I need help. WWYD if you were me? (PIP's)

[lolc]

We bought our house a few months ago. The previous owners painted the cabinets. Well whatever they did, it didn't hold up well because this is what so much of the edges looked like:



I tried EVERYWHERE to match the color. It turns out the previous owners used a multitude of colors/finishes to achieve the look they were going for. I got in touch with the previous owners, and all that they remember is that the paint was Sherwin Williams, and they also used a stain but can't remember what kind, from where, etc. That was the only info I got.

In the meantime, I found one of the darkest browns I could find. I sanded down the previous color and repainted with the colorI bought (I believe it's called Brown Velvet from Valspar in a semi gloss).

Here is the difference:






It didn't look like a big difference until I took a picture with the flash. Eek! Huge difference! So now I don't know what to do, and I don't know how I feel.

I like the color brown I chose.... I think. I think it looks better with the tile countertop and SS fridge than the current color (I want to change out the stove/microwave eventually, but I wasn't planning a big remodel for years!).

But it makes it look more "painted" - whereas the previous owners had somehow achieved a more "wood" look with the color they chose. It's also not as "smooth" feeling. It has a more tacky feel to it than the very smooth feel of the current color.

I just don't know. I don't know whether I should keep going and do it all.... or leave it as is (I hate this idea!) - or try and match the original color...... or try a new color all together, or put a higher gloss on the color I chose (can that even be done or do I need to buy high gloss paint in that color?) ugh. Such a decision. I just don't know.

WWYD if you were me? And what are your thoughts?



for anyone who cares, this is a pic of the kitchen about 10 years ago. I found it on a "virtual tour" of the house when I typed in our address to google. So this is what the cabinets originally looked like....

[Deleted]

If I were you. I'd just start over entirely. Giant PITA I know, but at least you'll get what you want, it'll all be uniform and it'll be done for a LONG time and done right at that.

[lolc]

Start over as in pick a whole new color/sheen etc? Or do the entire kitchen in the Valspar color? What do you think of that color?

[Deleted]

Nov 16, 2012 20:52:34 GMT -5 lolc said:

Start over as in pick a whole new color/sheen etc? Or do the entire kitchen in the Valspar color? What do you think of that color?

As in do the whole kitchen. If it's flaking off on the edges already, it'll probably flake off every where else sooner than later too. If you're going to go through all the work of painting part of it, you might as well do it all right and be done.

The color you picked is okay. I'm not one to ask though. Brown tones aren't my thing. If you like it, it's fine. There's nothing wrong with it!

[hereonceagain]

I like the color in your pics. I would keep it.

[kaylie]

Personally, I'm not a fan of the lighter brown - it's very mauve to me and seems a bit dated. If you like it though, that's all that should really matter.

If it were me, I would go to SW and try to get the original brown. They should be able to look up the previous owners by name and figure out what they used.

Another option is getting a rustoleum cabinet transformations kit.

[amblor]

If you want a quick hold over for now you could take off one of the older doors and bring it to SW to Color match. Some of them are really good at looking at the color and getting an identical color!

[auntie]

I see 3 workable options:

1. Strip the finish, stain with something esspresso black and seal with a marine varnish.

2. Hire someone to replace all the trim which you have already stained and sealed, as in #1.

3. Remove the wood entirely, and replace with a bullnose tile trim piece.

[pitterwoo]

I would repaint that trim area black

[hbomdiggity]

I would leave it - I don't think the color has to match perfectly.

I would also leave it because I would be saving to completely reno. If it is already flaking, it will be everywhere. And like hell would I go through stripping it to repaint (they must not have used a good primer so i wouldn't just paint over).

[lolc]

I actually did take one of the doors to Sherwin Williams. They couldn't match it up to a color they have. The guy offered to mix up a color that the color eye said would most closely match - but then cautioned me that once he mixed it, I'd HAVE to buy it, even if it wasn't the color. I think the sales guy was a real jerk, because frankly I don't want to go back there. Horrible customer service.

It was a battle just to get him to even take my cabinet door to match it. He kept saying "I don't carry that sort of color" and I kept saying "Look - I disassembled the door and brought it all the way out here, the least you could do is look it up for me!!"

Anyone have experience with rustoleum cabinet transformations? I think I might end up trying that in espresso.

FWIW I found out what the cabinets are made of: melamine. So it's not wood I am dealing with (apart from the edges)

[aweilba]

If it were me, I'd probably try to find a temporary solution and start saving up to reno the cabinets to something else. The color you picked out looks fine, and if you like it, that's what should matter. I would just be concerned that the flaking would continue in other areas and that the paint is just a temporary band-aid for a bigger problem in the future.