another pic

last photo! The green is most like the right side of the photo, the left sideis just camera issues. The brightness of the sink window was giving me problems.

I'm not sure. It doesn't look like much of a change from what you have, which BTW don't appear to be in bad condition in your pictures. If you are only interested in changing the panel look on the doors, I probably wouldn't bother unless the doors are in really poor shape.

If you feel the quality is bad on your Thermofoils, I'd upgrade. I would also want end panels on the island because islands are such a big design statement nowadays.

I'm not a fan of traditional raised panel, but sometimes you want a little something fancier. I noticed they'll make custom doors. I love this one with the beaded edge and the flatter raised panel. It suits your kitchen.

Are your cabinets not holding up? They look fine in these pictures.

And it sounds as if you want to change them to look exactly the same as they do now? White with a raised panel?

What is wrong with just leaving them as-is?

Leave well enough alone. Just put the money that you would have used on the doors into an account to replace everything at some point. And keep adding to it.

They are not in bad shape, part of it may be mental, that I think of thermofoil as lower end....that I really want real wood. Actually, I really want new cabinets but I won't risk the extra $ if the granite should break. I would love a nice maple.

There is a bubble in one of them at the edge of the raised panel part. It's about the size of a plum (diameter wise, it doesn't stick up like a plum, just like a sllce of the plum!) and there are a few where the bottom edge is a little loose, you feel it sort of pull if you get your finger on it. It could probably be glued. These doors are 19 years old, and the style in no longer available for a replacement of the bubble one. I had lit a tall candle under it...without thinking.

Am I just "out of style" still liking the raised panel. Sometimes we just get set in our ways. I'd like to put something current, but timeless enough if we moved in 5-10 years. Would shaker style look ok with my tile and dark granite? I tend to think shaker (flatter) leans more country. I think we are "traditional" in general. Here is the adjoining dining room (that we never ever use) and the family room can be another post.

PLEASE let me hear your designer suggestions for a door style from the website in my first post. I wouldlike to be open minded and not stuck in my ways. Also, in my dreams, for another $1500+ I'd love to get pantry cabinets instead of the bypass doors pantry I have now. Haven't mentioned that to hubby yet.

Dining room bottom is a little more brown than it looks and the tops is creamier. The bottom is Martha Stewart "nutshell" I think.

just for fun, here is family room. It is open to kitchen. There is a half wall and a step down. My windows sure are bright today! So, what kind of door is the style that would work? I can get new handles/knobs, or not..

There are other companies that offer similar service as barker... I'm doing basically what you're proposing, with Conestoga (ordered through CabinetJoint.com). Same idea- pick your door style & finish, and they make doors to your specs. I went with Hearthstone Grey. instead of truly refacing the cabinet boxes, I just painted them with color-matched paint.

This post was edited by elizardbethday on Sat, Jan 17, 15 at 9:36

Maybe you could use your budget to make the minor repairs to your current doors, and install pantry cabinets! I think they look fine, classic. It doesn't sound like they have major problems, and you aren't changing your layout, so I'm not sure it's worth making this change -- especially if you're changing to something similar and might even move!

cindi--i think you need to be talked off the cliff.

you say you really want maple cabinets but you're talking about buying white cabinet doors that look almost exactly like the ok looking doors you already have. because you want wood.

not that anyone standing six feet away will be able to see the difference between white paint and white thermofoil.

i ditto what green designs said...save what you would have spent on new doors, add to it over time. and maybe study up on doing your own refacing. or just wait until you have enough saved to get what you want.

otherwise, i fear you're going to make compromises and end up regretting having spent quite a bit of $$ and will feel short-changed.

You are all pretty right about me not really NEEDING new doors. The bubble on the door can't be fixed in any way that I know of, and I can't buy matching pantry cabinets.

