adding cabinet space over existing wall cabinets
#21
This is not my kitchen but it is the exact style and golden oak finish that I have.  My cabinets do not have crown molding.  They have little wooden spindles with a top and bottom rail instead.  Impossible to keep clean and looks very dated.  The space above the cabinets is about what I have.  My house is a pseudo-mid-century modern ranch (meaning that they did not install crown molding in any of the rooms).  I do not have a suspended ceiling either.  But the color, door style and the very wide space between the doors is the same.

I will reduce the spacing between the doors by using 1¼" overlay hinges in place of the ½" that is currently being used, and making the doors 1½" wider. 

I will work in poplar and birch ply + paint.    I may just paint the reduced exposure face frame or I may use grain filler and then paint.  Undecided as of yet.  I made sample doors and they look good.  Installed with Blum soft-close hinges. 

I took them down at this point because two doors in white look silly against all the other golden oak.  The existing boxes are not great, but are still solid.  I will leave them in place and replace the end panels. 

I am trying to get by with as little work as possible and still make the kitchen look contemporary.


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#22
Rather than build little cabinets to fit above your existing ones, why not just replace the uppers altogether if that's the look you want?  Build or buy white cabinets in the same style as what you have and you'll be done when they are installed.  You can paint the bottoms white to match, or use a contrasting color as often is now done.  

Almost 30 years ago I built the uppers for my kitchen to go almost to the ceiling.  I was way ahead of the curve it seems.



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This was after I redid them a year ago, but the boxes and style are the original.  

John
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#23
People reface cabinets to save money.  I am refacing to save time and money. 

I don't think it is necessary to replace the cabinets.  I am 72 years old and probably will sell the house in the next 5 years or so.  I am making improvements with resale value in mind.

I can build new doors quickly and inexpensively.  Though not as inexpensively as they do on "Fixer to Fabulous" where it was mentioned that they could buy cabinet doors for $25.00 each. 

That might be nearly my cost to produce. 

So I am putting money and effort where there will be the greatest return on my buck.  In my opinion refacing is a better deal than replacing the cabinets.

If I planned on living here for another 25 years, I would definitely replace the cabinets.
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#24
Well then just paint what you have.  Forget making new doors/drawer fronts and the extra cabinets at the top.  The new owners are going to rip them out anyway.  Sad, but usually true. 

John
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#25
Painting the doors over oak will telegraph the grain through the paint.  I would not like that look.  With only a very small amount of the face frame showing after installing the larger doors, I think that would be more acceptable to me.
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#26
my parents did this with their kitchen cabinets  --  just a different approach.

they actually went with painted sliding doors, so was a pretty simple process.

just throwing it out as another option.  
Yes
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#27
Sliding doors are interesting, but I am familiar with the blum hinges and this requires I add a new skill, plus I wonder if the unfamiliar sliding door is good or bad for re-sale.  I think I will stick with the plain vanilla soft close hinges.

Thanks for the  suggestion.
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#28
How much space do you really need? You could go the other direction. Down. I did these under drawers and the space is amazing. Great for cans and lids, and cookie sheets  and other stuff. Basic directions are at Under Cabinet Drawers. We tend to use that upper space for display and rarely used appliances like the popcorn popper and pressure cooker.

   
Was living the good retired life on the Lake. Now just living retired.
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#29
I went to the ceiling and it is 10' so I have to admit stuff that is up there sees little use but I am ok with it and I am glad the space isn't just collecting dust
Phydeaux said "Loving your enemy and doing good for those that hurt you does not preclude killing them if they make that necessary."


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women have trouble understanding Trump's MAGA theme because they had so little involvement in making America great the first time around.

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#30
I thought I explained that I would do it mainly to make the kitchen look more contemporary.
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