Sorry it took me so long to get back -my kitchen is 13 ft wide and 13 1/2 ft long. We have 9ft ceilings. We had to take back the cabinets 1 ft for more passage space- I left one tall shelf in those cabinets and I find it is perfect for cereal boxes- the kids eat right at the counter and it is a convenient place for all of the breakfast stuff. The one foot is not alot of counter, but we have used it to set up the wine bar when we entertain- I am having technical difficulties w/my camera at the moment-the eating area is typical-you can see the chandelier in the corner of the pictures and we have a table in front of the sliding door-then it opens to the family room. Good luck w/your remodel. I am really happy w/extra seating-(I have 3 kids)-no regrets giving up the cabinet space- have a wonderful journey-I'll be watching for your pics!

all i can say is thank heavens my husband does not visit this site!!!!

lolololol

absolutely stunning and beautiful

i, too, appreciate the budget you did this under

you should be soooooo proud

wow, what a beautiful transformation and you had tons to do. Wow, is all I can say!

Seeing your before/after kitchen photos gives me more pleasure! You did a fantastic job. Enjoy that beautiful kitchen!

Thanks for your reply with the measurements. Our kitchen is also 13 feet wide. Do you know the width of your aisles and the size of your island? Your kitchen is giving us some great inspiration for ours!

The cost of your remodel included redoing the cabinets, new granite, new backsplash, lights above and below the cabinets and what else? Trying to get an idea of what to expect costwise with our kitchen.

Are the lights above your island left from before the redo? I love those and they would be perfect for my kitchen redo. They match my breakfast room chandlier really well. Do you know who made them, style number, where you got them or any info that would help me?

Your transformation is incredible!! I love it. I would like to paint my island, but I'm too chicken. Its cherry wood with a cherry stain as are my cabinets.

Hockeymom- the island is 26" cabs and the granite is 38" at the widest (it's arched)-the aisles are both 39"- I think the min. suggested is normally 36". It depends on what your layout is, but you may need more behind the stools- the area behind our stools is not part of the kitchen triangle, so it works for us-my stools are "saddle stools" and wide but not deep and fit under the island overhang really well- I like the look of stools w/backs- but they get in the way of serving buffet style food on the island which we do a lot of- My under $10,000 price tag includes everything but the appliances - but I have an awesome painter/handyman who did the majority of the work for $4000- I got a great price on my granite from a local guy-and he included the sink-$3500 installed-the backsplash was $900 installed total-
I fell into some great prices- the granite guy had a bunch of Uba tuba in stock and had the acid wash tumbled travertine in stock for the back splash, so he gave me super prices-I had a great experience working w/ a local guy and he didn't nickel and dime me on the extras on the design like the arch in the island-I think this is an upcharge at HD-(They wanted $7500) for basic cut out. The lights were those halagen puck lights at HD -my painter put them up-don't think this was very hard and less than $200.
debbie- my lights were there before -we didn't change them- I think they are (something)Feiss (sp)-can't remember the first part of the mnf. name -they are over 6 years old-I have a friend that got them at Expo (I got them at a local lighting co)is it holly feiss, molly feiss....the memory is going-sorry

Thanks so much, I am saving the photos of your kitchen and clipping parts of this thread. We are still in the planning stages but you have helped a lot!

Holy freaking cow...I'm not sure I believe it's the same cabinets and kitchen! heh heh It's really something to be VERY proud of! This was very well done in all areas of the job!

Fantastic kitchen!!! I have the exact same oak cabinets and I'm planning to paint them a very similar color scheme as yours. I want the really smooth look without the grains as well.

Where did you buy the MH Ready patch by Zinsser that you were talking about? My local Lowes and Home Depot don't seem to have it. Or maybe I didn't look in the right place. Thanks so much!

I do believe you should win the "bamaspice" award!

The new island is SOOOOOO much better looking than the old one! Good work!

amcofar- is this a forum award?-ha-thanks
jayman7- We got the ready patch at a local paint shop-They sell Benjamin Moore paint etc. I was hoping someone would post a better way to fill the grain to save you some trouble- the original grain filler we used, I think it was by Old world, just didn't completely fill in the grain. Good luck!

nodirthere: I say it is. bamapsice upgraded her existing cabinets and kitchen details from a "homely" duckling into a swan as you did.

Today, I awarded the "sharb" award to mnhockeymom for similar high-end remodeling and design of her kitchen.

There are many very talented folks on GW. I think the stellar designs deserve an award, so I made some up!

nodirthere - thanks for the info. Rather than searching all my local paint stores, I found it online and ordered a quart.

Here is a link that might be useful: MH Ready Patch at buy.com

amcofar-I love them- bamaspice has a nice ring to it- I picked my name on a whim-not thinking I would really be posting....(it was in reference to my lack of interest and inability to garden or keep a plant alive!-not my cleanliness)- then I got sucked into this forum-and now I can't stop- there is so much talent and great ideas -
so what is sharb-I will check the finished kitchen blog....

