Cabinet Transformation

So in my last post I mentioned that we moved to a new house and needed to paint/stain the cabinets.  A few people have asked how I did that, so I thought I'd just blog about it.  Let me start by saying I am by NO means an expert on this.  In fact, I read tons of blogs on how to do this before actually doing it.  And I looked at Pinterest for hours before choosing the color I wanted.  So if you're wanting to do this to your cabinets, please please please do the research before starting.  It's a long endeavor.  This isn't a weekend project. 


This is how our cabinets looked when we moved in.

Yuck.  They were an ugly orange color.  I think it's called 'golden oak' or something gross like that.  Basically it's what the builder puts in their new builds because it's cheap and looks half-way decent.  But totally not my style.  I might have been able to live with them for a while if they were in good condition.  But they weren't.  They were worn and sad looking.  I think the previous owners were rough on them.  I dunno.  But whatevs.  It was time for something fresh and new for our home. 


Since I didn't have an extra few grand just lying around, I decided to just do it myself.  I think our realtor choked when I told him I'd do it myself.  He warned us that he'd seen many kitchens destroyed by a well meaning DIY project.  He didn't know me well.  :)


SO after researching and spending WAY too much time on pinterest, I decided on dark cabinets.  The thing I kept seeing over and over was java gel stain.  So after researching that specific color, I came up with this: General Finished Gel Stain in Java.  I bought it from Amazon, but if you live in DSM you can buy it at The Woodsmith Store on Hickman.  That store is awesomesauce.  Seriously, check it out. 


I wanted to practice some before actually staining our entire kitchen only to find out I hated the color or something.  So I went to the Habitat for Humanity Restore and bought a cheap cabinet door to practice on. 




I tested out two different paint brushes, hence the green tape in the middle. 

After researching a TON, here are the steps I used::


1) use a degreaser/cleaner to get all the gunk off the door.  Seriously until you clean it, you don't realize how gross the doors can get.  Especially the ones around your stove.  All that grease that just sticks to the door will prevent the stain from adhering.  Do yourself a favor and clean it first.  I used Krud Kutter, only because someone else did.  I thought it did a fantastic job.


2) Deglosser.  Skip the sanding.  So many blogs I used said to sand down your doors.  Unless your doors are in super rough shape, skip it.  A deglosser will take off the 'shine' and allow the stain to adhere.  I used Klean Stip Sander Deglosser.  Only because that's what Home Depot had and it was cheap.  A little goes a long way on this one.  Make sure you're in a ventilated area.  I got a little high off the fumes.  :)


3) Start staining.  I highly suggest using gloves.  You're going to end up getting stain on your hands, just accept that.  Unless you want brown nail and cuticles for the next few weeks, buy yourself some gloves.  Just get the cheap box of gloves at the hardware store.  Usually less than $10 for a box of 100. 


4) BE PATIENT!  Let the stain dry before doing a second coat!!  Since we were in the process of painting our entire house, I would do a coat, do something else for a few hours, and then go back for another coat.  I did two coats of gel stain with about 4 hours in-between coats. 




In the process of staining.  Those orange things under the doors are these cool painter's tepees that you use to prop things off the floor.  They were super helpful but are by no means a necessity.



I started out in the garage but it got cold so I brought everything into the living room.  We had already taken out all the carpet so it was the perfect work space.



After staining all the cabinets.  Make sure to tape well! 

5) Top coat.  General Finishes makes several different polyurethane topcoats.  I chose a satin finish, but you can choose semi-gloss, flat, glossy...whatever your heart desires.  I used a brush for this too.  After doing other painting projects I would choose a super smooth small foam roller instead.  I think the finish is a little better with the roller.  Plus it'd be faster. 


6) LET DRY FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS!  I can not stress enough the importance of allowing adequate dry time.  You've just spent several days doing this project.  The last thing you want is to ruin it in your excitement of being done. 


DONE!  Put everything back in it's place and have a glass of wine.  You deserve it! 


So here are a few tips I learned from my endeavor::


1) take the time to prep properly.  Use painter's tape, clean the cabinets, degloss etc.  It's easy and fairly quick.  You'll be so much happier in the end!
2) buy cheap brushes for the stain.  Some people suggested using the foam brushes.  I didn't like those as well, but that's my preference.  When you practice on a cheap piece of wood see what you like best. The stain WILL NOT come out of the brushes.  So why bother?  Just buy cheap ones and toss them when you're done.
3) don't be rushed.  Make sure you have the time/energy/space to do this.  It's not a weekend project!
4) don't be fooled by "box cabinet transformation" kits you can buy at the hardware store.  It seems like it'd be cheaper/easier but it's not.  Everyone I know who has used the box transformation kits has regretted it.  Within a year it's coming off and looks terrible. 


So here's the finished project:


Full disclosure: this pic was taken after we got new quartz countertops.  SO that's why there's no faucet yet.  And since then we've put in brushed nickel hardware on the doors/drawers.  And we bought all new stainless steel appliances.

Believe me, this is not a difficult project to do.  It's WAY cheaper than buying new cabinets.  And it's awesome knowing I did something myself.  :)