Are you set on painting the cabinets white? It is so hard to do it properly. We painted ours and after a while the paint chips and looks awful. If it was me, I would consider putiing a slightly darker stain on the cabinets. I guess this idea wouldn't work as well if you are going to change the sink cabinet / breakfast bar.

I am not a good layout person, so hopefully some others will chime in.

I know it's quite a job to paint them but these are just so dark already I can't imagine staining them darker. Besides I've had oak cabinets for 40 years in different houses and I'm sick of them even though these are very solid and well built. Maybe if I could lighten up my kitchen in other ways.

Mini makeovers can cost you in time, hassle, not always so cheap. Have you thought things through?? the uppers look good-just add hardware then I'd work on replacing the lowers-you'll end up wanting stacks of drawers-I would not paint those. get some price quotes....

Wow! I thought I was the only one that had a light fixture like that!! I wish I had a photo of our "before". It was a long oblong florescent light box and had that pentagon shape at the end of it! What was really "nice" was that they had cut the counter top that the light was above in the same shape as the light!! We replaced it with 3 pendant lights, and rounded the countertop.
Ummm....are you keeping that table in there?

herbflavor, I actually have 2 stacks of drawers. I have 13 drawers which for a small kitchen seems like a lot. I might could put in one more stack of smaller drawers.

Ferrygirl, That light fixture was going to be the first
thing to go but haven't found what I want to replace it with
yet. Makes you wonder who thought that fixture up!
As far as the "table" it's actually an antique chopping
block that has been in our family for years. It does tend
to get in the way at times but I also use it a lot. Not for chopping tho.
It's a huge solid piece of wood. Here is a picture.
I debate at least once a week whether to move it out of the kitchen or not,
but I have a lot of good memories of it from when I was a child.
Will have to think on that some more.

Here is a picture.

{{gwi:1936799}}

Ah, yes, the light fixture. I'm sure you can't wait to get rid of it. Do you remember the ones that had plastic sheets with the little squares. Forget what it's called. I believe it's purpose was to diffuse the light.

I'm not a KD, but another option might be to do the bottoms in dark (espresso?) and the tops in a lighter color, maybe close to your countertop color. Are you getting new counters?

By the way, I like your display of the color dishes. Are they Fiestaware?

eriepatch, you seem to be getting some discouraging comments on painting your cabs. I happen to like painted oak and suggest you cross post on the decorating forum. Several posters there have painted their oak kits. I like your new appliances and the color accessories you have added, good luck.

Joyce, yes and when we moved in not one of the bulbs worked haha
Dark kitchen indeed. So when DH took out the yellow panels I said just leave them out!
Dishes are indeed FiestaWare. 101 pieces we got from DH's mother. Almost all of them are the colors from the 1930's
I haven't done anything but put them in the cabinets because I know they will be coming down when we do the painting.

Eandhl, I will look on the decorating forum for sure because that is what I really want to do unless something makes me change my mind. Thanks

I'd consider either painting the lowers only, since you are messing around with the sink area, or replacing the lowers. You can have more glass inserts made for your uppers to lessen the oak and show off the fiestaware.
FWIW - I hated the corner sink that came with our house and love having a normal one now ;)

I think for the lowers, if you do replace them, you may want to consider fewer cabs by making them wide drawers stacks. We have all drawers in our base cabs and just love them. They make reaching in the back or on the bottom much easier. If you are "aging in place", that could be a big help later on..... It makes cleaning, organizing and using your stuff so much easier. There are many threads here about how much many of us love our drawer based kitchens.

your cabs might look differently when your lighting is changed. I like them myself. Have you thought about having them sanded so they are lighter?

changing the color (paint?) of the BS and wall areas will also help. stick with a light counter top.

Is there someplace in the surrounding area that the chopping block could fit into to be like a side table? by a comfy chair as a place to put your coffee/tea cup while you look out a window? I know that where it is now, I'd turn around and fall over it!

If your house is just 1 story have you thought about putting in a solar tube to bring more light into the middle of the room?

If you are trying to do a DYI makeover (modest budget)and you have time to take it slow and do it right I would go for paining the cabinets in a heartbeat! With your great dishes as a jumping off point this can be a really cute kitchen! What have you got to lose but your time and a couple gallons of primer and paint?!? I would start with sanding and priming everything, (use really good quality primer and paint) then play with color.(get a few tester colors and paint out a few doors in different colors) I don't think you have to go white, a yellow or green could look wow too - I see your butcher block looking cool in there once the cabinets are painted. Changing out the counter getting rid of the high counter will open it up so that the corner sink will be more pleasing, get a great sink - nice big single bowl. I can really see this kitchen looking super!

