I'd give this a try.

Howard's Feed-N-Wax.

Howard's

Impressive finish wear!

They appear to be nice enough quality. Since it's only 7 (?) doors, I'd try to refinish. But if you could find someone locally to take the bad doors and drawer
fronts to their shop and return them to you newly refinished, that would
be worth some money for sure!

There's a woodworking forum here and they might be able to suggest the easiest way to match the stain and finish.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/wood

If the cabinets are real wood, not some funky fake stuff, you might try Howard Restor-a-Finish. It probably won't make them look new, but might make them look better. And it's not all that expensive.

It's really a stain, so be sure to get the right color. Visit a store that will give you the brochure with the color chips (not all stores have it) and match the color as closely as possible to the color of your good cabinets.

You may be able to just wipe it on. Sometimes a gentle, light rubbing with 0000 steel wool instead of a rag improves the results.

Lindsey, I'm always excited to see a post of yours...I'm enjoying your journey very much.

I don't have any specific recommendations, but I agree that a temporary solution is needed in order to get you through a few years. If your cabs are like mine, it's possible that they were built in place (so, semi-custom) and to remove them would be a waste of money and I couldn't afford to replace like with like...so I keep my old fashioned (according to the masses here) oak cabinets. I rather like the...solidity of them. They LOOK substantial. If I painted them, they wouldn't.

Anyway, I agree with others to look for a finish that can be wiped on with steel wool and maybe waxed to finish...kind of simple for you to diy. Find an active woodworkers forum and post there. Carpenters are passionate artists and will find you the product that's right for you.

They do look like real wood, or the faux finishers did a great job making the finish peel off along the grain. :)

But seriously, they look solid, not veneered, which will make it a little easier if there is sanding to be done. They are nice-looking and probably worth doing a real fix on unless you really do plan on replacing them.

I think they can be refinished. Ammonia will akso strip like that. I assume we are looking at solid wood with nothing veneered on the door; but without a close up look, I am not sure we can tell. If anything is veneered, your options get more limited.

If you do not want to get a professional refinisher or get new doors made (should be easy style to copy), this is what I would do. Take off one door that you will not mind if the back gets messed up to experiment on or experiment on the front if you dare. I dislike using stripping solvents so I have successfully sanded off varnish finishes with a sheet sander using fine grit. You have to be careful and make sure to sand with the grain. The curved parts will need hand sanding, but there are plastic pieces that come in different shapes that make it easier to do. If the backs are fine, you can just refinish the fronts.

You will need to get a paint/stain shop who color matches stain to come up with a formula, although a person can do it themselves by buying small cans of “close” stain and “tweaking” on a bare piece of wood that your doors are made of. Once the damaged finish is off, you stain and then put several finish coats on. If the existing finish is matt, use matt or glossy if gloss.

If you have never refinished, there is a learning curve, but watch a bunch of YouTube tutorials. It can be a DIY project.

• I take it you have ruled out replacement,and frankly I don't believe it necessary anyhow. The quality of results will be equivalent to expense/effort that go's into it. Wipe on-wipe off is simple and inexpensive, will result in better but not much better than they are now. A pro will remove them,take to their shop and return them in a couple of days looking like the rest for + - $500. Between those two options lie others,here's two that might interest you. Remove them along with 1 unharmed door,take to a hobbiest's shop and pick up 3-5 days later looking good as new for +- $250. The final option requires a lot of determination on your part,about 5 hours time collective over a few days plus $100 in supplies and material. To get your money's worth from pro and hobbiest ,get referances and see some of their work beforehand.
• To get benefit of time and expense,consider it educational and be sure you have use for the 75% of material that will be left over. Before asking for diy help,decide how hard you want to work at it. Above all, let us know what you did and show the results. It's discouraging to spend time answering questions and giving advice just to have people wander off into the dark to never be seen or heard from again. For all we know,our advice caused the inquirer to blow themselves up. ^_^

Klem, I'm pretty sure that's what happens most of the time. But we never know because the dead don't type. :)

If I could have those fixed for $500, I'd do that. So many brain cells saved!

Lol...Lindsey is a great poster with a brand new house...I have faith that she'll be back to comment.

I'm also very impressed with the low cost of taking the doors in (that's been said here...) I would have thought it would cost more for the amount of time something like this needs.

If the lower doors and drawers can be done over reasonably, I say go for it. It will be like you have a new kitchen.

Much of the work I did over the course of 20 years running my own business was satisfaction guaranteed or you don't pay. In this case,the aggrement before work start's. If you don't approve,we will have someone off the street pick worst doors and drawers in the place. If they only choose all of mine,it's on the house. If they don't,you pay double. I'm not suggesting you try and hire someone based on that but a good refinisher should have that much confidence in their work.

