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Painting solid oak cabinets is not like carpeting over hard wood floors. Once painted cabinets go out of fashion (and they will) the only remedy is new cabinets.
Some of you people pay too much attention the HGTV.
Painting solid oak cabinets is not like carpeting over hard wood floors. Once painted cabinets go out of fashion (and they will) the only remedy is new cabinets.
Some of you people pay too much attention the HGTV.
It makes perfectly good sense to paint them, regardless of what HGTV does or doesn't say, if your choices are only paint or replace anyway and you think it would be fun to have painted cabinets. As far as being in or out of fashion, my grandparents' house (built very early 1900's) and both my parents' homes (built 1956 and 1978) had painted cabinets. I agree HGTV has made too many people go for the latest fad, but painting cabinets is nothing new.
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Well it is ONE THING to paint over SOME ANCIENT cabinets and quite to another to be ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldhag1
It makes perfectly good sense to paint them, regardless of what HGTV does or doesn't say, if your choices are only paint or replace anyway and you think it would be fun to have painted cabinets. As far as being in or out of fashion, my grandparents' house (built very early 1900's) and both my parents' homes (built 1956 and 1978) had painted cabinets. I agree HGTV has made too many people go for the latest fad, but painting cabinets is nothing new.
... A SLAVE TO THE FADISH TRENDS that make paint companies rich!
These cabinets are CLEARLY newish and in appear to be in EXCELLENT CONDITION, there is no reason to compare them to some relics in a century old home that existed before factory built cabinets were an option.
You kidding yourself if you think you can take near brand new cabinets with a UV cured finish that is all but indestructable and give em a "farmhouse" feel. It will take a huge amount of labor to sand off the finish, then create a paintable surface, then paint, and for what? You end up with paint that, since it was factory applied, will wear poorly. Total waste of time and money!
Another voice saying, "I'm not usually a fan of oak cabinets, but those look really nice." I think if you put on some of those modern pulls, like below, they would look fabulous. The suggestion of soapstone countertops was good also, IMO....a better idea than painting over those pretty cabinets.
I'm probably leaning the other way. The countertops look like pretty decent solid surface so no reason to just replace that. Shaker cabinets would historically have been painted, though they probably would have been a different wood. Personally I don't think the wild grain of (looks like red) oak goes very well with the straight lines of Shaker. White oak seems a somewhat better choice among the oaks though I think you see more modern Shaker style in maple or cherry than oak. Painting those cabinets would not be a great sin, though with the light tops, I'd probably go darker, perhaps blue or green on the cabinets.
We have the exact same dilemma. Just painted the cabinets in one bath. Trying to decide what to do about the kitchen. If we do paint the kitchen cabinets, we'll probably hire a pro to do it since it's a lot bigger job and time comes into play.
I think I'll change out the countertops, backslash, flooring, and pulls. The cabinets are 15 yrs old and they are in excellent condition. This is not a condo...It's a contemporary 4BR, 4BA home. Thanks everyone for your help!
The oak will NEVER look as smooth as the factory painted alder or maple. The effort it would take to use a high solids filler, then prime, then paint multiple coats will STILL not result in as durable a finish as factory cabinets.
Toss in the FACT that this kitchen appears to be TOTALLY DIFFERENT than glorious light filled model kitchen shown (is this a condo or something? seems like a really odd interior placement of a compactor or dishwasher not near any sink...) and you could end with a literal "black hole" of light sucking gloominess. I mean, I love the photo froglipz found, but you have got to be realistic -- that kitchen has ULTRA high ceilings, there are giant cabinets, topped with a fantastic band of frosted glass doors on mini-cabinets and that is topped with a sizeable soffit. There is an ENORMOUS custom hood, a range that probably is worth more than my CAR and an true "wall of windows". There is nothing about that kitchen that will remotely look the same as the OP's kitchen, unless you spend over a $100K!!!
Take a good look at the OP's cabinets --the finish on these cabinets is NOT the gross orangey-yellowish oak of builder grade junk, these are actually a PREMIUM finish that is rather up-to-date. While not cutting edge, it will hold value quite well. And since it is undoubtedly a FACTORY UV CATALYZED POLYESTER (sometime called a "50 year finish") you would be fighting a stupidly destructive battle to even get paint to stick!
It would be a real mistake to paint these cabinets.
Yes--the finish might be a bear to remove. This has to be considered.
You make a good point. They should hold value well. And keeping them costs only maintenance.
Painting solid oak cabinets is not like carpeting over hard wood floors. Once painted cabinets go out of fashion (and they will) the only remedy is new cabinets.
Some of you people pay too much attention the HGTV.
There will always be trends in home decorating. But nicely painted cabs should be in style at least as long as oak cabs have! If they've been around for decades--and they have--then I see no reason why painted cabs should not as well.
I think I'll change out the countertops, backslash, flooring, and pulls. The cabinets are 15 yrs old and they are in excellent condition. This is not a condo...It's a contemporary 4BR, 4BA home. Thanks everyone for your help!
Good call. In the pic, it looks like the cabinets and the pendant lights are the two best elements in the kitchen.
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Well it is ONE THING to paint over SOME ANCIENT cabinets and quite to another to be ...
