However, as I stood in the middle of our kitchen looking around, I realized that there were a few things we could do to spruce it up without breaking the bank. I figured I could paint out the surround in white and it would probably make the whole place look a lot brighter and more modern. So I grabbed a can of semi-gloss white paint that I had sitting around and got to work.
First thing was to give a very light sanding of the wood. The wood was pretty dark, so the grain definitely showed through at first…. I decided that it would probably be a good idea to put some varathane as a top coat for extra durability. But what about the hooked part of the grab bar, and the thin cabinet frame? A regular brush slops too much paint in these areas, leaving big blobs that need to be sanded down.
Just a small amount of paint on the very tip of the bristles will suffice. I found I had a lot less dripping this way, even if it meant I went back to the paint can more often. You can see that I didn't even need to tape off the inside of the cabinets using this brush! The trademark of these 80s kitchen cabinets is the oak grab bar. But when you paint the grab bar on a flat surface, a lot of that paint is going to drip down before it has a chance to set.
Stupid gravity! Instead, paint the hook first, then move on to the rest of the door. Then go back to the hook area, and run the artist brush over the pooled paint. Use that paint to go over the hook again. This does two things. First, it removes the pooled paint before it hardens and makes a big blob inside the grab bar. Second, the pooled paint is more tacky than fresh paint, which makes it easier to stick to the top of the hook.
The two materials these 80's kitchen cabinets are made from take paint differently. The melamine is super smooth, but the oak has large pores and open grain. These differences are visible even with many coats of paint.
If you're planning to keep these cabinets around for the long term, using wood grain filler to even out the texture will make a more flawless finish. We only plan to keep these cabinets for another year or two, so I skipped this step. You can see the obvious difference in texture here. You may want to caulk between the wooden grab bar and the melamine door for a more seamless finish. One of our grab bars was separating a bit from the door, leaving a gap that paint couldn't fill.
Luckily, it was a lower cabinet, and you would have to be lying on the floor to see it. Adding a line of caulk in this gap would go a long way to making these doors look like one solid piece.
For wood cabinets, it's always best to brush with the grain. But melamine doesn't have a grain! Brushing the paint and topcoat in the same direction will result in some raised brush strokes and uneven top coat.
By brushing the topcoat in the opposite direction horizontal instead of vertical , the clear topcoat skimmed over all the bumps, making the final surface dry to a glassy finish. Alternate the direction of the brush strokes of the paint as well for a flawless result. Adding new hardware to these cabinets brings them up to date, and preserves your brand new paint job. Drill the holes for your hardware before you start painting. This handy cabinet door and drawer template made it simple to mark the holes for my new door pulls.
Melamine is prone to chipping when you drill or cut into it, so it's best to use a sacrificial board under the door to drill into. Clamp the door and board down to the work surface so nothing shifts and the board is held tight to the back of the door, then drill your holes.
The board will hold the melamine around the hole in place so you get less chipping. If your doors already had pulls, but you want to change them and the screw holes don't line up, don't worry! Hookedongolf you are absolutely correct in my opinion! Honey oak cabinets are dated and do not go well at all with white appliances and I know this for a fact because that's what I had until I decided that my kitchen would look a whole lot better if I painted them white and after a bit of work convincing my husband it was the right thing to do, I did all the work myself and I couldn't be happier omg!
We got up to date flooring, backsplash, hardware and wall paint We've gotten so many compliments from people and some of my friends have decided to paint their cabinets after seeing ours.
It's like you said, a good first impression helps sell the house and kitchen and bathrooms are what sell your home for sure, no doubt in my mind. I decided to paint mine white but off white would also be nice. You can see the wood grain through the paint but they still look modern just the same! To glaze the cabinets they need to be sanded to remove the finish without removing the stain.
Then a good wipe down, apply glaze all over door, frame, panels. Allow to sit for a minute or two and wipe off. If it is not dark enough repeat the process. Once cabinets are dry apply finish coat. You may want to stay away from the big box stores. Please consider changing the toe kick material to something that more closely matches the cabinets.
