DIY painter uses new Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations on 2 bathrooms & kitchen — $240 for kits instead of $20,000 for new
pam kueber - Updated: November 3, 2020
Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.
I recently wrote about my first press trip – to see and test-drive Rustoleum’s new “Cabinet Transformations” kitchen repainting kit. I was impressed with my experience – but there is nothing like a real-life testimonial from someone who has used the product on an entire kitchen. Did skeptical Connie like it? Yes. The minute she finished her first bathroom, she ran out for another kit to paint the second bathroom, then for more to repaint the kitchen. Here’s a snippet of her enthusiastic story:
What a great, great product. Tell Rustoleum they’re welcome to come over and shoot a commercial here if they want to. I wouldn’t want to be in it – I’m 59 years old and well past my expiration date. That’s what actressess and spokesmodels are for! I love the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations – I swear I’m about ready to buy stock in the company.
connie’s bathroom “before”
Actually, Connie first contacted me because there was a small problem. She wrote:
I started out my Cabinet Transformations project in our master bathroom, just in case it didn’t look as good as the pictures on the packaging, because nobody really sees it besides the two of us!
All of our cabinets were spray-painted with thick white latex before we bought the house. Naturally the guy sprayed right over the hinges and not only were they peeling, but so were the joints on the cabinets. Actually these cabinets were just about a deal-breaker for me, but I finally thought I’d just live with them for awhile and then have them ripped out and replaced. (For $30,000 or so!)
the same bathroom “after”
Anyway, the bathroom turned out fantastic. So then I did the guest bath, and finally the kitchen. My one and only complaint is that Rustoleum doesn’t provide NEARLY enough glaze. They’ve gotta be kidding with that teeny little can – no WAY would it cover 100 feet. I called their Customer … She directed me to just go buy another whole kit, and said Rustoleum would reimburse me. I’m on my last section of kitchen cabinets now and it’s clear that I’m going to run out of even THAT glaze before I get done. Does anybody know where to get that type of glaze?…This kit is the world’s greatest idea, but it is just proportioned SO WRONG!!! Can anybody help? Thanks!
By now I know all these people at Rustoleum. I emailed them, and they jumped right on it. Not only did they help Connie out with more glaze, at no additional cost. Cathy, a leading member of the Rustoleum brand team, responded quickly:
Connie – I am so sorry that you ran out! As with any new product there is always room for improvement and comments like yours help us deliver better products in the end. With that being said, at this time there is not and option to purchase the glaze on its own at a retailer, and we do not recommend any other product as a substitute. As a result to consumer demand we will be adding an additional 1/2 pint of glaze to our small Cabinet Transformations kit going forward. Rust-Oleum will also be offering additional glaze, in the near future, if someone happens to run out of the product. (Cathy then gave Connie some options to get more glaze.) We do apologize that you ran out of the product, and really appreciate the feedback. Thank you – Rust-Oleum Cathy
Isn’t that great customer service? Good on you, Rustoleum! Back to Connie… here’s her DIY painting story:
The cabinets in here were solid wood and well worth saving – none of those cheap crappy veneers that you usually see these days. I just didn’t think they were “salvageable”. Thus my willingness to spend $30,000 to rip them out and get new ones.
connie’s kitchen “before”
This is a “before” picture of the kitchen, but I didn’t specifically take it because I was going to re-do the cabinets. I just took those to send to some of my out-of-town buddies once we bought this house. Too bad I didn’t get close-ups of the awful peeling white paint on the hinges and joints!
Ugly white sprayed on paint, chipping and slopped over the hinges.
I deliberately took photos of the nice new finished cabinets (left side of pictures) while the awful chipped white cabinet doors were still in place on my last section of kitchen (right side of pictures).
As you can see, I went with the darker kit in my kitchen, due to the terra cotta colored floor tile.
In the bathrooms, my tile and grout is quite light. I used one “lighter” Cabinet Transformations kit, and that was enough for both bathrooms.
So I see all these kitchen and bathroom photos, and they don’t look particularly “retro” to me, so I ask Connie how she happened upon this blog. She answers — and we also get this funny back story about her Dear Husband (DH):
I think I got there because I was trying to find out how I could get more glaze, and you had just participated as one of ten designers who went to RustOleum to test the Cabinet Transformations product. Your blog just happened to be about Cabinet Transformations that week. It was definitely a roundabout approach! Our condo is about thirty years old, so not really retro. We have cathedral ceilings which we call “retro” because all the newer houses have 10-foot ceilings and crown molding!