Thanks for defending me Pennydesign! I agree with the what I think is "fair" pricing.. it does seem like a ton of work-- but I guess not much material?

Well my day went like this, let me take more photos so people can see what the cabinets are because while I think they are real wood-- I have no idea.

Took photos.

Took a work call. Did some work. Finished work but got distracted and started making an excel sheet of all the ingredients I need to buy for Thanksgiving, cooking times, what I can prep ahead, dishes needed, what I am willing to let others bring, a gannt chart to know when I need to be doing what over the 5 days leading up to it.....

Then Grandma called because she needed computer help. Gotta love it. 87 years old using InDesign to make a a quarterly news letter that she's been doing for longer than I have been alive!

Then husband peeked his "I'm hungry face" into the office.. so off the phone with grandma and off to cook. He cooks, and can feed himself... but if I were left to my own devices, dinner would have been at 10:30. Cooked. Enjoyed dinner, started to do dishes, and then my dear dear sweet husband (he brought the tech to the marriage... I brought the power tools) got his new X-Box in the mail... and started to mount behind the TV.. but then needed me (I have a little more patience for making sure things are level), and while were were at we should also mount the router back there too, and since we have the big ladder out, I should check the size of the air filter in the hallway...... and then I needed to finish dishes...

So now here I am back. Reading through all the helpful suggestions and advice! :D I didn't self implode, though sometimes (on other posts) it did seem like a logical option.

Close up of damage:

Inside of cabinet door - don't laugh at my giant felt stoppers. I dreamt of soft close "quiet" doors.. and instead I got to go spend $15 worth of THICK felt pads so they only make a deep THUD instead of banging. the thin ones sellers had did absolutely nothing, IMO. I'm satisfied enough considering I think my only option is a new kitchen, and that's not happening!:

Inside Shelves (these look l like press board or particle board with a veneered edge:

Inside back of vertical support between doors:

Drawer (any empty draw / shelf hasn't been cleaned/ wiped down.

Inside Face of door where hardware is:

Underside of drawer:

Drawer close up of construction: (side note, is it normal to have to clean paint overspray off the frames of your vinyl windows? Why do things look so sloppy!?!)

If all you guys are right, and the refinishing will be reasonable and possibly around $500 I may just outsource it to a local place-- assuming I need to do this outside, we are just hitting the cold weather in DFW. I'm hoping to be pregnant by spring, so I am guessing the DIY project with highly smelly stuff won't happen. BUT I can' help but want to learn. I have no problem spending money on tools-- especially things I will use again. I have some DIY skills (drills, sanding, staining (but not matching existing stain), Miter saw, table saw (though I currently don't have one), I've rewired lamps, and of course painting (roller, brush, and spray paint) and I am always looking to add to them. My biggest asset is I research, read up on, and then study you tube, and follow directions.

I'm no where near a craftsman, but I take pride in what I do, and do it to the best of my ability.

IF I went with the Restore-A-Finish, for a temporary fix, for say 6-12 months, would that screw up the wood for when I do get it refinished?

Depending on the above answer, here is my plan.

1. Contact a local cabinet maker or hobbyist with plenty of photos, dimensions of doors and qty and ask for very high numbers to "make them look like the non damaged ones." Taking in a physical door if needed. If cost is less than $250, just do it. May sure they stand behind their work like Klem said :D

2. If cost is more than $250 but less than$500, do restore a finish (or the other suggested product, I'll do more research on that) and live with it for the next 6-12 months. Heck, if it won't mess up the ability to recondition it, I may do it just to test it and see how good I can make it look! Maybe that can help someone else :D I'm all about giving back to the community!

3. If it's more than about $750 bux, I think that's my tipping point, and I will go the route of buying new tools (YAY!) and learning a new skill. All the cabinets are on hidden by an island and are more towards the back of the kitchen, and since they are all lowers, if the stain was slightly off, I'm not sure anyone but me would ever notice. I love the idea of testing the process on the back of a door. THAT makes a ton of sense. I would check with how much it would cost to replace a door / cabinet face if I completely screw up. Just in case.

I promise to report back with costs, and what I end up doing.

THANK YOU! As always Houzzers show up with super helpful advice and ideas on things I hadn't thought of!

Very much appreciated!

-L

Thanks for defending me Pennydesign! I agree with the what I think is "fair" pricing.. it does seem like a ton of work-- but I guess not much material?

