SFGate

rinqreation My though is I'd see doors with two handles, a screwed one and a blind one.

ASVInteriors Oh the irony! Mixed white and wood is becoming so trendy again....


Perhaps not add handles in the immediate - whatever you may think of the colours, the lines are streamlined. You can add them after the fact. If you did I would go with those long bars to accentuate the horizontality of the design.

kitasei You are focused on the laminate. But if you installed one eye-catching thing (a great faucet comes to mind, as yours is wimpy) the rest will fade into a streamlined background. The original look is not as bad as you think IMO, because it is (by design) inconspicuous.

rinqreation I'd like to add my mom painted hers white too and eventually replaced the entire kitchen because the wood and laminate looked horrible in the same color.. I'd advise you to pick two colors if you're fed up with the wood.

olldbobbi Laminate may not be very popular, but really, it's so easy to clean!!! What if you just painted the wood, instead of the whole door? You could paint it black and get a stainless range to match your dishwasher and you'd have a very cohesive and modern look.

kitasei Just to chime in again -- you've got an intact 80s kitchen, which in a very short time will reek of retro charm. You COULD just hold out a few more years!

olldbobbi OMG, 80's = retro??? I'm getting too old!!!

Dytecture The 80s could be classified as "retro" according to wikipedia !

My thoughts would be to paint the horizontal wood strips black and no handles added.

bevballew I get you with those cabinets. I would try painting the wood black first if you think you will like that look. Maybe paint just one cabinet with a latex paint you could remove rather easily if you don't like. I think it sounds pretty cool myself. I lived in a house years ago with those cabinets. I think a black trim might be fun.

kitasei Sure - put up a poster of Nancy Reagan saying Just Say No on the refrigerator, another of the Tianammen Square uprising and Earth Day, and find a period telephone and computer. Call it Millennial.

kitasei Rubik's cubes would add great pops of color...

FN Design You could stain all the wood bits a color that matches the floor, paint the cabinets white and get rid of the thingie in front of the window ... then new hood and faucet and remove what seems to be a light box and install new lighting.... that should hold you over till you give in and get a new kitchen. ;)

olldbobbi Oh Dy, seriously? It reminds me of the time my friend's daughter wanted to dress old-fashioned for Halloween, I'm thinking poodle skirts, bobby socks and saddle shoes, she's thinking hippie.

olldbobbi By they way, your kitchen looks very neat and clean, good job :))

Brannick Maier Architect I agree with using horizontal hardware if any. Actually to update the kitchen, before I painted the cabinets, I would remove the valence over the window to let in more light and take the linear appearance away. Then I would consider new lighting as what appears to be the 80's flourescents really "date" the kitchen and change its mood. The new faucet and stainless range would really bring it out of the 80's.

apple_pie_order I'd paint the wood handles white or black or stain them darker to match the floor's wood tones. For the overall appearance, you might consider adding lights above the cabinets to give the kitchen some drama and depth. Most kitchens look better without storing or displaying things in the space between the cabinets and ceiling.

providences Previous comments are correct that the kitchen cabs can be easily made to look modern, but you have not told us if you prefer a streamlined modern look as in the picture posted with one reply, or a traditional look (the all white cabs, lots of large trim pieces and details).

The golden oak current look is very dated and should be changed. I don't think new hardware would improve the look of the cabinets given that the handles are already built in as part of the wood trim.

For a modern look, if your wood trim is really wood, then consider sanding and staining it so it contrasts with the white but still keeps its wood nature - grain etc. A white-washed or gray weathered look works for oak. If the trim is veneered MDF (especially a plastic veneer like in the 80), then don't paint. It will not look professional due to brush marks and the paint might have trouble adhering. It is possible to laminate it to a stainless look, or with real wood veneer to give it a quality grain and color. Lowe's also sells a U-shaped aluminum rail (in the hardware steelworks section) that could be used to replace this oak trim on the door tops and still provide the same functionality.

Modern kitchens also get away from the wall of uniform cabinets look, so you could invest in a frosted glass door here and there, interior cabinet lighting, as well as some open shelves. Ikea sells some cheap steel open shelves and wall rails to get you going.

For a traditional kitchen, you should probably get some crown molding for the cabinet tops and upgrade that window valance (or remove it altogether). Cabinet hardware would also be appropriate, but you should probably change the oak trim to something that doesn't have an obvious handle function as to get away from the "quick and dirty upgrade" look, and make it seem that these cabinets have always been like that. Personally I don't think you can really make a melamine white cabinet ever assume the look of a traditional white kitchen so perhaps a modern look is your better option.

I think that the range hood also needs to be upgraded perhaps to a stainless or even a glass model, or get the built in microwave (a cheap one could be around $250).

White Lotus Interiors Two sets of hardware is just odd.

winniegirl Hey, Love that kitchen! We have the matching cabinets in the kids bathroom :) ha! Thought you couldn't paint laminate? Maybe that's just in the bathroom where the moisture would peel it off. I am in no position to offer any advice,( only sarcastic comments) since I come here to get my questions answered by all of you creative types. You have some great ideas, I like the idea of a dark stain on the lovely oak trim. Can't wait to see what you do! good luck

olldbobbi rwillekes, you have many comments on your dilemma, any thoughts?

Robin W Great comments! Thanks for the thoughts all!

I've thought about staining the oak to match the floor but given the amount of it in the kitchen, I'm worried that it would be overwhelming. Both pieces on the sides of the fridge are the same oak.

I would really love to get rid of the 'thingie' above the window but because of the molding going around the top of the cabinets, the cabinets around the window would look orphaned without. I thought about trying to salvage the trim (I'm on a pretty tiny budget right now) but removing and angling might prove to be pretty tough. Thoughts?

The light fixture will be replaced, I'm thinking some simple track lighting. The hood fan and faucet are also going to be replaced.

bcgirl80 Hello - I agree paint the wood a darker accent color black is perfect, match the range to the dishwasher and I would add hardware. Something simple clean -

Robin W Update. Finished painting the cabinets. Decided to go all white for now and see how it looks. Don't have the corner cabinet door put back yet but thought I would share the progress. Pardon the mess...

Trying to decide on a wall color now...

olldbobbi Oh man is that ever better! Great job!

starbella What are those cupboards called European? That's what my friend calls her mothers cabinets;)

Robin W I don't actually know the technical term for the style of them. I just call them ugly.

That said, they look a lot better painted but I will admit, a complete renovation is in the immediate future.

starbella I totally understand. I just bought a new home and the kitchen is honey oak. I see a Reno in my future but need to start saving. I will be painting or gel staining them till I can get the cream kitchen of my dreams:)