LOVE IT!! What did you use for a glaze? I love the molding you added to top and bottom!! Very inspirational :)

NEVER MIND, JUST SAW THE GLAZE NAME UP TOP. THANKS

This is a remarkable difference! I love your new kitchen!

I have been recommened Fine Paints of Europe Brushing Putty. It is is basically a thick primer. I think there may be a forum member who used this-try a search. I had alenght discussion with my local FPE retailer, and this stuff is supposed to be great-no sanding invloved after it goes on. I am planning on buying Oak IKEA cabs and using this underneath the color coat to achieve a smooth finish.

amberley-getting the grain out was the most challenging part of the project- just curious- why are you buying oak cabinets and then filing the grain?- could you just buy maple and forgo this step? I tried searching for an easy way out w/filing the grain but didn't find it- can't wait to see how the brushing putty works-as I am going to start the bathrooms soon. Please post if you use it.

Just ran across this thread. I am in the process of having my Mom's cabinets redone/painting. They were a maple type and I want to paint in a nice Benj. Moore Cream color. Any suggestions of what color cream or direct me to another thread that has this information?

Thank you for the help.

REALLY amazing. For anyone with a layout worth preserving, your kitchen is a testament to the fact that old cabinets can be saved!!!!! I'm really impressed.

Dixiedog-- if you like the cream color I have-scroll up- it's a custom cream color- I posted the formula- so far the BM Impervo has held up well.

nodirthere, can you tell me if your cabinets are Cardill 360 series? I am trying to figure out how easy we can transform ours (color, knobs/pulls, etc.). Your kitchen before pics look quite similar to what we started with.

Anything you can tell us would be most welcome.

nodirthere -- I got through painting a small set of cabinets in my kitchen per your advice and I'm pleased with how they turned out! I wanted to try my hand from start to finish for a couple before I do the rest of my cabinets, so I get the technique down and learn what to do and not to do. I'm looking for satin nickel hardware, but while I'm doing that I'm looking to glaze it as well. Since I never glazed before I'm curious what color you used. I know you gave the BM formula, but is there a way you can take a picture of the color so I have a good idea of what shade/color of Behr to get? I would appreciate it, thanks!!

Wow nodirthere that is a totally amazing transformation!! You have definitely updated things to a very sophisticated level and on a budget. I love the "cutout" corners of the island and the frosted glass. Very nice!!!

jayman7-I'm on the road for spring break (Fripp Island SC)so I can't take a pic- the HD can convert the BM formula posted above (at least I know they can do it for paint-probably can do it for glaze)-it is a bit on the taupe side -looks much lighter on the cabinets--than in the can.
pugger- my cabinets are low grade Merillat -they don't even have a raised panel in the middle-go for it!

Your "new" cabinets look so much better than before. Congratulations.

I absolutely love your kitchen re-do. I'm also in the market for refacing/replacing/painting my oak cabs. This seems like the most economical route - since I have 39 doors and 18 drawer fronts. I also live in northern Illinois and wonder if you'd be willing to share the name of your painter. (Not sure I'm up for all the glazing work, though. Beautiful!

darcymom- thank you- I can give you my painter's name and number-are we suppose to post on this forum #'s ?haven't seen any-so I hesitate- how to get this info to you? Anyone know?

Nodirthere - thanks for the quick response. I was just wondering the same thing. Although I joined the forum a year ago, this is my first post. I'm just a lurker! Maybe someone can enlighten us??

nodirthere-

sorry for the lapsed rsponse-

I am buying IKEA cabs, so there isn't a maple or flatter wood grain to choose from in the style I like. I am going to try to tint the Brushing Putty myself (they can't do it at the store- it is really thick). Reason is- I plan to do a bit of sand-through so I can get that "old" look, and I don't want it to be white showing through.

Nodirthere-I've enabled a way for you to email me the painters name, if you will. I just keep coming back to your kitchen! I'm not thrilled with my oak cabs - partial overlay, but I did add crown to them a few years ago. And I still like the layout. We also have a good friend who's a master cabinetmaker and I may have him conceal toe kicks, etc. In a perfect world, I'd have him build me a new kitchen, but. . . one can dream!

Darcymom-How do I e-mail you?
amberley-got ya- I like the look of roughing up the edges-my friend did that-but she left the grain- it was a more rustic look she was after in her northwoods cabin.

Wow! Looks fantastic! What a tranformation! Great job!

All I can say is wow! My cabinets are probably the exact same one's (Merillat) except mine have the really ugly pickled oak finish. I have basically the same backsplash and was worried about painting my cabinets cream (too much cream) but you have convinced me to go for it. I also love the beadboard on the exposed sides. I had not really thought about putting moulding on the bottom of the top cabinets but it really adds to the overall look.

Now to find a painter/artist in Arizona to do the work! That is half the work!

