90s kitchen units-how to dress them up!

[lupinfarm]

Well I have nearly finished my epic bathroom/ rec room renovation and I am begining to plan my kitchen "makeover"
I have yucky 1990s square panel shiny light oak doors. Just wondered what you guys would do to dress them up as
I cant afford to replace them just yet.
Any ideas welcome.

[wletson]

Honestly, they don't really look all that bad. It's kinda hard to tell what the pulls look like from the wide shot. A darker counter-top, maybe a green on the walls, mask off the range hood and paint it black...

[melissakd]

Hmmm. Do you have a certain period in mind? Are there parts that you definitely need to replace soon? I will think about this some more. Put me in your be-back book.

MelissaKD

I am back. One option is changing the handles on the cupboards.

Here is what oldhouseguy did with his refrigerator. It might be within your reach to do this, and I love it. I hope he does not mind my bragging on his behalf. I may think of more things tomorrow.

Blog page about his house:
http://www.oldhouseguy.com/my_restoration.html

Before:

During:

After:

[KristenS]

Old House Guy did just what I'm planning to do!

I just need to get a fridge first.

Lupinfarm: I've got similar light-colored 90s cabinets in the kitchen. What I most want to do is take a flame thrower to them. But I'm hoping someone will give you a great idea on here that I can copy off of. Cause, man, they are just so boring and characterless!

[Theresa]

What if you took the doors off the upper cabinets and used them for display? Paint the insides a different color? Or replace some of the solid doors with glass paned doors. Check out this link http://retrorenovation.com/2011/03/09/diy-painter-uses-new-rustoleum-cabinet-transformations-on-2-bathrooms-kitchen-240-for-kits-instead-of-20000-for-new/

[melissakd]

The first question to ask yourself is, What style or period are you going for? Kitchens have been subject to fashion like anything else. If you want to keep costs down, you can pick something that would require only tweaking what you already have. Here are some of the choices.

1910
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daily-bung ... 746909995/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daily-bungalow/3113906515/

which in real life looked like this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68561116@N00/428902119/
or this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kary/38684464/

A sparser look, so probably more authentic to humbler homes:
http://picasaweb.google.com/grazhe/Kitc ... 7154478594

1916
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daily-bung ... 8149974703

I'm out of time for now, so I will continue this later.

MKD

[Fanner]

I have seen "oldhouseguy"s site - but there aren't enough specifics on how he transformed his "icebox". Were the panels glued on, then the hardware fastened to the panels? And if my eye is seeing correctly, the whole thing (minus the harware) was painted to match the stove? I'm not sure if that would "fly" in my kitchen, but I sure do love the look of it...

[clover]

I also don't think your kitchen looks too bad. If your dishes are pretty you can remove the upper doors, and paint the interiors. Then you can replace the lower knobs and pulls. Or you can be like me and whine and moan about your functional but ugly 1970s kitchen but put any penny that you could use towards small improvements and save them for an entire renovation for "someday."

[lupinfarm]

Sorry I have been slow in responding to these replies. My bathroom remodel/ rebuild is finally on track again. Drywaller
came today and has started on my "snug" ( reckroom) looks great. I have completed the t&g paneling in the bathroom and drywall and cement board next. The kitchen ideas are all great, I love the fridge idea from " houseguy" might
do that as my fridge is old and ugly. I do have to keep the units ( for now atleast) except the sink unit as it is moldy
and rotten due to long time plumbing leak. I thought to repaint them, not sure on the colour but the ideas you guys gave are great. The worktop ( which is faux marble laminate) is in poor condition and I thought of replacing it with butchers block as it is kinda period and cost effective. I will definately be changing out the hardware, the current
knobs are porcelain and brownish red, see image. The flooring is just builder grade vinyl and is past its " best before date" by a long way and needs replacing. Not sure what to go with on the flooring. To add to the stress I just found out
that my estranged brother and his daughter are visiting at Christmas. So I have to get things done fast.

[wletson]

are visiting at Christmas. So I have to get things done fast.

Could have been Labour Day! Lots of time.