A friend of mine had her cabinets painted white almost 1 year ago, she installed black granite counters and a cherry island. It looks AWESOME. Her cabinets were oak as well & you can see the little grain marks, which I like (she does too). It means they aren't totally glassy smooth on the surface but it shows that there is real wood under the paint.

Now, about painting the cabinets ....

If you are going to DIY it I REALLY suggest the following:
Buy a sprayer and spray the doors in your garage or basement or wherever.
Plan a staycation nearby (perhaps move into a Residence Inn for 3-4 days) and spray the bases as well. This will ensure that you aren't sleeping in "paint fume air" and minimize traffic (and dust stirred up) while the paint coats are drying.
All of this is after you have sanded them and used TSP to get all the oils/stuff off of them.
Do not go to Home Depot or Lowes to buy the paint. You want a high quality oil-based ENAMEL paint. Go to a cabinet maker and buy what he uses. This is one of the times when the really bad smell and clean-up of oil paint is worth it. Oil paint dries hard & is less likely to stick or dent once it's dried.
Practice on a scrap piece of wood to really get the technique down before you work on the actual cabinet doors (or cabinets).

BTW - I've had a corner sink as well and did not like it. I felt hemmed in by the cupboards on either side of me. Do you use the breakfast bar area much? If not, could you just add a cabinet and make that a 90 degree corner, with the sink next to the DW and a short penninsula next to the sink?

-Pam

Are you planning on DIYing the painting and remaking of the bar area and any other changes? Or are you planning on paying labor for someone else to do those things? Professionally painting even that small kitchen will cost you around 2K, and the carpentry work will cost around another 1K. New stone counter, 2-3K. I'll paste my How-To on having your cabinets painted below so you can judge the amount of labor that goes into even a simple paint job. This is one of those kitchens that you keep everything fairly simple and DIY it, or you rip it all out and tweak the layout and other bones. It already needs some bones updating, which I'll outline below, so you are borderline in costs when it comes to redoing the cabinets. If you have to pay someone to paint the cabinets, then that could definitely tip you over into replacing them instead.

The problem with a corner sink in a small kitchen is that there really isn't any way of moving it elsewhere without redoing the cabinets entirely. Not with the size of cabinets that you have. The sink and DW could swap, but because you don't have a regular "sink cabinet" you'd have to have one built, and it'd need to be much larger than the DW cabinet, then the cabinet to the left of the DW would have to be swapped with the tiny cabinet to the right of the sink, and there isn't enough room to put the larger cabinet where it was. If you were getting all new cabinets, you could design it from the beginning to have the sink where the DW is, but then you'd be dealing with the cabinets in your face. So, your layout really needs to stay the same unless you want to change out all of your cabinets.

Painting your cabinets can be a good solution to lightening up the kitchen, but the real solution is better lighting. I'd get an electrician in there ASAP and change out that ceiling fixture to a pretty semi-flush pendant. You don't want a flush light fixture, and you don't want a pendant there. Semi-flush will provide better lighting. A couple of small can flood lights for washing down the front of the cabinets, and lighting your aisles would be a great addition also. Then add a couple of small pendants over the bar area. You also need under cabinet lighting. Do all of the lighting changes FIRST before you decide on any colors, because your perception of color will dramatically change with better lighting.

Your electrician will also need to move the electrical outlets in your bar backsplash to the side of your peninsula and you may want to have him add in additional outlets. Be sure that you have the required 2 small appliance circuits, as adding more outlets on a single circuit won't do anything but guarantee that you have a blown breaker any time you want to use two things at once. Have him add in a second circuit if the kitchen doesn't already have it.

Before you paint your cabinets, have a couple of estimates from a cabinet guy on creating smaller cabinets on top of your existing cabinets to take them to the ceiling to eliminate the dust trap. No one wants to be getting out a ladder once a month to dust on top of their cabinets! If that's not cost effective for you, I'd actually suggest having soffits put in. I know "everyone" is ripping theirs out, but they've been a design feature for hundreds of years for a reason!

See what I mean by either "lightly addressing" it, or completely redoing it? By the time you add on the things that this kitchen needs to get you through your retirement years, you've already spent more to alter what's there than you would if you started with a clean slate and demo'd the cabinets and bar.

