refinishing cabinets or repaint the house?

[echoesofspring]

Pastygirl's gorgeous kitchen got me thinking about a question I've been meaning to ask :) We've been hemming and hawing a bit on a kitchen remodel and ultimately decided not to do it. Then we decided to put our house on the market and made a list of things to improve before doing so. Now DH is staring down back surgery so moving has been postponed, but it's got me thinking about what things we could do that would make the kitchen (and our whole house), without spending too much money. The main one is that I hate how our kitchen cabinets look with the paint color we choose for most of the house. (This is what happens when you choose a color under duress, after the painters have covered up everything they don't want to get paint on. Lesson learned.) The walls are a grey with purple undertones, and the cabinets are circa 2003 and have an orange/honey undertone to the stain color. I thought I might get used to it, but after 2 years I remain unconvinced I'll ever get them to exist in harmony. I'm trying to research the feasibility of refinishing them, having them look good and not sinking so much $ into it that we would have been better off just doing the remodel. The cabinets are in the kitchen and then in a couple common areas, and all the bathrooms (which we could punt on). Anybody have an experience going down this route? Ballpark on cost? how do I find someone to do it? Reasons not to do it? (someone did just out and out paint the cabinets in the laundry room, it's fine in there, but that look won't fly in the rest of the house, given the price point of our house) Thanks for any advice!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Painting walls is a pretty easy and cheap DIY project. I've never paid anyone to do it. I'd try and if you screw up, being in a pro.


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[niccig]

I'd get an interior designer to help choose paint color. It's much easier and cheaper to paint wall then refinish cabinets.


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[robinsmommy]

I'd get an interior designer to help choose paint color. It's much easier and cheaper to paint wall then refinish cabinets.


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:yeahthat:

Cabinets get so much wear and tear that getting the old finish off and the new one on well enough to last is hard. I'd repaint the walls.

[BDKmom]

I think whether you can get away with repainting depends on the undertones of all your stuff. If your carpet and furniture and drapes all have more gray tones, then you can't just repaint to match the cabinets, it will make everything else look off. I agree that painting the walls would be the easiest and cheapest, though, if you can make it work. Try to at least find someone to do a color consult. The painting company we used offered it at no extra charge.

I don't have any experience with refinishing cabinets. But you might just want to look at an interior designer to get advice, and I'm sure they can give you some referrals. The designers we have used in the past have been surprisingly reasonably priced, especially if you just need some advice and direction.

[cheme]

I'd also recommend calling a designer. It was some of the best money we spent in our remodel, and not very expensive! We had her come over for about an hour (~$125 I think) and she gave great advice. Paint color will likely be the easiest and cheapest fix, and the designer can lead you in the right direction for color.

[echoesofspring]

Thanks for all the input,

I think 'refinish' is the wrong term for what I'm considering, it's something more like this:
http://homedepot.nhance.com/color-shift.php

Is it too good to be true, since it seems much less invasive than what I imagine refinishing actually requires?

I don't think painting will be DIY and may be not much cheaper in price to the process above, given the painting quotes we got when we moved in. We have very high ceilings (open to the second floor) so I think we'd have to do the whole house except for the beds and baths, and hire pros given DH's health problems at the moment.

Carpet is pretty neutral, no rugs to worry about (since I could never figure out how to coordinate), but we did spend a bit on blinds that are essentially the same color as the paint, just less saturated. It would be nice to not have to replace those. Flooring is a combo of what we replaced when we moved in and the tile in the kitchen that doesn't really go with the paint either, but I think I could live with with a different color on the cabinet. DH wants to replace it but at that point I think it's silly to not think about a remodel, and neither of us could stomach the quotes we got for that, we just don't love the house enough for that investment.

I think trying to enlist an ID is a good next step, so we don't misstep again and can get a plan in place. I looked when we moved and again when we started contemplating a kitchen remodel, and didn't find anyone who felt right but this thread has inspired me to take up the hunt again! Thanks!

[kristenk]

Can you post photos of the cabinets and wall color? Maybe that would spark some ideas here.

[trales]

I am in the middle of redoing the bathroom cabinets right now. First, I had to sand them. I am now on coat 4 of the primer, then I can do the 2-3 coats of cabinet paint. You really need a good paint, if you want them to last. I did the other bathroom a few years ago, covering over honey oak, and it took a few weeks and looks great and has held up well in our most heavily used bathroom. It takes A LOT of time. Painting the walls is much easier, I do that every year or so to mix things up. I just did the whole first floor.