Here’s a funny story: I was one of the first people in the Palm Springs area to buy a Cabinet Transformations kit. Lowe’s had just put their first 8 boxes on display that day. So when I brought it home and showed my husband, he kinda rolled his eyes and said: “What did you waste money on THAT for?” I told him that if the thing works like I THINK it’s gonna work, it’ll save him thousands and thousands of dollars.
He was pretty skeptical, though. I couldn’t even get him to make me some drying racks, so the master bath seemed to take forever, because I had to wait for each coat to dry before I could flip the doors over and do the other sides.
Anyway, by the time I put the glaze coat on, his eyes were about popping out of his head. He immediately made some drying racks for me and he had the doors off the guest bath cabinets even as we were waiting for the top coat to fully dry before re-hanging the doors in the master bath! So as soon as I got done with the guest bath, I bought two more kits, this time in the darker shades. I’m pretty sure he had the kitchen cabinet doors off by the time I got home.
I can’t see how anybody could NOT love this product. In my case, replacing the existing cabinets with ones of the same quality would probably have cost at least $20,000 because they’re solid wood – not those cheap veneers you so often see. Instead I bought a total of four Cabinet Transformations kits and was refunded for the fourth one because I only bought that one to get more glaze. So, about $240 total.
I thought you’d get a kick out of my husband’s initial skepticism followed by his Attitude Transformation! If I’m Cabinet Transformation’s biggest fan, I’d have to say he’s now Number Two.
Thanks for your interest…this has been fun… Later, Connie
Thank you, Connie — yes, this has been fun! Please do keep in touch — I especially want to hear how the new paint wears! And if I ever make it to Palm Springs, you and I will have to go thrifting. We’ll get you some great bit 1960s lamps for your Palm Springs groove pad!
The comments on 70s antiquing got me thinking–my mom did that kind of stuff a lot back then, including plaster and ceramic pieces. She bought the brown antiquing liquid (not a “glaze” of the type you put on ceramics, but a paint) at the ceramics shop. Don’t see those around often anymore, but that could be a good source for glazing products if someone wants to cook up a DIY version of the Rustoleum process.
Pattysays
I remember they used to tell you to use a chain to “antique” your furniture — give it some dents to make it look old.
I wonder how this will stand up on those garage doors, which of course will be outside and subjected to rain and snow.
Jonsays
In the mid mod house I grew up in, someone did that to ALL the cabinet doors!! as a kid, I was always totally baffled by it!
crazy!! hard work really pays off, and it looks like perhaps it wasn’t too hard at all!
jaysmom49says
There’s these little yellow triangles called Painters Pyramids. Someone posted on another board that they were worth their weight in gold. You paint the back side of the doors, flip them over on these things and paint the front. No marks. Worth a look. BTW, the cabinets look great.
TappanTrailerTamisays
Connie, you are my hero! Thanks for trying this out, and letting Pam know your results as a “real life” user. This is great news, as I am faced with painting an entire kitchen and two bathrooms worth of cabinets.
Not that Pam’s testimonial wasn’t valuable – but I guess it is different when you don’t have the manufacturer right there to help out/explain etc. Kinda like going to the hair dresser and NEVER being able to get your hair to look the same doing it yourself once you get home! It’s good to know this stands the test of true DIY.
Your cabinets look outstanding! Great job!
pam kuebersays
I actually agree with you, TTT — I was happy to hear from someone who used it in the wild, not just in a 2-hour demo complete with shrimp jumbalaya!
75Heathersays
Nice! If I can’t talk my hubby into replacing the cabinets in our kitchen (some of the drawers are falling apart and there’s some water damage under the sink due to a leaky sink), I think I’m going to have to try this when we end up repainting. The previous owners were flippers who did a very poor job of painting the kitchen cabs and the cabs in both bathrooms.
Lynnesays
I wonder if this product would work on damaged blond furniture? You know you can’t refinish that stuff and get the same effect. I have water rings and cigarette burns to deal with on the surface. Did everyone set their cigarettes on the edges of their furniture and then let them lay there and burn???? I think I’ll go to Lowes and see if they have Heywood Wakefield blond shade.
I remember back in the late 60’s early 70’s, “antiquing kits” were popular. Everybody was using them for furniture and cabinets. You could get avacado green, country blue, harvest goldy/yellow and different wood tones. It also came with a base coat, and an antiquing glaze. They gave instructions on making a faux wood grain, and knot holes using cheesecloth. My mom got one…..are you all sitting down???? She “antiqued” our original pink GE metal kitchen cabinets. It didn’t bother me then, at the age of 7, but now, it just makes me a little sick.
