Cheering up tired old kitchen doors?

LilacLillie

I'd like a new kitchen but don't want the expense, I also really like the layout and amount of cupboards I already have.
I looked at buying kitchen doors from online sites but my cupboards don't seem to be of standard sizes!
I found a site that make to measure, again I can't justify the expense.
So I was thinking of ways to give them a makeover in money saver style.
The handles are nice, the doors are all flat MDF without any curves at the sides and have been previously painted with the right sort (?) of kitchen paint.
I thought I'd get a new sink, flooring, worktops, decorate and hopefully do something with the doors...............but what??????
Anyone have ideas how to cheer up my old, sad tired looking kitchen please?????
LL

Doozergirl

Paint it again

Farrow and Ball do beautiful colours. Really expensive, almost unjustifiable for walls but it will make your kitchen really classy and costs a load less than the doors will. A 2.5 litre tin will do way more than you need for a kitchen. Oilbased eggshell will cost £34.99

I've made over a kitchen in a similar way and it was unrecognisable. Painted the doors and walls, changed the worktop, sink and taps, retiled floor and splashbacks. Magic

LilacLillie

Do you have a link for them please?
LL

Secret_Lady

LilacLillie wrote: »

Do you have a link for them please?
LL

Homebase stock a large range of Farrow and Ball paints, hope that helps.

Doozergirl

http://www.farrow-ball.com/

Homebase stock an absolutely paltry range of F&B. If you like white, you'll be okay. Otherwise contact F&B for a proper stockist.

Secret_Lady

Doozergirl wrote: »

http://www.farrow-ball.com/

Homebase stock an absolutely paltry range of F&B. If you like white, you'll be okay. Otherwise contact F&B for a proper stockist.

Sorry, I didn't realise that some Homebase stores only had white? My local Homebase has a massive range and a colour swatch brochure for you to take away and compare colours etc. I've bought various colours and types of Farrow and Ball paints from Homebase (different stores) over the last few years and they've always had a good selection, I just assumed they all had pretty much the same range. Good luck with the kitchen.

Doozergirl

Fifteen different shades of white in my local

The entire range is massive.

LilacLillie

Any other idea's on the doors other than just painting?
I will paint them but as they are completly flat was wondering if anything else could be done to cahnge the appearance??
LL

Elliesmum

You could try fablon, sticky backed plastic they used to call it on Blue Peter!

There are some fab colours etc available - however I don't think this would be as cheap as painting.

Otherwise there is paint and grain. We did this to our kitchen cupboards and it does do as it says on the tin!!!! Didn't look bad really but it depends on how good you are at the graining.

EM xx

Tiggerwendy_2

What about wooden beading (I think it's called)? Long strips of contoured wood. I got someone to stick some on my plain interior doors and once painted they now look like panelled doors. You can get all sorts of different designs I think. I think I got mine from Travis Perkins in the end, but B&Q type places sold them too.

Peartree

I'm going to go the other way and suggest you weigh up your time versus the cost of just replacing the doors. I've painted kitchen doors twice now and have come to the conclusion that 'life is too short'. To get a good finish, you need to sand, remove every shred of dust in your kitchen and put on at least a couple of coats of paint (removing every shred of dust in between) with all the drying time (without allowing a shred of dust) in between. Unless you have a tiny kitchen, it is a time consuming and inconvenient. This latest time, despite having really good quality doors (if horribly dark), I replaced them with store bought cream shaker style which were on offer at half price at my local DIY.

On the Farrow and Ball front, they do wonderful colours but are fiendishly expensive. If you like the colours buy a match pot and put a thick coat on some cardboard then take it to your nearest paint mixing place (either a trade place or I think some of the DIY sheds do it) and they will scan it and create a pretty much exact match on the colour. The finish won't be quite as 'flat' as a heritage paint but if you go for an eggshell it will be pretty near. I've just chosen a Farrow and Ball colour for my hall, stairs and landing but as it will need at least 20 litres of emulsion to do, I'll be taking it to my local Johnstone's depot, where I get all my paints, for them to scan and make up a near as dammit colour for about a quarter of the price.