weezel - I did not fill the grain. This was just a quick fix to get the cabinets to last a couple of more years until we rip them all out. They are builder grade 20+ years old and the finish on the bottom cabinets was looking very worn. The grain isn't super deep . Up close you can certainly see the wood grain but from a few feet away it really isn't noticeable. christasista - I found lots of blogs that showed gray wall colors in a variety of rooms and also show which ones are warm gray or cool gray, etc. I liked Edgecome Gray and Revere Pewter in addition to the Agreeable Gray I chose. I also found lots of photos with blue gray cabinets but I found that they rarely listed the actual cabinet color. That was a harder choice. SW Sea Salt is more of a green gray and I also liked Tidewater. For white, I have just been using Behr's Ultra Pure White, which is the untinted paint straight off the shelf, for all of my trim, doors and ceilings. mama goose - Thank you!

I'm not sure anybody will even check these out, but thought I'd post because I know I like to see the transformations. It's been forever since I did the original post, but I forgot to get back to this and post any type of "after" pictures. I happened to be going through old photos on my phone yesterday and found some that I had taken back in September. Excuse the iPhone quality pictures and the hole from the missing drawer front below the sink. The hardware to attach the false front had mistaken been pitched by someone and we had not yet fixed the issue. After much debate on the kitchen cabinet paint, we ended up going light vs dark and were happy that we did. The kitchen seems bigger and brighter. The counters actually look new and have been mistaken as such by friends and family. The floors are pink but no longer seem to scream it when we are in there. The island lighting configuration was flipped and new pendants installed. The pink and green backsplash was replaced with carrara subway tile. We decided to paint the island gray and love how it picks up on the grays in the carrara. We went with a brushed nickel for cabinet hardware and changed all the drawers to pulls. Time involved: The painting prep took about two weekends due to extremely filthy, grimy cabinets needing a good degreasing, gunk scraping, and an initial sanding. The actual painting took about 4 + days due to a stubborn paint sprayer that cost us almost an entire day. We primed and then did 2-3 coats of paint with some touch-ups in heavy grain (oak wood) areas. The tile backsplash took another 2 weekends from start to finish. The pale yellow walls were replaced with lighter gray. The pink and green tiles framing the kitchen window seat and desk area were painted the same color as the cabinets as a temporary but satisfying fix. The only thing we really need to do and have not done, is to change out the hunter green sink.

Deepak- Did you just move into this house or just purchase this house and your wife hates this dark kitchen? If so, then it is understandable that she wants white cabinets. Some people just don't like dark cabinets and want white cabinets, and they are entitled to them. The grey floors are another matter. Grey is very "now." That means it is a trend, which will fall out of fashion very soon. I understand that she or you do not like the current floors, they are very busy, with two contrasting colors. But grey may not be the way to go for the reason I just mentioned. As for the counters, that stone is very dark and very busy and may not be to your wife's or your taste. It actually seems less oppressive when the cabinets are white, but sometimes the people who like white cabinets like a lighter stone for countertops such as a marble or marble look-a like such as quartz or silestone.. Some may like a dark stone that is more uniform such as a soapstone or soapstone lookalike. When all the cabinetry is white, it is important to add interest with hardware, such as larger handles and knobs. Some people choose handles and knobs or pulls that are black, even wrought iron ones or larger brushed nickel, or stainless steel. Some people decide to paint the island a different color that they like, e.g. a blue or green (whatever color they like that coordinates with adjoining rooms) or they keep the cabinets and island all white introduce color into the kitchen through their use of accessories such as the dishes, dishtowels, a curtain, a canister of kitchen utensils, a pitcher, a cutting board, a basket, flowers, etc. Because the house once lived in will always have these things around to introduce color and texture to the all white kitchen. These white kitchen are not at all boring! If you are remodeling, one suggestion- please add molding to the tops of the cabinets to the ceiling. The tops of the cabinets are just dust catchers and that they are different heights is jarring to the eye.

This is how a lot of cabinet company’s do moldings for full overlay cabinets. The mounting strip attaches to the box, and the molding dogs into the mounting strip. Simple. And he messed up simple. The MS isn’t even clear coated. Just stained. It’s totally obvious to anyone that it is not a meant to show finished piece. Seriously, check his other work. I can already tell he has adjusted the doors incorrectly. There is probably more. More than just the faceframe has nail holes that can’t be filled. He installed the crown itself upside down. Meaning all new crown. The spring angle should have given him a clue here. This is complete and utter cluelessness of basic carpentry. He is no “master”.