Connie Irvinesays
Lynne, I’m sure you could use it on your blond furniture. The base coat is just a high quality paint and would cover the water marks and burns with no problem. When you’re done, it’ll look just like stained wood. And you’re so right: when I first saw the kit in Lowe’s, I read everything on the box and thought: Hey! This is just like antiquing! I antiqued a whole kitchen way back when I was in my 20’s, and it turned out great. Which is why I was pretty sure Cabinet Transformations was gonna work. Good luck!
Gavin Hastingssays
Everyone did NOT set their cigarettes on the edges of furniture.
Only husbands.
pam kuebersays
I think it *is* similar to antiquing. Degloss / two tinted base coats / glaze (optional) / then a clear sealant on top. The keys seem to be: (1) The quality of of ther overall look based on the formulation they have come up with, (2) no sanding, and (3) – durability / lack of chippiness — of course, time will be what really tells on this one… Rustoleum is no fly-by-night manufacturer, though, so we can assume and hope they have done their research and the durabilty will come through…
Connie Irvinesays
Hey Pam: I think the top coat will prevent chips. That kitchen I antiqued back in the 1970’s never chipped at all, and we weren’t especially careful with it. I’ve got to assume that this new top coat is probably even better – it really looks like quality stuff! By the way, did you notice that Bill (DH) replied to Gavin? He actually did see some painters using the same process on this gigantic custom house. They were glazing the five-car garage doors when he went to do his inspection. He asked the guys where to get that glaze and they told him Vista Paints would have it. Naturally I rushed to Vista and they had never heard of the stuff. I still need one more can, but RustOleum said they would send one within a week! Later, Connie
pam kuebersays
Thanks, Connie. I am no paint expert, but I would think the most important aspect is adhesion — do those base coats stay “stuck” on… I am guessing also it’s a “whole system” thing. Let us know how it goes!
Katesays
Your transformation looks great! I was wondering if you had issues with the paint being sticky (making the doors stick to the frame). Thanks. – Kate
pam kuebersays
Hi Kate, I am not sure that person featured in this post is actually monitoring the comments. I would suggest that you contact Rustoleum customer service.
Nancysays
The glaze definitely gives an antique look by highlighting the wood grain or the brush strokes of paint, or the details of cabinets and drawers. The glaze is OPTIONAL, so one can skip it and just use paint and top coat for a more “flat” look. The paint is a high quality that goes on very smoothly and covers well with two coats.
pam kuebersays
See my original post — which also points you to the website — for some shots of color. Of course, you need to see these in the light of day of your own home. Unfortunately, Rustoleum does not have “chips” or “doors” like a kitchen cabinet maker…. That was one concern that was voiced by the bloggers at the event.
TappanTrailerTamisays
<>
Hey Lynne, please don’t forget the ultra cool HOT HOT HOT Pink antiquing glaze. My poor mother bought the most beautiful carved ornate Brunswick French Provincial/Queen Anne phonograph (similar to a “Victrola” which seems like “Kleenex” is to tissue paper), and the prior owners had antiqued it hot pink!
She stripped it down to its absolutely beautiful mahogany wood and it is a showstopper now. Well, it was a showstopper before she stripped it too, for that matter! LOL. Thankfully they left the insides untouched, and never antiqued the mahogany inside the lid nor the original Brunswick stenciling inside the lid.
My mom went on an antiquing craze in the 70’s too. She did the kitchen cabinets, cedar chests, sewing machine cabinet, basically anything that stood still long enough. Then she decal’ed a big eagle on them.
Wow! I don’t currently have anything to use this product on but I do admit, it’s pretty amazing!
Oliviasays
Actually, I’m starting to wonder if this would work on the blonde bedroom set I have. It’s pretty beat up with some peeling and water stains, but I haven’t wanted to paint it. I want to be true to the original color of the pieces since the set has been passed on to me from my grandmother who originally purchased them in 1958.
Nancysays
I don’t know if you will be pleased with the results if you want it to look like the 1950s blonde. Especially if you use the glaze over the paint, the results are more of an antiqued look. For blonde wood, I would strip off the old finish and sand lightly. I would stain with a “pickled oak” stain, which is white, to highlight the woodgrain, typically oak. Then I would top that with a clear coat of poly, like water-based by Varathane. Watco Danish Oil also had a pickled oak oil stain, but not sure if they are still making it. I found a gel based one in my unpainted furniture store that wiped on nicely.
