No Demo Kitchen Reno: A Mini Makeover with Big Results
Picture this… you just purchased a beautiful home and it’s move-in ready with an updated kitchen… but the style of the kitchen is a far cry from your own personal taste. In this instance the combination of mis-match cherry cabinets, cream colored beadboard, traditional bronze light fixtures with amber glass, and a tumbled travertine backsplash, just wasn’t the right fit for these homeowners, who have a more polished and modern taste. The cabinet layout and scale was fine (although we did make a few tweaks including removing a lonely corner cupboard and putting up floating shelves instead). And the steel grey granite countertops were lovely.
We kept the granite countertops, the wood flooring, the stainless steel sink & appliances, and the cabinet boxes, but completely changed the look of the kitchen by replacing the tile backsplash, replacing the cabinet door & drawer faces (this way you not only get to change the style of the cabinets but you also get a factory grade, extremely durable paint finish), and painting the cabinet boxes to match the new door facings… plus we added new brass hardware & faucets, and modern pendant lights. Painting the room all one color certainly helped too.
Kitchen before renovation
Refinishing vs Refacing…
If you are thinking about re-finishing your kitchen cabinets by painting them, it’s important to think about how long-term you want the finish to last. If you (or someone you hire) put in all the effort of removing all the cabinet doors & drawers, sanding down the finish, priming, then painting, you may want to take the extra step of sealing the paint with a clear coat of polyurethane, so you don’t have to do touch ups a year or so down the road. I also recommend using an oil-based paint and primer, instead of latex, for longer-lasting durability. I’ve seen many kitchens where the painted finish was worn away on high-contact areas, after only a few years. However, if you’re looking for a low budget solution that will improve the look of your kitchen while you save money for a big renovation, re-finishing your cabinetry is worth the effort.
For the kitchen you see in these photos, we went with a more long-term option for the cabinets. These homeowners had no intention of tearing this whole room apart, and they just wanted to improve upon what was already there. It made sense to replace the doors, instead of just painting them, because there was a mix of different styles. The island was cream colored beadboard with a brown glaze, while the rest of the kitchen had raised panel cherry cabinets. We bought new recessed panel Shaker-style door and drawer fronts from a local Pennsylvania cabinetry company, and selected their ebony stock color which matched our design palette. Another reason we decided to reface the cabinets was because of longevity. The most durable finish you can get for your painted cabinets is a catalyzed conversion varnish, which is used by many cabinetry companies. It is sprayed onto the doors & drawers, and gives you a tough-as-nails finish.
If you don’t need to change the big ticket items in your kitchen, and you primarily just want to give it a face-lift, replacing the doors and drawers is a great option. The cabinet boxes will still need to be lightly sanded & primed & painted on site (color matched to your new doors), but if they’re re-finished with an oil based paint it will hold up well over time.
Kitchen after (shown left) and before (shown right) renovation
The fireplace also received a mini makeover. We removed the bulky mantle and replaced it with a streamlined floating wood mantle, which coordinates with the wood floating shelves on the opposite end of the room. The brick was lime washed in white, which made it a lot easier on the eyes.
In the corner next to the fireplace is a banquette with a round pedestal table. We painted the wooden bench black to match the cabinets, and removed the ornate trim piece that ran along the top edge of the bench, but we left the upholstered cushions and the pedestal table untouched.
It’s not always necessary to rip everything out and start over from scratch. Sometimes when you just “work with what you’ve got” you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome. If your kitchen just needs a little push in the right direction, contact me for help.
Design & Styling by Dahlhaus Design Co.
Photography by Dave Bryce
Cabinetry Refacing by Hegness Cabinetry with Conestoga Wood
Tile by Paracca Interiors
Have you re-finished your kitchen cabinets? How did the paint hold up? Let me know in the comments below.
