Let's Talk Remodeling

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I have a question for anyone about refinishing kitchen cabinets. Just a little background. We have a 1400 sq. ft. ranch. We built it in 1987. We are in the process of changing alot of things right now. We have changed all the 1987 light fixtures. All the vinyl has been changed to ceramic tile. We had carpet ripped out and very nice Dupont laminate wood floors put in. They actually look like wood. We didn't want wood with a 90lb dog. Since we had to take all the baseboards off I knew it was time for a change there. We changed our fake wood trim and hollow core doors for all new trim and 6 panel doors. The kitchen cabinets are still very nice and a light golden oak.

My question is this: Has anyone stripped their cabinets and put a new stain on. I don't want to get new cabinets at this point but I think a little bit darker stain would make them pop. We are going to get new counter tops and I think this would really make a big change. So if anyone has done this project please let me know how much trouble it was and if you would do it again. Thanks.

I took wood cabinets and painted them. I got so much information from this website, including the technique and the actual paint color: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/.

It's as priceless to remodeling, as the DIS is to planning a Disney trip!

You'll find tons of information on there, and the people are great! My kitchen is in the gallery somewhere!

 

[Hixski]

I took wood cabinets and painted them. I got so much information from this website, including the technique and the actual paint color: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/.

It's as priceless to remodeling, as the DIS is to planning a Disney trip!

You'll find tons of information on there, and the people are great! My kitchen is in the gallery somewhere!

Thanks, I will check it out! The website address looks somewhat familiar. I may have looked on there before.

 

[shovan]

We added a row of diagonal tiles to our backsplash. They're the same color as the others, so the look is subtle, but adds a little punch to it.

I went back & looked at your kitchen, again that really came out great! The contractor's suggestion was similar to that using all the same color & size square tiles. Setting one in the middle on a diagonal. The flooring designer recommended the little 2x2 carved looking ones. I'm going to see what he thinks.

omgosh looks like I might be "sort of" back on track for a kitchen!!

binny, That is great, I'm glad you're going to be able to get going again on that!


I'm going to go check out that site on painting cabinets with Hixski! When I plastered the walls in the bathroom, I intended to paint the cabinets, but I was too worn out. Then I thought I just change it out later, well with the prices we are paying that job is sooo far down the road. Thanks, Am I There Yet!

 

[Hixski]

I went back & looked at your kitchen, again that really came out great! The contractor's suggestion was similar to that using all the same color & size square tiles. Setting one in the middle on a diagonal. The flooring designer recommended the little 2x2 carved looking ones. I'm going to see what he thinks.



binny, That is great, I'm glad you're going to be able to get going again on that!


I'm going to go check out that site on painting cabinets with Hixski! When I plastered the walls in the bathroom, I intended to paint the cabinets, but I was too worn out. Then I thought I just change it out later, well with the prices we are paying that job is sooo far down the road. Thanks, Am I There Yet!

From what I can tell so far on my cabinets it doesn't sound too bad. Since they are stained a light golden oak I just need to sand them and then do a little darker stain. I will probably test it on the backs of the doors. Of course this project is after I finish my door and trim project in the house. And now that they are looking so nice I need to paint the whole house.

I don't have any pictures on photobucket of my kitchen. I need to take some for this thread. I will post this picture of my dog. The dining room table behind him is the color I want for my cabinets. So all in all I don't think it will be too hard to go from light golden oak to this reddish medium oak.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Make sure you change to "gallery" view to see the finished kitchens! There are some beautiful rooms on there!

 

[binny]

I painted my cabinets as well. They were blue when I moved in

I painted them parchment and then did a mocha glaze over them. I didnt strip them down first though. just went over the top of what was there.


Well my living room is looking so different now! I will take some photos later but I have been moving stuff around in there a lot. I sold the love seat and the big armoire that was there. I loved that armoire but it was just too big for the space and it really detracted from the mantel. SO now I am going to paint the fireplace wall a dark coffee colour so I have an accent wall and make the mantel really pop. I need to find a nice chair though and move some other furniture around.

Yep.It all started with a towel bar....

 

[shovan]

The contractor has started on my backsplash today!

DH freaked when I told him I wanted to start with the cabinets to start changing the hardware all over the house! My poor husband!

Well then we looked at handles at Home Depot & I freaked on the prices. Wow $5 bucks a handle & I have 35 of those suckers!

