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Dytecture Here is an example where some cabinets are painted a darker color.

semihugger1 It looks like your appliences are black? I would distress paint them black rather then stain darker as oak is far to outdated IMO to update.

Mary Poulos Interior and Exterior Design Can not see enough of your kitchen, but oak cabinets have been out so long, there are many who think they are now in, myself included. I would do a rustic modern kitchen if that makes sense. I would paint your walls, probably grays. Light cloud gray and probably an accent wall of deeoer. Put simple Bronze knobs on the cupboards (I know that is especially hard to do when these cupboards have never had them and you think why now?

If the cabinet finish is a little worn, take a very fine sand paper and lightly sand and get a matching stain and they will look like new. Practice on a spot first where it won't be seen.

Then replace the counter with a nice granite , if you can. Kitchens sell and buyer love granite. Granite looks especially nice with oak. Especially a granite with a fairly light background and some spicy oak colors, and gray and whites spattered through out.

Mary Poulos Interior and Exterior Design OAK will look great with a vintage mid-century look. IMO, but I am a fan of that look.

semihugger1 Good to hear some folks are starting to like these Oak cabinets! I simply walk out of a house when I see them!

travel4916 I love oak cabinets!!!!

Denice Shuty If you do anything to the cabinets do it to perfection or don't do anything to them. Better to leave them as is than to rush or do a band-aid job just to make a change.

Ironwood Builders OK, my advice? Let it go. Don't spend money on permanent things when you KNOW you are going to sell. Let the buyer figure it out. Sure you want to maximize profit..but painting the cabinets is a dead giveaway. Clean the house, get rid of all the flotsam and jetsam that populates your space (bread goes in the refrigerator, they don't look in there). Take all your personal stuff and get it in storage....get rid of the crockpot and the microwave on the counter. Scrupulously clean, organized and pared down. Use a stager to put things in the best light. Return on investment from painting cabinets is probably 25%. There is an annual issue from Remodeling Magazine available online...their Cost vs. Value report gives regional ROI for major and minor remodeling projects. Go there and look...no lie.

pitbulls I'm not a fan of the strong wood grain.I would paint them white or off white

onthefence Oak can be done in a lot of stains and look beautiful. I tend to like the grain in oak -- it's just the color I'm often not fond of.

In terms of your kitchen, what it probably help the most is space - and the appearance of it. Remove the wall paper border from the soffet. Remove any under cabinet mounted appliances. Maybe 2 things on the counters -- a coffee maker and one other small thing.

If I did anything at all to the cabinets, I'd stain the lowers darker and paint the uppers a shade of cream that worked with the countertop.

Mary Poulos Interior and Exterior Design Everything is about color. You can make anything look good with the right color. Seriously, go look at some inspirational fabrics that just so happen to have the color of your oak cabinets in them, along with some other newer fresher looking colors. Use that as your palette and you will be

amazed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! at how wonderful and relevant your old oak, now vintage, cabinets will look. Oak is strong and has great character. Wait I will pull up an example of a new kitchen where I used oak to go with the owners existing oak else where... got to go find it. Oh crud, I have to go to my other computer.

Mary Poulos Interior and Exterior Design See? The hardware is very important! Go to Home Depot and get their bronze knobs, You will have an immediate change. Here the walls and the other cabinets are a light grayish brownish greenish. Sheesh! You could choose a color, perhaps like that for your walls, trims white, knobs bronze, And then go Pottery Barn it up. I should work for Pottery Barn the way I promote them. But if you go there, you will see color and fabric combos that go right along with your oak!

GraniteMakeover - Professional Remarketing Group Sometimes taking a brush to the cabinets could be intimidating. if you can invest a little money. Check with the local consignment shops or refurbished furniture places. they may have someone that is good at the furniture and can show you some examples of finishes they create. They can give you tips on creating the look or they might give you a great price to do it for you. If you really want bang for your buck put your money in the countertops - Some stones are more affordable and can add a lot of perceived value in your home for resale.

Amy Stanley I was coming to say- remove your border- change the wall color- put on new hardware- de-clutter that is huge when selling- Can you post a photo of the entire room that would be helpful..Since you are selling the least amount of work you have to do the better..A counter update with a laminate counter would probably really help more then painting out your cabinets- HD or Lowes often have stock counters that are not too pricey but could change the entire feel of your room. Not sure what you have around you but we also have a store that sells discounted stuff that was once custom ordered at the box stores..I have also actually seen someone do a finish over old laminate counters that looked fantastic if you are handy.

meaghan444 Wow. Thanks for all the input. We are definitely getting rid of the wallpaper and painting. I thought of just getting hardware but was unsure of color. I'm not opposed to leaving the cabinets the way they are I just wasn't sure they would be to popular for selling. Maybe we should leave them and change the counters instead? We just bought a new stainless dishwasher and plan on replacing the stove as well. The problem is the stove is a slide in which is very expensive. I will try and post a picture tonight and maybe someone can tell me if a freestanding would work in the space. Thanks so much for all the help!