I would not paint those cabinets. Get new hardware. Maybe some new light fixtures and faucet and paint the walls. I like Sherwin Williams rice grain with the backsplash and counters.

Ditto. Those cabinets are gorgeous. It would be a crying shame to paint them, imho. Unless they are breaking down or the finish is worse in real life than in the photo, I wouldn't touch them.

Yes to new hardware, light fixtures, faucet, maybe a new sink depending on what they have, paint the walls, and I would definitely do a new backsplash. I know they love it but I, personally, find it drab. Maybe it's the photo? Some new kitchen accessories/decor also could go a long way to changing up the look. How are the floors?

In the picture, the Corian doesn't look like the right shade for those cabinets. But monitors lie about color so that may not be true in real life. If it's off, since they like Corian, I'd get a different shade.

Thanks, y'all! New hardware would definitely help the cabs, I'll talk to them and see if they might consider a new backsplash & counters instead of paint. I really think, though, that they want more of a dramatic change. The over all feeling of those cabs is ORANGE! I think they want a more drastic change in feeling. A new bs and counter would have to coordinate w/all that orange tone...I just don't think that is the vibe they are going for. I'll get my mom too see if she can find any inspiration pics on Houzz (Lawd, that'll be another afternoon of tech support, lol!) :)

I agree with Funkycamper (& tinker.) I think the reason the cabinets read orange is that the backsplash & counter read as a dull grey, which makes the warm tones of the cabinetry stand out & look bright. The cabinets are lovely - the counter & backsplash are fighting them.

To me, they do look orange. I'd paint them. The Corian looks like a nice color-not with the orange but would look good with white cabinets. A different backsplash would update the kitchen. One step at a time.

Jillius, love your second picture! No, I would not paint those cabinets!

I think whatever happens the backsplash needs to go. It's the most dated thing in the kitchen and the color doesn't work with the current wood OR white.

The Corian doesn't look bad but its hard to tell what color it is from the picture.

Another vote for changing only the knobs and backsplash, possibly the Corian. Could you send photos of the kitchen from further back? What does she think of the three photos Jillius sent?

I haven't talked to my mom yet this morning, so she hasn't seen the pics. (I have to email them to her.) She was pretty adamant about painting the cabs, and honestly, if they were mine I'd paint them too. I have never liked that stain color, even when it was in style, They are in their early 70's, and if they want a change to white cabs...I feel like I should try to work with their wishes. :)

But thank you Jillius...I will definitely share those pretty kitchens with them. It may change their mind. I agree about the backsplash...I didn't like it when they had it put in 16 years ago, lol! I will gently encourage them to change it. Thanks everyone! I might try to drive down to their house this weekend & take some better pics...this one is really terrible! :)

Maybe two-tone? Paint some but not all?

Traditional Kitchen · More Info

I really agree with everyone else that the worst thing in that kitchen is the backsplash. And painting all the cabinets is just SO much work -- by you or by someone you pay a lot of money to do all that work. It just seems like better bang for your buck to lose the backsplash and keep some or all of the cabinets as they are.

When you take more pictures, can you please take pictures of all the cabinets? I wonder if it's just that there are too many cabinets overall that are making the stain tone especially overwhelming. Especially in kitchens the age of your parents', people tended to just fill every nook and cranny with identical cabinets. No variation, and no breathing room. Today, we are favoring fewer cabinets -- especially fewer uppers -- and cabinets with mixed finishes, etc. to make our kitchens less like a cabinet showroom and less claustrophobic.

I wonder if there is a bank of uppers you can remove and replace with art or a window that would make a bigger difference than just painting everything white.

I'm also wondering how much the lighting is contributing. Could swapping out very yellow bulbs for cooler-colored lighting help?

I'm just wondering how overwhelming that cabinet stain would be if half of it at eye-level (the uppers) disappeared, the lighting was cooler, and the wall/counter colors actually toned it down a bit.

You might also want to cross-post this at the Decorating Forum. It's very active and there are some other people who hang out there that rarely pop in here. Many of them have great eyes for color.

X-posting with Jillius. ETA: I agree with her suggestions. Another change to eliminate any bulkiness too many wood uppers can create would be to replace some of the doors with glass doors, put glass shelves inside, and lighting. And/or some open shelves. And/or something else to alleviate bulk and add interest to the upper-area like a plate rack, for example.

There are so many more interesting options than simply painting those cabinets.

If you can do a scale diagram of the kitchen's layout (aerial view, 2D) including all windows and doors, it's possible that we can help identify focal points and where it's best to include some of these suggestions.

On the other hand, white cabinets with beige countertops can be beautiful, and painting those cabs will definitely lighten the space. I would (of course I would) change the bs though.

i highly recommend that you and your folks search images with parameters that you're certain of (white cabinets, beige counters) and find looks you like. Inspiration images will be very helpful along the way. Good luck!

Thank you all so much! Definitely some food for thought. I am going to try to head down to their house this weekend to get some better pics. I broached the idea of changing the bs with her on the phone today, just to get her wheels turning. She was like,"But that was quite expensive stone!" I am going to keep showing her pics of back splashes so she can come to the realization that the kitchens she likes don't have that kind of bs!

Can you take a cabinet door to a paint store with decorator service (BM has one near me) and get suggestions for wall/BS color suggestions that would "drab down" the orangey cast of the cabinets? Colors look so very different when placed next to each other or in changing light. I know that there are color tricks to change the orangey, but I'm not one who can make suggestions. The Home Decorating forum also may help out.

Nini-did you see Kpcogs Big Reveal?

They had warm wood and a similar style/tone backsplash and repainted them, new counter new splash. It turned out amazing. Just wondered if you'd seen it as food for thought.

While I personally strongly dislike white kitchens, if they are tired of the current stained cabinets and white is what they want, why try to talk them out of it? They are the ones who live with it, and if they want a change, they should go for it. Their individual taste is more important than what is currently in style.