adding new cabinets to old kitchen
kimmyrenner
4 years ago
I’d like to add an island and a pantry to our kitchen. The floor will be red oak and I’d like the keep the cabinets and counters that are already there. For the new cabinets, would natural maple in shaker with white counters work? Or do i need to replace the old counters to make it look cohesive?
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (12)
Buehl
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
Painting OLD cabinets and adding new to match
Comments (27)Oh, and in case it wasn't clear from my earlier post, I don't think you should discount soapstone at all--I would use it again in the right setting. I just wouldn't use *our* particular soapstone. We didn't get samples and test, and we should have (it was at the top of our budget so we just went with the cheapest stone they had--mistake!) I remember someone here, Marcolo I think, getting samples a few months after ours went in and commenting that our stone looked like Ray Liotta after the testing. ;) But I do still love it for the reasons we chose it, so I would look for a harder soapstone that had those great qualities with fewer of the downsides. All soapstone will show some wear, but usually it's more like a patina, and many can be oiled or sanded to hide this if you want. I don't think most people have the issue with the edges gouging and breaking down like we do. A few random thoughts, too--our sink cabinet was much the same as yours. In our before pics you can see one door completely missing--it wouldn't close so we finally just took it off! Our sink run had been built in a later remodel (using, we think, parts of the original cabinets) because the original sinks of that era were freestanding behemoths (beautiful, but rarely kept in remodels in the 30s-50s sadly) so it was common for those cabinets to be remodeled even if others were kept. Ours were very poor condition (only mediocre quality to start, and many years old with water leaks and such to boot) and could not be salvaged. They were also three-sided built-in-place (very common in that era) which limited how easily we could reuse or adapt them. And I love love love tile counters, but we got it priced out and it was well above the cost of any stone options to have it done well (critical for it to be level--while we were fine doing our backsplash ourselves, we were not confident in our ability to get a perfectly level surface on the counter) using epoxy grout (which local places said was the solution to icky grout, something we wanted to avoid--dunno what the thinking on this is these days, as this was three years ago). If you have strong DIY tile skills, maybe an option, but otherwise, it's probably not worth the cost. And last (sorry for the length!) two thoughts on drawers: yes, they can add runners if you want (may need to replace the boxes though depending on drawers), but beeswax did wonders for ours! Try that first for sure. We did find that it was less costly to remodel the areas where we did not open walls beyond electrical, so I think if you can divide the kitchen by walls, it would be feasible to keep the Hoosier and drawers but gut the other areas. However, we also had and were keeping plaster walls--drywall is a lot cheaper so then it might make more sense to go down to the studs and just put up new wall. It may also affect code requirements, too. Where we did not open walls, our existing wiring was grandfathered in (except for counters, since cabinets/counters were new). That did save us some money too....See MoreRemodeling Old (1890) house and adding new extension
Comments (2)hello, I agree with you. We are having problems to get building permission to repair the old building. Basically we can not touch the old building layout. Everything needs to be repaired but not replaced. In the new build we decided to have changes. We are moving laundry into basement which will need to dry out first. We added home cinema. we trying to work with small garden and make use of the space. If you have any tips please share. I will have a look at your website. Regards....See MoreKitchen Cabinets (New and Old)
Comments (18)Hello - thanks for sharing your project ideas here. You have a lovely home. Without knowing what you don't like about your current island but knowing that you like "European Farmhouse" styling, I have a few ideas. - In looking at the pictures of your home, the wood tones and your current furnishings are very warm with soft beige undertones. I believe if you painted the kitchen cabinetry and only some of the woodwork a cool white, it may be jarring visually. My suggestion would be to consider a slight off-white with a beige or taupe undertone. This will brighten the space but it will not make it look out of place. - Navy blue is a hot trend right now but I would agree with Sophie's sentiment of not getting caught up in a trend. Even though the advice was worded strongly, I think she is just cautioning you to be sure your investment is worthwhile in the long run. But mostly, for me, when I think European Farmhouse, I think antiqued-paint finishes and a softer blue tone - like a robins egg or wedgewood blue. But that's just me :) Whatever you chose, consider a adding a distressed finish to it. - For the island, you have the opportunity to really inject your style here. Adding chunky farmhouse legs, open space below or even a wood top would add more European Farmhouse feel (in my opinion). - Two islands - I personally love the look and functionality of a working island parallel to an island with seating. You do have an open area where another island could sit but I believe it may encroach on the space where you intend on putting a reading nook. Remember, it would not just be the island in the space but the traffic flow around it that you would need to consider. Not sure if you like the look, but a T-shaped island with a lower table-level section would fit the space well and would replace the table seating where the reading nook will go. So those are just my immediate ideas. A local design professional would really be able to help you best with both color and space in redesigning your home. It would be a worthwhile investment. Take what you like and leave the rest :) Best of luck!...See MoreIs adding DIY accents to a new kitchen easy?
