5 Ways to Add New Life to Old Cabinets!

This post is in partnership with my friends at Lowe’s! Thank you for supporting my sponsors!

Did you see all the before-and-afters of the Burgevin Gardens kitchen renovation?! OK. Cool. Me too.

John the homeowner and I are both thrilled with how it came out, and especially happy with what we were able to accomplish without breaking the bank on new materials! Aside from sourcing everything from Lowe’s, one of the most impactful ways we kept the budget in check was by reusing the old cabinetry.

Yes. THAT old cabinetry. They said it couldn’t be done. They said I was crazy. I feel like I really showed them.*

*Not sure who “they” is. Don’t worry about it.

I never priced out replacing the cabinets, but I’d say MINIMUM that would have tacked on $2,000-3,000 to the overall cost. And dare I say, I’m not sure we would have been as happy with them as we are with these revamped garbage cabinets?! So I’m back to ‘splain myself and show you what I did to make these brown-town basic AF 1970s (80s?) cabinets work in this new kitchen! It was one part creativity, one part strategic hackery, and one part jigsaw puzzle. In other words, it was kinda fun! Let’s! Get! Into it!

Method 1: Rearrange, Strategically Alter, and Reuse.

Typically when we think of reusing tired kitchen cabinets, it’s because the layout of the kitchen is remaining the same, but what about when the layout is changing? Normally in that situation you’d (hopefully) donate the old cabinets (smashing with a sledgehammer is fun for TV I guess, but usually needlessly messy, low-key dangerous, and stupidly wasteful) and get new ones that suit your needs. But cabinets are really just wood boxes, so not a lot tends to actually go wrong with them over time. We had the advantage of reasonably well-built and fairly solid basic plywood cabinets, but they weren’t the right sizes to work with the new layout. Just a small obstacle!

For the base cabinets, I realized that if I kept the one to the left of the range (formerly, left of the refrigerator) as-is, I could simply retain about 2/3rds of the similar one from the other side of the room to fit between the new range and fridge locations.

So I used a combination of my circular saw (currently on sale!), jigsaw (also on sale!), and oscillating saw (you guessed it, ON SALE!) to cut the end of it off. Easy! Often these cabinets would already be divided into separate units, so you wouldn’t have to saw them apart. Everyone’s situation will be a little different but the point is that there’s usually some kind of solution!

See? Now this 60-something-inch bank of cabinets is a mere 37-inch bank of cabinets, and you really can’t tell at all that anything was done. Funsies.

Then to fill in the remaining space, I just subtracted the width of the fridge and built a little cabinet at the end to fill the gap between the fridge and the wall. Make sense? I’ve gone over my very basic cabinet construction method before so I won’t rehash it here, but it’s super easy and straightforward. We can all build a box! Do not fear a box. Unless someone is trying to put you inside one—in which case, run.

THEN, on the wall under the window, I had to get a little crazy. We decided to replace the sink with a larger one, centered, so the old sink base cabinet (which, honestly, might as well have been assembled with chewing gum and good intentions) was too small anyway. So using my same lazy cabinet-box-making-method, I whipped up a 36″ wide sink base and a smaller cabinet to fill the gap to the right.

So then I had to deal with the doors. Because the old doors were not the right size, and I didn’t have a bunch of spare lower doors to play with. But I DID have lots of spare old upper doors to play with, many of them the same size, so this presented an OPPORTUNITY. Check this out:

I realized. If I could take the bottom of one upper door, and combine it with the bottom of a different upper door (as long as they were the same width), I could make one franken-door that would match the profiles of the other lower doors, which by this time I realized were actually kinda fine because they didn’t have the weird arch that makes the upper doors such a bummer. By this point the scope of work had kept expanding, so I gladly took the option of not totally refacing the lowers but instead just figuring out these few missing doors if possible.

Is it worth it? Let me work it. I put my thing down, flip it, and reverse it.

Let me tell you how nice it was to cut one of those upper doors in half. It was very nice.

Actually, it was made nicer by the addition of a new table saw into my life!! And GUESS WHAT?! It’s on sale!

My old one suffered a sad death as a result of neglect and mistreatment (whoopsie), so I had to emergency-buy a new one. After some hemming and hawing, I went with the Kobalt 10-in 15-Amp Portable Table Saw and used it throughout this whole project—no complaints! It folds up fairly compact and rolls around on wheels, and has a nice extendable fence for cuts up to 30″. It’s a great price point for what you get, and I’ve used a lot of different saws.

I used wood glue and my Kreg pocket-hole jig to attach the two ends together. This all seemed extremely iffy but “extremely iffy” is kind of my modus operandi at this point.

IT. ACTUALLY. WORKED. I had my doubts, but a little patch, sand, and paint? You really can’t tell unless you’re reallllllly looking for it. I’m OK with that!

When you’ve got it, you’ve got it! What can I say!

NOW. THE UPPERS. SAME GAME BUT DIFFERENT.

The cabinets shaded in pink are the old cabinets, sans doors, left as-is. But they were about a foot too short to span the width of the wall between the window wall and the range hood. SO, to give them a truly built-in look, I just added a slim filler cabinet to one end by building a box (shaded in green) and then attaching it to the old cabinets with drywall screws. Then I attached a new piece of 3/4″ maple plywood along the entire underside, creating one uniform surface. For class!

On the other side of the hood, I matched the size of my new filler cabinet (for symmetry!) and then used most of an old existing cabinet to fill the remaining space, cut down with just a new side panel added on. Make sense? I have color-coded the new in green and old in pink for visual excitement! I also added the same 3/4″ ply panel on the underside but it’s not installed yet in this picture.

NOW. The bigger problem with the uppers was the height! The plan quickly spiraled from reusing a few of the old cabinets into using the entire wall for cabinetry—from about 20″ above the countertop until just shy of the 10′ ceiling, meaning about 5 vertical feet of cabinet space. But the old cabinets were only 3′ high, so we had a large gap at the top (or the bottom—we could have mounted those cabinets higher and ran a shelf or two below them, but that was way more open storage than John wanted to get into. Understandable—it’s not for everyone.). Much like cutting down the width of the old lowers, I could cut down the height of the old uppers to make them fill the space. Then it was just a matter of attaching a new piece of plywood to the top and re-attaching the top rail on the face-frame. This sounds much more complicated than it was.

