Hi I think it's looking great so far. I also think the art looks fine. Regarding the kitchen. I think I have the same cabinets as you. The ends are not wood. I considered painting them but then decided I wanted to keep the wood. So I used gel stain. I used the darkest finish in walnut and they look great. One to two coats and two coats of polyurethane. Even on the fake wood it turned out great. If I did it again, I would probably start with a dark (black) primer and then the gel stain. Just in case it chipped. I will paint other cabinets in the house white (bath) but haven't started yet. I think as long as you prime it will paint fine. If you chose a dark stain, it will look great with your white countertops (I have that in the master bath with mahogany stain and looks beautiful). Mariana

MLraff, do you have any before and after pics? I'd love to see them.

Acla, your LR looks very pretty, and your artwork is great, but it's all very neutral. Are you planning to sell soon? I kinda' wanna throw some warm reds or oranges in there.

MLraff, I definitely need to look into that idea about the gel stain. I would also love to see some pictures if you have any. I also have the same cabinets in the bathroom and have already painted them white. I thought they turned out pretty well.

Oceanna, I'm not planning to sell soon. I just bought less than 1 year ago :) But I agree the room does need a pop of color. I may incorporte that with the throw pillows. I haven't exactly figured out yet what other accessories I'm going to put in there, but I do want to add more color.

I'm working on it. I just painted kitchen/FR yesterday. I should finish the last coat on the cabinet doors tonight.
I only have some pictures (cell phone) during progress.

It looks like your kitchen is painted a pretty green right now. Are you tired of that color? I think I like that color better in the kitchen than I would the LR color.

Laurie

Here is another pic of the cabinets (with new paint- BM Baby Turtle)

Mlraff, the cabinets are looking great! Which get stain did you use?

Laurie, the kitchen is a green color and maybe a bit darker than it shows in the pictures. When we bought the house, the walls were peach and green, which is not my style. I've been slowly getting rid of the peach but now I'm wanting to do something in the kitchen. In general I do prefer neutrals, but I will take any color suggestions anyone might have for the kitchen.

LOL - I like your current color in the kitchen so I was trying to figure out what you meant. I guess you don't like it?

I think the living room color would bring out more orange in the cabinets vs. the green brings out more red (opposites on the color wheel).

I used Minwax gel stain in walnut.

I can't really help you with the kitchen color since I picked green so I like your color. If you really want to add color you can go red which would look good with the current oak cabinets. Then add some red in the fr to match.

mifraff53 - Your kitchen looks wonderful!! Could you give some more details on what you did to prep your cabinets and the materials you used?

Maybe I should just stick with the green if everyone likes it. It certainly would be easier to leave it. Any other opinions?

I really like the green. It contrasts nicely with your dark cabinets which look great by the way. I am seriously thinking about going the same route because I am soooo sick of these orange oak cabinets in my kitchen and bathroom. Could you please give a little more information on how you prepared your cabinets for the gel stain? Thanks!

I'm still working on them and it's taking a long time specially since I can only do it on the weekends or sometimes after work. I only have the poly coat for the doors left now.

First you have to remove the doors. Don't fight it just take them off. Clean them really well. Years of grease and dust.
I didn't sand. If I had to do it again I would consider applying a dark primer (maybe black since my stain is so dark).
I used a sponge brush to apply and a regular brush to spread. It worked better for me. If you have real wood, apply the stain heavily with the sponge, wait a few minutes, then wipe off with a rag. The more coats you do the darker it gets.
If you have wood/plastic or whatever it is that they make cheap builder cabinets from then:
Apply the stain heavily and as even as possible with the sponge brush. Wait probably about 5-6 minutes. Then using a dry brush, make even straight strokes. This will even out the stain. You can keep brushing until it looks good to you. Sometimes I needed a second coat but not heavy just really a light coat with the sponge.
Then I applied two coats of polyurethane. This was the fun part because you can't mess it up. It's clear!
I highly recommend that you practice somewhere. The more you practice the better you get.
I did my master bath. then started on my kitchen and didn't get my technique down until halfway thru my cabs.
I just hope it lasts and doesn't chip. Some ladies here told me that the stain takes about a month to cure (to make it strong). So be careful with them.
Also be careful when you tape your walls. As I removed the tape, it pulled some of the stain from the cabs. I have to retouch. Don't use tape or come up with a different plan.
I hope I answered all the questions. I hope to post finished pics next week.
Mariana

Sorry, I meant above that the poly takes a month to cure not the stain. oops!

Mlraff, thanks for the details. I'm just not sure that I'm up to tackling such a big project right now, but I might try it down the road.

Does anyone know what colors help negate the look of orange in cabinets? For example, does the green I have in my kitchen now make the orange stand out more or less?