves. Since the finish is chipping off in places makes me thing it can be sanded down, primed and painted. My husband has a good paint sprayer and has experince in this area so we will do the job ourselves. I also have come to the conclusion the 'professionals' we asked did not want the job. I think most just want us to buy new and let them install them. . .easier that way for them. Would love to see what you will do when you decide. What will you do if you don't paint, replace them? If so, what have you got to loose but the price of the paint? Good luck!

MUCH later than the original thread, but I found this link while researching, in case anyone else find this useful three years on : ) http://homeguides.sfgate.com/resurface-pickled-oak-87089.html

Also, there is a wood building and finish company called Woodcraft, with stores in many US cities. They have seasoned experts who love to teach DIYers how to work on their own. Their supplies are a bit more expensive, but these guys are often retired pros who know their stuff. Well worth the few extra bucks to save time and redo money!

Janet, it sounds like all these contractors just didn't want to put in the extra effort it was going to take! You cabinets may have an oil based finish on them as you say they have yellowed over the years. To find out take a rag with a bit of mineral spirits on it and rub in an inconspicuous spot. If some of the finish pulls away onto the rag and softens a bit it is oil based. In this case you can paint over these . A light sanding and priming with an oil based primer and your good to go. Or a professional painter can do it! You just have to find one willing to put in the effort.

Pictures of your finished kitchen, please! Are your appliances black? I want to go white but wondered how it would look with black appliances.

I would also like to see pictures of your finished kitchen!!!

Here we go again with pickled oak cabinets! My cabinets have the white flaking off in the grooves etc. I would love to glaze with a gray/pewter. I don't want to paint them as I like the original wood. I just want a different look as the pickled has yellowed over time. I have looked for photos of glazed pickled oak cabinets but have not had any luck...... Any suggestions Thanks

I had pickled oak cabinets that I wanted restained dark. Every contractor told us that it couldn’t be done. We found one who said it could and he tried sanding and stripping the back side of a door and applying about 6 different stains and none of them would take. I didn’t want paint because I wanted the grain to show. We finally found someone who had glazed a pickled oak kitchen before and he redid our kitchen, bathrooms and even our mantel that was pickled oak. Here are a few photos of previously pickled oak that has been glazed.

The dark stain turned out beautiful