Let's Talk Remodeling

[Hixski]

I have a question for all you remodelers. Has anyone added crown molding to existing cabinets??? This is a picture of our kitchen that is a few years old. As you can see the cabinets are very plain. Short of buying all new cabinets I was thinking of dressing them up a bit with crown molding. I don't know where to start. I don't know if I should check with Lowes or Home Depot in the kitchen dept. and see if I can order the molding. The cabinets are 20 yrs old so I think it would be hard to match. Just curious if anyone has done that project.

 

[MareQ]

This is only a 19 cubic foot model. I can't go bigger on the outside to get bigger on the inside. I had a 18 cu foot model & it had plenty of room...except for at holiday time. I can' get enough storage in a 19 cu foot today ...what will it be like at holidays. Yikes!!

Get a smaller fridge for your kitchen - then get an apartment style fridge for your garage or basement for that overflow. I have a really large capacity fridge in my kitchen and I still cannot live without my 2nd fridge. I keep juice boxes in there, wine coolers etc and when I host a party - it really comes in handy for all my overflow etc.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Hixski, we also have 20 yr old cabinets similar to yours - they could even be the same cabinets. lol A few years ago we spend hours at Home Depot with one of our doors to try to match the color to available molding. We ordered one, but when it came in, we just weren't happy with the match & returned it.

This time, we are going to try to buy oak molding & stain it ourselves. I've had lots of practice mixing stains to match other things in our condo, but haven't tried to match the cabinets yet. I've also looked at pictures where people DON'T match the stain on purpose, but I'm not sure if that's going to be timeless.

Let me know how you make out.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I have a question for all you remodelers. Has anyone added crown molding to existing cabinets??? This is a picture of our kitchen that is a few years old. As you can see the cabinets are very plain. Short of buying all new cabinets I was thinking of dressing them up a bit with crown molding. I don't know where to start. I don't know if I should check with Lowes or Home Depot in the kitchen dept. and see if I can order the molding. The cabinets are 20 yrs old so I think it would be hard to match. Just curious if anyone has done that project.

Refresh my memory; are you painting your cabinets? I've never added crown molding, but I don't see why you couldn't do that. Sounds like a good idea to me, as long as your cabinets are "square".

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I think I really HATE the new refrigerator. Every day when I walk by the old one sitting in the garage, I just want to drag it back upstairs & tell it I'm sorry for trying to replace it.

You bad fridge owner!

 

[Hixski]

Hixski, we also have 20 yr old cabinets similar to yours - they could even be the same cabinets. lol A few years ago we spend hours at Home Depot with one of our doors to try to match the color to available molding. We ordered one, but when it came in, we just weren't happy with the match & returned it.

This time, we are going to try to buy oak molding & stain it ourselves. I've had lots of practice mixing stains to match other things in our condo, but haven't tried to match the cabinets yet. I've also looked at pictures where people DON'T match the stain on purpose, but I'm not sure if that's going to be timeless.

Let me know how you make out.

That is a good idea to get the molding and stain it ourselves. We are going to stain the cabinets a bit darker in a more reddish tone. It would sure be easy enough to match if everythings gets stained together. This is still in the idea stage. We still have to finish our trim work and paint most of the interior. Then I can start this project.

Refresh my memory; are you painting your cabinets? I've never added crown molding, but I don't see why you couldn't do that. Sounds like a good idea to me, as long as your cabinets are "square".

Just staining.......but now that you mention it you can bet those cabinets aren't square. That would be too easy.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Hixski, I have another idea you can add to your to-do list. I see your cabinets & microwave are just like mine. We are raising the microwave cabinet & microwave up when we add the molding. So the microwave cabinet(+ molding) will touch the ceiling....breaking up that line of cabinets & giving drama....and raising the microwave a bit to provide more height on the stove top.

 

[Hixski]

Hixski, I have another idea you can add to your to-do list. I see your cabinets & microwave are just like mine. We are raising the microwave cabinet & microwave up when we add the molding. So the microwave cabinet(+ molding) will touch the ceiling....breaking up that line of cabinets & giving drama....and raising the microwave a bit to provide more height on the stove top.

I have actually thought about that too!!! Note, I said I thought!! Now you had to go and put it down in writing. Now I will have to show this to DH and say "See.....I am not the only one who thinks like this" He wants to make changes as bad as I do. We are just lacking the time. I may as well add this to the list too.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

That is a good idea to get the molding and stain it ourselves. We are going to stain the cabinets a bit darker in a more reddish tone. It would sure be easy enough to match if everythings gets stained together. This is still in the idea stage. We still have to finish our trim work and paint most of the interior. Then I can start this project.



Just staining.......but now that you mention it you can bet those cabinets aren't square. That would be too easy.

I think my cabinets were the only thing in my house that did end up being square! You may luck out!

 

[BillSears]

I've got some questions about kitchen remodels for you guys. Next week I'll be making some choices about cabinets, countertops and a sink.

I like dark cabinets and counters, when given a choice of two colors/shades I almost always pick the darker one. I've got a stainless steel stove, sink light, ceiling fan and dishwasher and I'll be swapping my fridge over to stainless when it gets replaced. I'll have this shade of Dupont Real Touch Elite Colonial Oak laminate flooring in my kitchen.

