When I finally get into a house after closing, I'm ready to hurry up, get everyone in there to help rip everything out and start new. However, I usually end up going in alone. I stand there and just look at the place for a long time. Because I don't have a partner to consult with, I have a "floating" budget in my head - a total number what my max should be to make this house work as an investment. So, when I stood there looking at this 50 year old kitchen, I noticed, even though they were dirty, how well built the cabinets were, and decided to keep them. The hardware was a little rusty, so I thought I might replace those pieces, but in the end, I kept those as well. Using paint and elbow grease saved me money for new cabinets and hardware. I also retained some of the homes older charm.
The demo was done carefully. The back splash was made of a plastic tile-sheet or tile board? - not really sure what it's called, but it was not original - maybe added in the 70's. You can see some of it under the larger window. The cabinet doors and the drawers were removed and painted. This is the 3rd home where I have painted old cabinets* and it has held up very well in each case. The first house I did this way is still in great shape after 10 years!
Since there is plenty of cabinet and drawer space, I cut out an opening for a dishwasher. I usually buy new, but this one was $100 and was not ever installed - a steal on craigslist. At this point I hire an electrician to run the wiring to the dishwasher and the future disposal. He also ads GFI's at counter level to make it safe and to meet code - it's the right way to do it. I like things to be up to code at a minimum so people don't happen to die from electrocution because I cut a corner to save a few pennies. After this is done, I start to patch and sand the back splash area with joint compound. I repeat this step a few times until it's smooth. In between steps, I sand and paint the cabinet faces outside and remove the rust from the hardware with steel wool - this is the elbow grease step. It's tedious, but worth it in the end. Prior to installing the newly painted faces I paint the inside of all the cabinets. I paint bottom shelf of the lower cabinet under the sink with grey porch paint which is oil based. This is just a personal preference - I like to do this because it's durable, looks good, and hides old stains from cleaning products. It's also easy to clean moving forward.
So here s the finished kitchen. The shot is a little dark, but you can see the look. I had a new laminate counter top made by local cabinet shop and put in a new sink with faucet. My tenant dressed it up to her liking with the curtain and island. I was thrilled with how the cabinet hardware turned out - very sharp and a bit retro - good for another 50 years!
*(I follow a painting process I learned by reading an article in the Winter 2004 Annual issue of Fine Home Building "Kitchen & Baths" issue No.167. The article is called "The Challenges of Painting Kitchens and Baths" by Brian Doherty) This has saved me much money over the years. Thanks Brian! http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/painting-kitchens-and-bathrooms.aspx
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