Don’t Rip Out Solid Cabinets - Paint ‘Em!
In the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region we call home, Winter is a great time of year to get outdoors and have fun on the snow and ice. It’s just the opposite as far as painting and building go – now is the time to get your indoor projects planned, scheduled, and underway.
Kitchens and bathrooms are a popular project for winter makeovers. With the holidays ended, there’s less chance you’ll have houseguests or parties to put heavy demands on those two vital rooms. You’ll be able to make do with a bit of dislocation, like using the microwave and a hotplate on the dining room table, or sharing the “guest” bathroom with the entire family.
How Much Makeover Do You Need?
Another way to lessen the fuss and bother is to reconsider the extent of the makeover. Would a thorough cleanup and a change of towels, drapes, and artwork suffice? OK, maybe that’s a little too light to make you happy. But do you really need to relocate all of the appliances or just to replace them?
And how about those cabinets, or the vanity? Are they still solid? Do the hinges and latches all work? If they’re not perfect, can you simply replace the hardware to put everything in working order?
If the answer to those questions is a simple “yes”, you should consider paint before replacement.
Paint Gives You Many Options
You’d be surprised how a fresh coat of paint in a new color can revive dingy cabinets. Cleaning and painting the walls above, below, and around them turns the entire kitchen or bathroom into a new space entirely. And don’t forget the ceiling – a fresh hue can really brighten your mornings.
Paint gives you so many options: contrasts and compliments, pales and darks, primaries and pastels, paints and stains. You can completely cover timeworn wood or you can stain it a new shade, adding a color tint that still shows the wood grain. With proper prep work, you can paint laminates as well. Painted stencils can add period highlights on cabinet doors or the frames around them to complement and highlight new hardware.
A change in the ceiling lights or the addition of LED strips under the cabinets can really bring out the colors in your newly painted cabinets. You can also change the molding above the cabinets, or simply paint what’s there in a way that turns the molding itself into a real highlight and not just a cover-up for a six-inch gap.
There are many ways to create a new look without ripping out everything and moving windows and doors, and paint is the first place to start. You’ll save money and mess, and have the work completed that much faster.
While you’re considering winter projects – either painting or remodeling – check out our earlier articles:
Planning – and Scheduling – Winter Projects
How We Deal with Dust & Fumes in the Winter