Well my day went like this, let me take more photos so people can see what the cabinets are because while I think they are real wood-- I have no idea.

Took photos.

Took a work call. Did some work. Finished work but got distracted and started making an excel sheet of all the ingredients I need to buy for Thanksgiving, cooking times, what I can prep ahead, dishes needed, what I am willing to let others bring, a gannt chart to know when I need to be doing what over the 5 days leading up to it.....

Then Grandma called because she needed computer help. Gotta love it. 87 years old using InDesign to make a a quarterly news letter that she's been doing for longer than I have been alive!

Then husband peeked his "I'm hungry face" into the office.. so off the phone with grandma and off to cook. He cooks, and can feed himself... but if I were left to my own devices, dinner would have been at 10:30. Cooked. Enjoyed dinner, started to do dishes, and then my dear dear sweet husband (he brought the tech to the marriage... I brought the power tools) got his new X-Box in the mail... and started to mount behind the TV.. but then needed me (I have a little more patience for making sure things are level), and while were were at we should also mount the router back there too, and since we have the big ladder out, I should check the size of the air filter in the hallway...... and then I needed to finish dishes...

So now here I am back. Reading through all the helpful suggestions and advice! :D I didn't self implode, though sometimes (on other posts) it did seem like a logical option.

Close up of damage:

Inside of cabinet door - don't laugh at my giant felt stoppers. I dreamt of soft close "quiet" doors.. and instead I got to go spend $15 worth of THICK felt pads so they only make a deep THUD instead of banging. the thin ones sellers had did absolutely nothing, IMO. I'm satisfied enough considering I think my only option is a new kitchen, and that's not happening!:

Inside Shelves (these look l like press board or particle board with a veneered edge:

Inside back of vertical support between doors:

More pictures in the next post.. Houzz isn't letting me post them all?

If all you guys are right, and the refinishing will be reasonable and possibly around $500 I may just outsource it to a local place-- assuming I need to do this outside, we are just hitting the cold weather in DFW. I'm hoping to be pregnant by spring, so I am guessing the DIY project with highly smelly stuff won't happen. BUT I can' help but want to learn. I have no problem spending money on tools-- especially things I will use again. I have some DIY skills (drills, sanding, staining (but not matching existing stain), Miter saw, table saw (though I currently don't have one), I've rewired lamps, and of course painting (roller, brush, and spray paint) and I am always looking to add to them. My biggest asset is I research, read up on, and then study you tube, and follow directions.

I'm no where near a craftsman, but I take pride in what I do, and do it to the best of my ability.
IF I went with the Restore-A-Finish, for a temporary fix, for say 6-12 months, would that screw up the wood for when I do get it refinished?

Depending on the above answer, here is my plan.

1. Contact a local cabinet maker or hobbyist with plenty of photos, dimensions of doors and qty and ask for very high numbers to "make them look like the non damaged ones." Taking in a physical door if needed. If cost is less than $250, just do it. May sure they stand behind their work like Klem said :D

2. If cost is more than $250 but less than$500, do restore a finish (or the other suggested product, I'll do more research on that) and live with it for the next 6-12 months. Heck, if it won't mess up the ability to recondition it, I may do it just to test it and see how good I can make it look! Maybe that can help someone else :D I'm all about giving back to the community!

3. If it's more than about $750 bux, I think that's my tipping point, and I will go the route of buying new tools (YAY!) and learning a new skill. All the cabinets are on hidden by an island and are more towards the back of the kitchen, and since they are all lowers, if the stain was slightly off, I'm not sure anyone but me would ever notice. I love the idea of testing the process on the back of a door. THAT makes a ton of sense. I would check with how much it would cost to replace a door / cabinet face if I completely screw up. Just in case.

I promise to report back with costs, and what I end up doing.

THANK YOU! As always Houzzers show up with super helpful advice and ideas on things I hadn't thought of!

Very much appreciated!

-L

Additional Photos:

Drawer (any empty draw / shelf hasn't been cleaned/ wiped down.

Inside Face of door where hardware is:

Underside of drawer:

Drawer close up of construction: (side note, is it normal to have to clean paint overspray off the frames of your vinyl windows? Why do things look so sloppy!?!)

I have had good luck with Old English scratch cover on highly worn finishes. It works. Not a permanent fix, but it will make them look so much better and an occasional redo is pretty easy. Be sure to get the dark version. Worth the price of a bottle of the stuff to try:

Old English Dark

They really do look like solid oak to me, in a classic stain. They are nice! And nobody should ever look at the bottom of their drawers. teehee.

Fori,you would be amazed if you knew where guests look while your are not watching.

