Yes, staining existing painted cabinets is a ridiculous amount of work as one must first strip their paint in order to stain - and since we don't know the quality or type of wood beneath, you may find that you've stripped down to something that didn't warrant the work.

It's much simpler and cost effective to paint over existing paint.

Do you know of any paint products that I could use to achieve the look of dark stained cabinets? What you have mentioned above is something that I do fear!

Wow, I wouldn't stain the cabinets dark. I would keep them light and put some more glass doors in them and change the hardware. I think, no matter how much light, it's going to be too dark.

I have always been told you can paint stained cabinets but you cannot stain painted cabinets. This is due to the lower quality of wood used on painted cabinets. If you find out differently please post. As I have white painted cabinets as well.

I think the cabinets look great as is. If you want a change, how about considering new hardware? Your kitchen will look awesome with the dark stained floors and light cabinetry. Check out link below. It has black appliances like yours and looks great:

It seems strange that the peninsula with the stove top has stained wood. I would change to match the rest of the cabinetry. Also, if your keep the light cabinets, they seem to be more of a off-white than your white trim color. May want to unify. I think that dark cabinets would look nice, with lots of stainless appliance, fixtures, hardware and accesssories.

I would do the floors and walls first, then wait to decide if you still want to stain or paint the cabinets. People always say you should live with the kitchen for a year first before making any changes, and I have to agree. In my own house, I had a picture in my head of what my ideal kitchen looked like - which was nothing like my actual kitchen in my new home. After a year (and some minor changes) I came to appreciate the workmanship and great layout of my existing kitchen. I did make some changes, but they were nothing like the original changes I thought I needed.

The cabinets are a buttery white color with an antique coating to them which I personally can't stand! We are renovating the house to be modern and if I leave the kitchen the way it is it would stick out like a sore thumb.
I really appreciate everyone's comments and you all have made very valid points!

THANK YOU! :)

What bothers me the most about your kitchen is the layout. It's all wrong. I don't like where the cook top is or the wall ovens. Everything needs to be pulled and rearranged. Most cabinets today are just seperate boxes so it is fairly easy to take then down and make changes. If you got a stove you would save some space and your kitchen I would say is fairly small. If you like the walloven /cooktop idea then a few changes will make it work better. You don't need wall ovens in your main cooking area because they are not used as much as your other appliances. The wallovens currently close off the main part of the work space. So the left wall by the door should be like this . In the corner is first the wall ovens - then the fridge - then some cabinets and then the desk - if your keeping that . You could just pull the desk and put the wall ovens in the corner ( you will need a 3 inch filler piece to start with). Your cooktop/ stove goes where the ovens are now. It would be even better if the door could be moved over to the left about 6 to 12 inches. That would give more space for the cooktop. Now that frees up the counter where the cooktop is now. Now you have to be careful not to make things to flat, color wise with dark cabinets on dark floors - but it can look very classy when done right. A tone or two differance is good. Please consider the changes - your kitchen will fuction much better. You might as well do it right if your going to make changes anyway.

PS: I forgot to say if you need a pantry cabinet then you could start with that in the corner first - then the ovens - then the fridge. The base cabinets that are left over from that wall can be used to fix the area where your cooktop is now.

Heres what I would do; If I were going to paint, I would go with a historical dove grey/blue. and do the coves and ceiling in an antique cream historical white>white granite counter.. and select some gorgeous sculptural hardware for the doors. I Know I would regret and get sick of dark cabinets.. especially is the floor is dark. but thats me, I love light bouncing around a room. Add some dramatic fabric in roman shades in the window that pick up the same grey..maybe with a splash of yellow or apricot..

sorry.. not cream on the ceiling..with white on the counter.. a lesser bright white..

how about just replacing the cabinet doors?

When painting the cabinets to a different color, you might consider highlighting some of the interior edges of the stiles and rails. And maybe the edge of the raised panel. Done right it could give the fronts some added dimension.

Although you've got the two recessed lights above the sink already. I think if you had carried a wood soffit over the sink with attached crown and a couple of puck lights it would flow better. Looks stunted and abrupt how the upper cabs stop on either side.

