Should Nancy paint her vintage wood cabinets?
Mid Mod Pam on Nov 05 2008 at 8:00 am | Filed under: kitchen
Glamorlux Nancy in Fairfax, Virginia, is updating her 50s kitchen and has her inspiration photo all ready to go. The kitchen is already quite nice looking - the overall feel of the space is terrific, and the cabinets are well-made. Nancy’s chosen her countertop and has her hardware… but she still is pondering what color… or colors… to paint her original 50s cabinets…and the accent - or not - for her new Azrock Cortina floor tiles.
Nancy writes:
Hi Pam,
I’ve seen on your site where you and your readers provide ideas for “remodeling” vintage kitchens and baths… Well, here is our kitchen, pre-restoration.
As far as I can tell, a lot is original - cabinets, GE Textolite countertops (golden beige twilight), and plastic “copper” tile backsplash. However, it is very late 50’s, and we prefer a “prettier” early 50’s look. I want our new color scheme to include: aqua (turquoise), pale yellow, red and white.
The original Textolite counters are sort of beat up and lack the metal banding, so we are planning on replacing them. We’ve already purchased the aqua boomerang Formica laminate and stainless steel banding to make the new countertops. Since the copper tiles are only over the range, we are planning on removing them, and then making a taller backsplash on the countertops.
The flooring is obviously not original. I ordered some samples off of the Azrock website, and they came within a few days! My favorite is called Cirrus V-785… (and I want to use this) for the majority of the floor, with a diagonal or random pattern of Azrock’s “Spearmint”, “Honey” and “Coral Reef”…. But, my husband said that might be too much with the boomerang countertops. Our kitchen will have a Mexican theme, so we’re going for a festive look. …
As I mentioned in another email, we’ve been going back and forth on whether to paint our 1959 wood cabinets. I’m really not into the wood look, although I know it was very desirable in the 50’s. Do you think we’d regret painting them? They are worn and slightly water-damaged in areas, so if I kept the natural wood, I’d have to refinish them anyway (which I don’t particularly relish doing). We are now thinking about painting the cabinet “structure” white, but then having the doors and drawer fronts yellow and/or coral. I’ve seen this done in vintage magazines… Do you like that look? The original Amerock cabinet hardware is gold, so I found the same style in chrome on eBay. Oh well, one thing I’ve learned from pouring over vintage “Better Homes and Gardens” magazines is that really “anything goes” when it comes to decorating a 50’s kitchen!
And, thanks for the compliment about the kitchen. It is definitely not a “chef’s kitchen” and the counter space is practically nil. We’ll be adding some shelving on the wall where the Cosco cart and microwave are now. Ha, ha - I wonder how many potential buyers took one look at the kitchen (and the pink bathroom) and decided the house wasn’t for them! I’m including some “inspiration” pictures I’ve collected, to give you an idea of what feel we’re going for. Any ideas are welcome!
Thanks so much,
Nancy
First of all, Nancy, I am so impressed with all your hard, focused work. You are someone who Gets Things Done. You go, girl! My thoughts on your questions:
- Remember how Jerry Seinfeld used to joke that when you have a bad headache, you want to take just enough aspirin to kill you - but then back off a tad so that you don’t? That’s the way I tend to feel about decoration and color…. Lay it on, but then edit it back some and you will be happier. In that vein (if that makes sense): I vote with your husband. That Cirrus floor will look beautiful and has enough going on in its own right that you don’t need to add diagonals or other color punches. I also believe your eye needs somewhere to rest as it dances happily around your happy kitchen.
- Regarding the cabinets: Go ahead and paint ‘em and never look back! Another idea: Base cabinets one (darker) color, wall cabinets another (lighter) color.
- And Retro Renovation Peanut Gallery: Be sure to chime in with your ideas, too!
All that said — Nancy, you seem to have great instincts and have really thought a lot about this. So don’t get too stressed out and ultimately - trust your own heart. We can’t wait to see the finished job - thanks for sharing!
Nancy,
Please think twice before painting over those lovely original cabinets. If they are in the shape they appear to be in your pic, it would be a real shame to coat them. I love the yellow, but maybe there are other ways to incorporate it into the kitchen, like in the countertop, flooring or wall color.