Oliviasays
Whoa! I’m most impressed with the kitchen cabinets. I thought the picture at the top was the “before” pic of oak cabinets. They look just like are plain wood that has been stained, not painted. I will defintely keep this product in mind for possible future projects.
I recently wrote about my first press trip – to see and test-drive Rustoleum’s new “Cabinet Transformations” kitchen repainting kit. I was impressed with my experience – but there is nothing like a real-life testimonial from someone who has used the product on an entire kitchen. Did skeptical Connie like it? Yes. The minute she finished her first bathroom, she ran out for another kit to paint the second bathroom, then for more to repaint the kitchen. Here’s a snippet of her enthusiastic story:
Ugly white sprayed on paint, chipping and slopped over the hinges.
As you can see, I went with the darker kit in my kitchen, due to the terra cotta colored floor tile.
Jackie says
The comments on 70s antiquing got me thinking–my mom did that kind of stuff a lot back then, including plaster and ceramic pieces. She bought the brown antiquing liquid (not a “glaze” of the type you put on ceramics, but a paint) at the ceramics shop. Don’t see those around often anymore, but that could be a good source for glazing products if someone wants to cook up a DIY version of the Rustoleum process.
Patty says
I remember they used to tell you to use a chain to “antique” your furniture — give it some dents to make it look old.
I wonder how this will stand up on those garage doors, which of course will be outside and subjected to rain and snow.
Jon says
In the mid mod house I grew up in, someone did that to ALL the cabinet doors!! as a kid, I was always totally baffled by it!
Bandita says
crazy!! hard work really pays off, and it looks like perhaps it wasn’t too hard at all!
jaysmom49 says
There’s these little yellow triangles called Painters Pyramids. Someone posted on another board that they were worth their weight in gold. You paint the back side of the doors, flip them over on these things and paint the front. No marks. Worth a look. BTW, the cabinets look great.
TappanTrailerTami says
Connie, you are my hero! Thanks for trying this out, and letting Pam know your results as a “real life” user. This is great news, as I am faced with painting an entire kitchen and two bathrooms worth of cabinets.
Not that Pam’s testimonial wasn’t valuable – but I guess it is different when you don’t have the manufacturer right there to help out/explain etc. Kinda like going to the hair dresser and NEVER being able to get your hair to look the same doing it yourself once you get home! It’s good to know this stands the test of true DIY.
Your cabinets look outstanding! Great job!
pam kueber says
I actually agree with you, TTT — I was happy to hear from someone who used it in the wild, not just in a 2-hour demo complete with shrimp jumbalaya!
75Heather says
Nice! If I can’t talk my hubby into replacing the cabinets in our kitchen (some of the drawers are falling apart and there’s some water damage under the sink due to a leaky sink), I think I’m going to have to try this when we end up repainting. The previous owners were flippers who did a very poor job of painting the kitchen cabs and the cabs in both bathrooms.
Lynne says
I wonder if this product would work on damaged blond furniture? You know you can’t refinish that stuff and get the same effect. I have water rings and cigarette burns to deal with on the surface. Did everyone set their cigarettes on the edges of their furniture and then let them lay there and burn???? I think I’ll go to Lowes and see if they have Heywood Wakefield blond shade.
I remember back in the late 60’s early 70’s, “antiquing kits” were popular. Everybody was using them for furniture and cabinets. You could get avacado green, country blue, harvest goldy/yellow and different wood tones. It also came with a base coat, and an antiquing glaze. They gave instructions on making a faux wood grain, and knot holes using cheesecloth. My mom got one…..are you all sitting down???? She “antiqued” our original pink GE metal kitchen cabinets. It didn’t bother me then, at the age of 7, but now, it just makes me a little sick.
Connie Irvine says
Lynne, I’m sure you could use it on your blond furniture. The base coat is just a high quality paint and would cover the water marks and burns with no problem. When you’re done, it’ll look just like stained wood. And you’re so right: when I first saw the kit in Lowe’s, I read everything on the box and thought: Hey! This is just like antiquing! I antiqued a whole kitchen way back when I was in my 20’s, and it turned out great. Which is why I was pretty sure Cabinet Transformations was gonna work. Good luck!
Gavin Hastings says
Everyone did NOT set their cigarettes on the edges of furniture.