Hi nodirthere. I have been looking at your kitchen transformation on this site for a while now. I am soooo impressed, it is beautiful! It gives me hope for my own kitchen. I am getting ready to try painting my "pickled oak" 1994 Merillat kitchen cabinets. I can't decide whether I am going to do a plain white finish or a cream w/glaze finish like you did. We are also planning on going with Uba Tuba granite for our countertops. My question for you is: Before step one with the first coat of primer, did your painter do an initial sanding or liquid deglossing? Or did he put the primer right on top of the original oak finish? I'm also assuming that he sprayed on the first coat of primer too, right? It sure would be nice to avoid sanding all of my cabinets first if I knew the primer would stick well without sanding or liquid deglossing. Thanks for your help. I will definitely try to post before and after pictures when I get finished, so that I can help inspire others like you have inspired me.

I feel bad I "moved on" to the laundry room blog (moved my laundry to the 2nd floor)and haven't checked in here in so long and changed my name- nodirthere was in reference that I don't garden not the cleanliness of my house/laundry. Sailorchick- you are probably long done w/ your kitchen- I tell everyone- buy the best primer you can- no pre-sanding needed- just clean very well. Cabinets are still holding up- love em. Are your pics posted?

Hi momof3kids. I came across this a while back, and I am about to begin my own kitchen transformation. My cabs look exactly like yours, but in that pinky-pickled look. I have a few questions I was hoping you'd help with:

1. Did you strip the cabs first or just clean and primer then fill and primer again?

2. Please explain the process of the beadboard and the furniture style trim in place of the kickplate. What did you use and how did you attach it?

I will echo the wow and add a bravo! I am amazed at the difference you made, it's really beautiful. I plan on plain white, I may keep my existing counter tops or may relaminate if it's cheap enough, and a periwinkle ish color on the walls. I haven't decided on tile yet, that's a few more months down the road.

I appreciate your help, and I applaud your work!

Molly3573-I did not strip the cabinets -clean /fill/prime-
The base board trim is just taller base trim from Home Depot- I used the pre-primed faux wood stuff and I used a newall (sp?) post cut down for the corners of the island and corner guards for the corner of the cabinets to dress them up. The bead board was just the pine bead board sheets (4x8) at Home Depot primed and painted with the same. I did not glaze them like the cabinets. All attached with a brad nailer- small trim nails would work and a hammer-but take longer- hope this helps -adding crown molding really gave the best bang for the buck as an upgrade- good luck with your kitchen!

Hi momof3kids! Looks like you are still checking this post. Would you be willing to share the name of your painter? We are also in Northern IL and looking to do the same thing! You can email me at skigirl2121 @ yahoo Thank you so much! Hope the cabinets are still holding up.

Totally inspirational. Such a nice upgrade and transformation of builder grade cabinets. Shows what some vision and hard work can do.....you have really created a compelling gorgeous area out of a Plain Jane kitchen! You are right about the arched overhang and the little curved edges--they really do make that island so special :)

I too am from Northern Illinois & I have your identical oak builder cabinets. They are only 6 years old but I can't stand the oak look. I have been researching all your steps on practice cabinet doors but the grain filler is a bit intimidating. Is your painter willing to take on some more kitchen cabinets & some ubba tubba granite.

momof3kids, I hope you are still checking in on this post. I was wondering if you could give another update on your cabs. How is the paint holding up? I have been wanting to do this for years but too fearful of the grain showing through and not getting that 'not so oak' finish. Thanks for the inspiration!!

HI Mom of 3 kids. I am amazed at the transformation of your kitchen. You are very creative! I also live in Northern il. I was wondering if you would share your painters info with me. How has the paint job held up over time? Do you have to remove the cabinets to paint them? What steps do you need to take to paint the insides of the cabinets? Did you reuse the shelves inside or did you put new ones in? You can email me ine info at rozee1971@yahoo.com. Thanks so much! I hope you are enjoying your beautiful Kitchen!

Hi! You mentioned that you removed the toe kick - what did you put in it's place, and did you paint it pure white despite the cream cabinets? Also, the cabinets appear to be pretty white. Would you say they are more off white than pure white? Thanks!

AWESOME kitchen redo! I am, just now starting to prime my cabinets for painting, so, I'm just in the beginning stages, but, I hope my kitchen turns out as nice as yours, it truly is a great makeover, you & your painter have done a great job. I don't know if I'm going to glaze my cabinets, I want to, but, my man doesn't think he likes the look, I think he's crazy lol, but, I guess I'll let him get away with it THIS TIME since he pays half the bills :P Anyway, your kitchen is beautiful, you should be very proud!

I love it!!! We have similar oak cabinets and are changing counters and backsplash. Now I want to do this! I was wondering how far your seating bar sticks out from the edge of the island itself. We only have about 44" to work with and wondered if that is possible. Thank You and again, great job!

Becky, the original poster is from 2008.