Hi Nancy,
I too would think twice about painting beautiful Beechwood cabinets. I have a 1959 kitchen with Beechwood cabinets and have kept the natural wood finish. Once restored they will be lighter and beautiful. I would suggest a satin finish so they arn’t glary.The rest of my kitchen is yellow walls and turquoise and red accents that really stand out against the neutral Beechwood cabinets.
Painting wood is like painting brick. It just seems silly when the natural look is so beautiful to begin with in my humble opinion. That said its important to do what will make you happy in the long run since you will be in that kitchen every day. Perhaps you could leave the cabinets till last to see how the other changes look first.
Good luck and its great to see another restoration in progress. If you’d like to see pics of my kitchen let me know.
Retroly yours,John Q.
The wood definitely makes it a warm, inviting space (wood always does.) I painted my cabinets white and I, too, have yellow walls with Turqoise and red accents. Without the wood tone it’s a constant battle to keep your kitchen from looking like a circus or a hospital room. I think John Q’s idea to leave them til last might be the way to go. I think you might find a light yellow makes those cabinets pop.
This excellent timing, as my wife and I are debating painting our VERY similar cabinets in our kitchen. our place is a 1961 contemporary ranch, and we like lots of color. the wood on ours is very similar tone wise, but…
Im very interested to hear the responses and see what you end up doing with yours…
Thanks for all the input! I think painted cabinets might look “cleaner”, but would lose the warmth and richness of the wood. Ahhh, I’m conflicted! And, I understand what kristinski is saying about the hospital look… That’s the reason I decided to add color to the floor, since the all white tiles might look a bit sterile. I painted the 80’s wood cabinets in my last house, and they turned out great (if I do say so myself)… So, to be on the safe side, I will take John Q’s advice and redo everything else in the kitchen first, then see how the cabinets fit in. Thanks again everyone!
i also like the wood and would keep it! i don’t think it would negatively impact your overall look, without white cabinets. your ideas are fabulous and i can’t wait to see it all come together. good luck!
John Q - I would love to see pics of your kitchen… Are they online anywhere?
Hi Nancyb,
As of yet my kitchen pics are not online BUT Pam did ask me to send them to her so maybe she can forward them to you. I could also e-mail them to you if I knew your e-mail address but not sure if its ok to ask for that on here.
John Q
Pam, can you post John Q’s photo on here? I would like yo see what he has done too!
Hi Nancy. I love that floor tile as well, and am considering it for my own kitchen. I have the same feelings about wanting more color, so I plan on using a darker color around the walls, extending inward just beyond the cabinets and appliances. This sort of “outlining” of the “inner floor” seems to have been done a lot in the 50’s. I’m also on the fence about painting the cabinets, and agree with the “wait until last” option. You have an awful lot of room to play with colors on walls and around windows. I would search for the absolute perfect fabric for that gorgeous bay window! Pinch pleats that incorporate all of your colors with a little “bark brown” would really tie it together. And one more “oh please don’t tear it out” idea… I really love the copper backsplash. Maybe what you use for the rest of your backsplash areas could have a little copper in it to pick up on it. I also look at those soffets and wonder how great they would look adorned with vintage copper molds. Have a great time, and, if you are drawn to it and love it, Buy it! Right Pam? lol
I’m in the ‘don’t paint ‘em’ camp…lol.
The house I’m in escrow on has painted kitchen cabinets and they look awful and I’m going to have my work cut out for me figuring out how to make them look better.
Here’s an idea: paint the carcasses, but refinish the doors and drawer fronts natural. My dad did that to a set of dark 1970s cabinets in our old house… they looked great after that treatment. He used a sort of salmon color for the paint. Just a thought.
BSEMet….thanks…good idea, I have been thinking about painting the base cabinets pale pink, but thought it might be ‘too much’. (the tile is pale yellow with robin’s egg blue trim) But, with the doors back to natural wood, it might look great. There is a product available for stripping paint that I was thinking of using. It’s a bit pricier than regular stripper, but far less messy. I thought I would get the small size and try it on the half bath vanity first.
Here’s the link:
http://www.paintremoval.com/
Since we’re on the subject of kitchens… I’m looking for some red linoleum or vinyl that comes in a 10 or 12 foot width. I like the marmoleum, but it only comes in 6 foot width. I’m not going to really install it, but use it like a 9×9 linoleum rug, that’s why I need it wider than 6 foot wide. Has anybody seen anything out there that might work?