It really dates the kitchen. Hope this is helpful. Wasn't that nice of G to school me on how to post photos?! The first one is just an example of a more modern look, but a vintage flavor with bold turquoise, and cabinet style, that I think your set would go with, but the other one is the best example I could find.
I didn't think the above would be what you were going for, but I find these types of photos kind of "take you out of the box" and inspire ideas.
I also like Genevieve's a lot. Even though it's very contemporary, it has a certain softness to it, especially when you can see the oak table in the foreground, which is not often used in such a contemporay project. With some adjustments to the hardware, range hood, and wall color, you can see how even a very contemporay kitchen could work. Need help with oak kitchen cupboards Q.
We have heavy Blackwood cupboards and a bit of timber furniture so.. Many people here in Aus are pulling out their very expensive timber kitchens and replacing them with shiny white 2-pack ones.
Not me. The previous owners had all the centre parts of the overhead cupboard doors cut out and replaced with glass, and glass shelves replaced the melamine ones. Really lifts the 'heaviness' of the timber and gives it a modern, 60s kind of look. The doors are quite plain, thankfully.
I am painting at the moment, too. I will paint a feature colour possibly khaki on a couple of small wall-sections and install some more contemporary tiles on the splashback.. And yes, that dead fan is coming out :D. Several similar dilemmas on melamine cabs have come up recently. Since melamine is plastic, it oies require special paint. Painting the oak to match the cabs is the quickest way to see a change. Adding hardware comes in second. The above reface looks great, but may be more expense than you are willing to do at this time.
Like 3 Save. Depending on your budget you can either reface the cabinets , or paint them. Paint is very cheap so might permit you to ,maybe ,upgrade other elements in your kitchen. I would paint both the wood and Formica in one single colour. A light nearly white jade green is one choice that could work if you like it. I then would add knobs to the doors and drawers to update and hide the original intent of the wood as hardware. Make sure to clean the surface of the cabinets thoroughly before you lightly sand then painting.
Change the countertop to a medium grey black , tone on tone pattern small dots or swirl pattern that is not really a pattern just an effect on the melamine and is easier to keep clean than a single tone. Still reads as a single Colour Change your sink to a grey silgranit one Home Depot or lowes has them.
New taps. Replace with faux wood white blinds bouclairs , Home Depot , lowes consider replacing linoleum flooring with porcelain tiles and I think your whole kitchen has a renewed feeling.
Again I would choose a darker shade of jade and B. Moore "cloud white" for woodworks. Good luck. Like 2 Save. If you can reface the cabinets do so. If you cannot afford to do so at the moment just paint the room and then do things one at a time, as your budget allows it.
Also look at discount tile stores and Home Depot or Lowe's always have big clearance for flooring and backsplah. Always buy a bit more tiles for when you reface stuff and change counters. Don't sweat it. If you feel you must change something paint the oak trim in a fun color such as orange or turquoise. I quickly did a count on the cabinets that show in the picture. Thank you everyone for your comments and advice. I'm adding a few more pictures which show the layout of the kitchen 25 doors, 9 drawer panels We had a counter top convection microwave oven that bit the dust, so we need to install a proper range.
Thing is, the cooktop and hood are 36" wide, and if I go ahead and put in a 30" wide range would that look odd? I was also thinking I could also put an under-the-counter range on the right side of the cooktop, and leave the cooktop alone So it looks like, new counters which several of you have recommended anyway , range and then cupboard doors after that, or all at the same time if I can make it work.
Like 1 Save. Lee Schafer 7 years ago. Have a friend with same issue. She used the wood you would see on a closet shelf both under and on top of counter. Then painted all white.
Adding black hinges and hardware. Looks great. She did have the funds to do black granite countertops but if really limited with funds I would explore other options.
My kitchen redo was all paint and hardware. Don't feel you have to have tile flooring or solid surface counters. Many of us can't afford it either. Am I the only one that thinks these cabinets don't look half bad? They sort of have that simple, mid century look.
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