Kitchen Cupboard Update

I am excited to tell you about the update my son and daughter in law made in their kitchen. It is an older home that was dated in its design when they purchased it. I don’t think any renovations or update had been done for several years prior to they’re purchasing the home. They have done a lot inside and out to rejuvenate the home but they hadn’t made improvements to the kitchen.

The kitchen is pretty amazing. There are plenty of cupboards and lots of counter space. There is an over the sink window that overlooks their beautiful backyard. They even have a set of cupboards with glass doors. Very fancy for their day. The space is open to the dining and living room. Both rooms have huge windows so the kitchen is very bright. It is the perfect place for a family gathering. Lots of room to work and serve and lots of space for family and friends to sit down and enjoy their food.

I’m sure the cupboards were very high end in the 70’s. They were custom built and very well made. When the cupboards were installed I’m certain the owner loved them and was thrilled to have them in her kitchen.

Nostalgic

To be honest this kitchen is a little nostalgic for me, the trim and handles remind me of my grandparents kitchen when I was growing up. My grandparents kitchen wasn’t as big but the cupboards, drawers and handles looked very similar.

Our Son and daughter in law wanted to make and create some changes but a kitchen overhaul wasn’t going to happen. They were also told by several family members that they couldn’t replace the cupboards because they were so well made. Those family members would have loved this beautiful kitchen in 1970. Because the cupboards were well made it was worth updating them. Our son and daughter in law were willing to do the work.

There is a lot of satisfaction in doing a project and seeing beautiful results. So they rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

The old dated cupboards

Just because they wanted to make some changes to the space doesn’t mean they didn’t appreciate what they had.

They have running water, a stove to cook food and a refrigerator to keep things cold. We are so blessed to live in such an amazing country with so many convinces. I worry that people think I don’t appreciate what we have been blessed with. My son and daughter in law lived in this home for several years before they were able to make the changes.

There are others that would have pulled everything out and started fresh when they moved in. That is completely fine as well. I know we all have different priorities and lives and there is no right or wrong. Loving and appreciating what you have but wanting to do and make improvements is never a wrong decision.

The cupboards were perfect for their day. What my son and DIL were able to create with some hard work is amazing.

They didn’t want to invest in a kitchen overhaul so they got busy adding new trim to the cupboards and painting them a pretty white. They created a beautiful shaker cabinet. The change it made to the kitchen was unbelievable.

A whole new space

To get started they pulled the old trim off the cupboards. That wasn’t too hard since it had started falling off in places. They then got busy cutting the wood to turn the cupboards into a farmhouse shaker cabinet. They measured each cupboard and cut the corners on 45 degree angles.

You never realize how many cupboards you have in a space until you start fixing them one by one. It is a huge project that requires a lot of time and patience. They even decided to leave the glass in the cupboards to display some of their favorite dishes. It looks great and adds a little character to the space.

Painting

After they got the wood nailed and glued to the fronts of all the doors and drawers they got busy painting. Painting cupboards is not for the faint of heart. It is not an easy process, you have to be meticulous to do the job well. It also takes several coats of paint. You need to use a brush to get the corners and edges and a paint roller for the flat surface. Applying the paint smoothly without brush marks is not easy but do able. It takes patience and a lot of time. They worked so hard getting it done well.

Now if you happen to have a good quality paint sprayer you can do the job a little faster. I have only used a paint sprayer a couple times and that was on fencing. The sprayer I used wasn’t good quality so I dealt with a lot of dripping. Not something you want to deal with if you’re painting your cupboards. A paint sprayer would definitely be easier but you would really need to be proficient at it.

After everything was painted they added new hinges and pulls. Changing the hinges and adding new pulls to all the cupboard doors and drawers made such a statement.

Changing the pulls on any cupboard makes a huge difference. It is a simple update to a space if you don’t have a lot to spend.

Handwork pays off

Doing a kitchen over haul is not an easy job. Not only did they change up the doors and drawers they had a few that weren’t closing properly. They had to get that figured out in the project. Like any project there are hiccups along the way.

I love what they came up with for the vent hood. They would have loved to add a true farmhouse vent but they didn’t want to go that deep in the remodel. They created a very pretty alternative.

I am so proud of them and what they were able to accomplish. They love the look of their kitchen. The new cupboard design goes beautifully with they’re flooring. They hope to add concrete counter tops in the future and update the lighting. It is a fun journey.