Painted Cabinets:: So Fresh, So Beautiful!! (And My Little Mini Rant)

Heather Nixon

i love the creamy yellow cabinets. that kitchen simply glows with sunlight. the first example would have to be my second favorite, nice color, very comfortable. i had entertained the idea of painting our cabinets, but tuscan design really likes the medium wood tones, and since i consider my cabinets that color, they stayed. I did take a risk though and removed the top cabinet doors. I have a gulley/galley kitchen so not much room. adding that extra foot of width makes a huge difference. if they ever do get painted, i will be going with the more traditional white or antiqued white with iron/brass knobs, I've always loved that look; and with the creamy yellow walls to come, it would look amazing.

Tricia

AMEN sister!! I couldn't agree more. Time to break the cycle.

XO*Tricia

{The Classy Woman}

I couldn't agree with you more. As a Home Stager you would think I might disagree. A home is for us to live in and enjoy for as long as we are there. Then when it comes time to sell, then you de-personalize and neutralize it or turn to a professional like myself to get the home ready to sell.

Living in fear that you may sell and will have to put work into it to change it is silly. I know more people that live in boring, basic, beige homes because of this thinking.

Hopefully if you've created a home that you adore, you won't want to sell, just continue to update what you have. 🙂 Many people think they need a bigger house and it's often their moving motivation. The truth is that most of us have enough room, we just need to be willing to let go of some 'stuff'.

Teresa

I just painted my cabinets white and I love them! They look so wonderful but I am thinking I may do a burnt red for the island.

Tracy

What a great post!!!

I have a double bathroom vanity that needs some serious updating but I have no idea what color to paint it! The countertop is going to be a rich butcher block with round bowl sinks on the top.

Any suggestions?

If I was redoing my kitchen right now I'd totally paint them a fun, unqiue color!

Scientific Housewife

I have never thought to paint my cabinets but I don't know why. Making my cabinets in my bathroom a dark brown would look great!

Jessica

I love the look that comes in many of the homes with painted cabinets. It's trendy and fun or clasy and sophisticated, which isn't something you'd expect.

Anonymous

Thank you so much for standing up to the old line "What about resale value?" when painting, etc.
Last summer I helped an elderly woman redo her entire house interior. A widow of one year she originally asked me to help her simply clean the house – vacuum the cobwebs from the ceiling corners and so on.
Before you know it we are looking at paint fans. She picked a color I'll call 'dinner mint green' for the entire house.
One of her daughter's had a fit(what about resale value?);
the other one said "Go for it, Mom."
So we did.
Yanked down the flat blue and brown drapes from all the windows, then put up white faux wood blinds. Ceilings were primed and painted semi-gloss white. The solid black-brown front door was trashed for a lovely white door with an oval glass insert. The worn out carpet and faded linoleum was replaced with light oak faux wood flooring. Polished nickel handles replaced the antiqued bronze handles on the kitchen cabinets. Beige bathroom cabinets with gold pin stripe accent became bright white with polished nickel handles. We primed over the yeuck beige chosen when the house was built…30 years ago… and painted all the walls from one end to the other with 'dinner mint green'.
The transformation was amazing. The house was no longer a cave. Light was everywhere.
It is now an inviting oasis in which this dear lady (80 years young next month) and all her friends love to gather.
In a few years time when the house acquires new owners they will of course paint the walls to suit their preferences.
But,for now this wonderfully active woman has a home that best reflects her bright and vibrant personality.
Life is short. Paint is cheap. Go for it!!!

Simplicity Please

This is one of my pet peeves. We're unusual, having lived in the same house for 35 years. A house is a HOME first and foremost, an investment second (IMO). Decorate like it's nobody's business, because it's not…it's your sanctuary from the rest of the world. Make it yours. If/when you sell, paint is cheap, and the next owners are gonna change everything anyway. That said, I gravitate to neutral colors in the big items (upholstered furniture, floors, etc.) and add color with paint and accessories. That way, deciding to redecorate isn't a huge budget decision.

Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating

Kathy, I think it's just the initial project that's scary. Once you get used to the idea (and process) of painting cabinets, it becomes sooo much easier!!

My preference for cabinets is to sand (not down to bare wood, but just enough to get rid of any rough spots and to give it some "tooth"), then use Kilz, tinted to the color of the paint, and then top with a coat or two of oil-based paint. I prefer Kelly Moore oil-based paint.

I'd definitely love to see your pictures if you decide to go for it!!

Deb

I'm quite late to this post, but can I just add a boisterous A.M.E.N! I was warned repeatedly by my mother and an aunt in real estate that I would never be able to sell our first home because we bought it new and had a rosy-mauve colored carpeting throughout and wallpaper with teal and the same rosy-mauve (this was in the 80s, mind you!). Well, they were so wrong. The colors were still very up-to-date when we sold the house seven years later and it was snapped up by an investor for an executive rental the first week we put it on the market. Regardless of that happy ending, I absolutely agree your home should reflect YOU – not some yahoo you don't even know who might end up there sometime in the distant future. Great blog – thanks! Oh! One other comment though: I've had a decorative painting business for a bit over twenty years now and I quit using oil-based paint five years in. Today's acrylics are extremely durable and so much more environmentally-friendly. I've used latex on cabinets in countless client's homes as well as my own, and I've yet to have a call-back for touch-ups. No kidding.

RTA Cabinet

Hi Kristi.. I love the colors of paints used and the over-all look of the kitchen is awesome..

Anonymous

Kristi….Love, love, love your POV. I'm trying to decide what colors to use in the kitchen and throughout the house. I'm toying with painting the upper cabinets white and bottom cabinets yellow. I didn't want to use the same colors that I see in many magazines. I wanted a unique look.

Thanks for "ranting." You are so right. You've given me the confidence to be different!

Monique

Eric Myers

I really love the look and style of these cabinets. I am really wanting to introduce some painted cabinets into my upcoming kitchen remodel. I think it really ties the room together in a unique way. Thanks for the great post and all the awesome pictures!

RTA Cabinet

Hi Kristi.. I love the colors of paints used and the over-all look of the kitchen is awesome..

RTA Cabinet Mall

Great Article. Even if someone goes crazy with color….its not just about resale value. The anonymous comment above said it best: Life is short. Paint is cheap. Go for it!!!

Gracetomaso

Love the use of colors!  Really beautiful!