You shouldn't be serving so much hard liquor, Klem! They aren't actually supposed to be on the kitchen floor!

^^snorted.... :)

I think you'll be amazed how much better they will look with a coat of Old English Scratch cover. I don't know if there is enough finish left on them for Restore-a-Finish to work, but maybe?

I have used Howard's Restore-a-Finish as well as products from Minwax and my personal favorite, General Finishes on several wood projects. I love Howards when I am only wanting a refresh of wood in which there is no peeling or flaking and most importantly, where the usage will be minimal like an old buffet or rocking chair. It works really well, but after using it once in my kitchen it would not be my first choice. Howard's is great but in your case, I think you are going to do much better with a true refinish here. So as quick fix it might be okay but within a year the doors will look very worn again.

And second important note: Don't use any product containing silicone such as Pledge if your goal is to properly refinish them one day. Silicone can cause really bad "fish eye" (bubbles basically in the topcoat) that can never be removed unless a complete stripping is done and even then it is iffy. Howard's does not contain silicone but if you use their Feed-n-Wax it could also cause future refinishing problems.

I think if you can get the doors redone for $500 with a durable poly or conversion varnish, you will be very happy. I think that is a pretty good deal.

Congrats on the new home.

Lindsay, I just re-read your last post about having long-term plans. Perhaps call the two firms you are thinking of using their products before you move ahead. That is what I did. Since I used the Howard's for a quick update in my kitchen and 18 months later I wanted to paint, I was nervous since I used both the Restore and the Wax. My cabinets were 40 years old not 5. Howard's told me that enough months had passed but they could not guarantee anything of course. Better to be safe than sorry here.

You could achieve great results using some of the General Finishes products. It would take a bit of trial and error with a good amount of patience as well. BUT, in this case why not leave it to the pros? I think if you can truly get a few doors redone for minimal cost, go for it! Take it from someone who has been in your exact situation.

******UPDATE********

I did two things: 1. I reached out to a guy I knew at Rockler Woodworking who helped me on some small projects (cutting board and a giant ruler to measure kids). 2. I contacted Howard Products, sent photos and specifically asked about the ability in the future to fully restore cabinets and the affects of their products.

Responses from each:

Rockler:

With reference to your cabinets, where the surfaces are visible, the solution could be quite simple. Rockler and other outlets have a product called "Howard's Restor-a-Finish." So, find a store that has it, take one of your cabinet fronts that is damaged, find the color that matches your finish, and buy it. Howard's is easy to apply; just put some on a rag (wear gloves so as to not stain your hands) and rub it on the damaged portion, maybe even all over so as to get a consistent color. I also noticed that there are places where the wood has chipped under the screws. This is, I assume, on the inside of the drawer where it will seldom be seen. If you really want to fix those, again just smear some of that Howard's (after removing the screws). It will not be perfect but you will be surprised how well that product works. Once you've applied the Howard's, let it dry for a day or two and put on a wipe-on topcoat, such as General Finishes or equivalent. I do not recommend Minwax products, won't go into the reasons why.

Howard Products:

Thank you for reaching out to us with your question. Unfortunately the finish on the cabinets appear to be flaking off, Restor-A-Finish is meant to be applied to an existing finish that isn't damaged like that. Instead, I would recommend using our Walnut Citrus-Shield Paste Wax. It is similar to our Feed-N-Wax, but it is thicker, and contains some stain that can help darken the raw wood spots that are lighter in color. We recommend that you always test on an inconspicuous area first to make sure you like the results.

In regard to the craftsman refinishing question. As long as he completely strips the wood of the finish & paste wax, it will cause no problems down the line. Sanding and odorless mineral spirits will help.

----

I am waiting to hear back if the Citrus-Shield Paste Wax can be safely removed to refinish if necessary. If there is no adverse effects, I will proceed with that option.

Thanks for suggestions. I will update with progress photos when I get the paste. Hopefully before thanksgiving!

-L

I love this info...thanks for doing the legwork for me :)))

I have some baseboards and molding with some dings. I don't want to do a full refinish and Old English, while great for some stuff, seems to me to kind of disappear after a couple of weeks, especially on kitchen cabs that you have to wipe a lot...

@pennydesign

More than happy to help share the knowledge. :D Glad people pointed me in the right direction!

