Is it a bit silly to replace Kitchen Unit doors (oak) with b and q type manufactored?

martin57

Hi,


Kitchen has been in house since I came here and some of the unit doors do need touching up in places as well as that under the worktop at underside the wood is a little chipped away.


Something like this only because of its age obviously shabbier.
http://www.vangviet.com/comfortable-oak-kitchen-cabinets/


My partener has mentioned to me about getting a new kitchen, but trying to convince her its not a great idea as our present units maybe could do with a new varnish and touching up in places, but in my opinion look good, just new some tlc


What I am trying to get at is at places like b and q almost all of their kitchens will look good just because they are new, mostly flat looking manufactured wood doors with no real style to them whereas with our unit doors they have a nice design to them (not flat) and would probably cost a fortune to replace nowadays.


Do you think I have a valid point or am I on a loosing battle here?


Thanks
Martin57

Doozergirl

Well, something like that is quite out of fashion at the moment, but painting the doors would make a world of difference. It's worth trying even if your partner insists eventually on changing it.

By giving it a realy good scrub with elbow grease, painting the doors, changing the handles and perhaps updating the appliances, sink, tap or worktop (or any combination) you could have something lovely again.

There are companies that will spray anything if you're scared to attempt the painting yourselves. Or you can hire someone to handpaint it.

If there are pieces of trim that your partner really doesn't like, you could remove them and have a carpenter change them. We moved an existing wood kitchen around for a client earlier in the year and our man created brand new end panels to compliment it. It looks amazing. No need for an entirely new kitchen.

andrewf75

definitely a valid point, but it depends on taste. There are companies that specialise in revamping old kitchens and if you're basically happy with the layout then it would be well worth doing that rather than just replacing.

JimmyTheWig

martin57 wrote: »

Do you think I have a valid point

Yes.

or am I on a loosing battle here?

Yes.

wallbash

Been in the same position. Moved into house, large kitchen with very expensive solid dark units........they even had fake beams on the ceiling. Cost a fortune.
Ripped the whole thing out and replaced it with a white kitchen, cost of units , maybe 20% of the originals ..........never regretted the change.

Taste change.

adandem

We replaced the doors and some of the units on a kitchen which was similar to yours.
Painting them is possible but hard work to do well.
We had fairly cheap doors but good worktop and tiles etc. It looks really good.

27col

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I wouldn't have them as a gift. But each to his own taste.
My son had all his units re-doored and I must say, the old units came up very well. Not particularly cheap, but the company did make a very nice job of the refurbishment.

arbroath_lass

I have similar doors, I also would love to be rid of them. They never look clean and I hate all the faffy bits (so hard to clean in those corners).


I could probably cope if they were painted but I'd love a more functional kitchen.

Furts

Someone, somewhere, likes these types of doors. I took out my kitchen around two years ago and put the solid oak doors on Freecycle. I received responses and the doors went in no time.

So the moral is, if you replace them, try giving them to a good home rather than them going into landfill.

Of course, you could take them to your recycling centre, which raises a smile in these enviromental days. Your solid oak doors will be chipped into chipboard to produce inferior "modern" timber. This can be coated with formica, or similar, and form your new kitchen!

cyclonebri1

Furts wrote: »

Someone, somewhere, likes these types of doors. I took out my kitchen around two years ago and put the solid oak doors on Freecycle. I received responses and the doors went in no time.

So the moral is, if you replace them, try giving them to a good home rather than them going into landfill.

Of course, you could take them to your recycling centre, which raises a smile in these enviromental days. Your solid oak doors will be chipped into chipboard to produce inferior "modern" timber. This can be coated with formica, or similar, and form your new kitchen!

It's me, lt's me, and yes I am fighting a losing battle with "her indoors" to keep them.
:o We also have an oak beamed ceiling,:o:o but ours is genuine hence my reluctance to change the country cottage style.
Painting anything oak is sacrilege in my opinion, but I realise that I'm in the minority these days.

Ikea have a lot to answer for.;);)

bouicca21

They are out of fashion now - but give it a few years and they might come back in.

If they really are solid oak, is it possible to strip them and redo in a lighter finish?