But I thnk my cabinet handles are solid brass ( magnet won't stick ). They have an antique finish on them now. So I've been searching the net for ways to try to tarnish them to a copper color. Luckily I have a couple extra handles to test on first! DH is all for that, but his idea turned it green (removing the protective coating with mineral spirits & then sticking it in a jar with a pool chlorine tablet.) But it did prove that they are brass! I see I can order some stuff to tarnish it on the internet but I'm hoping I find something locally.

Binny, can't wait to see some pics! Please take some of the cabinets you painted too!

 

[Hixski]

When I was talking about darkening our cabinets a bit I forgot about our big project we did for our kitchen. Well....it was big for us since we did it by ourselves. Our kitchen has a big triple bay window. We also had a window next to our sliding glass door. We needed the cabinet space more. We took out the window and added a large cabinet. I will just post the pictures you will see what we did. I am rather proud of us.

The new cabinet is the last big one on the right. We added the little shelving unit too. I think it finished it off nicely. We haven't missed the window at all. But we sure love having the extra cabinet space.

 

[shovan]

The new cabinet is the last big one on the right. We added the little shelving unit too. I think it finished it off nicely. We haven't missed the window at all. But we sure love having the extra cabinet space.

Y'all did a great job! You can't even tell that cabinet was added later!

 

[Hixski]

Y'all did a great job! You can't even tell that cabinet was added later!

Thanks!!! There is a reason that you can't tell it was added. We had to cheat a bit. Another section of our kitchen had that cabinet over a bottom section the same size. We took that upper cabinet to put next to the original ones. The new one was just a tad lighter but since it would not be next to any others you could not tell. If we had put it next to the old ones you would have been able to tell. People always compliment us on how well we matched it. We then say turn around that is the new one over there. Then they say Wow!!! that was really smart to do it that way.

 

[binny]

ok here are a couple of pictures. Obviously I just laid the new countertop on top of the existing to show you, it isnt going to stay there LOL

Here are the cabinets that I painted:
before:

After:

 

[binny]

ok here are better before and after

and today:

obviously I am going to need to repaint the yellow on the walls but with what?

 

[shovan]

ok here are better before and after

and today:

obviously I am going to need to repaint the yellow on the walls but with what?

Binny, I think those counters are going to look great! We had a great deal of difficutlty picking countertops to go with the med. to light tones woods. I think your's is going to look great!
In fact in these pics your floors look just like mine! What type do you have:

 

[binny]

they are harmonics brand ( bought at Costco) Brazilian Cherry.

 

[mickeysgal]

they are harmonics brand ( bought at Costco) Brazilian Cherry.

Binny - We installed an engineered Brazilian Cherry throughout our basement. Are you finding it hard to keep it from showing everything? We're finding that if someone walks on it with shoes, it's showing the footprints as every shoe has some dust on it of some kind. Of course, we're vacumning and swiftering it but we're finding it hard to keep up. Sort of like having a black colored car - they're beautiful, but hard to keep clean. Are you having the same kind of problem? What are you doing to combat it?

 

[binny]

Actually given that the last floor in there was white this shows MUCH less! I do notice that the dog brings in footprints but it isnt terrible.

I bought this mop at Lowes

and I just use a direct form the bottle floor cleaner with it. Its quick and easy and doesnt get the floor too wet.

 

[shovan]

My contractor has been working all week. I have some "in the process of" pics for y'all.

Floors & backsplash came out.

Damaged wood in dining room came out.

Wall is broken out to widen & add an arch.

New wider doorway with arch. (Now matches other doorway into dining room.)

New tile going down.

Backsplash in but not grouted.

All the tile is being grouted now. The wall is painted. I haven't picked out a light yet, but the can lights are in. I'll update y'all next week with the "mostly" finished kitchen!

 

[elizke]

My contractor has been working all week. I have some "in the process of" pics for y'all.

Oh wow! The arch and floor and backsplash look great, and really make all the difference!!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Binny - I think the countertops look awesome next to the floors and cabinets! I think it'll really set off the cabinets!

I agree about the yellow though. What colors do you like? Do you lean toward greens, blues...? I do think you could get away with a richer, darker, yellow, if you still wanted to stay in the color-range.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

My contractor has been working all week. I have some "in the process of" pics for y'all.

Shovan! It looks awesome! You must be so happy to have this show on the road!