Look into gel stain. Little sanding then paint on. Looks great! Many colors!

I think it would be a mistake to stain the cabinets a dark color for several reasons. Even though you have a lot of light in the kitchen, it will make the area feel smaller and darker. White cabinets are timeless and always are in style. Once cabinets have been painted it is very difficult to get the "look" of stained wood. If this is something you really want to do I would hire a faux finisher who is really experienced in creating wood effects. Good luck.

Dark cabinets can look very rich. With that being said, I would be afraid that the dark cabinets you want would be too close to the color of the floor. Do you plan to change the floor as well? There are so many different things that can be done to change the look of the kitchen; from just switching the doors to a complete renovation. Depending on how far you want to go and how much is in your budget for the project, I would consider consulting with a professional. I agree with the other post that suggested you live with it for a little while before deciding. That will help you figure out how much you want to change. For instance, it would be a waste to spend money to change the color and then decide later one that the layout doesn't work very well for you. Good luck!

Hi Kristi,

I know you've been getting tons of advice, but having done both - white cabinets with an ebony floor, and darker cabinets with a dark floor - I'd have to say my preference is for keeping the cabinets white to play off, and accentuate, the richness of the floor. Although you do get lots of natural light, I'd be wary of making the room feel too heavy. Best of luck!

I couldn't agree more with you cg (creative interiors). I think she'll get tired of the darkness in the kitchen after a while. Whenever in doubt, I say, brighten it up.

Painting and stripping cabinets is a ton of work. Change the other elements instead - darken your floor, replace your back splash, change your hardware, paint the window trim an accent color and change the counter tops. If you hate the cabinet style, replace the doors and drawer fronts with flat fronts and paint. Just might be better off with starting over.

Would you consider painting the walls a dark color and leaving the cabinets light? Previous posts are correct that painted cabinets are not usually of a high enough quality wood to stain. I think a very dark floor and the dark cabinets would be too dark. What direction do your kitchen windows face?

I would expand the windows even more to open up nearly that entire wall above the sink. The double windows will looks pinched between the dark cabinets.

Go light and bright,! dark floors and cabinets will be too dark. This trend has been around far too long and it`s depressing in my opinion.

There are too many finishes. I think the dark wood floor would be a bad idea for two reasons. Dark brown will show every bit of dust -especially in a light filled room. You will be constantly dusting! The dark brown trend is also changing. Lighter and brighter is my suggestion. And I would address the crown molding that seems to stop and start. Also, white painted cabinets are timeless and can be very modern. Also a gray tone would be a very updated look.

Hi Kristi, like I said before, you've been getting tons of advice, so I went back and read some of your initial notes, and hope the following will be helpful! I agree with Diane John - replace the cabinet doors with flat fronts or replace the cabinets altogether. I think what we've all been missing is that you want the house to look modern - whatever you do to those cabinets, given the large mouldings and door style, you're going to get a traditional look. Making the cabinets dark is only going to accentuate that unfortunately. There are some gorgeous options, from a number of companies in the US and Canada, that are affordable for a complete re-do. I've even done a few client kitchens using Ikea cabinetry - it's a bit more work up front, but you can't beat the pricing (and the quality is well above their standard shelving). I've attached a couple of modern kitchens - the one in red is Ikea!

I agree, the suggestions are not addressing your need for a more modern or contemporary look. For that you may need to reface the cabinets with a transitional shaker door or a slab door and drawer fronts, then paint or stain. What about a light, warm grey paint for the cabinets? It would contrast with the dark floor without making the kitchen look like a cave.

Also, it looks like there is no venting over your cooktop. That's a serious functional problem. you may want to post on the gardenweb kitchen forum. There are seriously talented layout experts there who post regularly to help people find kitchen solutions that work with their budgets.