The point here is not to freak you out. The point is that if this dummy can figure out piecing all this stuff together, you can also figure it out. Grab a measuring tape and see what you can come up with!

Method 2: Reface them! 

I’ve covered this topic before, but real quick: these cabinets are a partial-overlay style. That means there is the cabinet itself (carcase)—think just a simple box that you don’t see—with a face-frame attached to the front that the door hinges are affixed to. Doors and drawer fronts partially overlay this face-frame. Typically the back edges of the doors are routed so that one part fits within the opening created by the face-frame, and maybe 1/4″-1/2″ sits in front of the face frame.

In terms of stock cabinetry, these partial-overlay types are generally considered the least expensive. The combination of the face-frame and the partial-overlay doors doesn’t require the same precision as frameless cabinets (which are sometimes called “European style” or “full-overlay” and have become increasingly common in the U.S. in the past couple of decades) or inset-style ones. Inset is generally the most expensive option (if it’s an option at all!) and mostly what you see with cabinetry that pre-dates WWII.

Very often you’ll see a hybrid on vintage or antique pieces, where drawer fronts are partial-overlay and the doors are inset, like above! I snapped this picture out in the wild. So pretty, right? Take note of that bead detail on the face-frame surrounding the doors—with the right router bit, this would be easy to replicate and apply to a plain face-frame for even more old-school authenticity and charm!

ANYWAY. All of this to say that the hidden beauty of an old bland partial-overlay cabinet is that the carcase and face-frames are already present, meaning that you can easily convert them to an inset style simply by replacing the doors!!

Refacing cabinets can happen in a number of ways. Sometimes, you can work with your old doors—either by adding wood, cutting away detail, or just turning them around so the intended interior surface of the door becomes the exterior. Other times, it may make sense to buy new doors—local cabinet shops might offer this, or a skilled carpenter, or there are a number of online sources that can take custom measurements and turn them into a wide variety of door styles. You have options!

OR you can make them yourself. Again, there are a number of ways to approach this. With the right tools, you can teach yourself to make new doors with traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery and really impress all your friends. I’ve also seen them assembled with biscuit joints, which is a bit simpler. I’ve also seen them done with the Kreg pocket-hole system…lots of ways to make a door. A cabinet is just a box and a door is just a panel that covers one side of it. Relax already!!

Because we needed NINETEEN doors, ordering them was absolutely not an option budget-wise. I didn’t fully price it out, but I think minimum it would have cost around $1,000 before tax, shipping, hinges, or knobs—around $50 per door. So I wanted to do something VERY simple, VERY inexpensive, and VERY fast because that’s a lot of doors to make, and I was hoping John could mostly take on this job himself with a little guidance from me!

ENTER. THE FAKER SHAKER™. That is what I lovingly call my extremely hack-y solution to shaker doors. It is so simple it bears almost no explanation. Here’s all it is:

Step 1. Measure the door openings. Subtract 3/16″ from the length and width. That’s the size of your door.

Step 2. Cut 1/2″ cabinet-grade plywood (ours is maple) to the size of the door. A table saw is by far the easiest way to do this precisely.

Step 3. Rip 1/4″ thick lumber to the width of the stiles and rails you want. This width is personal preference—to me anything under 2″ tends to look a little dinky. We settled on 2.25″. You can buy 1/4″ x 4″ x 4′ stock at Lowe’s (I can’t find the link! but it’s there.) and rip it down, but in this case we happened to have a bunch of cedar off-cuts from a different project that could be run through the planer a few times to achieve perfectly uniform 1/4″ thickness—so that’s what we did!

Step 4. Cut your strips to size. The sides (stiles) should run the entire vertical length of the doors, and the top and the bottom (rails) fit between the stiles.

Step 5. Glue the back of the 1/4″ boards and face-nail them to the plywood with 1/2″ brad nails. I have an old little Craftsman brad nail gun that I love! I would highly recommend owning a compressor and a couple nail guns—I have nailers for brad nails (18 gauge), finish nails (16 gauge), siding, roofing, and framing, and they allllll get plenty of use depending on the job! Makes everything so much faster and more precise. They can all run off of this compressor that’s been a workhorse for several years now. ANYWAY if you’re in the market, this (currently on sale!) combo is a GREAT value to get ya started!

Step 6. Use your favorite patching compound (I LOVE 3M Patch Plus Primer—easy to work with, dries fast, sands super smooth with ease…it’s a great product!) to fill nail holes. You may also choose to use a patching compound around the edges to smooth out the laminated plywood edge. Bondo would work well for this, or you can use iron-on veneer edge banding if your edges are nice and even!

Step 7. Sand the doors smooth and paint! We painted using a little craft sprayer, and then back-brushed with a good-quality Purdy brush. I personally prefer a brushed finish for things like this, although a sprayer will give you more of that factory-finish look.

Step 8. Install the hinges! There are options for this, including concealed hinges, but I love exposed hinges on inset doors! We used these hinges from Amerock in a “wrought iron” finish, and they’re really very nice. For repetitive tasks like this where uniformity is important, I love this little Kreg multipurpose layout tool. It’s so simple but takes out the measuring and marking part of the process, allowing for faster work!

Step 9. Install the doors! This is definitely easiest with an extra set of hands. We numbered all the doors since many were similar in size but not exactly the same. Some didn’t quite close right away, so it was just a matter of removing them, running one side through the saw to shave off like 1/16″, and then putting them back. Plywood is a very stable material, so I don’t anticipate problems with them expanding and getting stuck.

NOTE: The nature of inset doors is that there will be small gaps around all sides of the door, and those gaps are difficult to make perfectly uniform so there might be some variation. You have to accept a little imperfection to get that old world look. Imperfection is OK, as long as it’s not egregious!

Step 10: Install hardware! We used these knobs from Lowe’s and little magnetic latches inside the cabinets to keep them closed.

That’s the whole thing! I’m super happy with how they look, especially considering they came out to under $4/door rather than like $50/door. You can’t really beat that! Faker Shaker™ for the win!

Method 3. Paint and New Hardware! 

This almost goes without saying, but the cheapest and highest-impact change you can make to existing cabinets is fresh paint and hardware. You know this already because you were, presumably, not born yesterday. Here’s how I did it:

I used 3M Patch Plus Primer to fill nail holes, holes left by the old partial-overlay hinges, and holes left by the old hardware. Check to make sure your new hardware isn’t the same spread as the old hardware (the distance between the screws)—there are a few standard spreads like 3″, so you may not actually have to patch and re-drill the holes.

