If you had to paint them I’d say a light blue.
But i wouldn’t , it’s hard to get a nice paint job done non professionally. And you say your out within 2 years... I think I’d spend the money on something else. Hardware, remove that scallop... countertops? Appliances?
......
Personal opinion... what do you think...?

If you had to paint them I’d say a light blue.
But i wouldn’t , it’s hard to get a nice paint job done non professionally. And you say your out within 2 years... I think I’d spend the money on something else. Hardware, remove that scallop... countertops? Appliances?
......
Personal opinion... what do you think...?

^ sorry not sure why that posted twice...😳🙄

I’m planning on doing some price shopping for new appliances over Memorial Day weekend, our fridge door doesn’t like to seal. It doesn’t show well in the photo but the cabinets are really beat up. There are gouges in some of the doors that look really bad. I would like to replace the counter also but I’m not sure if I could DIY that. I just feel like the orange color of those cabinets are so horrible and they’re the worst thing left in the house (the original kitchen floor was bad too, see the photo).

If you're planning to sell in a year or two, perhaps it would be good to ask a realtor which will show better, the cabinets as they are now or with a DIY paint job; I'm not judging, there's nothing wrong with DIY, in my opinion, but others are less inclined to admire our handiwork. :)

Good idea! Our real estate market right now is INSANE (I think it’s like that a lot of places).. I’m waiting til it calms down a bit because I don’t want to massively overpay for a house when I have a super affordable one right now.

If they’re in rough shape AND you’re looking to sell in 2 years, I’d either do nothing or paint them yourself. Anything can happen in 2 years, but if the market is still insane, I’d let the buyer figure out what they want to do with the cabinets, rather than you put the sweat, time, money into it.

A year or two is a long time to live with cabinets you hate. Even if the finish isn't pro level, no buyer is going to wish they had those orange cabinets instead. Just paint them. They look flat front so it would probably be easy to roll. we ended up turning our doors backwards to get a better "face". Invest in good paint and tools and scrub with top. You are looking at maybe a gallon of paint. We painted existing cabinets as new ones aren't in the budget for a bit. Yes it bugs me that the finish isn't perfect, but would I rather be looking at the original ones? No way! You are lucky in that your countertops look good.I'd also invest in hidden door hinges.

Note the edge of counters and finish on wall not dobe yet. or trim.

there are a few issues with the kitchen beyond just the look of the cabinet doors. Its nice that you have an extra cabinet and storage and so on opposite the fridge. I think any reasonable , modest approach would involve a redo to achieve up to date storage and cohesiveness w new cabinetry on all the walls...and probably re assign the locations of appliances. In terms of Renovation time lines and, as well, preparing a property to sell...2 yrs is a short time. I would not undertake changes to the kitchen. People see the charm in old spaces but cabs from the 50's and 60's are nearing 70 -75 yrs old . Cabinets have a life. These built on site types do not come close to the function and features of modest IKEA or Kraft maid at Lowes . The typical, clear off, purge, clean and clean again would be the best mantra in the time frame closer to the event of listing the home. I would wait..save money for your home purchase and leave this for the next person to have a chance at a BETTER /COHESIVE kitchen.

This is definitely an interesting perspective! The house is small (1000 sqft) with 2bd 1 ba and I bought it in 2013 for 80k. I’ve avoided putting too much money into it because I didn’t know if I’d be able to get it back due to its small size. I definitely agree that the kitchen could do with a reconfiguration.

There is a lot of work that goes into painting cabinets, but, it can be done. The prep is the most important part. Clean them good. Then because of their age, clean them again. Then take off doors, and keep them in order. If you can reuse the hinges, best to do that, because, things change through the years, and its hard to find replacements. Using a small sander, sand them well. If you have gouges, etc, use a wood filler on them, and then sand again. Then wipe them good and its time for primer. Use a good quality bonding sealing primer. Then, you will be ready for paint. It will take 2 coats, and occasionally it will take 3. You need a paint, that is meant for cabinets. It has a longer drying time, between coats, so please follow the directions on the can of cabinet paint. Let them set at least 3 days after they are finished, then carefully, put the hinges back on, and mount the doors back on the cabinets. Leave the doors open a bit, for a few days, because cabinet paint takes a long time to completely cure, so even when it looks and feels dry, it wont be totally cured yet.

I would do white cabinets in your kitchen.

Thank you! This is super helpful! We plan on doing a thorough job in prepping (I’m a perfectionist so I don’t do anything half-assed).

I would go ahead and paint the cabinets. With the floors I think some shade of white would be best and a different wall color. If the countertops are in good shape, you could leave them and add an inexpensive tile backsplash which is DIY friendly. The placement of the hardware on the top cabinets is odd. Try filing in the holes and move hardware lower similar spacing as the lower cabinets. I would also look into if it's possible to switch the hinges to no show if cabinet fronts can accommodate them.