Let me know how the Howards works if you do it :D

HI ! It is nice to see your doors. I am appreciating the wood look coming back. Lucky you have a traditional look too and I would die for that color (not seeing red and like a medium brown?). Nothing new to add regards to refinish etc but possible helpful comments. 1. You live in a newer housing development? I would reach out to neighbors about the issue (great way to get to know them-- nice to meet you! I just moved into xx. Can I ask a question- we have... or do you know a family that bought when new?? One neighbor of ours went around to the closest neighbors with a tin of cookies for each house to introduce themselves). You never know they might know the cabinet line and these still might be available and in that finish. 2. You stated that the cabs in question are between the range and sink. I agree it could be from cleaning or maybe water. If you have to fix these - I would think about moving these doors/drawers to another area in the kitchen if you can. I tend to clean this area of my kitchen the most. Refinished probably would not stand up as well as factory. I would contemplate putting wax on the remaining original doors/drawers to help protect them. 3. Sounds like you are handy. You might want to look into retrofit pullouts. Yep there is a wealth of stuff out there. In a previous home my husband made a simple ply box added tracks. It worked out well. Good luck!!

Hey M-A-M!

I LOVE wood! I mean, yes a white kitchen is LOVELY .. but the ones in our price range are more geared toward being "trendy"... I was THRILLED when our kitchen looked pretty far from trendy- with a nice medium tone wood!

Here are other kitchens of the same home model:

This one the cabinets are dark.. and that back splash = way to busy, wrong color tones -- for me anyway.

White kitchen- very nice looking, not 10% on board with the wood floor in the kitchen (though I HATE grout!) but it just feels like it will be dated in a short time.

Ours. I feel like has the most "long term" feeling, and it wouldn't be too hard to change the paint on the walls or the backsplash (which is the same tile on the floor) if I ever choose too, for a reasonable cost. I was just praying for a kitchen that wasn't offensive (I saw some pretty gnarly ones). (Obviously I'm bias about my kitchen being the best :D ) I've been told the stain color looks close to "Early American", and I would have to agree. This photo shows them a little lighter than in real life. But it's nice and warm whatever it is.

Our sellers bought the house new, and we are still in contact with them. I just feel bad being like "How the heck do you screw these cabinets up so much in 5 years!" The rest of the cabinets are in really great shape.

I'll take a look to see if I can move them. That's a great suggestion, so I am cleaning the factory finish instead of Howards. Right now they are pretty well hidden in the kitchen. I tend to clean with microfiber and touch of water and elbow grease. For sure on my to do list is to replace the vent above the stove with something more powerful and that vents outside.

The long term plan is to refinish them myself (getting an HVLP sprayer, setting up a booth, stripping em down, staining, sanding, etc OR paying a local cabinet place to redo them-- though I have reached out to 2 so far and they don't do it.) So I am looking for an "in the mean time."

The cookie tin is a great idea! We actually made a little card, and attached it to a bag of popcorn and went around our street and knocked on doors to "pop" by to introduce ourselves. If they weren't home, we just left it tied to the door knob. Very well received, and not expensive. Plus, its store bought and sealed so ingredients are clearly listed. I love to cook and bake and in my perfect world I would have made cookies, or bars to hand out... but I had a lot on my plate, and that's a lot of effort - and food allergies, etc. haha. Here is our little neighbor gift:

Thanks for the tip on the retrofit pull outs. I think I saw the rev-a-shelf ones.. but they seem so expensive!! I mean, if that's what they cost it's what it cost.. but lord. I'm blessed to have many cabinets, but one problem creates another! But some day...

L

I've got a real bad feeling after reading your post Lindsey. It's disturbing to have a so called authority (your Rockler contact) recommend a product then have product's mfgr say it's unsuitable? If that were not enough, Howard's statement about Citrus-Shield is vague at best and might even be considered deceitful. To say " As long as he completely strips the wood of the finish & paste wax, it will cause no problems down the line." completely ignore's what you need to know. Getting Citrus-Shield Paste Wax out of wood pores will require more effort plus harsher solvents than doing a first class refinish to begin with.

Thanks for sharing Lindsey! Popcorn that is a cool non homemade idea too. Oh as for the current owners - you could say hey we like these cabs and possibly interested in having more of them (like in that space between the top of the cab and the ceiling or whatever). Rev can be costly but seriously I would try a DIY solution with one cab. I too feel white kitchens are trendy but timeless too. I remember cream kitchens in the 80's and I would take that over the majority of what I have seen out there when looking over the years (this is our 6th home). Most folks have white or cream trim in their home (windows, baseboards, doors) so I feel having a boring white "ish" kitchen would work. How do you like the island sink?

My mother found a refinisher who refinished a handful of her cabinets for a reasonable price. I cannot tell the refinished from the older. I refinished my main kitchen cabinets - lots of time, but they came out fine - no special spray booth.