I used my faithful little $30 Black and Decker mouse sander to smooth out the patching compound and knock off the shiny polyurethane finish. You don’t have to get down to bare wood, but as a general rule you don’t want to paint right over a glossy finish because the paint will have a difficult time adhering.

After sanding, you want to wipe everything clean and remove any dust or old oils or waxes. TSP substitute works well for this, as well as Krud Kutter (ONLY to be said in a thick southern drawl), or a liquid deglosser. In any case, I love microfiber cloths for this. They don’t leave lint, are reusable, and pick up dust exceptionally well.

Let that all dry out! It’ll look really bad at this stage. Everything is under control!

Then paint! Latex paints have really just gotten better and better in the past decade or so, so I didn’t use a special cabinet paint (although Valspar does make one!). I just used Valspar Signature paint in a satin finish (total preference, although I wouldn’t recommend going more matte. Semi-gloss would be nice too!). It’s GREAT paint! We used it for the walls (matte) and moldings (satin) as well. While it’s never a bad idea to prime first, Valspar Signature acts as a paint and primer in one, and is super scrubbable and hard-wearing over time. Kitchen cabinets can take a beating so a good paint is your friend! Two coats on everything, always.

For the face-frames, I used a good-quality 2″ angled brush by Purdy, which gave a nice hand-painted look that I think is most appropriate for this style.

Do yourself a favor and just paint the interior of cabinets as well. I didn’t when I did my first kitchen revamp in my house and always regretted it. It’s just not that hard and makes such a difference over time. To make this go quickly, I used a small foam roller to coat all the interior surfaces with a nice thick layer of paint.

Then I went back in with my brush to hit all the corners and back-brushed the surfaces I rolled. Painting the inside of cabinets sounds like such a drag, but I was actually surprised by how quickly it went. So. Very. Worth. It.

For the doors, I sanded them down a little but didn’t go too crazy. I then used this Liquid Sander Deglosser, which is made specifically to promote adhesion onto glossy surfaces like this. Just follow the instructions on the back! So much more painless than trying to get into all the nooks and crannies with sandpaper. Then it was just the same process of spraying and back-brushing, two coats per side, and reinstalling everything.

OH! And for drilling out for the new hardware, I can’t recommend this little Kreg cabinet hardware jig enough! It’s simple to use, speeds the process soooooooo much, and leads to very uniform and level placement. I use it anytime I have to install a bunch of hardware now and it’s really improved my life.

Method 4. Add shelving!

I’m not sure why, but very often older cabinets aren’t using the interior space very efficiently. It’s not uncommon to see shelves that are fixed in place (my old kitchen cabinets were like that), or adjustable but only within a couple inches. These upper cabinets were originally set up for two interior shelves, but they could easily fit three—thereby increasing storage capacity by 1/3rd! That’s a big deal!

Of course, there are a number of ways to go about this, too! If your shelves are fixed in place, you’ll want to remove them and the cleat that holds them up. It’s possible they’ll be fixed in place with a dado joint into the side of the cabinet itself—this is also surmountable! Just remove the shelf and affix a new piece of plywood or melamine to the interior of the cabinet’s sides to cover the old dado cut-outs.

I think the easiest (and cheapest) approach to adding adjustable shelving is to drill out holes for shelf pins, and luckily there’s a great tool for that! I LOVE the Kreg shelf pin jig—it’s just so SMART and I’m mad I didn’t think of it before Kreg did.

I like to start with the jig resting on the bottom of the cabinet and drill out just the top hole, since it’s unlikely you’d want to mount a shelf lower than that. The jig comes with its own bit, and the collar on the bit stops you from over-drilling through the cabinet. Perfect depth and spacing every time!

The jig also comes with a handy little pin that can be inserted into the first hole you drilled. From there, you just move the entire jig up, drill out all the holes, and repeat the process up the side walls of the cabinet. The smart thing about the jig is that it’s identical when you flip it over, so the spacing is always level and perfect. It gets a little tedious (one cabinet might take, like, 60 holes!) but fast and simple. The jig is sized for a standard 5mm shelf pin, which are readily and inexpensively available at Lowe’s! It’s such a good tool and the results look so pro!

We reused all of the original shelves, but still had to make a bunch of our own! The simplest and most cost-effective way I like to do this is with 3/4″ plywood and iron-on veneer edge-banding. Just take the interior measurement of the cabinet, subtract about 1/4″ from the length, and cut the shelf to that size. The iron-on veneer edge-banding is just a little strip of real wood veneer that comes pre-glued, and you just activate the glue with a regular clothing iron to adhere it to the cut plywood edge! That way, it looks like a solid piece of wood. You could do all four sides, but why bother? You only see the outward-facing edge, so just leave the sides and back alone and do that.

To trim the excess, there’s this handy little tool that shaves off the excess and makes the edge-banding flush with the wood. You can also give it a light sanding until it’s all nice and smooth. Boom, you’ve got a shelf!

Just like with the doors, we sprayed the shelves out in the garage and back-brushed by hand. That’s my paint sprayer, by the way! I got it years ago but it took me a while to actually try it out, and it’s AWESOME. A high-end professional paint sprayer will set you back about $500 minimum, whereas this little Wagner Home Decor sprayer is under $100, works great, is very easy to clean, and perfect for small-ish jobs like this. Inexpensive paint sprayers often need the paint thinned out to work effectively, but I’ve never had that experience with this one. Such a handy thing to have around!

YAYYYYYYY, shelves! This is one of the “unaltered” original cabinets, so I just added additional pin holes between the existing ones to allow for more storage possibilities. Getting that third shelf in there made a huge difference!

Here you can get a better sense of how the pin holes look, and how nice and uniform they are! I just love that the Kreg tool makes it so painless and fast. You could really add the pin holes at any point in the cabinet-making process, but I like to do it after the painting is done so that they don’t get clogged up or create opportunity for drips if paint collects in the holes.

Method 5. Add drawers!

I think lower cabinets should pretty much be drawers wherever possible. It’s just better that way? I hate when things get lost in the back of cabinetry and drawers help avoid that issue of major social and economic concern. I will not be told otherwise!

