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Question about painting cabinets!

Ashley Sarpolis

5 years ago

My husband and I are building our first home, and I really wanted the white cabinets they offered from the builder, however.. they wanted an astounding $3800 extra to pick the white cabinets. I ended up choosing a light reddish tan color, but I know I'm going to end up hating it and I'm looking into painting them white instead after a few months. Question is, how easy is it to paint birch cabinets?

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PRO

The Cook's Kitchen

5 years ago

A home paint job doesn't begin to compare with a factory finish. A catalyzed baked on finish will be super tough. Consumer grade paint, much less so. It's a HUGE project to DIY paint. And it would cost more than $3800 to have a professional properly prep them, and spray them with that catalyzed finish.

Cut something else if you want white cabinets. Do laminate instead of stone, and don't do a backsplash. You can upgrade cheaper than the builder wants for stone next year, and then do the backsplash.

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Comments (8)

rantontoo
5 years ago
It would be much easier to paint them BEFORE they were hung and doors attached. Do the cabs have to have a finish?

Before I would paint new cabs, I would try to cut the budget someplace else or leave something undone that could easily be finished/added later so I coukd have those painted cabs from the get-go.
Ashley Sarpolis thanked rantontoo
cluelessincolorado
5 years ago
100% agree with rantontoo
Ashley Sarpolis thanked cluelessincolorado
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Ashley Sarpolis
Original Author
5 years ago
I honestly would if I could, however we signed on the final choices about a month ago and changing anything now would be unreasonably expensive. I actually gave up stone counters already and chose laminate so I could get the gourmet kitchen and my wall ovens (HUGE thing for me, I cook a LOT) so that ate up that already. There's not really anything else we can move back on, except for possibly my appliances. It definitely would stink having to do them myself, but I do have some friends who do projects like this on the side for companies, so it is possible I could get a good price in the end. I can live with the tannish red for now (they're a color called Mirage by Merillat cabinets?)
Ashley Sarpolis
Original Author
5 years ago
I should also add I did request for the cabinets to be unfinished, was told it's not a possibility BUT my builder said they'd try to custom request that for me anyways just to see what happens. I can easily ask for them to leave the doors off as well.
barncatz
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Don't do it, Ashley. Make the white cabinets happen from the get go. Sit down with your builder and cry, I don't know. We built a home as a young couple and juggled and settled based on money. What I didn't do was accurately assess my priorities and accurately determine what I could in fact live with versus what was going to bum me out totally if I gave it up.

My DD just went through a breakup. Before it, she kept demonstrating confirmation bias. Once we make a decision, some of us can pretzelize ourselves to defend and justify it. She ended up driving a moving van towing a car across country by herself, when two days before it seemed impossible to live without the boyfriend. Please break up with the tan cabinets. Better fewer white cabinets that make you thrilled that you just built a house (!!) than a lot of tan cabinets you're itching to change from day 1.
Ashley Sarpolis thanked barncatz
Ashley Sarpolis
Original Author
5 years ago
Hey guys! I ended up taking out two appliances and I'm getting the white cabinets. My sales manager for the house was nice enough to not charge us extra for the changes either.

thanks for all of the advice!
rantontoo
5 years ago
Well done...you won't regret it!

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