I'm leaning towards quartz for my countertop. Is there anything you like or dislike about this choice? I'm guessing alot of people like Silestone but I'm not sure if my contractor deals with that. I like the Ebony Pearl from them.

I was debating getting a black sink or a stainless steel sink. Those black sinks look so cool but I wonder how hard they are to keep clean. I'm not real fussy but I don't want stains on them.

Is there anything I should really know about cabinets? The ones I have are probably 45 years old and I've never had custom cabinets before.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I was debating getting a black sink or a stainless steel sink. Those black sinks look so cool but I wonder how hard they are to keep clean. I'm not real fussy but I don't want stains on them.

Are you referring to cast iron? If so, I used to have a navy sink. It was almost black. It was very pretty. When it was clean.

Keeping it looking that way was a chore. Would you believe I had to use car wax on it?

Now, I have a stainless steel sink and I'm happy with my choice. My husband taught me a trick they use at the firestation: polish it with lemon oil. It smells good and makes it look brand new.

BTW, your flooring choice looks very pretty! I have granite, so I can't help you there, but I agree about the dark counters! I love them too!

 

[BillSears]

Are you referring to cast iron? If so, I used to have a navy sink. It was almost black. It was very pretty. When it was clean.

Keeping it looking that way was a chore. Would you believe I had to use car wax on it?

Now, I have a stainless steel sink and I'm happy with my choice. My husband taught me a trick they use at the firestation: polish it with lemon oil. It smells good and makes it look brand new.

I saw these at Lowes and thought they looked great. They're "Rock-hard quartz construction bonded with acrylic resin" and "Rock hard composite material/80% quartz". I'm worried about them showing stains more then the stainless sinks. I've currently got an old stainless sink and it's not kept in great shape, I'm just not a FlyLady type of guy who needs to shine his sink every night before I go to bed.

BTW, your flooring choice looks very pretty! I have granite, so I can't help you there, but I agree about the dark counters! I love them too!

Thanks! Hopefully it'll look great once it's installed in my kitchen and dining room. I just ordered 460 square feet of it so it better be good.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I saw these at Lowes and thought they looked great. They're "Rock-hard quartz construction bonded with acrylic resin" and "Rock hard composite material/80% quartz". I'm worried about them showing stains more then the stainless sinks. I've currently got an old stainless sink and it's not kept in great shape, I'm just not a FlyLady type of guy who needs to shine his sink every night before I go to bed.

Very pretty! I like that, but it would have clashed with my granite, I think. I think Jasmine put in a sink like that. Maybe she can answer your question.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Are they available in undermount? A rim that high on a kitchen sink would drive me nuts. It was bad enough on the bathroom sinks we had, but I wouldn't want that in a kitchen. Just a thought.

We are getting dark Silestone counters (new Black Canyon) & an undermount stainless steel sink & stainless steel faucet.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Ours is like the one bill posted, but it can be undermont or over. We are doing undermont, but I think we have to "adjust" our cabinet to make it work.

We are in the last stages of finishing drywall. Paint next, with any luck the floors should be in by the end of this week and a cabinets soon after! Man I need it to be done. I am going crazy!

 

[mickeysgal]

Just my .02 but I wouldn't go with a sink that dark. Its going to show everything. I can't imagine how tough its going to be to not show water spots. Do you have city water or are you on a well? Hard water spots are horrible to begin with not to mention having them on a dark surface. Honestly, I think this is a color that is pretty in theory, but not very practical.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Here I am!

Yes I have a "black" silgranite sink (actually it's called Anthracite, or something like that ). Anyway, I it. Clean up is easy. I just wipe it out after I am done doing dishes. We have Barkeepers Friend on hand if there is ever any staining. So far, no real need for it. It looks great. Did I mention I it?

Also, I saw a couple posters talking about bumping up the microwave and cabinet above it. I did that with my new cabinets. It looks great.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Also, I saw a couple posters talking about bumping up the microwave and cabinet above it. I did that with my new cabinets. It looks great.

We did that too. It really makes it look more custom, I think.

 

[BillSears]

Here I am!

Yes I have a "black" silgranite sink (actually it's called Anthracite, or something like that ). Anyway, I it. Clean up is easy. I just wipe it out after I am done doing dishes. We have Barkeepers Friend on hand if there is ever any staining. So far, no real need for it. It looks great. Did I mention I it?

Also, I saw a couple posters talking about bumping up the microwave and cabinet above it. I did that with my new cabinets. It looks great.

Darn everyone else had convinced me to just go with stainless and here you are telling me everything I wanted to hear about the black sinks...now I want to stick with the black one.

I admith the main reason I want to go with the black one is the looks. I just love the look of the sink. We have good city water so I don't have to worry about hard water stains but I was worried about any other types of stains that might show up. It sounds like you haven't had any problems with that at all.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Sorry to throw you back in the land of the confused. It really is a great sink (at least in my opinion). And my DH is the king of having a clean, good looking sink. He loves it as well.