But even if your cabinets have doors with shelves inside, that doesn’t mean you can’t have drawers! Could you build and install drawers? Totally. You could. I, however, would rather not. So I really love these Rev-A-Shelf interior organizers, which can turn any base cabinet into more functional drawers with just a couple screws! They come in a bunch of different sizes to accommodate all the standard cabinet dimensions.

These actually came out of my own kitchen (which is why they weren’t included in the budget), which means they’ve been in use for about 6 years. Just as good as the day I bought them! They are on the somewhat expensive side, but certainly cheaper than new cabinets and such a quick and easy upgrade. I love them and I’m so glad John can put them to use as I wait for new kitchen cabinets to materialize for my own house, ha! I’ll get there someday. I’ve been a little busy!

Is that enough to chew on?! The point is this: whether you’re looking to make a few improvements to your existing space or even if you’re looking at a full kitchen overhaul, don’t completely discount your existing cabinets! Sometimes total replacement makes sense, but I feel like I often see people ripping out perfectly good cabinets to replace them with other perfectly good cabinets (maybe at the expense of a more impactful decision, like amazing backsplash tile or the dream countertops!), when really a little bit of thought could have saved a whole lot of money and hassle and waste. Sometimes little improvements like just adding another shelf can totally change your storage game!

I’m curious: anything you’d add to this list? Smart storage is kinda my main passion and under-exercised skill in life, so I’d love to know what strategies you’ve found or loved to get the most out of your kitchen storage! I’m also planning TWO more kitchen renovations AS WE SPEAK, so help a guy out and tell me your secrets!!

About Daniel Kanter

Hi, I'm Daniel, and I love houses! I'm a serial renovator, DIY-er, and dog-cuddler based in Kingston, New York. Follow along as I bring my 1865 Greek Revival back to life and tackle my 30s to varying degrees of success. Welcome!

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85 Comments

  1. 12.18.19
    Sara L. said:

    I just love the way you reuse stuff. Always so inspiring.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Sara!

  2. 12.18.19
    Chris said:

    Great post! I was afraid I wouldn’t get my M-N fix until the new year! I have totally done the Franken-door trick when I had to resize the small cabinet over my range to make space for a built in microwave (out of fashion, but such a space saver in a small kitchen… don’t judge). But i absolutely despise painting inside cabinets. Worst job ever. I only made it through half of my kitchen cabinets, the other other half still have the old paint inside. … must do that eventually.
    Happy Holidays, Daniel!
    C

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      You too, Chris! Hey—halfway painting is halfway further than I got painting the inside of my own kitchen cabinets! The roller/brush combo really speeds it along if/when you circle back to it!

    • 1.14.20
      Jennifer G said:

      Can you use the sprayer to paint the insides? Or does that work badly?

    • 1.16.20
      Daniel said:

      I’ve never tried it! I don’t see why not, but back-brushing is probably a good idea. I didn’t want to go through the hassle of trying to mask everything off since they were already on the wall when paint time came!

  3. 12.18.19
    Allison said:

    “FrankenDoors”
    You’re a wizard
    Love Lowe’s
    Love this transformation

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks, Allison!

  4. 12.18.19
    Henriette said:

    Moved into an old apartment from the late 50s (as I’m living in Denmark, that isn’t even considered that old…). The original kitchen was one of the reasons I bought the place, so keeping it was key. I am not as handy as you so hired help. I honestly think gutting it and going to IKEA would have been the cheaper option, but it turned out amazing. Removing an upper cabinet to let in more light, moving the existing cabinetry around to add some modern essentials (like a dishwasher) and, above all, adding those metal-drawer things to the inside of the lower cabinets made all the difference. I absolutely love it and would never, ever want to change it.

    5 years on, however, my handpainted fronts are starting to show quite a but of wear. I’m gearing up to getting them professionally spraypainted by a someone who is used to refurbishing furniture. It’s hella expensive but should be more durable and lasts for ever. My neighbor did that 15+ years ago and her fronts are looking better than mine.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      That sounds lovely!! And is so nice that you were able to work with what you had!

  5. 12.18.19
    Regan said:

    Thanks for all the detail — I’ll be saving this post for later. We may be moving to different faculty apartments at our boarding school and most of those kitchens have the 1980s cabinets with the melamine doors with the oak strip (including in our current place). I’ve been daydreaming about new doors and I think a hand electric planer (because the oak strip is not quite flush to the rest of the door) and 1/4″ lattice to fake a shaker frame might do the trick. I’m pretty sure the facility dept won’t care or notice!

    The original layout reminded me of Young House Love’s remodeled kitchen in their first house. They did a great job and that layout could have been kept here (except for that horrid sink/dishwasher sitch), but your layout fits the age of the home better. https://www.younghouselove.com/113-days-later/

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Ohhhh, requesting updates if you take it on! I know exactly what cabinets you mean!!

  6. 12.18.19

    Astounding!
    I love Faker Shaker! Even more than I hate chapeau de gendarme, which is what the curved door motifs are called.
    You inspire me…to try, to have confidence to even try…

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      <3 That's the highest compliment I could as for! Happy holidays, my friend! :)

  7. 12.18.19
    Lynne said:

    So awesome and inspiring. I hope Lowes paid you for your time! But for those of us that have more time than funds, thank you so much for your clever, thrifty approach. I especially love how you reuse materials.

    For your next kitchens I’d appreciate a discussion about lighting. I’m in the midst of this, and because I’m oldish, lighting is important. So things like lighting placement, lumens/square foot, cool LEDs (this might be a good time for a WAC lighting sponsorship), under-cabinet options and how you retrofit old cabinets for that. You know, the technical — not just the pretty — stuff. I think I have it figured out but could use a gut check about it all.

    Also, flooring. I love real sheet linoleum. But did you know it’s hard to find people who know how to install that properly? It’s such cool material. Just wondering if you have thoughts about that. We’re not all blessed with original hardwood floors. I would think your aesthetic and reuse ethics would be a good product placement match for Marmorette or Marmoleum.

    And how about doing a 50s mid century modest kitchen that leans more toward modern and less toward kitsch (you know, the boomerangs, the chrome counter edging, and don’t get me started about the hudee ring and keeping one of those clean)?