I used some of my original (40 years old) cabinets that I had stored in my garage for a basement kitchenette - again did a full strip and refinish. Discovered the central panel on the doors was veneer, which is difficult to refinish. They came out OK, but I decided to curtain the sink base anyway for the look. Another lower that had a cracked door I made into an open cabinet with baskets. Those are two low cost ways to go with out doors.

Basement Kitchenette:

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~65270573[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~65270573)

I am hoping to find some time to add some trim and pretty up that sink base curtain:

Next time I talk to the sellers I will ask. I like your approach :D I do know the builder is still around building new homes, so maybe I can start with them if the sellers don't know.

There are a LOT of options now that I am looking (more list being distracted) at pull out shelves.

Rev a shelf may be the best bang for your buck when you factor in time and ease of use.. and I could probably buy 1 or 2 at a time. And have them sooner rather than later

Since you are one your 6th home I know you will chuckle with this... but MAN my to do list keeps growing. Cross off 1 thing, add 3 more!

I'd love to build/ diy the pull outs. I love being able to say "I made that," so when things calm down, hopefully I can figure out a solution!

I wasn't thrilled about the island sink... but I was very happy it wasn't centered so I have a decent side landing space one side, and then a massive work area on the other, instead of two oversized areas that are just slightly too small for something big- it's about 12 ft x 4ft or so. It's nice being close to the range for draining pasta, and I am VERY excited the range wasn't on the island with no hood. :D It isn't the best overall layout in the kitchen, but after working in it, it's definitely a solid workhorse given the space and traffic patterns.

Some of the remodels and new construction are hideous around here. I get the goal is bottom line and profit, but usually colors don't cost anything, pick a palette (warm or cool) and work it through the house! I'm super stoked it should be a long time before we buy a house again. I much more enjoy looking for homes when I'm not actually in the market!

jhmarie! What a lovely space! Cabinets look great and I think a curtain works really well there!

I do have to be mindful of the fact we will hopefully be adding little ones to the mix....so i think for now we need to forgo the open shelves.

Lindsey - Great you can reach out to the builder! My brother used to be a subcontractor for large tract builders and they tend to move people over (subs - sales- project mgmt) and use same suppliers in the next project. I prefer to not have to turn around sink to cooktop but I can see you are so right about space next to an island sink needing to be usable. Looks like you can fit 4 stools there which is so nice and folks will not be going into your cook or prep space to get to the fridge. We move a lot due to work and have done temporary living too. Flooring I am in the minority. Have been in kitchens with vinyl, wood, and tile (never had finished concrete but I like the modernism of the look). And what I prefer? Hands down vinyl. Two reasons. First comfort. I can spend hours standing in the kitchen and tile and wood are taxing on me (and I tend to not use a rug as they tend to turn into a pet bed or something that needs constant cleaning!) and second ease of cleaning. Some tile can be tedious (slate or limestone) so I would wash on hands and knees. Wood you have to baby with correct cleaners/dry mops. However we had site finished parquet in an apt once upon a time and it was fabulous. It handled everything! I suspect it was Swedish finish. In this house we have a contemporary looking kitchen with a mix of blue painted slab and framed aluminum glass. We decided on a light oak wood looking floor and it is not gray finish but something that feels like white tint and no red.

As you know, we're in the same area you are...My house is older, but I found a label under the kitchen sink on the side...

I believe these kitchens are semi-custom...probably finished and then built in place (at least mine are because they fit perfectly in areas)

Anyway, clearly you are in love with your home and that's so nice to hear. Houses like ours get a lot of bad comments here for some reason, but I've had various pros who've come to work on the house tell me the it's well made. I'm happy with the space, regardless. And I have a home :)

If you move doors around, probably they have the types of hinges that you don't have to unscrew from the wood...they unclip from the center part of the hinge...

I just purchased some Nanocloths from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Nano-Towels-Virtually-Chemicals-Healthier/dp/B00556QVSE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542152436&sr=8-3&keywords=nano+cloths&dpID=51-O0qa2NDL&preST=SY300_QL70&dpSrc=srch

Great reviews and I'm pleased with them...just wet one and have a dry one and wipe then dry. They're GREAT on stainless--no streaks.

Houses like ours get a lot of bad comments here for some reason,

Penny: Just imagine if Lindsey had posted this dilemma when a certain “pro” was still here.

