Nervous about painting orangey maple cabinets
Hi all! My husband and i just moved into a house built in 2002.Not much has been updated since it was built, so we’ve been making minor changes and upgrades here and there, like switching out light fixtures and painting.
My issue right now is this kind of strange (but very functional) wall of maple cabinets at the end of the kitchen. It’s a lot for the eye to take in, particularly because the maple cabinets have taken on a bit of an orangey hue. I removed the 2 foot long brushed nickel handles on the bottom cabinets, and the long horizontal pulls on the uppers, which helped a lot. I used wood filler on the holes, and it’s a pretty close match for color, but still visible. The cabinets boxes and shelves are made of some kind of MDF material with a faux maple finish, and the cabinet doors are solid maple. Pretty standard builder-grade cabinetry.
I would like to sand down the holes where the hardware used to be, paint the cabinets a soft sand color, and install new hardware in unlaquered brass. The walls have recently been painted in Benjamin Moore white dove, as the original gray color read a little green in the eastern light. Eventually we’ll replace the slate tile floors with hardwood, but it’s not in the budget right now.
I’m feeling a little gun-shy about painting wood cabinets, even though parts of them are made of synthetic material. if I don’t paint them, the holes from the old hardware will always be visible, and I would really like to break up this overwhelming wall of orange maple. Can anyone offer me some advice or insight into whether I should pull the trigger? I could really use some outside perspective on this before I make an unreversible decision. Thanks in advance for any input!
Comments (10)
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
last yearRelated Discussions
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Comments (1)Zelda, you might want to try the kitchen forum - this has been discussed!...See MoreYou all are making me nervous about upcoming remodel
Comments (14)If any permits are pulled for your Project, you may need one or more inspections. Note also that if you do need inspections, Code changes from time to time and you may or may not meet current Code with your "new" kitchen. For example, if you have a range next to a doorway with no space (for safety) b/w it and the doorway, you may have to change that since Code in most places now says that you must have a certain amount of space b/w the range & doorway. (That "certain amount" may vary from municipality to municipality.) As another example, all kitchen outlets must now be on a GFI circuit of some sort (either all outlets GFI or the one at the "beginning" of the circuit must be a GFI.) All kitchen outlets must also be "tamper resistant". No, I don't know all the details of any of these, but they are examples to show you things you may run into. If you have not yet received all your cabinets & appliances, then you have no guarantee they will be on time...any delays there may delay your Project. Expect the unexpected! It's a rare remodel that doesn't encounter at least one "surprise"...that's why you should always include in your budget a line item equal to 10% to 15% of your overall remodel cost...it's those "surprises" that are often "budget busters" and/or "schedule breakers"! Good luck!...See MoreCabinets - poplar vs maple, painting on site
Comments (9)i am in the middle of this right now! my cabs have poplar face frames and all the door and drawer fronts are maple. they are being painted on site right now. it is a bit disruptive but the whole kitchen remodel is disruptive so what is a few more days! details on the on site painting: the professional painter supplied by my GC took over my bonus room and garage. the ENTIRE rooms (ENTIRE!) have been draped in plastic and tarps, they have in effect created their own portable clean rooms. they sprayed 2 layers of primer and now they are spraying the finish coats. they look excellent! they did this once the cabs were installed so doors and drawers are painted and dry out in the garage and the cabinet boxes are painted in place in the kitchen where everthing is also draped and masked. you could have them paint them in a shop where there is a cleanroom, but then they need to transport them and install them where they could get dinged and need to be patched. so seems like each approach has tradeoffs. be prepared for odors when they paint on site and you need to provide them the space to do it. good luck!...See MoreStep by step instructions on painting PLEASE.....I am nervous!
Comments (4)I recommend a 1.5in "sash brush" for the edges of the panels. It's easier to handle than the 3" brush. Never dip more than 1/4 of the brush, and if it starts getting gunked with paint, stop and wash it out. I primed last night and it looks crappy (color still showing through).....do I need to prime again? A bit of show-through is OK, but if you have big blotchy areas of original color showing, another coat of primer is needed. I need to know exactly how to paint the doors. I have recessed panels. Do I paint the inner part or outer frame first? Inner ... it's less likely that you will accidentally touch the panel while painting the outer frame. If you have a shaped molding at the edge of the panel, run the roller onto this molding to spread the paint onto it Take the doors OFF and work with them flat. It is much easier. 1 - roll paint crosswise on panel, including the molding. 2 - brush it to smooth, vertically 3 - brush the paint smooth on the molding removing any excess by touching the brush to the puddle of paint. Tap the tip of the bristles into the corners to cover them. 4 - Roll paint onto the frame. 5 - Brush paint smooth, doing horizontal bars first, then one stroke down each vertical. Set it aside to dry, go on to the next one. What about the grooves? Run over them with a roller, brush paint into and parallel to the groove with the tip of the brush. You might need to get an artist;s brush to do this. If I start to roll and the roller runs out of paint, do I re-load and start again at the same spot or not?\ Do not roll until the roller "runs out". Re-load while you still have paint left. How do I paint the crown molding? I am nervous about that dripping. You WILL drip! Take the doors off, and tape a plastic drop cloth along the base of the crown molding to catch the drips. Tape along the ceiling, too. Brush with short strokes vertically (across the molding)for about a foot to get coverage, then brush gently back into the already painted area .. do the next foot. That way you are brushing back into wet paint all the time *********** DO NOT GO BACK! Paint goes through an ugly blotchy stage as it dries, and you will be tempted to "touch it up". DO NOT DO THIS! Wait until it is completely dry, then evaluate it....See More
Maureen
last yearlast modified: last yearI painted my maple cabinets about 3 years ago and wish I had done sooner. A lot of prep and work, but so worth the update. If doing yourself, do a lot of research.
I’m going to suggest the dark color in your counter (greyish black?) so wall of cabinets tie into rest of kitchen. Brushed nickel hardware is recommended and updated black island and semi flush lighting.
Meghara Eichhorn-Hicks thanked Maureencat_ky
last yearTara
last year
beesneeds