    You are BY FAR my favorite blogger. It’s always a good day when one of your posts appear. Keep the attitude, please.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thank you, Lynne! I’m not sure I really have the technical knowledge you’re looking for re: lighting, just my own opinions, haha! I’ve heard that forums on Houzz can be really helpful for things like this, and that there’s a very helpful community there if you have questions about your plan!! I’m happy to try to answer questions, but I probably don’t know nearly as much as you’re giving me credit for, haha!!

      I love real linoleum! For me it’s just all about context—it wouldn’t be my first choice in a house this age, but absolutely for a MCModern/Modest kitchen! I’d lovvveeee to do a renovation like that soon…M-C is one of my very favorite eras and I haven’t really gotten a chance to do it yet! So many fun options that aren’t kitsch (even though I also love 50s kitsch…and 60s kitsch…and 70s kitsch…).

  8. 12.18.19
    Marlena said:

    As always, impeccable! I can’t stop looking at those cabinets!

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks, Marlena! :)

  9. 12.18.19
    Emme said:

    those Frankendoors were a stroke of genius. Really clever re-use of materials. To me, it’s more impressive than throwing money at a problem.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      And more fun, too! :)

  10. 12.18.19
    Ryan said:

    I’m not sure that I have any new smart storage ideas but we’re definitely pinched for storage in our 9×9 kitchen. The one big thing we did to add storage was to build a new cabinet in front of one of the four doors in the kitchen. It led to the hallway and we’re okay with exiting into the dining room and then entering the hall so it was an easy decision. As much as I HATE to change the original layout we gained two big drawers and a new upper cabinet that all of our plates, bowls and glasses go into. AND, we retained the original door and frame on the hall side so it could always be returned if necessary.
    However, two tricks I’ve stolen from images on the internet are to 1) store cookbooks inside one of the upper cabinets. I didn’t know where to put my cookbooks (even though i mostly use my phone for recipes) and couldn’t spare any counter space. About 10 cookbooks fit perfectly on one of the cabinet shelves and easily accessible. 2) Again, with little counter space to spare and also almost no wall space, we keep the knives in a drawer knife holder. I still have an old knife magnet that we used in another house but this kitchen has only section of available wall to install it and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to stare right at them while prepping. I konmari’d my kitchen utensil drawer and made room for the in-drawer knife block.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      That’s a great solution, Ryan! Sometimes covering a doorway makes the most sense, but I think if you can leave it in place that’s the best way to do it!! My house was two apartments when I bought it and I’m so grateful they didn’t remove doorways/trim that they covered and blocked to accommodate the two-family layout. Those are both great tips, too! I am SO looking forward to having some more cabinets in my kitchen so I can get more stuff off the counters! Clear counters are such a nice thing. :)

  11. 12.18.19
    Jillbert said:

    LOVE this! You make me almost brave enough to tackle making doors for my kitchen. A couple years ago, I “remodeled” it with a handyman — moving cabinets and filling in gaps with IKEA cabinets but couldn’t afford door (the bulk of my super limited budget went toward butcher block countertops). So, it’s not super pretty but it is amazingly functional which was the goal. Can I say how happy I am that you are being sponsored now and cranking out these lovely and inspiring spaces?

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thank you so much, Jillbert! It’s been a really fun (and educational!) year of getting to take on all this stuff with Lowe’s! I couldn’t ask for a better partnership. :)

  12. 12.18.19
    Judith said:

    Those look amazing, and I’m very glad you shared the progress. I’ll definitely keep that method it in mind for if I ever am in a situation where I could use it, as it looks much more doable than I’d have thought. I especially liked the franken-doors :)

    There’s one thing I want to suggest, because I am currently waging a battle against moths: in the cabinets where any kind of food is stored (no matter if flour, nuts, dried fruit, whatever), I’d put a strip of clear tape over the unused pin holes. There’s slightly matte tape called document tape, and I’d try if that one or the clear kind works better in terms of being not very noticeable.

    The reason for that is that if moths get into the food stuff (which happens mostly by people bringing them in with already contaminated flour etc., not by them flying into the kitchen from outside), their little maggots develop and then crawl around in search of small dark spaces to pupate and turn into new moths in. A process for which maggot-sized pre-drilled holes is just perfect. So if you’re unlucky, you’ll find yourself digging those tiny bastards and their sticky webs out of each and every single one of those holes, left and right, front and back for each row of pin holes. A strip of almost invisible tape prevents that, and will preserve your sanity in the process. Believe me, I payed dearly to gain that knowledge XD

    • 12.18.19
      Wilma said:

      IKEA also sells little plastic filler things for those holes. Unfortunately, I believe they are only available in white.

    • 12.19.19
      Judith said:

      I thought they are only white (that’s why I proposed the tape solution here), but in looking them up found it shows black ones, too, at least for the UK. It’s good you mentioned them, because in general they are a really useful thing. I actually have them in my Billies in the living room, they make them look a lot better. They are a bit of a pain to remove though, but that’s not a problem that comes up often.

      In my Ikea, the people working there didn’t even know they exist, so if anyone wants to buy them you might be better off trying to find their placement on the in-store terminals. They come in small packages of ten strips with ten pins each and are called “VARIERA cover cap” (or “VARIERA Abdeckkappe” here in Germany).

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      I saw those last time I was there! I’m unclear on whether IKEA is phasing out the brown-black cabinet boxes or what…I was told they are but it’s still an option on the website. I hope they don’t only because they look better with the darker door options!! Seeing little strips of white cabinet frame around black cabinet doors is a real bummer.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      WOW! I NEVER would have thought of this and it makes PERFECT sense! Thank you!!

  13. 12.18.19
    Chris said:

    Did you do a vertical divide cabinet for cookie sheets/platters/pizza pans/etc? I can’t live without mine.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Ya know, I didn’t and I should have!! Originally I thought I’d have one of those open slim cabinets next to the stove for that reason, but that got nixed and I didn’t make up for it. I SHOULD have done it in one of those cabinets above the fridge probably, but it could always be added. My mother agrees with you 100%!

  14. 12.18.19
    Claudia said:

    Such a glorious reno, that kitchen must be a joy to cook in!

    As always, you have clearly explained the voodoo you performed to get the job done on a budget. Genius!

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Claudia! I’ve yet to cook a meal in it but I *think* there’s a small Christmas party on the horizon I’m invited to! :)

  15. 12.18.19
    Barbara said:

    Not a storage solution, but in my old apartment, the kitchen had a strip of electrical outlets mounted under the upper cabinets. This minimized the outlets in the backsplash and it was just convenient to be able to put small appliances like the coffee maker or toaster in multiple locations depending upon what cooking project or meal was under way.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      I’ve seen that! It’s very smart! Thanks for reminding me!