Only husbands.
pam kueber says
I think it *is* similar to antiquing. Degloss / two tinted base coats / glaze (optional) / then a clear sealant on top. The keys seem to be: (1) The quality of of ther overall look based on the formulation they have come up with, (2) no sanding, and (3) – durability / lack of chippiness — of course, time will be what really tells on this one… Rustoleum is no fly-by-night manufacturer, though, so we can assume and hope they have done their research and the durabilty will come through…
Connie Irvine says
Hey Pam: I think the top coat will prevent chips. That kitchen I antiqued back in the 1970’s never chipped at all, and we weren’t especially careful with it. I’ve got to assume that this new top coat is probably even better – it really looks like quality stuff! By the way, did you notice that Bill (DH) replied to Gavin? He actually did see some painters using the same process on this gigantic custom house. They were glazing the five-car garage doors when he went to do his inspection. He asked the guys where to get that glaze and they told him Vista Paints would have it. Naturally I rushed to Vista and they had never heard of the stuff. I still need one more can, but RustOleum said they would send one within a week! Later, Connie
pam kueber says
Thanks, Connie. I am no paint expert, but I would think the most important aspect is adhesion — do those base coats stay “stuck” on… I am guessing also it’s a “whole system” thing. Let us know how it goes!
Kate says
Your transformation looks great! I was wondering if you had issues with the paint being sticky (making the doors stick to the frame). Thanks. – Kate
pam kueber says
Hi Kate, I am not sure that person featured in this post is actually monitoring the comments. I would suggest that you contact Rustoleum customer service.
Nancy says
The glaze definitely gives an antique look by highlighting the wood grain or the brush strokes of paint, or the details of cabinets and drawers. The glaze is OPTIONAL, so one can skip it and just use paint and top coat for a more “flat” look. The paint is a high quality that goes on very smoothly and covers well with two coats.
pam kueber says
See my original post — which also points you to the website — for some shots of color. Of course, you need to see these in the light of day of your own home. Unfortunately, Rustoleum does not have “chips” or “doors” like a kitchen cabinet maker…. That was one concern that was voiced by the bloggers at the event.
TappanTrailerTami says
<>
Hey Lynne, please don’t forget the ultra cool HOT HOT HOT Pink antiquing glaze. My poor mother bought the most beautiful carved ornate Brunswick French Provincial/Queen Anne phonograph (similar to a “Victrola” which seems like “Kleenex” is to tissue paper), and the prior owners had antiqued it hot pink!
She stripped it down to its absolutely beautiful mahogany wood and it is a showstopper now. Well, it was a showstopper before she stripped it too, for that matter! LOL. Thankfully they left the insides untouched, and never antiqued the mahogany inside the lid nor the original Brunswick stenciling inside the lid.
Tami
BungalowBILL says
My mom went on an antiquing craze in the 70’s too. She did the kitchen cabinets, cedar chests, sewing machine cabinet, basically anything that stood still long enough. Then she decal’ed a big eagle on them.
Pam had a post about refinishing blonde furniture a while ago. https://retrorenovation.com/2008/07/11/how-to-refinish-heywood-wakefield-furniture-palm-springs-stephan-advises/
I still have an awesome blonde bar cabinet with pink mirror glass tiles and no finish sitting in a spare room waiting to be worked on.
pam kueber says
haha: Put an Eagle on It!
pam kueber says
And yes, I think to refinish Hey Wake style furniture, I’d likely try PSS’ method.
katkins says
bwa-ha, “decal’d a big eagle on it.” snort!
Nancy says
The Spirit of ’76 lives on!
Eartha Kitsch says
Wow! I don’t currently have anything to use this product on but I do admit, it’s pretty amazing!
Olivia says
Actually, I’m starting to wonder if this would work on the blonde bedroom set I have. It’s pretty beat up with some peeling and water stains, but I haven’t wanted to paint it. I want to be true to the original color of the pieces since the set has been passed on to me from my grandmother who originally purchased them in 1958.
Nancy says
I don’t know if you will be pleased with the results if you want it to look like the 1950s blonde. Especially if you use the glaze over the paint, the results are more of an antiqued look. For blonde wood, I would strip off the old finish and sand lightly. I would stain with a “pickled oak” stain, which is white, to highlight the woodgrain, typically oak. Then I would top that with a clear coat of poly, like water-based by Varathane. Watco Danish Oil also had a pickled oak oil stain, but not sure if they are still making it. I found a gel based one in my unpainted furniture store that wiped on nicely.
Olivia says
Whoa! I’m most impressed with the kitchen cabinets. I thought the picture at the top was the “before” pic of oak cabinets. They look just like are plain wood that has been stained, not painted. I will defintely keep this product in mind for possible future projects.