Your original ideas indicate you have a budget to make some significant changes toward a more modern kitchen to enjoy the beautiful light filled space. Style is personal but good design is universal and will set the foundation for future style changes. * Seek out kitchen designers/scour Houzz etc to find a layout that utilizes your space. Your kitchen looks quite spacious but the layout looks odd especially where the cook top is. Is there room for an island or at the very least extend the countertop to allow a couple counter stools and RELOCATE the cook top. *Consider WHY you want the dark cabinets--modern is not neccesarily dark. in fact the espresso trend is on the way out as a major component of kitchens ie use it for the base and do lighter or all glass upper cabs or a dark island with lighter perimeter etc. Are you painting to modernize them? *Replacing or removing some of the uppers or using open shelving is also a more modern option and may be less money.*White granite?? Do you mean marble or cultured granite or one of the lighter granite choices with limitations (again think about why you want it--pros/cons. ENJOY the process; invest time and money into the more permanent features and have fun with the "decorating" once the foundation is established!

I agree with above comment! I was thinking all along about grey, then it got posted at the end! I have very Old World Style now but next house will be more contemporary and I LOVe the dark floors( don't let anyone sway you from that!) but i do think maybe a thought would be to do grey cab.. at least for lower. I think it would great to have 2 finishes going.. one for upper and one for lower.. very clean door, Shaker is good. If budget is concern, reface is perfect option. You could do a great laminate door as well, so many contempo choices. i would relocate cooktop to do a range with one oven, then one wall oven and microwave in wall. Then make that peninsula an overhang so you can do stools for a breakfast bar. One look i plan to do is the "waterfall" top treatment(very modern) where the counter stone runs down the side of the cabs. i have a fair amount of experience as i have remodeled, built quite a few homes for myself and also had a consulting business for a local builder and architect's clients. Good luck! It will look great!
If you still want dark, go with a slightly lighter brown and use runners to show contrast and add a pop of color BTW, is there room for a small island??? Would really help your prep. Def do 2 finishes at least ,though in my opinion

I think it would be worth it to have a cabinet company reface your doors and lose the hinges and take your upper cabinets to the ceiling. The crown in your kitchen looks odd to me. Definitely leave them light though, benjamin Moore cloud white or white down would work with the floors. The backsplash looks nice but I'm not sure it works with the countertop? Change out the hardware, add a roman blind in a nice print fabric and add an area rug to liven up the floor. Stainless ovens would be a better choice but I'm in the middle of a kitchen Reno and know how much appliances are! Good luck!

I love the look of a dark floor...have a rich, deep ebony floor in my Manhattan apartment. Just want to warn you, it is the highest maintenance thing imaginable. I wouldn't trade it for anything, but every crumb, dog hair or droplet stands out in high relief. My vacuum gets a daily workout, sometimes twice daily, and believe me, I am not that fastidious a housekeeper.

Hi Kristi ---- I see the start of something that looks like your going to waste your time and money. You yourself stated that your kitchen needs some" major work". But so far it sounds like you are trying to do little things to get big results. Are you trying to make these cabinets into something else ? For example these are traditional style cabinets - they cannot be made to look more modern by adding new doors ( which is costly ) or putting on staining or painting or whatever. If you truly love the cabinets - then fine - put the work and money into it . What I am saying is - if you want to change it and make it work better for you - then you should just replace and rework the whole kitchen . That way you are getting what you really want . Have a couple of kitchen company designers come and give you some ideas and prices , then you will know what to do before you get into trying this and that and ending up with a nitpicked job.

Actually,I beg to differ. I don't think it is a waste of money to reface cabs that are in good shape and sturdy boxes. You can reface with any style of door and that makes all the difference in the look and much more cost effective. Sure , it is expensive but not as much as all new everything.However, if she has the budget, sure, go for it.. Might want to price both ways. And just because you are refacing, not doing a complete remodel, does not mean you cannot make changes in configuration. i worked with a co. to reface doors and he was going to make some needed changes in cab configuration too.
Also, FYI, you can go to your local appliance stores, or home stores and look fro scratch and dent appliances. You can get fantastic deals. If you are not ready for the appliance quite yet, you can store away. I've seen some fantastic bargains for a tiny nick or dent.

I do think the crown at top of cabs is far too trad.looking and a cab co. can redo that very easily and inexpensively. you'll need a more streamlined, clean line one, no flare.