  16. 12.18.19
    SLG said:

    Daniel, this kitchen is amazing! I am now a forever-fan of frankendoors. (I also remember when you posted about building cabinet boxes, and I was desperate to know how to make doors, and now you have revealed the magic!)

    As far as kitchen storage goes, I have a smallish galley kitchen (normal for a condo, small by HGTV standards) and I’ve found a few cheap tricks and a few not-so-cheap ones:

    – The smallest size of Amazon box fits inside most upper kitchen cabinets! I use it for grouping like things in high cabinets, then I can get the whole box down if I need to rummage through the things.
    – Mason jars with masking-tape labels on them make fantastic dry-goods storage. Plus, they can lie on their sides on one of those cheap cabinet-organizer things from Target (https://www.target.com/p/kitchen-cabinet-organizer-shelf-large-made-by-design-153/-/A-53147212). Put masking-tape labels on the bottom of the jars, facing you, and presto, double the storage. Plus fancy feelings from decanting things.
    – GlassLock rectangular food containers nest completely and neatly, meaning that 3 containers can be stored in the space of one. Magic. As a result, the space taken up in my cabinets by food storage containers is only 8 inches wide and 12 inches tall (2 stacked sets of nested containers).
    – Rev-A-Shelf also makes a trash-can pullout, which is a lifesaver. I discovered with my last kitchen reno that the magic is to put the trash can pull-out not under the sink, but wherever the food prep usually happens. That way you can sweep vegetable ends, meat packaging, etc. elegantly into the trash, right where you stand.
    – Not cheap but 100% worth it: Bed Bath & Beyond (and probably any appropriately fussy homegoods store) sells spice storage gizmos with pull-out drawers that the spice bottles lie in. The storage gizmo fits inside an upper cabinet. The way to make this work hard for you is to alphabetize the spices. (I know.) It is ultimate nerdery but I can’t even describe how much less stressful cooking is when I never have to search for the garlic powder or chipotle pepper.

    I’m still so in awe of this kitchen — you won the internet hands down.

    • 12.19.19
      SLG said:

      Also: I busted up laughing at your expert use of Missy Elliott.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      These are great tips, thank you! That’s so smart to store the mason jars on their sides for more space!! My new label obsession (aside from the little embossing labeler that makes all labels look straight out of 1964) is this 3M Full Adhesive Roll…not quite as sticky as masking tape so it’s easier to peel off when you want to change the label, but somehow adheres to more surfaces (like the rubber lids of my pyrex storage containers) than regular adhesive labels? I use it for all kinds of stuff now.

      YES to the roll-out trash! For me it’s basically a requirement. I grew up with roll-out trash and it’s just the best!

      Do you have a link for the spice storage thing? I’ve never found a solution I loved except a line of wall/door mounted racks that IKEA used to make but OF COURSE have since discontinued, and my ex has them, haha!

    • 12.20.19
      SLG said:

      Here you go! They come in different sizes and apparently the large one now comes in an adjustable version, which wasn’t around when I was buying them: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HF5524M/

      (Also: a ROLL of post-it-stickiness? what magic is this?)

    • 12.23.19
      Lori said:

      I’d like to give this pull-out spice storage system a shoutout. One of my friends does a ton of cooking and got it for Christmas last year and I have been coveting it ever since. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s the most efficient use of space I’ve seen, and if you cook a lot and have a lot of spices, it’s worth the money: https://www.amazon.com/Vertical-Spice-222x2x11-Mounted-Capacity/dp/B00F4N0SIC?ref_=Oct_MWishedForC_510156_3&pf_rd_r=TYZTR2AH1TE1AG1AZS2Q&pf_rd_p=d693b4e9-91b3-5441-b170-95e46a08b7b5&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-10&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=510156&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

      I’m torn between getting this and making a medicine cabinet style recessed spice cabinet between some wall studs!

  17. 12.18.19
    Lynn Hayworth said:

    Oh Daniel, it is my happy place when I see a post from you! I learn, I think, I ponder, I buy new tools and gift even more to my son in an 1888 Victorian home in Leadville, CO. I trust your experience and recommendations sooo much. You add hope and happiness and beauty to never-ending projects. And Lowe’s welcomes our mountain dogs. Bonus! xoxo

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Aw, thank you, Lynn! Best of luck to your son and his house!! Tools are the most thoughtful gifts for someone renovating an old house, for real!!

  18. 12.19.19
    Hope said:

    The faker shaker inset doors are brilliant. Exactly what I needed to know. Thank you.

    I see the excellent pantry beside the fridge. You didn’t put the vertical rack in over the fridge, though, did you? Le sigh. I understand. So much to do, so little time. Maybe you can put one in the next kitchen?

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      I didn’t and I should have!! Next time. Or could always be added to this one! Nothin wrong with that!

    • 12.21.19
      Ann said:

      I have heard that you can position tension rods to separate cookie sheets from trays, a much cheaper, quicker way to transform a regular cabinet into a special-purpose one.

  19. 12.19.19
    Mouse said:

    Love this kitchen transformation! Such good solutions and I love the tiles.

    Storage ideas: hooks hooks hooks. We built our house–timber frame–and have utilized a lot of black iron pipes for various things: curtain rods, pot rod hanging above the fridge etc. Contemplating putting one on the side of a cross beam in the kitchen as a pot rack. Or maybe building a vertical one; not sure yet. Cheap and strong. Sometimes we painted them black, sometimes just left them as is. I know that industrial look is not for everyone, but if it works in your space, it’s great.

    One other comment: we had a friend do our kitchen cabinetry which I planned out carefully for storage. The only realistic solution for spice storage was one of those vertical roll-out cabinets, which I dreaded but did anyway. I told our friend it had to be as big as it could be as I use a lot of different spices. To my surprise, I LOVE it. So there’s that.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Yesssssss, I love hooks! That sounds dumb now that I’m writing it but it’s TRUE I REALLY LOVE A GOOD HOOK! I’ve been looking at those roll-out spice storage cabinets too!! I’ve never had one but it does seem really practical and smart! Noted!