But if I can't be talked off that cliff...Elizardbethday gave me an idea. I looked at the site she referenced and it occurred to me I could do a white door with a glaze. As long as I get end panels it probably wouldn't matter about the little bit that shows. Then I have to decide between brown or grey glaze. My granite is called sapphire blue, but there is very little blue in it. It also called sapphire brown sometimes. Floor has brown and grey in it. It is porcelain tile with a sort of slate look. Maybe that would be enough of a change.

As far as saving, I suppose I could afford new cabinets and granite if it got wrecked, but I'd rather not toss out perfectly good granite. As usual we decorated backwards. At the time we got the granite the cabinets weren't near getting replaced. I wish I had known that I was getting locked in, maybe I would have waited and done both.

I would LOVe to have the kitchens so many of you have, but I have neither the space nor the desire to spend all the $$.

Eliz, did you ever actually order your doors? Did they have good prices? Can you share the price range of the doors (per door). Barkerdoor.com is running up to $100 for my taller doors, painted. Less for smaller sizes. I like that they list their prices right on the site. Easy ordering.

Yes, I ordered from Conestoga. But I am using a shaker door, no glaze, so my prices probably are not useful for you. (An 18" upper - 36 inches tall - was just under $100, incl shipping).

I agree with the others, though, that unless you find something that would be fully satisfying... Its going to be very expensive for a "not really what you wanted" end result. Everything kitchen related is SO expensive.

Which door is it that is really bothering you? Could you replace just the lowers, or just the uppers? Swap it out for a glass door? Remove that cabinet and install open shelves or have room for artwork?

Cindy, regarding your comment "Am I just "out of style" still liking the raised panel". If you are, then I'm in the same boat that you are. I just ordered beaded inset cabinets with raised panel doors from The Cabinet Joint just the other day. The top drawers will be flat panel because of the size.

If you're looking for some prices for Conestoga Doors, the link I provided will give you some pricing. You just need to select the door, size and finish. Conestoga also does thermofoil doors too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Conestoga door prices.

I just ordered raised panel doors. They are replacing raised panel doors.

Raised panels are considered to be a classic look appropriate in both historic and transitional style homes.

Currently, Shaker panels are very popular. While they are a classic style, five years from now, they may be less popular. Magazines and home improvement shows are using the Shaker style extensively. Who knows what we will see in the future?

Select the style of door that will harmonize with the architectural style of your home.

I really would consider saving the money to replace the cabinets and granite at a later date. New cabinets that would go all the way to the ceiling (losing the soffit) would really update the space.

@myfoursons...too much junk in the soffits to lose them, or we would have! There is electrical, heating, and possibly plumbing! At least my cabinets are 42" because we are one of 2-3 houses in this development with 9ft ceilings. We asked for them, it wasn't a normally offered upgrade. Best upgrade decision we made, but it also increased the price of the cabinet upgrade so we stuck to the white. I wonder if I would be tired of the cherry now if I had gotten them? I got them for my mbr vanity, and they are looking a little tired, but I still like them.

I just won't replace the granite. I can't justify the expense.That's the downside of getting nearly indestructible surfaces!

I'm going to try and bring home some sample doors from Lowes or HD and see if they look any different side by side.

@aries61, The link was to quikdrawers.com, is the cabinetjoint related to quikdrawers? If not, why did you choose one over the other? The linked site had SO many choices! Luckily my brother is really into woodworking so if I find one I like, he can help me choose the options on that site which would replicate a sample if I find one I like. I like all the options and I feel like I could definitely create a door that would not be tooo much like what I have! Thanks for the info. Can you post a photo of what you chose, but beware, if Iove it I'll then ask you for the ordering details/specs!

We toyed with my brother making me doors (absolutely capable), but I bought wood for him to make me some pull out drawers, over a year ago....still waiting....He volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and his own (wife and kids) family has things they'd like done that they are still waiting....Plus, it's the finishing that would be the headache. I'd probably have to do it and I have no patience, so I'd likely under-sand, under-dry, apply paint too thick. I know me!

