rena_hawkins

Kitchen Remodel: Creating a Modern Kitchen by Painting Oak Cabinets

As a realtor, I often advise budget-minded clients to reuse their current kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them. I decided to take my own advise when I was ready to remodel my kitchen.

I fell in love with my South Charlotte home due to its open rooms, hardwoods floors, huge main floor master suite, and 1/2 acre lot. However, the home was built in 1988 and suffered from a severe case of "the 80s". When it came time to tackle my dated kitchen. I wanted to change the backsplash, remove the awful florescent lightbox and undercabinet lighting, and install a new stainless dishwasher and oven. But it was the dark oak cabinets that bothered me the most. With a $7,500 budget, replacing the old cabinets wasn't an option.

Luckily, the existing cabinets were solid oak and in good overall condition. First, I had my handyman completely remove the overhead soffits and moldings to make the cabinets appear as sleek as possible. I removed the doors and took them to a local woodworking shop to have spaces drilled out on the inside for European hinges. Next, I cleaned, sanded, and primed the cabinet boxes and doors before painting them using Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations in Federal Gray. The cabinet kit included

a can of dark glaze, which I used in the recesses and on the edges of the doors for an antiqued look. Finally, I added new brushed nickel hardware. With the money I saved on the cabinets, I was able to complete the entire project for $7,300.

I welcome your questions or comments!


Comments (16)

  • PRO
    Stecki Construction
    7 years ago

    Wow! Looks great! Love the color of the cabinets!

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Stecki Construction
  • PRO
    Kaplan Construction
    7 years ago

    The cabinets look great! Great job!

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Kaplan Construction
  • PRO
    Mountain MT Homes LLC
    7 years ago

    Great look as you got Reid of the oak era. Looks way better for your kitchen!

    Ken

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Mountain MT Homes LLC
  • PRO
    The Ensuite
    7 years ago

    That looks awesome!! Taking out that heavy moulding on top of the cabinets and changing the lighting really opens up the space! Well done :)

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked The Ensuite
  • PRO
    Charco DESIGN & BUILD Inc.
    7 years ago

    Very nice! Love the color you chose for the cabinets!


    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Charco DESIGN & BUILD Inc.
  • PRO
    M&R Custom Millwork Inc
    7 years ago

    Love the color of the cabinets. Great job!

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked M&R Custom Millwork Inc
  • Joy
    7 years ago
    A beautiful, smart transformation. Love your materials and colors and the fact you stayed within your budget. Down the road, if you want a more traditional look, adding cornices to your upper cabinets would look nice.
    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Joy
  • PRO
    The Room Kit
    7 years ago

    Taking out the soffits was the right call, the room looks so much more spacious without them. Awesome job!

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked The Room Kit
  • Hope B
    7 years ago

    I tried the dark espresso cabinet transformations kit on my kitchen and they aren't bad but they tend to get scratched or marks left on them very easily.. Does this happen with the lighter color grey you chose? or maybe just because I got a super dark color its more visible.

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Hope B
  • PRO
    Design Connection, Inc.
    7 years ago

    The update of the cabinets and the backsplash along with the lighting makes the kitchen seem more open. Great job!

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Design Connection, Inc.
  • PRO
    Drawer Essentials
    7 years ago
    Love the color!
    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Drawer Essentials
  • PRO
    Andy Juy Designs
    7 years ago

    Just noticed you added the open shelf cabinet at the end on the left. Feel some open. Nice job!

    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate thanked Andy Juy Designs
  • PRO
    Rena Hawkins/Charlotte Urban Real Estate
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Hi Hope, thanks for taking the time to comment. After I painted my cabinets, I added one coat of the clear sealer, very lightly sanded it, then added a second coat. My cabinets have held up really well so far.

  • PRO
    Chad Nanke - West USA Realty Of Prescott
    7 years ago

    Love the cabinets!


  • Hope B
    7 years ago

    Oh okay, yeah for me we did the clear coat and it just looked horrible. possibly because we did the espresso so when the clear coat dried it turned into a frosty white color, which stands out on our cabinets.

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