  20. 12.19.19
    Susan said:

    As a painter, I’ve now done at least 5 kitchens repainting those EXACT same cabinets. I groan every single time someone asks me to do them because 1. They always want white which takes good primer and more than 2 coats to really cover that dark oak and 2. I have been intimidated to use a sprayer. Often I have to leave the doors in place (lack of space or unheated MN winter garages. They take FOREVER but people are always stunned at how good it looks, and for so much less than ripping them out and starting over. Can I get over my fear and use a sprayer when the doors need to remain in place?

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      I don’t know!! I considered spraying the cabinet frames/interiors in place but it just seemed like sooooo much masking and prep work that it didn’t feel worth it. But I have friends who SWEAR by spraying anything and everything they can—walls, ceilings, cabinets, moldings, doors…oh my!

      For those unheated garages, definitely consider one of those little propane heaters!! I picked up this one last year and it is a GODSEND. This garage is also unheated and it’s also cold here, so this little heater basically quadrupled our workspace by making the garage temperate enough to work in and paint.

  21. 12.19.19
    Susan said:

    You are also, far and away, hands down my FAVORITE blogger of all time. And I don’t use such words lightly. Funny, informative, meaty, and creative. My only complaint is too few posts!

    • 12.19.19
      Chris said:

      What she said!

    • 12.20.19
      Jo said:

      What they said!

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thank you!! I’ll keep working on that last part!! Good intentions but these projects keep me B U S Y and I struggle with finding the balance!

    • 12.22.19
      Susan said:

      You could do a quick 2 paragraph post with 2 photos and we’d all be so happy! (But can you???)

  22. 12.19.19
    Eileen said:

    Amazing. Just. Amazing.
    I have nothing useful to add – except perhaps to extol the virtues of pull-out shelves for cabinets, but I’m dying to know what those cute dishes with the blue bunnies (and other critters) are!!!!

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Eileen! The company is called Now Designs—they have tons of stuff on Amazon and here is their site! http://nowdesigns.net

  23. 12.19.19
    sara said:

    This so beautiful! I can’t believe you accomplished all that in such a tight timeframe. And that tile!!! We demoed our second bathroom when we bought our house FOUR YEARS AGO (and of course, other projects took over, so we just keep the door shut and pretend it’s not there), and in that time, I’ve been searching in vain for the affordable tile of my dreams for a moody shower. I think this might be it!

    As for storage, when we rebuilt our kitchen we installed a 3” base cab filler spice rack from rev-a-shelf and it’s probably my favorite thing in the entire kitchen and thing people comment on the most. I’ve also been thinking about installing a storage drawer behind one of our toe-kicks for spare baking sheets and shallow pans. I’m not sure if I’m interested in it because it’s actually useful or because I’m a sucker for hidden compartments, haha.

    One question: do you ever have the problem of things sticking to latex painted shelf surfaces? I feel like no matter how thin of coats I do or how long it dries, if something sits on a painted shelf for a few weeks without moving, it sticks to it.

    • 12.19.19
      SLG said:

      I’m not Daniel, but I’ve also found that things stick to latex painted surfaces. The only solution I’ve found is to use different paint. For cabinets / shelves, I use Benjamin Moore’s Advance line, and I’ve never had any problems with things sticking to it.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Ohhh, I’d love to see this in a shower! The other colors are great too. I was looking at rev-a-shelf spice rack!! Good to know you like it. I might put one in my kitchen, too!

      Re: paint…hmmmm…I haven’t had this problem in a long time! I think it often depends on the paint itself since some take longer to truly cure than others? It’s definitely happened to me but I think it’s always been because I rushed to put stuff on shelves that really could have used a little longer to dry. One solution might be to do a top coat of polyurethane, but there might be other better answers out there!

  24. 12.19.19
    Callie said:

    This is may be my most favorite kitchen remodel and cabinet hack tutorial of all times. Genius. Also, I literally gasp out loud every time you have a new blog post.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks, Callie! :)

  25. 12.19.19
    M said:

    I am so impressed with Method 1. Seriously ballsy move rewarded with fantastic results. Congratulate yourself on a(nother) job well done.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks, M! Cutting into that first cabinet was JUST A LITTLE STRESSFUL (no back-up plan!!) but then I got kinda into it. ;)

  26. 12.19.19
    Elizabeth Fife said:

    Those cabinets are beautiful! I love what you have done. You may have inspired to do the same thing with our kitchen that’s looking a little outdated. Keep up the good work!

  27. 12.19.19
    Paula said:

    Your Rev-a-Shelf tip made all the difference when we bought our fixer upper a few years ago. The first thing I did was clean and paint the inside of our kitchen cabinets and then outfit all the bottom cabinets with Rev-a-Shelf drawers. Like you said they’re not cheap but anything made well isn’t, and they’re still a fraction of the cost of new cabinets, never mind the hassle and cost of demolition, planning, selecting, buying, delivering, and installing. They’re still super sturdy after three years of use and holding a lot of heavy stuff! Our 1960s kitchen cabinets were functional from day one, and I still see no reason to rip out perfectly good cabinets when you can buy Rev-a-Shelf and drawer organizer inserts from Ikea.

    That is all. Love the colour of these cabinets!

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Nice, I love that!

    • 12.23.19
      Jean said:

      My mom has a 1990s oak kitchen that actually has a fantastic layout and is really functional, but sadly has those hideous cathedral arch upper doors. I’m so intrigued by the Frankendoor approach, especially as there’s no shortage of those cathedral arch doors piling up in salvage/reuse stores, craigslist, etc. What some new doors and some paint could do for her place! And it NEVER would have occurred to me if not for you!

  28. 12.19.19
    SLG said:

    Daniel, I have an extremely nerdy cabinet door question, and I’m probably overthinking this: how careful were you about the 3/16″ allowance for the size of the door? Like, did you cut in such a way that the door was exactly at that measurement, and any waste from the saw blade thickness came out of the leftover wood?

    I’ve always pictured cabinet-building as something that takes extreme, detailed precision, and now I’m wondering if I’ve taken it all far too seriously.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      Haha, you might have! I’m not sure I’m completely understanding the question…forgive me…so for instance if the rough opening on the cabinet is 12″ x 24″, you’d want to make the door 11 13/16″ x 23 13/16″…or you could always go 1/4″ instead of 3/16″ and keep the math a little simpler. So to cut, you’d just set the table saw to that measurement and you should be good! Let me know if that makes sense??

