Updating 80s cabinets before selling

17 years ago

Hi,

We have the typical 80s kitchen....almond formica cabinets with oak grooves. While we have painted the kitchen walls a warm brick red and will be updating all the appliances, we are looking for suggestions to make the formica cabinets a bit more updated before selling(ofcourse w/o going the obvious route of replacing them!).

Would painting the oak grooves the same color of the cabinets help? Incase someone has done this, any pictures or the name of the color used?

Many many thanks,

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Comments (11)

xamsx
17 years ago
Do you have any pictures of your kitchen?
cordovamom
17 years ago
I think I can envision the cabinets you're talking about, they were pretty common, cheap cabinets. I wouldn't hesitate to paint them. Make sure you clean the surface well, prime and paint with something very neutral. Another option for you would be to just replace the doors, you can get replacement doors at the big box stores.
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natesgram, thanks, I've actually seen that link before, and it's what really pushed me towards painting. It really has a lot of helpful info too. As much as I would love to get new doors (shaker is my favorite!), I'm going with paint for now. The wallpaper...yes, I don't see what's wrong with it either. I took a really close up shot just to show the blue specks, but it really just looks like textured cream colored walls. I would like to know if the suggestions to remove it are because it's ugly/dated or more for resale purposes where painted walls are the preference for most buyers??? alabamanicole, now that I look at it some more, I agree the track lighting needs to go. It should be easy and inexpensive ($100-150?) to change it out. I love the look of bronze, but would it work with my ss appliances and ss cabinet pulls? Or should I get bronze pulls and faucet...CAN you have a bronze faucet and a stainless steel sink? Confusing! Also, thanks for your kitchen idea. The rest of my house is decorated with warm creams, reds, greens. I love organic stuff like wicker, stone, metal, and I love shaker style, country style, and arts-n-crafts style. I really like cream cabinets, but I already have enough cream with the counter, the tile, and the wall. The breakfast bar opens into the dining room, which is has cream furniture and red and green as the accent colors. The kitchen doesn't have to be matchy-matchy with the adjoining rooms, but it should flow colorwise. I'm going for a sleek, simple, yet casual and warm look with bluish/green cabinets. Below are kitchen looks that I love. Some won't work with my sleek cabinets, but it's just to everyone an idea of the look and feel that I hope to achieve... I love the color on this wall...if I ever take down my wallpaper! lol I love the warmth and casualness of cream cabinets. My dream kitchen...if I could start from scratch! :) Here, I love how the bottom cabinets are darker than the top cabs. Cute chandelier, and the island color is gorgeous! Ok, since I also LOVE the idea of two cabinet colors, what if I paint my top cabs cream and my bottom cabs blue/green? I really can't decide between my two colors below, and painting all the cabs either color will be too much cream in the room, or too much blue/green in the the room...no? I'm also open to sage green. If I go with using two colors, what if I paint the storage wall like the storage wall below (where the top and sides would be the blue/green color)?
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quiltglo
17 years ago
I know what you are talking about also. I don't think there is going to be anything you can do to make those look like more expensive or updated cabinets. I would second the suggestion to go with door replacement. They are the frameless type, correct? That will make it harder, but everyone just groans when they see a house with those cabinets. Or just price the house accordingly.

Gloria
lyfia
17 years ago
I think I'm with Gloria. Price the house accordingly or get replacement doors. Scherr's (search for it online) is a good source to get doors to your exact measurements. Just measure your existing doors to their exact measurement. Do not round or anything.
quip
17 years ago
I just saw this topic in the a local paper today. I'll link the online article. Debbie Travis' color choices are FAR more bold than I'd use for resale, but I would not hesitate to paint the groves (and face frames if oak) to match the laminate. Without the oak trim, the style will not catch the eye so much. Take a door to a paint store and have them colormatch it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Debbie Travis on dated cabinets
susanjn
17 years ago
"they were pretty common, cheap cabinets. "

Actually, they were always an upgrade because they were frameless.
terezosa / terriks
17 years ago
The first house we bought (in 1986) had those cabinets. I loved them because they looked so "modern" and "european".
lyfia
17 years ago
terriks that is so funny that you should say they looked European as I've never seen them on the scale in Europe as you see it here. Actually I'm not sure I've ever seen them used there.

The Debbie Travis ones looks pretty nice painted a color like that. Is the rest of the house a more contemporary style? If so maybe play that up and add some modern handles too.
Pipersville_Carol
17 years ago
I would paint the oak strip an almond color to match the formica, and add handles. Try to match the formica color perfectly.
jy_md
17 years ago
I also vote for either price with the cabinets in mind or replace the doors only. I would NOT try to paint the oak strip to match the formica. That may make matters worse if done poorly.

FWIW, when we sold our house, we had 70s/80s cabinets and they weren't even a mainstream design then (glossy green cabinets with linear brass trim). The previous owner spent a lot of money putting in the cabinets she liked. We liked what she did when we bought so we kept them.

What we found out was outdated mainstream cabinets are acceptable (like the ones you have) but outdated unique cabinets are a problem. It was the main feature buyers and realtors said they really disliked. The interiors of the frameless cabinets were great - lots of upgrades but the doors(!). One agent told us to replace all the cabinets (HA!).

In the end, we did absolutely nothing to the cabinetry. We priced the house very slightly on the low side (softening market) and polished the doors and brass. We got our target price which wasn't out of line for the neighborhood.
rjlevins_sbcglobal_net
12 years ago
The formica oak cabinets that we have in our home were custom and not cheap. The problem is there were cheap ones on the market so just do not assume. I have thought to paint the oak groove on mine also. If all white then they would not be so obvious. I also have the oak bullnose and oak ceiling moldings..............

Updating 80s cabinets before selling

Comments (11)

xamsx

cordovamom

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quiltglo

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quip

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terezosa / terriks

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rjlevins_sbcglobal_net

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