Kristinski, somewhere on this blog is a post about sheet Congoleum (I think) that comes in pretty wide widths and has a nice streaky or marbleized finish. I think…
That sounds perfect. I looked around here and on Congoleum’s site, but didn’t see anything. If you run across anything, please let me know!
kristinski (and others) –
always be sure to check the Commercial sections as well. Here are some congoleums that are 12′ wide, as a start:
http://www.congoleum.com/com-sheet.html
Another place to check: Armstrong, which has linoleum…I’ll keep searching around myself.
Hi Nancy,
I have posted kitchen and livingroom pics on Flickr. My handle there is Atomichipster. The kitchen is not finished so the breakfest nook walls are not painted yet. Cabinets will be restored at some point. Tag for kitchen pics is Kitchen.
Enjoy, JohnQ aka AtomicHipster
Thanks for posting those, John Q. I love how you reconfigured the kitchen, but kept the original fixtures. Very creative! A great “before and after” comparison. Have you thought about how you’ll restore the cabinets? Do you think it is a DIY project? Just wondering if I can tackle mine myself. The rest of your house and decor is wonderful, too. It motivates me to get moving on my renovations, so that I can get to the fun part of decorating!
Hi Nancyb,
I haven’t looked into how to restore the cabinets yet. They look like they have been coated with a clear preservative of some kind. It has worn off in heavy use areas so it might be shelac? I want to do as little as possible besides making the surface look more uniform. No heavy sanding or striping planned. Hopefully a DIY since I work retail and have limited funds.
Thanks for the compliments about kitchen and other room decor. I’ve been collecting for about 20 years now and finally have the perfect house to put it all in.
wah! I’m so excited! My kitchen has been frozen in time since i bought granny’s house. My pride and joy (and hers too) is the 1952 Tappan range, still in top notch working condition. I have these wood cabinets ALL over the kitchen. In the canning kitchen downstairs, I have the metal rimmed, steel cabinets with the boomerang (orange) formica. I feel hopeful now that I’ve found you. I’m also feeling guilty that I had granny’s couch recovered because the fabric weirded me out…it was RECOVERED in 1953. Original purchased date is 1937. eh
I’ll be watching.
megb
Megb - Sounds like you have a family treasure! Can’t wait to see pics!
Hi Nancy,
I think you inspiration photo is terrific. While leaving the cabinets in their natural wood tone is a safe and common choice for many, I think going for the more “kitchy” look of the white painted cabinets with brightly colored walls, retro countertop, cheerful curtains, and a resilent tile floor would totally look amazing!
You can walk into 90% of homes today and look at wood cabinets that are stained but how often does it make you smile and think retro?
I say go for it! Find a theme to incorporate like mexicana, cherries, tropical pattern, etc with fabrics, dishes, and colors. plus a cool old stove with character would really add to the charm of the kitchen. Look at old fiesta ware type ads for ideas or seek out old magazines and you’ll see lots of cool ideas.
No guts, no glory…
Best,
Kim
Hello,
May I make a suggestion? If it were me, I’d paint the cabinet frames in a high gloss enamel - a nice ivory works well - and leave the doors with their wood finish, although I’d probably lightly sand and give them a nice gloss coat of varnish.
By the way, I’m assuming you’ll remove the doors to do the work. Also, be sure to buy true enamel paint (not latex enamel). In fact, this is one of those jobs where if you do it yourself, be sure to “Ask Sherwin-Williams” (or some equivalent) as the application of true enamel requires a certain type of brush. (If you have someone else paint them, make sure the painter has experience and knows how to do real enamel). Anyway, well worth the end result!
Paint them!!! I love the pretty 50’s kitchens too, and painting was the very first thing I did. What a difference! Bright and clean and fresh and cheerful!!! There are a few reasons to preserve the wood, but I think you should follow your heart—to the nearest paint store! Do it, I say, do it!!!
Hi Kim, Rita and Darkgardyner - Thanks for your input! Yes, I think I am leaning towards painting them. I appreciate the rich tone and texture of the wood, but being a child of the 70’s I still think of wood cabinets and paneling as being of that era. The cabinets are also more worn than shows up in the pictures, and being a perfectionist, I can’t live with them in that condition. Refinishing the frames and doors seems like a daunting task!. However, as Rita suggested, I could just refinish the doors. Hmmm…
Kim - I’ve picked out a Mexican theme. When I finally get to that point, I’ll be incorporating vintage decals and cafe curtains. Can’t wait to get to the fun decorating part!