Comments (47)The new tax laws made it a bit more complicated as the y lowered the total amount of principal on which mortgage interest can be paid to $750,000 which is relevant to HCOL areas. Also hit hard are HCOL stats such as California, NJ, NY since total of property and income tax deduction is capped at $10,000. Since the standard deduction for 2018 was raised to $12,000 for singles/$24,000 for married couples, a significant number of people would not have more than $12,000/$24,000 in deductions and therefore the issue of mortgage interest deduction is moot since they don't have enough other deductions...See Morekimmyrenner
4 years agoThis is a layout... new cabinets are on far end of the dining room. Thanks for your ideas!
kimmyrenner
4 years ago
PROThe Kitchen Place
4 years agoOliviag
4 years agokimmyrenner
4 years agochocolatebunny123
4 years agocat_ky
4 years ago
weedyacres
4 years agoConsider buying new doors for the existing cabinets (white shaker?) to tie the new in with the old.
I think white cabs/black counters will clash with maple cabinets/white counters. I'm not a fan of 2-tone kitchens anyway, but your proposal would be too mismatchy for me.
If it were my kitchen, I'd buy new doors and drawer fronts in white shaker, and make all the new cabinets white shaker as well.
Oh wait, I actually did that. :-)
kimmyrenner
4 years agodsgts
4 years ago
Related Stories
MOST POPULARHow to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets
Find out what’s involved in updating your cabinets by refinishing or replacing doors and drawers
Full Story
KITCHEN OF THE WEEKKitchen of the Week: New Kitchen Fits an Old Home
A designer does some clever room rearranging rather than adding on to this historic Detroit home
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNEcofriendly Kitchen: Healthier Kitchen Cabinets
Earth-friendly kitchen cabinet materials and finishes offer a host of health benefits for you and the planet. Here's a rundown
Full Story
KITCHEN MAKEOVERSBefore and After: Glass-Front Cabinets Set This Kitchen’s Style
Beautiful cabinetry, mullioned windows and richly refinished floors refresh the kitchen in an 1879 Pennsylvania home
Full Story
INSIDE HOUZZTop Kitchen and Cabinet Styles in Kitchen Remodels
Transitional is the No. 1 kitchen style and Shaker leads for cabinets, the 2019 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study finds
Full Story
INSIDE HOUZZInside Houzz: Refaced Cabinets Transform a Kitchen
No walls came down. No windows were added. But this once-dark kitchen looks completely different, thanks to bright new surfaces
Full Story
KITCHEN CABINETS6 Kitchen Makeovers That Benefited From Refaced Cabinets
These kitchens show how updating rather than replacing cabinets can keep costs down while adding style
Full Story
KITCHEN CABINETSHouzz Call: Have You Found a New Use for Old Cabinets?
Reusing cabinets can feel oh so satisfying. We’d love to see the ways you’ve repurposed them at home
Full Story
KITCHEN MAKEOVERSKitchen of the Week: Beige Cabinets and a Vintage Vibe
A designer found on Houzz helps a couple update the kitchen in their 1897 home with modern function and old-world style
Full Story
KITCHEN MAKEOVERSOld Meets New in a Restored English Farmhouse Kitchen
Traditional features mix harmoniously with modern cabinets in this 18th-century kitchen that even has an old well
Full Story
ci_lantro