1980 kitchen update

After two coats each of bond and top coats I chose not to use the glaze , the final result gave the door fronts a wood-grain-like texture that blends well with the boxes. It took about two weeks to get the job done, but it was well worth the time and effort.

Not long after I moved in, I had hired an electrician to replace an old flourescent light with an IKEA, retro-styled fixture that resembles the rocket-inspired taillights on a Cadillac Eldorado. The old hood range, on the other hand, sounded like a when started, so I swapped it with a clean-looking and quiet stainless model. I moved the stove out of the way and mounted a cleat to the wall to make certain the tile stayed square and level where there was no countertop to guide it.

Luck was on my side and I was able to install full tiles along both walls. I had to use glass nippers, though, to cut pieces to fit under the hood and the window opening over the sink, but had some trouble getting clean cuts. Fortunately, the window sill hides most of my mistakes.

Tiling and grouting took two days and really transformed the feel, adding some real pizazz to the room! Susan also remodeled her bathroom using similar techniques on a similarly tiny budget.

She writes:. Susan — what an adorable home you have. The best part is that you used affordable resources and your know-how to transform both your kitchen and bathroom from the marred by abuse state they were in — to their present cheery and clean state. Congratulations on a job well done — and thanks so much for sharing your story and photos with all of us. Never miss important news! Be inspired by real life projects! Before participating, read them in full. I removed one of the doors and took it to sherwin Williams and had them match the color of the melamine.

I sanded the wood trim and only painted it. It came out really well. Probably a lot cheaper too???????? I love the outcome of your kitchen cabinets. I was wondering if you could tell me if the paint has lasted. Any chips or peeling occurring? Simple and clean lines are usually the theme when it comes to a modern feel. There is a certain richness and feel to Truffle on Cherry. It gives you the illusion of black but with a hint of brown coming through.

Quartz is a man-made material made out of granite and quartz chips, ground down and put together with a resin. A nice D-shaped stainless sink gave the room a modern, industrial feel.

A beautiful and simple nickel pull finished off the look of the cabinets. When it comes to a kitchen remodel where the layout does not change, focus is on better storage. They just hate the out-of-date storage. Take all that money you would spend on this idea and redo the kitchen the right way by removing the cabinets entirely.

You already plan to replace the countertop which is a major expense anyway. You can get medium quality cabinets installed properly to look fabulous and it may not be that much extra at all! Nancy I agree with what you are saying. Why not just take out the cabinets and do it right.

It will end up looking better every thing will look new and not remodeled. Nancy, Brilliant comment. Seems like a lot of cash to come up with something to make the kitchen work — halfway. The wood grain is going to show through — texturally, so there is also that to keep in mind.

Bet it will be gorgeous when finished though — such a great space to work in. I am amongst other things a cabinet painter. There are products that professional painters can use to fill the wood grain so that the surface is smooth.

I, too, agree with you Nancy! SAME goes for adding an expensive solid surface counter top! I agree that something needs to be addeded to the soffit area and with that said the sink valance should go then. Budget is going to be the big question on how to proceed. Also, with adding in upper cabinets over the existing you have to match the overlay of the door and the door style which can cost more then just buying new uppers.

However, you can add upper boxes, less the doors, and have it as an open display area. If cost permits, add in lighting. Then build up as Maria suggested, in the remaining area to the ceiling. Then raise the new box up to meet the level of the other upper cabinets and perhaps make wine storage or open shelf area in the space between the refrigerator and upper box. Ooh, you have some fantastic examples here of how people have handled their less than awesome upper cabinets!!

Seriously some fresh ideas I have not even seen before. Then we replaced the lonely cabinet with two open shelves for cookbooks, plants, and a colorful framed painting at the top.

Good luck Sherry! It can turn out great, I promise! Wow so many good suggestions! I guess what it boils down to is her budget. It looks like her ceilings are 8ft. IMHO putting in a soffit above the cabinets with a nice crown moulding could more inexpensively update her look!

That also would solve the valance over the window because the gap would be closed. She could put a glass door on the small cabinet on the left to make it look more up to date. I hate refrigerators that stick out beyond the cabinets because I also have one but a counter depth was not an option because I had a family of 4 and needed the extra space. If she is am empty nester she can now solve that problem.

Hope we get to see her reveal! I love this idea and have been considering it for my kitchen…however, is it possible to do this if your cabinets are not the same heights? It was the builder trying to make the kitchen look more custom. They all have crown moulding already. Fantastic post, Maria, with visuals and practical considerations for DIY or a professional renovation.

Just voted and you were in the 2 spot… We all need to remember to vote every day and lift Maria to the top where she belongs! This is Sherry! Thank you for all the helpful feedback. I left out some of our plans on my original question, so here is some additional info —. The ceilings are 9 foot. Yes, we do realize the gap is a problem above the cabinets and plan to box them in, or add trim.