A dark kitchen is a depressing room. I would not darken the cabinets. With your dark floor, white cabinets and more glass doors would be a welcome contrast to keep the room light. Add in-cabinet lights to show off your special china. I agree that you need a pantry more than the desk--although you still need a docking space for all those electronic devices. I agree that you could move your ovens to the refrigerator wall. The room feels top heavy because of the crown molding at the ceiling and also attached to the upper cabinets. Eliminate the ceiling molding where you have uppers -- instead extend those cabinets to the ceiling for your display pieces. Get rid of the gray counter top and yellow wallpaper. Can the peninsula be changed so that the counter top is widened to allow for overhang and stools. If ovens are moved, perhaps the cooktop will fit on wall where ovens are currently. I always worry when there is a cooktop within easy reach of those sitting at the counter. It seems like there is extra sq footage in the "U" area--can it be tightened up to allow for a wider countertop on the peninsula? Find super special faucet hardware--spend extra on it to spice up the sink area. Also you might look for a white sink to blend with your planned white countertop (I suggest you check into the durability of quartz). And spend extra on your cabinet hardware--you'd be surprised what a statement that special knobs and handles will make.

This does not look like it needs a lot of work. The cabinets and moldings are lovely. I would have them painted them white to match the moulding and put the money into an granite counter top and stainless appliances. Choose a more modern pain color like grey or blue. If you want a totally different look and don't love the traditional look. Get some estimates on re-doing the entire kitchen...might not cost much more.

I would put the dark brown tones on the floor and the counters/tile back splash...to change the cabinets test a chocolate glaze on the back of the cabinet door until you find a product that looks good and will adhere to the surface of the cabinet. Change your hardware to a oiled rubbed bronze finish...after all those changes pick a wall color to suit the kitchen w/o making it too dark. You have a good foundation to work with. Happy planning!

after reading further on I saw you didn't want an antique look...I used the Rustoleum Cabinet transformations product on my wood stained cabinets. It worked great...The only way to know is to buy it and test it in your kitchen.

Hi Kristi,
Looking at your kitchen and listening to what you want I'd suggest this: Stain the floors whatever color you love (even if it means a little more cleaning - it's better to clean something you love twice than something mediocre once). Paint the upper cabinets bright white like your crown molding. Paint your lower cabinets satin black (black hides flaws well - you could fill holes and rehang doors with hidden hinges). Add stainless steel clean-lined hardware. Take the doors off of the upper cabinets on the window/sink wall. Maybe even paint the back of the open shelving an accent color of your choice (lime, plum, or teal?). Would the solid doors from the window wall fit to replace the glass doors above the desk? Crisp gray walls and a fun print on a straight roman shade above the sink. If you are going to do any major cabinet moves I would suggest nixing the desk and centering the cooktop between the fridge and the wall - then a stainless vent hood above that. It would still be a work triangle, but would give you use of the peninsula as a bar (also safer for kids so they can't reach pots from both sides). Hope those ideas help. Feel free to e-mail me (VCLBRKNARRWatAOLdotCOM) if you want anymore ideas/clarification of what I'm talking about...I sometimes don't get a chance to check back when I post to these so I don't want you to think I'm rude. :) I think you can achieve a modern look with your existing cabinets if you play it right. ~Valerie

My ideas for the space would be refinished the floors to the expresso, add a antique expresso glaze to the cabinets, and install recycled glass count tops with a contrasting color to use on the walls. Try Vetrazzo.com for the counter tops , they have some vivid beautiful colors. As for the walls, pale sage or a silvery light blue really makes browns POP. And do change the hardware, tie isn that wall color there too, of brushed nickel .

Hi Kristi - what state are you in and what direction do those windows face? And what style is your house? The heavy crown molding and pedimented windows suggest it is very traditional. I love a dark stained floor but I agree with the others. If I was going to make a substantial investment in this kitchen, I would want a better layout. You might be able to do darker cabinets if you rework the desk area and do a tall wall there with the refrigerator,ovens and pantry units. Removing all the upper cabinets from the rest of the kitchen might give you the more modern look you desire. Good luck!