How To Paint Your Cabinets (Or Have a Pro Do It)

Here is how I would expect a pro to spray paint kitchen cabinets. A brush painted job would differ slightly in that you wouldn't hang the doors to paint. You'd place them on a work table or easel instead. It's time intensive work, and should take 7-14 days to accomplish completely and cost between 3K-7K depending on kitchen size and amount of detail in cabinets.

Remove doors and drawer fronts.
Remove hinges and hardware.
Clean with TSP (tri-sodium phosphate)
Rinse and let dry.
Scrape any loose finish.
Fill any damaged spots or hardware holes that won't be reused.
Sand fill smooth.
Scuff sand the rest.
Tack off dust.
Hang in dust free paint booth with wires through hardware points.
Tack off dust again.
Spray with alkyd based primer.
Scuff sand again.
Tack off dust.
Spray with second coat of primer.
Spray with first finish coat of latex enamel. (Yes, LATEX not oil. Latex is more flexible and doesn't yellow)
Spray with second coat of latex.
If glazing is to occur, that is next.
Spray with conversion varnish.
(If being brush painted, this step is typically skipped.)

Add more molding or decorative details to boxes, filling nail holes and sanding smooth.

Repeat prep process with face frames and exposed cabinet sides using plastic to create a spray booth on site. If interiors are to be done, they are done before face frames and sides. Interiors are difficult, and add both time and expense to the job.

Allow everything to fully cure.
Clean hinges and hardware and clear coat if you're keeping the old hardware.
Install new (or old) hinges and hardware.
Re-install doors and drawers and adjust for proper clearances.

If you are receiving a job without this amount of effort, then you are not receiving a quality professional job.

Pam's advise is excellent. I've done lots of spraying
The sprayer is most important. You need a high powered HVLP system. (4 stage or more) There are little cheapies out there that say they can do the job, but they can't. You might be able to rent one, or find a used one on ebay or craigs list.
Take the doors off and do them in the garage or outside. HVLP is quite efficient, so you will be able to do the rest of the cabinets inside.
I've been around lots of sprayers and Apollo HVLP is what I own. They have some youtube videos.

Here is a link that might be useful: spraying videos

I agree with others that your kitchen has the potential to be great but it isn't there right now. I'll jump on the "absolutely LOVE my huge base drawers" band wagon. I will never have another kitchen without them. Nothing gets stuck or lost in the back corner of a cabinet any longer.

I think if you got some bids from some reputable cabinet makers in your area (we used a guy with 20 years experience in a big cab co. that was laid off and started his own biz and we are thrilled with the cabinets) and check their references, you might be surprised. Our cabs were way less than what the big box stores and a larger cabinet co. quoted with far more features.

In addition, a good local small shop guy (again, check references and ask to see work he has done) can do a better job matching your uppers if you replace only lowers. He can paint all or just some. Someone suggested light uppers and dark lowers and that seems like a good idea.

I would ditch the higher 'bar' counter, make one large expansive counter there and put the sink on the right looking into what I presume is the dining room. I don't like cabinets in my face when doing dishes. The DW could then go where the sink is now. You would probably have room for storage on the backside with short (depth) cabs behind the DW and sink area with doors.

You could pull a color from a favorite Fiestaware piece and use that for paint and/or backsplash tile colors. If you are replacing what looks like Corian, there are so many granite options that would look super in your kitchen.

As another former 'horrific kitchen light thing' owner who has gone to the other side, you will NOT miss that bad boy, ever!

Can't wait to see pix.

I like the idea of just painting the lowers and leaving the tops, but I understand if you're sick of oaky oak. I love the grain painted oak has and hope you do too because it'll make the job easier!

I think the layout of that kitchen is amazing. I don't know if it works, but that corner-to-corner arrangement sure looks cool. :) I'm not sure if you'd want another angle in there for your garage or be subtle and line it up with one of the uppers.

A single sink (with an air switch for the disposal) on a flat bar-less counter will be really nice.

Your chopping block might be in the way, but I'd keep it too!

Lots and lots of good advice above. I can totally understand your attachment to the chopping block - I would be too. Maybe you can repurpose it. It appears solid and steady. Have you considered having a thick round piece of glass cut for it? Something about 30" in diameter larger than the chopping surface would make a nice kitchen table

your cabs might look differently when your lighting is changed. I like them myself. Have you thought about having them sanded so they are lighter?

changing the color (paint?) of the BS and wall areas will also help. stick with a light counter top.