Cindy, quikdrawers.com and cabinetjoint are not related, but I posted the link to quikdrawers because they have online pricing which cabinet joint doesn't.

I chose cabinetjoint over the rest of the Conestoga resellers since they had the most knowledge and made a great suggestion for my hood cabinet. They weren't the cheapest, but worked with me in getting the price down.

I've attached a picture of the door I selected. The full door shows the m-raise panel and the regular bead(the portion of the door that comes down to the inner panel) that I chose. Right next to it is the designer white paint that will be the finish and the L-686 door edge profile that will be on the doors.

Sorry that I didn't respond earlier, but I didn't receive any notification that there was response even thou I have it checked.

My sister had the same thoughts about her inexpensive non wood cabinets. I was visiting her and helping her rearrange, clean up her kitchen and adjust doors and so on and I told her I have never seen cabinets clean so well and so easily. They looked like new and they are 15 years old. I don't think wood would ever hold up that well. And she is hard on things.
Unless your cabinets look much worse than your picture or you have money to burn, I would not change them. Your kitchen looks great.

Hubby just reminded me of two other doors with a little melting in the corners, from the toaster. It looks like the corners sort of shrunk up off the wood and there is a little drip effect. Mainly noticeable when you are up on them or see them open from the side. And on a couple of them the edge of the thermofoil sort of catches on your fingertips if you don't let go completely when it is closing. These are not horrible things, but we follow the rule of fix it before it looks crappy or breaks, and so that if we ever did move, we aren't just fixing it to list it. We get to enjoy it too.

@aries61,

I just looked at your post again. Is the door in the picture just a little sample? Are you having the cabinetjoint paint them? I was considering Barkerdoors and got their samples of white. In my case both the pure white and the dover white look like a match, so that is good. I think the Dover white will be better I went back to check out the prices of Conestoga at the link you sent, because I think applied molding will be the biggest change for our doors, but the price on that is pretty steep. I'll have to pick a normal raised panel. I did pick the m-bead like you did, I think it is one of the steeper ones. I want texture that I don't have now. Also, the door samples I saw in HD and Lowes have wider stiles than my doors, That will also look different.

Do you, or anybody, know if the designer white that you chose is similar to Dover white. (Barker doors uses a form of the sherwin williams paint, but it's not true "paint"-its meant to match the SW Dover white though). I like the idea of being able to buy matching paint if I need it.

Its hard to spend so much on doors, yet I know that is where the cost is for all cabinets. When buying cabinets the box will stay the same (for the same options in a particular line) but it is the doors which can raise the price. I have to remember that if I got the same doors on new cabinets the cost would be high too.

From Conestoga I like Barcelona and Churchill. I also like the ones with the little moldings/beads/swirls like the Marquis ( don't know what its called), but I think the paint might hide the little details.

Shaker seems to be the current trend today, but if you prefer raised panel doors, don't apologize. They are a classic style, as are shaker and you cannot go wrong with either one. But your cabinets do appear to be in good shape. You could get new doors (I'd get matching end panels as well, its a nice look) and paint/glaze them. Some will say glaze is on the way out, but if you like it (I do) then go for it. It would change up the look which is what you seem to want. You could also paint that soffit white to match the cabinets, it would update the look for very little cost. Maybe even put a nice crown moulding around the top of it. We did a DIY refacing on our kitchen last year and also chose Conestoga from the Cabinet Joint. They were very helpful and the quality of the doors and materials was excellent. If you get all your measurements they'll give you a price quote.

Cindy, the door I pictured is a 10" x 14" sample door that I ordered. Yes, I'm having the doors and cabinets painted by Conestoga. The designer white is very white. Not sure how it compares to dover white, but my guess that it's brighter then dover.

My cabinets and doors are suppose ship on 2/9 . If you want I can post a couple of the doors when I get them so you can see them. Just let me know.