    • 12.20.19
      SGL said:

      I think I’m following you! My question was about how the table saw blade is going to take off some of the wood, so if you cut down the center of a 11 13/16″ line, your cut piece will actually be more like 11 3/4 because the blade itself is about 1/16″ thick.

      But after I hit “submit” I realized the solution is to shift the blade over a smidge so you don’t accidentally cut the door too small. And yes, I’m definitely overthinking it, on the internet for all to see.

  29. 12.19.19
    NestFan said:

    Is that a half-blind cabinet I spy next to the cabinet with with wire inserts? Surely you installed one of those fancy inserts that with shelves that wing out of the cabinet, so you can use the whole space inside the cabinet box. I want to see that! And some ideas for how you managed to figure out which size of ones available to purchase fits into the non-standard-size, half-blind cabinet. Haven’t done that yet? Surely this kitchen needs one – I know my current kitchen does.

    Also, for those who like the pull-outs but don’t want to spend the money, you can make a shelf with little edges a few inches high all round and install them to slide out on sliders. Not as fancy looking, and takes some work to make, but way cheaper. Also, since they are plywood and not wire, you can store small things in them and the little stuff doesn’t fall through the cracks as with wire.

    • 12.20.19
      Daniel said:

      I didn’t install one of those fancy inserts (budget!) but it can always be added! John put infrequently used items in there like the huge stock pot, turkey roasting pan, that kinda stuff!

  30. 12.20.19
    Heidi said:

    I love this kitchen and I love this post, especially the color coding. Sometimes I have no idea what people are talking about in their photos. This makes it seem doable.

  31. 12.21.19
    Bean said:

    Is there anything I would add to the list–yes. I wish you would show how to make a blind corner cabinet insert that swings out or rolls out. (Rev-a-shelf makes one–but the opening has to be a particular height which is taller–probably–than the cabinets you are dealing with here.)

    Our cabinet maker did not listen when I kept saying that we were buying an insert for the blind corner cabinet–and by the time I saw what he’d done, there was a drawer above the bottom cabinet door, and the Rev-a-shelf would no longer fit. I’ve found that sub-contractors become difficult to work with when one complains–so we just smiled and let it slide. DH can fix it later.

    So, yes, if you wanted to do a blind corner DIY project (there are quite a few on Pinterest and on YouTube, and even some commercial versions which might be inspiring), I’d be down for that, as it would help to get DH started on making a custom insert.

    • 1.2.20
      NestFan said:

      I have been searching blind corner cabinet inserts online, and there are some that are designed to go in cabinets under a drawer – keep looking, and look at the photos carefully – some show them clearly installed cabinets under a drawer. The height of the unit will also be less than the typical ones, even if there’s not a photo of it installed.

  32. 12.21.19
    Andrea said:

    I love the little flip out tray underneath the sink that goes where there is usually just a decorative strip of wood. Used for sponges.

    Also, as some one else mentioned, turnin the toe kick into flat drawer for flat pans. I hate wasted space!

  33. 12.21.19
    Susan said:

    I may have missed it in all the wonderful details, but what is the paint color? Love this amazing transformation.

    • 12.21.19
      Daniel said:

      oh! It’s Valspar’s Cobalt Cannon! :)

  34. 12.21.19
    Mom said:

    Amazing, amazing, amazing. I don’t even know where you learned all this stuff let alone the language to describe it. No wonder you were exhausted at the end of this job. You continue to impress me beyond words with your hard work, fortitude, creativity, ambition, etc. With MUCH LOVE and PRIDE, Mom

  35. 12.28.19

    I love this kitchen – esp. the tiles!!
    You asked for any ideas for updates to come for other kitchens. I have three very narrow pull-outs around mine, filling in spaces that otherwise would not be utilised. I asked the kitchen designer (I’m not clever like you) to fill in every single space with storage….. these narrow pull outs are only 6 inches wide internally, but will take one row of jugs, or bottles (like oils and vinegars) which do take up quite a lot of room on ordinary shelves and have been a godsend for removing “stuff” that often ends up on the worktops. Also I hid my toaster in a cupboard space that has an up and out door rather than normal side-opening. I got an electric point put in the cupboard, so I just pull the toaster out, toast the bread and let the toaster cool whilst eating it. I have seen kitchens with “electricals cupboards” that hold the breadmaker, the mixer, the juicer, etc all plugged in and ready to lift out and use.

  36. 1.14.20
    Alexis said:

    I know this comment is late to the party, but I had to add my 2 cents:

    Firstly, lol at the frankendoors, reminds me of the franken-hoover I once had.

    Anyway, probably my most favourite kitchen hack that we used in our kitchen reno is our pantry cupboard. It’s a full height cabinet in the corner between the fridge and a tall cabinet that has the oven in it. Simplest and cheapest option ever, we just put L-shaped shelves in so that you can reach back into the corners. It looks small and unassuming from the outside, it has a standard 45cm door on it, but it is huge inside because it uses all the space in the corner. All our groceries and seldom used cooking appliances fit in there with room to spare. And yes, I am aware that there are fancy pull out rack things that allow you to utilise the space in corner cupboards, but this was waaaaaaay cheaper and I think gives us more useable space than a rack.

  37. 1.14.20
    Sarah White said:

    WOW!! This is an absolutely incredible transformation! I love the color you chose for the cabinets, it really makes the whole kitchen look more sophisticated and chic. A few months ago I got my bathroom cabinets repainted by professional cabinet refinisher in my area and they did a good job. Next time, I might buy that little Wagner Home Decor sprayer that you used and go the DIY route! Can’t wait to see more kitchen makeovers! :)

  38. 5.28.20
    Bob Builder said:

    Love the transformation

  39. 11.5.20
    Leslie Hamlin said:

    Your kitchen is a piece of art. Such character. It is glorious in so many ways. I’m in love with your back splash tile! What brand is it and what color grout did you use? Wow! Stunning. Leslie

  40. 6.14.23
    Alex said:

    Oh wow, reading this article felt like being on a rollercoaster ride of DIY awesomeness! I mean, those old cabinets didn’t know what hit them. I love your guts and creativity, and also that bit of sass you added in about not worrying about ‘the box.’ The whole Franken-door thing? Genius! Honestly, your energy is contagious. Can’t wait to see what you tackle next!