Kitchen cupboards...

[cassa333]

My kitchen is about 30 yrs old.

The kitchen is small and the cupboards are all larger than normal ie: the wall ones are the size of a normal cupboard plus a draw size as well (if that makes sense?). They are flush with the ceiling and the full length ones go from floor to ceiling and the base ones are slightly deeper than normal. The corner units do not have a dividing wall so can be used all around the inside.

All the fixings on the doors are of an old design. They are hinged on the outside, not inside the cupboard wall. All the doors are thin, varnished, (what looks like) pine pannels (with a bit of decorative beading) and the taller ones are warped, probably because they are so tall and thin. The tall nes are the only ones I could put new doors on.

Now my problem is I like the size of the cupboards as it gives me the storage space I need but because of the 'old' design the kitchen companys won't refurbish with new doors. They just want to rip it all out and put new in. The trouble with this is I would loose so much storage space I would have to build another room to fit it all :)

If I got someone to take all the doors off could they strip the varnish off and do something to make them more presentable? Either laminate/cover them or paint them?

It would have to be done nicely. I wouldn't be able to do it... it would end up looking as if my 7yr olds had done it lol.

Thanks

[cassa333]

That's what I was thinking.

I would have to get someone else to do it properly though. My ability is equal to that of a half dead monkey (or my 7yr olds) so wouldn't look good if i did it...

Would a (proper trades) decorator be able to do it or would it be a specialist?

[hc4361]

Contact a couple of local handymen, see what they quote. It's the sort of job that could be done bit by bit - someone could take a few doors away at time.

[alavahalf]

Last summer my better half decided she would like to move the kitchen from the first floor to the ground floor. Her second great idea was to refurbish the 30 year old oak doors ... !
My first thought was ...'' you do it '' .. anyhow I bought her 5 litres of nitromours, a scraper and a detail sander. After 4 weeks ( 2 hours a day) she had completely sanded the doors, and all the drawers back to bare wood, and burnt the sander out with the effort involved.
She then said she was going to get a man in to fit the kitchen because I had said I did'nt want to go to all the fuss.
Must say I was very impressed with her commitment and the light oak did'nt half look nice.Two coats of clear laquer then I fitted handles, made new drawer liners and fitted new runners.
The kitchen units were also replaced ... infact everything was based around the old doors and drawer fronts.
She got what she wanted and I had to re-fit the kitchen.
Certainly won that one ... and showed her who is boss..!