Lindsey: Boy, you’ve got your work cut out for you, huh? The popcorn was a nice touch. With all the junk that solicitors leave on your door in DFW, though, I hope your neighbors didn’t mistake the popcorn for a coupon book! Regarding upgrading your cabs, in addition to adding pullouts, something else that would be so worth it and easy for you to do yourself would be to replace the drawer slides with full-extension ball-bearing slides. (Did you already mention that?) For some reason, only about half of the drawers in my kitchen have the better slides (the rest are the white epoxy like yours) and just that little upgrade makes such a difference. :)

Oh Sammy totally...it's so pleasant around here lately, with everyone helping in a constructive way.

Plus one on the drawer slides...Pet peeve is the wasted space in back of the drawers.. sigh...

Lindsey, the overspray that you mentioned earlier is par for the course. It doesn't mean that your kitchen is lesser quality though. The drawers are solid...and the only issue I have is with the particle board (?) that we both have under the sink...what a stupid place to put something that is bound to get wet at some point...I suggest that if yours show no signs of damage, apply a couple coats of poly or something like that in addition to using the heavy duty liner (you can get it in Bed Bath and Beyond)

I’m a cheap diy kinda gal. I would just go get a similar tone but not darker rub stain and try it out over the cabinets to fill in those nicks and scratches worn areas. Usually you won’t even be able to tell. I have done this before can’t look worse!

Mid America Mom - I LOVE VINYL! I'm actually a nut who loves formica too! SO easy to care for! I hate hate hate grout. At least I have 18 x 18 tiles so there a little less grout than 12 x 12. You are right, I can probably fit 4 stools there, but I don't think we will. We bought the 2 stools from the sellers (we didn't ANY furniture.. they were a life saver, in laws just brought some hand me down things - I wasn't thrilled about the oak table but it matches the cabinet colors perfectly!) I am a little formal, and if there are more than 2 people eating, we should be at a table. Plus I want to keep the isles as wide open as possible.

I don't know how you move often for work... maybe I am just not use to it-- but moving is not fun!

I don't like cleaning on my hands and knees, but I know it is for sure the best way to get things the cleanest.

@PennyDesign - I know! Howdy neighbor! I don't get why.. I mean I guess I do it's the internet! But ya, my tract home isn't very popular here.. but when I tried to get advice (and a lot of it was good) people told me there is no way I could get a decent house at a price we could afford. That tract homes were the worst, etc. All things considered, we got a very nice house with some solid upgrades, decent lot size, great sun exposure, all in great school districts, in well within our budget (that we think we pay off WAY early).

I checked under my sink.. the only label is a termite inspection label from OUR home inspector :/. He did say that our home was in the top 5 best kept, constructed, and maintained homes he has seen when it comes to new builds. So I'm with you, at the end of the day I have a house that I am going to turn into a home. I'm sure all the people dissing our homes live in flawless mansions (I mean "not so big houses" -- no shade, excellent concept and book... just saying).

Also, there was a leak at some point under our sink. The sellers put in 1/2 solid surface counter material as a replacement. I'm with you, the particle board is silly in that area.

I'll look at my hinges and see what I have. I THINK that is the type we have but not sure. Glad you told me, I may have just unscrewed and not known.

The overspray was more geared to my vinyl windows... I'm able to give a little elbow grease and it comes off... wasn't sure if it was typical or just lazy workmanship (or lack of). I'm glad I can get it off easy.

I use a lot of microfiber, and my sister in law sells norwex, which I'm planning to pick up more of during my Christmas trip. Have the mop and love it :D

@Sammy, I've been around for a while... about 2 years, lurking before I started posting. I'm so curious as to what "pro" you speak of. Most pros I encounter are super helpful. Some more colorful in ways than others. Regardless of method, they have taught me a TON and helped me end up in a great house (even if they think I royally screwed up!), even if their advice was sometimes hard to swallow. I did step away from the boards a little, because I felt like I couldn't do anything right. For example: I looked so hard for a non corner fireplace because furniture arrangement is apparently a nightmare.... so I found an illusive wall place fire place, only to find out that putting a TV above a fireplace is a one way quick ticket to hell says 95% of people here. lol. I did it. All 75" smack dab centered in my living room. I DID heed advice and get the pull down mount and it was worth every penny! It may not be "designer" approved, but it makes my DH happy, which makes me happy.

We had one neighbor who we knew were home (we could hear them calming the dogs down). They didn't answer the door, but to their defense, DH and I went together and I was carrying a basket-- so I may have looked like I was trying to sell something! Also, I don't usually answer my door unless I am expecting people -- so there is that :D Some people who didn't answer/weren't home stopped by when DH and I were working in the yard and introduced themselves and said the popcorn was cute :D

We haven't had anything left on our door step... except 8.2 million amazon packages that we bought. ha! Maybe I am lucky?