There is very little wall in the kitchen and we may just paint the remaining walls the same white as the cabinets. The microwave will be moved from above stove and placed in a cabinet beside the refrigerator. We plan on installing a slightly smaller one. The table extends and there is small dining room with another table. I have personally painted all the oak in the house white and this is the last room.

Hidden hinges will be installed on the kitchen cabinets before painting. We also have redone a similar kitchen. The crown was extended around the entire room. It ties the lone cabinet to the left of my sink in with the rest of the kitchen. We had a cabinet maker then close up the top and put a tall narrow cabinet to the side so the refrigerator seems built in. If it is in the budget you can get an integrated refrigerator and they put cabinet doors on it so it just looks like cabinetry.

The best microwave I have ever had is mounted under counter. If you can afford to give up a drawer space it is very unobtrusive and easier too since you just lift the hot item up to the counter. What would one suggest for a contemporary kitchen modern slab doors? The heavy traditional crown would not do….

Take both the valance and the cupboard to the left away! I love a mix of open shelves and ceiling height cabinets! I also had to put in a new AC unit that week. There was no time to get creative. My kitchen is small, with little counter space and no real options.

It IS bulky and has an annoying off center logo! Recently, the double ovens have broken and need replacing. Valance must go. It looks like she has enough room to add cabinets above her current ones. They could have glass doors with lights. The soffit will be substantial in this space. I agree with boxing in the upper spaces. What about removing the balance and single cabinet, replacing the cabinet with open shelves with possibly a plate rack?

I love what you did with these kitchen cabinets. I also have the kind that does not go to the ceiling. My ceilings are pretty high and I think that is why the cabinets did not get installed or made to go all the way up.

Remove the single left cabinet and replace with open shelving. Remove the stove bump up and replace with hood. Remove the fridge and fridge bump up. Slide the far left pantry over to the current fridge spot.

Put new counter-depth cabinet on far left and box it in. Maria, you are 2! Top 3 get awesome prizes! I would look at the cost of adding the soffit, moulding and painting the cabinets vs getting all new cabinets. Or have glass doors and lights for the uppers. The frig and pantry cabinets need fixing. The small cabinet on top of the pantry should be the same depth as the panty and the cabinet above the frig also should be same depth as the frig.

You were number 2!! I would like some creative advice about the area above my kitchen cabinets because I have a vaulted ceiling. Very informative post. I have vaulted ceilings and am planning a kitchen remodel.

One side is very high and the cabinets are high up but could not possibly reach the ceiling and one side the cabinets hit the ceiling but at an angle because of the vaulted ceiling. What are your recommendations for dealing with a vaulted ceiling when it is not feasible to go all the way to the ceiling? Personally I hated open shelves. They might look nice but too much work to keep dusted and clean especially in a working kitchen. We put in a cabinet with glass door and glass shelves, painted it a pretty color and store everyday white dishes so it looks nice but stays clean.

Wonderful post! So much better than the wavy cut out which is so common. The other option would be to extend the cabinet to the left down to the counter as a stand-alone. I have the microwave over the stove. The height works except for cleaning, which I hire out anyway. The lower grade microwave fan combinations are horrible; ugly with bad fans. The higher grades have lovely lights for cooking, effective fans vented to the exterior, and they are pretty.

They function as a second oven as well as a microwave. There is still a little bit of touching up under the countertops to be done and you can see that not all the doors had the knobs attached when I took these pics. For the new overhead light, I opted for this antique brass rail lighting system with halogen lights, very similar to the one I put in my own kitchen. Then he got it and loved it!

This is a great way to get rid of that fluorescent box without getting can lights installed. His old fixture came down cleanly and this one looks great up there. And those halogens put out a lot of nice clean light. I cannot speak highly enough about these. They put out some nice white halogen light.

The kitchen was instantly brighter when we turned them on. You can see the wall color here, which is Rice Grain by Sherwin Williams. The breakfast nook got a new fixture too, this one from Lowes.

You can see in the background all the newly painted woodwork in white. What a huge difference that is too. Take note in the background above, the laundry doors and all the kitchen trim was painted white like the rest of the house. This really made a huge difference too. The dining room also got a new fixture, this one from Home Depot. I tried to stay moderately priced on the things I picked out, since he was trying to do all of this on a budget.

The downstairs powder room also got rid of the wallpaper and new porcelain tile installed, as well as the new paint color. The foyer too, as well as the study off the foyer got new paint too. With the fresh new paint, this house looks like a millions bucks. The home owner was very pleased with how everything turned out and loved the finished product.

Now, if he will just get a quick sale! If anyone here in Birmingham is interested in the Meadow Brook area, I can put you in touch with him. I had a lot of fun with it and the homeowner could not be happier. The winner of the E-Mealz meal planning giveaway is 49, Jan, no blog, but I have emailed her! It sure is lovely, so bright and cheery now, I know you are a happy camper now, hugs my friend…. Great job, Rhoda! I love the changes you made. I am sure it will sell quickly!

Thanks for sharing the pics! I would love for you to come to Iowa and help me. The first on my list is paint my icky oak cabinets.