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I think the cabinets look fine and the color is good. I'll tell you a little secret for your cabinets to make them look like new for almost no money.
First do all repairs. Tighten things up. Then wash the cabinets to get grease and dirt off. Then you take Minwax fruit wood color stain and wipe on a little bit. Give it a minute to soak in and wipe off excess. If cabinet wood is really dry, maybe it will all soak in and not need to be rubbed off.
You can use the fruit wood to make scratches in wood finish door trim and doors disappear.
Dont freak out when you open the stain because it is a yucky grayish color. Just do it and you will be happy with results. I sold a house last fall that had original cabinets used by 20 years of tenants. The cabinets looked shot. I washed them and treated them with the fruit wood and they looked nearly new. They were good quality oak. Really cheap cabinets might not survive 20 years of abuse, but a lot of broken cabinetry can be easily repaired.
Go with a light colored countertops to lighten the kitchen. Then, new appliances. Add a few bright colored accessories. With only $10,000, by the time you buy all new appliances, you aren't going to have a huge amount to spend on other things.
Last edited by oregonwoodsmoke; 01-30-2018 at 08:52 AM..
Comment on countertops, get what you will enjoy for your own use. Dont try to guess what will be in fashion 5 years down the road. Will granite still be in? Will granite be last year's out dated fashion? Will there be something new that has come out?
I think in your price range, laminate in good condition is fine for resale. If you want granite, there is a huge price range. Some of the lower cost ones look quite nice. Get bids and then think about it after you find out how much.
Our area has not appreciated much over the past 20 years and I expect it to remain stagnant. I think we would get the money back with a $10k update - but we likely won't get much more than we paid for it. Many of the updates we need to do are things that should have been done already but haven't been due to time and money spent with elder care over the past several years. We're playing catch-up.
There are many new subdivisions being built in our area and I just feel like our house should be updated to increase the ability to sell it. Once it's updated, it will be a nice house in a nice subdivision at a lower price point than many of the homes in our area.
I think the modest kitchen update will make a big difference to the overall look and feel of the home with the added bonus that I'll be able to enjoy the updates myself for a few years.
Go look at some of the new subdivisions and see how/what they are doing to kitchens. Copy one if you can.
I havent read all the posts, but I would remove the wallpaper, spruce up the existing cupboards, replace the sink, counters and faucets, replace the light fixtures and the white appliances and hood. Add a tile backsplash.
I havent read all the posts, but I would remove the wallpaper, spruce up the existing cupboards, replace the sink, counters and faucets, replace the light fixtures and the white appliances and hood. Add a tile backsplash.
Thanks, what should I replace the sink and faucet with? I realize they are pretty standard but they are in decent condition. Should I replace with something more up to date? What would that be?
What would get me the most bang for my buck with $10k budget and what would you recommend in terms of materials/colors to enhance marketability? I will note that my personal preference would be to lighten up the room somewhat as it is a north facing room without a lot of sunlight
Once you remove the soffit, I think you'll be so amazed at the transformation of your kitchen, you may change what you decide to do with the rest. Personally, the only thing about it that I don't like--other than the lighting--is the wallpaper, which won't be costly to remove.
I love that laminate above. Thanks for sharing the image.
UPDATE:
We've decided to not paint the cabinets at this time. We just had someone come out to give us an estimate for the other work (paint, wallpaper, popcorn ceiling, electrical for new fixtures/can lights.)
Questions I have:
What paint colors would go well with honey oak? Originally, I was leaning toward Manchester Tan when I thought we were painting them white. Would it go with honey oak? This contractor uses Sherwin Williams exclusively so I would either need to have him color match the Manchester Tan or find a SW equivalent. I'm open to other colors it just needs to be rather neutral for resale.
Should I be replacing the sink and faucet? If so, what should I be looking for in a traditional style that is not too expensive?
What types of light fixtures should I be getting (again traditional style on a budget) for over the sink, over the peninsula, over the kitchen table and in the short hallway off the kitchen?
I think I tend to have an old fashioned sense of style and really want to be more current so I would appreciate any advice or suggestions.
I will also be contacting the laminate guy to select a countertop to go with honey oak cabinets. (Any suggestions?) I do like the bianco romano above.
Thanks, what should I replace the sink and faucet with? I realize they are pretty standard but they are in decent condition. Should I replace with something more up to date? What would that be?
Thank you!
I’d do an under mount, either stainless of porcelain, and coordinate the faucet with cabinet hardware.
Thanks, what should I replace the sink and faucet with? I realize they are pretty standard but they are in decent condition. Should I replace with something more up to date? What would that be?
Thank you!
You might be able to keep your sink depending on the condition. Many new stainless steel sinks look the same as they did decades ago. If it is in bad shape I would replace it.
I would update the faucet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CA4Now
Once you remove the soffit, I think you'll be so amazed at the transformation of your kitchen, you may change what you decide to do with the rest. Personally, the only thing about it that I don't like--other than the lighting--is the wallpaper, which won't be costly to remove.
I agree with removing a soffit "ceiling" in the kitchen if there is one(I can't tell from the op's picture) but I don't think it is necessary to remove the soffits above the cabinets.
Many of your pictures show instead of a drywall soffit they did a fancy "wood" one or they added useless cabinets above them that no one can reach. That's just wasting money when not needed.
I didn't see this in the discussion, but I only read the first couple pages - is that microwave above the stove a venting unit for the stove below? Does the cabinet above it have a vent or is it the kind of vent that just blows back out into the kitchen?
Before you replace appliances, figure out what kind of microwave/vent system you have, measure the current unit very carefully and be sure you can find a replacement of the same type/size.
My son ran into this problem with his kitchen (although he had a gas stove) and the microwave someone else put in was apparently unusually "short" - newer units were deeper and didn't make the spec required for height distance from the cooking unit.
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