I do have my work cut out for me.. and there you go adding ore WANTS to my list! I'd love those great ball bearing slides, not to mention full extensions! I didn't think it was something I could DIY, but I will for sure look into it! My draws pull out about 17 inches and are 20" deep overall-- so not bad, but I do loose some valuable real estate!

@Tammy I like your statement of it can't get worse! Now that I know pretty much anything I may try won't hurt my future plans, I am feeling more confident in any experiment that I do. :D

About your felt pads, i picked these up from amazon for our non-soft close doors (we somehow have some that are and some aren’t)

Pack of 100 SoftClose Door &... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IL6E1RS?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

They aren’t silent but they’re very quiet

Lindsey, you are not the only one that loves vinyl, and formica. At my age, I have had about every type of floor you can get, and several types of countertops. I would pick either vinyl or wood for a floor anyday, and always formica for the countertops. Love the new HD types.

As to your cabinets, several years ago, I helped a friend with a similar problem. We sanded the doors lightly to get all the rough spots off, and then took a door front to Lowes, and bought the smallest can of stain we could find, matching the off the shelf color to the color on the door. We rubbed that stain in, and had to recoat a few spots, and then we sprayed it with the off the shelves cans of laquer. They turned out to be almost a perfect match. Perfect enough, that even close looks at them, they looked the same as the rest of the cabinets.

My house isnt a tract house, but, it is an older house. Built in 1966 or 1968 depending upon which papers you look at. It is solid too, even though, it has needed plenty of work. I have been here 9 and a half yrs, and still not finished. Since hubby passed away, most of the work is on me, and I just keep working away on it. I have a nice long list I hope to get done over winter.

Congratulations on your new house.

I had a nice little surprise from the folks at Howards.. they sent me some Citrus-Shield Premium Paste Wax in Walnut to try.

I followed the instructions. Product was easy to apply. Here are the results.

Untreated:

Applied to Left half of door:

Buffed Off Left side of door:

Side by side:

Left ORIGINAL/UNTREATED Right: TREATED

It does look better.

I tried putting a second heavier coat on, and leaving over night-- hoping more of the stain would absorb. I saw no visual difference with the second application.

I may have been expecting more, or asking the product to do too much. It seamed like the finish was flaking off, but that the stain still wasn't able to penetrate wood underneath. There is a noticeable difference, and for the ease of the product, I will be finishing up the other cabinets before Thanksgiving.

Had my cabinets not been sooooo damaged, I think the product would have worked great instead of good.

Appreciate all your help!

TownlakeCakes - Are you a baker?! I love love love baking and cake decorating! I saw the gel pads, we the big thick felt pads are working well enough for now, but I do like how the clear ones seem to disappear on the cabinet!

Cat_KY - I hadn't even thought of laquer in a can.. I just assumed (and was a little excited) to go out and buy a big HVLP gun! I'm still trying to track down a handyman/skilled woodworker local to refinish.. but you and lots of other people on here gave me confidence that I could DIY it :D Just need to make it through the holidays!

Oh- how cool is that! You might want to try this before you do more. The howards restore a finish product states to use super fine steel wool (the 0000). For this project I would get that and a tact cloth. Run the wool over the next door/drawer that you want to do. Then use the cloth to clean up after that. Apply the product they sent you last. It might help! Good luck!

Lindsey i got the restor a finish today...I'll test it out and let you know.

Don't know if anyone is still reading...I got the restor a finish in Cherry as it's slightly redish. My baseboards are pretty scratched up and I don't want to paint them. I don't think they're cherry wood, just that color. The product smells of maybe linseed oil? It's strong. And it has a color added to it. It's a bit like the Old English scratch cover but with an added layer of finish as I think Old English is just a finishing oil.

So it covers fantastic...you just wipe it on (I used 0000 steel wool so I was getting dirt off too--truly the lazy way of doing it) and then wiped off with a paper towel. I'm very impressed with it so far. I found with the Old English that the color faded within a couple of weeks. I'll see how long this lasts. You're supposed to put a finish on top of this and I surely will (no I won't) because I really care (no I don't).

I went ahead and tested a bit on my oak cabinets and even though the color shouldn't work, it does--very well.

Lindsey, for you, I suggest going with a dark shade of this. I think you'll get really good results with it.

I got it off amazon, but the pic is deceiving...you only get a small can. But it should last a long time.

Are you going to try the restore-a-finish on the cabinets or leave them as is?

And yes...baker and decorator. I used to do a lot of cakes and I worked a bakery in Austin too. Now mostly do birthday cakes for my kids and their cousins, and the occasional wedding cake. It just takes too much time!