Is there someplace in the surrounding area that the chopping block could fit into to be like a side table? by a comfy chair as a place to put your coffee/tea cup while you look out a window? I know that where it is now, I'd turn around and fall over it!

If your house is just 1 story have you thought about putting in a solar tube to bring more light into the middle of the room?

Thank you ALL for your comments and suggestions. I had some
minor foot surgery so have had to stay off my foot with it elevated so wasn't able to read and respond until now.
You guys are making it hard to decide about painting the cabinets or not and I do know it will be a big job. We have friends that are remodeling their house and have a huge separate 2 car garage/workshop. They are going to be spraying their cabinet doors and said we are welcome to bring ours out for painting at that time. I know I will have more room without the butcherblock and can move it to the adjoining dining room. As to putting a glass top on it, one side is very indented from it being used in a real butcher shop for years so that wouldn't work.
The appliance garage may or may not be added but I do have quite a bit of counterspace. I would love to have more big drawers. I have seen many of your kitchens with them and they look great and I know would be very functional.

GreenDesigns you have give me lots of things to think about and I do know that lighting will make a huge difference. Good that we have a friend retired from the Electrical business too!
Not sure I would like the sink facing the dining room because there would be no counter at all to put my dishes etc before rinsing/washing them. It's just all so confusing with so many things to think about.
Great ideas so far though.

Okay, we had some cream colored paint leftover so decided
to paint the backsplash and top of the cabinets in the kitchen just to see what lighter would look like.
Much better don't you think? Am now tempted to clean up the cabinets, do a light backsplash,
add granite and new sink and stop worrying about painting them white for awhile.
And of course, a new light fixture, pendants and under cabinet lighting.
IF I were to do that and add hardware what finish would look the best with the very dark wood.

{{gwi:1973081}}

Well, painting the backsplash and over the cabinets did brighten up the space some!

I would personally paint the cabinets (but then I am planning a white kitchen in my new house). I think the style of the cabinets are not bad, they don't have the cathedral arches like a lot of older oak cabinets.

I would not add an appliance garage. My girlfriend just re-did her kitchen and got rid of hers and I can't believe how much larger it makes her counters/kitchen look.

I would also get rid of the two-tiered counter and make it all one level since you are talking about getting new counters. That would really open up the space more.

Thanks Mercymygrt for your suggestions. I do think I will eventually end up with white cabinets, just not sure when. We have Thanksgiving and Christmas for the family at our house so I know I'm not going to want to start the remodel until the first of next year. I would love to get my ducks in a row so we'll be ready.
This house was built in 1997. Nice heavy cabinets, but still oak and dark.
I think this builder just decided not to go with the orangey
golden stain haha Not sure one is better than the other!
Yes the two-tiered counter will go for sure.
Do not like it at all. It's just a catch all that has to be cleaned off every evening
to eat haha We don't have an eat in kitchen and seems to formal for just DH and
me to eat at the table. I guess the main reason I want
an appliance garage is because of "being at that age" seems
I always want a fan on when I spend much time in the kitchen.
Thinking I could put it away when I'm not using it.
Maybe someone will have an idea about a fan that wouldn't look bad?

dark pewter/satin nickel/crystal or porcelin-almost anything really-the cabs have that nice earthy feel and not so much that golden oak that is so common from decades past. The white really freshens it up and makes the cabs look tons better.I'd stick with knobs for some reason in your space but maybe the drawers need handles-cup pulls might really be nice on the drawers though....there are some really gorgeous cup pulls just for a little pizzaz as well

I do like cup handles herbflavor so will keep that in mind
for the drawers. I want hardware that I can also use when
I paint the cabinets white.
A widower lived in this house for 11 years and you can really
tell it from the grease buildup on some of the cabinets.
I have cleaned them with soap and water but they need something more.
That doesn't show up in the pictures but there is also this mess to deal with.

{{gwi:1973079}}

tsp will clean the grime...if that section under the sink is the worst of the chipped finish, I'd really think about your painting as your remedy. That is not that bad-strip that panel under the sink and the top rims of those doors-you can easily match your stain and restain....you have a lot of options.[Marine stripper is heavy duty stuff-it'll really do it easily] good day-still like your medium brown oak kitchen.

I cleaned cabinets with murphey oil soap and a scrubby. Then take a cabinet door to hardware store to match to a stain. Lightly sand and use a wipe on stain on a rag. to touch up worn spots. Top coat with poly of your choice "satin is what we used".If you don't think you want to go the staining route you can always use Liquid Gold polish them up. I use to polish on in the morning, let soak in for the day and rub off (lot's of elbow greese) in the afternoon. makes them glow!

