It's time for a change....any thoughts?
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
United States
December 20, 2016 11:08am CST
The times they are a changing and it is time I made some changes around here.
While this house is only 5 years old, it needs some updating. As with many people, the couple who had this house built put a lot of money into the house basics (electric, plumbing, roof, insulation, things like that)...by the time they got to the kitchen, which is usually the last room to be completed, they skimped. The guys who did our granite counter tops said it is very common that the kitchen is where the budget runs out of cash!
With that said, we have maple cabinets. Not my first color choice but it is what it is. The issue is more the fact that they are not a quality product. They look good from afar but when you get close you can see the finish is coming off even on cabinets we hardly touch.
I certainly have no intentions of starting from scratch with new cabinets - too costly and too long of a project. Then it hit me, refacing/resurfacing might be the way to go.
I found an outfit online that has good information about the process, so I understand how it works and what they do. There are a lot of before/after photos and reviews from clients. Needless to say if we go ahead with this I will do quite a lot more research. We have a lot of cabinets, and while they say it is half the cost of replacing all the cabinets, it will still be an expensive venture.
With this in mind, I am looking for information - if you or anyone you know has experience with this I would love to know how it turned out. They said 3-5 days, which isn't bad, but I take these times/costs with a grain of salt LOL!
We would not be replacing our counters of back-splash since they are new are happy with both.
The photo is the kitchen right after we had the back-splash added- you can see a lot of maple and I'm more of a darker cabinet person!
15 people like this
16 responses
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
20 Dec 16
I think darker cabinets would look nice in there, there is currently a lot of the same color, with the floors and the walls and stuff
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
I agree - why she picked it like this is beyond me I think a med. oak would look good. It will be interesting to find out what the bottom line is - I have a lot of cabinets, you can't see in the photo but there there are many more (double pantry is huge.)
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
21 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill some people just have odd tastes, lol
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Dec 16
@Jessicalynnt slot of log homes are like this... all the wood matches......but this is a brick house!
1 person likes this
@Emilyteamo182 (71)
•
20 Dec 16
There are many websites with tips for home improvement. I think it would be cheaper and would look nice if you passed a veneer on the cabinets.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
We are not going to do it ourselves..too old for that!
1 person likes this
@Emilyteamo182 (71)
•
20 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill But you could hire someone to paint them.
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@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
@Emilyteamo182 I don't want them painted, I want them refinished.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
I intend to - I don't want it to come out looking worse.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
It looks bare because the workers had just finished the back splash. Nothing was out on the counters.That was two years ago.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
@amadeo - here is a photo of the same place that I took today while cooking - it looks different with 'stuff' LOL
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Dec 16
So far no one, but I'll have to replay on the internet.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
21 Dec 16
Oh wow I love your kitchen, you have so many cabinets, wish I had more,.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Dec 16
You can't even see all of them...there is a double pantry that I can't even fill!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill Very nice, I would love a pantry something I don't have.
@celticeagle (168334)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Dec 16
Counters are pretty. I'd change the wood too. A little darker would be great. My ex was a contractor and redid our kitchen. Hope you find what you need.
@celticeagle (168334)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill .....I tend to agree. I like wood but not that much or that light.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Dec 16
It's too much of the same color (or almost the same( the way it is now. I'm not really a fan of so much wood.
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
20 Dec 16
Oh my gosh I absolutely LOVE your kitchen!! Can you just adopt me so I can borrow your kitchen now and then? 
My husband owns a remodeling company so when he gets home I can ask him about how long it would take. I know my husband just did cabinets (not sure exactly what he did to them) and I'm pretty sure it took him about 7 days to do them. I will ask him. =)
My husband owns a remodeling company so when he gets home I can ask him about how long it would take. I know my husband just did cabinets (not sure exactly what he did to them) and I'm pretty sure it took him about 7 days to do them. I will ask him. =)1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
Thanks, yes, it's bigand that is only part you can't see the rest...sure you can borrow it LOL. Yes, please ask your husband and let me know.
'
1 person likes this
@averygirl72 (37845)
• Philippines
21 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill You want something unique or something that suits your taste
@silvermist (19702)
• India
20 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill Your kitchen looks good.I am hopeless when it comes to refinishing and remodeling.Do plenty of research and watch your budget.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Dec 16
Thanks....in person you an see what needs fixing.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
21 Dec 16
So many would love to have the kitchen as is. There are so many choices out there, and boy-the money we can spend on just what is made of wood! We have redone a few kitchen. Refinishing the wood is always our first choice if working with quality wood. Second choice is buying new fronts only.
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
22 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill New fronts might be the answer then?
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Dec 16
These door and drawer fronts aren't quality wood by any means...if they were we wouldn't be looking at options. This may turn out to be a wild goose chase.
@LadyDuck (472078)
• Switzerland
21 Dec 16
@AbbyGreenhill I wanted to change the doors of my kitchen cabinets and drawers too and finally I renounced when I saw the total cost. May be in some years we are going to replace the whole kitchen.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
22 Dec 16
@LadyDuck Well, with as many doors and drawers we have I think it would be extremely costly. Now, just to test the waters I sent my husband to the hardware store for a light stain. Since all three bathrooms and kitchen have the same cabinets - we used the stain to touch up where needed. then he went over the whole cabinet lightly in the master bath - and guess what - they look great! We might need to do one more coat in a few places, but for a few bucks it is making me happy. (for the time being!)
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Dec 16
We are running into all kids of issues just trying to plan what to do. We probably won't be able to change the color - we have 40 doors and 15 drawers if I counted right LOL....that' going to be expensive. We might just have to get some touch-up stain and go that route.
1 person likes this
@nosleee3134 (214)
• United States
20 Dec 16
Thats a super nice kitchen but i guess in life things need 2 be changed.heres an idea it looks az if you have alot of space in there i would use funds to make it more modern like a flat screen tv cameras to make record your kitchen with a seperat screen juz so yu can watch your self and da stove while yu cuttin them potatoes or put a disco ball in there. But hey wut do i no hat to do with a beautiful kitchen
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
I do not need to watch myself cook LOL....that would be a waste of time and money.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
20 Dec 16
Bathrooms are normally less since they are smaller, less cabinets.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121729)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Dec 16
Are you going to go with a darker color cabinet if you take on the project? And looking at the photo, you are right that they look beautiful from afar, but I take your word that it is a much different scenario when you look at them up close (which we can't tell from the picture). And by the way, I love your kitchen, and I'm sure when you get done with the cabinet upgrades, it's going to be even more spectacular!
