Kitchen Cabinets & Island
Hi Everyone, I’m considering buying an apartment in a brownstone but unfortunately the kitchen which is only 3 years old is not to my taste. I’d like a more contemporary look ala Dwell Magazine, or Henry Built or even Ikea but wont have the money to start over after the pretty hefty downpayment. Also, I’d hate to scrap perfectly good cabinets even if they are ugly. I was thinking I could reface the cabinets. Does anyone cabinetmaker with great taste who can work with a pretty tight budget? Most of the companies that I’ve seen that do it are pretty traditional. Also, I’d like to add an island to the kitchen. Thanks for your help.
puffa
in Bath & Kitchen 12 years and 3 months ago
3
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3 replies
brokelin | 12 years and 3 months ago
Not sure what exactly you mean by replace, but purchasing entire new doors for the cabinets is entirely doable, and, if you can spring for it, preferable (I think) to painting (though painting is a cheaper fix that can work). I relate to your problem – it was a problem for me when buying a brownstone coop. I wanted a kitchen I did not have to renovate – it did not have to be newly renovated, or renovated to any particular style, just not something I hated. Most of what I saw either (1) was so old that it needed immediate renovation to not be depressing, or, (2) if already renovated, newly renovated in a way that I’d want to rip stuff out. I ended up finding (eventually) a place with a kitchen and bathroom renovated that I mostly liked, or could live with, but it was hard. I wish people renovating were more aware of putting some decent style into their kitchen renovations, rather than the standard ugly stained cabinets (red cherry stain, or lighter stain that clashes terribly with the floor and woodwork colors), ubiqutious mottled granite, etc. There ARE other, much nicer, options.
slopegirl | 12 years and 3 months ago
no idea what your kitchen looks like but I did paint my former kitchen cabinets (which were ugly home depot oak type) and add new hardware. For about $200 and a lot of work, a totally new looking kitchen.
rh | 12 years and 3 months ago
You might be better off selling your kitchen on Craigslist and getting a few hundred bucks for it, then purchasing a new kitchen at a place like Build it Green or Habitat ReStore (Habitat is not located in Brooklyn). Here’s an artist who does all sorts of faux techniques including cabinet resurfacing: Emilia: devitisemiliaATyahooDOTcom. If you are handy and your budget is really tight, it’s not a big deal to do it yourself. Just make sure to sand the cabinets down prior to priming and then add about 3 coats of sealer after painting.