I admit I'd probably clean these up, too. They're not bad. I didn't read everything, but if the boxes are good, you could also consider just replacing the doors. Not cheap, but less than new cabinets.

I have painted oak because my cabs came from a dozen different places. The one thing I can tell you is if you paint, invest in Cabinet Coat that's now owned by BM. You can only get it in lighter colors, but it dries hard as a rock and is incredibly durable. I'm already banging the crap out of mine and they're find. I only painted last winter. It's extremely washable, too.

I'd nix the appliance garage, too. Takes up too much space.

Christine

I do like your cabs - I like the grain of oak.

how about a ceiling light / fan combo? they make some really neat ones these days.

Another vote NOT to paint. I would have been thrilled to have solid, wood cabinets and as others suggested a good cleaning, perhaps a stain, with more glass on your uppers would do wonders.

It's probably just me but I'm getting tired of everyone painting their oak cabinets white. I really like your kitchen and just by updating the backsplash and counters,I bet it would be just beautiful!
Getting more glass in your uppers,and adding some led lighting in there, mwould do wonders.

so as not to be influenced by the others, I am not reading all the above posts first. But, honestly your cabinets are very worn, especially around the sink. I would NOT leave them alone and just embrace the oak.

I had dark oak cabinets. I now have a white kitchen. It is a painful process to get them to look good. If you are determined to make them look good, you will be able to do it. I had such a fear that they would look and feel like crap that we took a very long time to do ours, and do it right. I have been in some kitchens that were painted by a professional, they feel icky, and I'm seeing chipping! Yikes. You don't want that.

I won't go into all the details, but in a nutshell, there is the taking the doors off step, removing hardware, washing with a tsp solution, rinsing, sanding. (maybe reverse that order....) Then I used Pore-o-pac brushable wood filler. Spread it on, squeegee it off, dry, sand, and repeat until you believe the grain is filled. Then, move on to the primer. Then the finish coats. I used oil based paint. So, add in the drying time between each coat. (including the steps between pore-o-pac coats) and each door's side had to be done at different times. Spraying while hanging really didn't work for us. Also, remember that oil based whites will yellow down. Not badly. Just plan accordingly. I love how creamy my turned out.

I would add chunky crown molding to build it up before painting.

I think you can get rid of that higher counter if you want.

And I would certainly add some hardware to jazz it up a bit.

As far as the guts of the cabinets. We added really heavy duty wire roll outs from Lowe's. They really offer so much extra storage in those base cabinets. They can be pricey, but they are really worth it. I think ours were around $80 or so for a set of 2. I keep all my heavy bowls, some appliances, and other stuff on them.

And that ceiling fixutre really is something! You will be amazed at how much more updated the room will feel if you rip that down and add a light or a fan.

bee

Again I thank everyone for their suggestions.
I would love a ceiling fan w/light in the kitchen, just not sure about trying to cook with one?
That would certainly solve the problem with a fan on the counter and an appliance garage.
I know I can make the cabinets "do" for awhile with some clean up and touch up. When I read all the "leave" the wood comments it sounds like a good idea and so much easier. Then when I read the paint them comments, as hard (aka time consuming) as it sounds I really want to do that.
I think I want a darker granite (messy cook) and keep thinking that needs white cabinets.
Beekeeperswife, I had your kitchen thread saved until my hard drive crashed last month and it is one of the ones
that really made me want to paint. Such a beautiful kitchen. Actually, I have a couple of those rollouts
I brought from our last house. They really are nice and saves a lot of bending over to see what's down there!
Bee, if you read this would you might posting a link to your
kitchen link that tells what you did?

I'm planning a similar update in my kitchen. My cabs are golden oak and I'm getting new maple doors and drawer fronts and having everything painted white. I'm having them painted professionally and in the SF Bay Area, it ain't cheap, but still less expensive than new cabs. I have a similar fluorescent light fixture, one with the squares. It can't go soon enough. I'm keeping my white appliances for now to stay within my budget; they'll just have to stay for another year or two.

I don't get the concept of appliance garages. So much futzing around. It's a kitchen! People make coffee and toast bread.

Linelle, have you thought about what you intend to replace
your light fixture with? I'll be curious to hear.

I guess my thing with the appliance garage was somewhere to
put the fan hahaha