For a more modern kitchen, as you suggested you like, how about removing all of the upper cabinets in the main space. That would give it a sleeker look and remove the traditional crown, etc. On the desk wall space- remove the doors off all of the uppers. Again the box/shelf look may speak to your style more. Stack white plates, glasses, etc. Not to mention, all of this will save you a ton of time,effort, and money in staining all of the cabinets. Where the wall oven is, consider a full range where the cooktop is and put the microwave on the desk wall. You have a good amount of cabinets, so you won't really miss the uppers.

I agree with Lefty 47 Lynda in that these cabinets are face frame with wide styles & rails. If you truely want a modern look, you will need to replace the cabinets, in which case, you should reevaluate the plan. Ideally you would have more drawers & the refrigerator would be in better proximity to the sink.

Joanne Canell and Lefty 47 Lynda are correct in advise, you should consult a couple of kitchen designers for you truly have a heavy traditonal look now. You could reface and change the doors to save on total labor costs. Usually painted cabinets are done on maple wood, but if these were built on site they could just be plywood, painted, in which case would be a waste of time and money to strip them to be stained, it wouldn't work. I also agree with one of the others when he said go a little lighter on the stained part of the cabinetry or otherwise it just rolls into the floor. Good Luck.

Lots of good advice. One thing I would like to add is by the time you stripped the existing cabinets and re-stained them, you would have a lesser quality cabinet. It would also probably cost as much as new kitchen cabinets. There is a ton of labor involved with stripping paint, re-sanding, re-masking, and then re-staining. I suggest leaving them the color they are and switching out hardware.

I like what Valerie has offered as advice. Not sure about pure black but could be off black or charcoal. Agree with repositioning the cooktop and taking out the desk. We have had great success using Dulux Diamond (tough as nails finish) in satin. We always prime with Zinsser BIN regardless of existing finish.
good luck

make some of the cabinets expresso, some white.

Don't stain the floor at all: use good wood, and it will take on a honey glow of its own within a few months and (best of all) no/few scratches will show, so re-doing them will be minimalized.) I'd stain the cabinets in a mellow cheery, and bounce my lights off them to give a warm glow to the room. Also, get comfy chairs for sitting around your kitchen table. Done well, you'll want to spend a lot of time there.

your kitchen now is lovely, I would only change the appliance to stainless steel, and paint the cabinets to a bright white. Even change the cabinet doors to glass doors maybe. head to Ikea to add the shelving lights. But I can see your dilemma the dark wood floor calls for matching cabinets with smooth front panels. The paint color I would stick to more neutral or muted colors. don't forget the recessed lights or hanging lights. Good luck whatever you decide it's yours and it's going to lovely. Don't forget comfy function chairs. In my family the kitchen is the gathering place for all socialization.

For what it's worth I'll add my 2cents. About 20 years ago we went through a kitchen renovation. Part of the planned changes were very dark cherry stained cabinets that looked awful. Money was an issue so I hand stripped them all, every bit of them. It was during the summer and I was up north at the time so brought the doors outside so I didn't have to inhale all that stripper. It took me all summer to do, very tedious, but the results were really worth it. After stripping part of one I knew that the wood underneath was pretty and would look good.

OK Heres another idea. Ive done it. Of course, New cabinets,would allow you a complete update into a more modern look...you can space plan and design as you'd like it. See what your budget allows, BUT If you want to try working with what you have first, you have nothing to loose. I've done this: distressing the paint has a great look. (Bear in mind- albeit it will be updated traditional charm- not modern- which new cabinets would bring) Heres how i did it. Try it on a small wood project,( like a frame) or sample board first. (Remove all the doors).Paint them in any colour you like, then choose a contrasting colour you like( Light with Dark)> With various sand paper go over the painted doors with the sanding block. The new paint will reveal some of the old paint underneath - the edges of the moulding..will take on character, You can always repaint if you over sand.. and go at it again if you want to change it or try again. Its a very fast method and very easy to achieve an artistic weathered look. I did turquoise and white over dark blue and it looks so beachy and fabulous. When you go to put them back on: Get a carpenter to re-set the hinges to be hidden, Hardware makes or breaks it: spring for artistic modern gorgeous hardware. The devil is in the details. It will be one of a kind, and gorgeous. Here are a few colours I found quickly..but the whole character comes from the colour combinations you pick.