I'm sharing the process of this kitchen remodel in hindsight because there were a lot of hurdles to working within the parameters of an existing older kitchen. I searched the web for ideas, and often didn't find what I needed. So I'm hoping that some of these ideas will help someone else looking to remodel without replacing. My home is a very traditional 1980s house...which I think are common in a lot of areas especially down south. Often times an older home is more economical than a new home, but you may not want the look of an older home. So I'm hoping that if you're in my shoes, this gives some ideas for how to update without starting from scratch.
In this remodel, I kept the original cabinets and most of the original doors. Even though they were solid wood, they showed wear. But that would sand out and be covered with paint. The thing that dated them the most was the two-piece doors. This kitchen was graced with 42" cabinets, but it didn't feel like it.
So the plan was to replace them with one solid door. Sounds easy, right? It ended up being a no-go because this door profile is simple but dated. For one, the door stile was wider than what they make them today. Also the inset panel on these older doors is actually a 'raised panel'. Most cabinet door companies today make the panel flush with the stiles or side pieces of the door. This is so that the door can be run thru a planer for sanding. Also the width of the stiles on my doors is wider than what they generally are today. I felt like you could tell the difference.
After getting a 'no, we can't replicate that' from several cabinet door companies, I went back to company that made my oven drawer. I had originally ordered the doors thru them when the oven drawer was made, but canceled the order when I found out they wouldn't match. Over the phone, we narrowed it down to the planer being the reason they couldn't make the panel 'raised'.
So I asked if they would build the doors for me, and I would hand sand them myself. That prompted them to ask me to bring one of my doors in again for them to figure out how to match it. They took it back to talk it over with their fabricator. To my surprise, they offered to match my door profile and hand-sand them for a minimal upcharge! That felt like such a victory! So if you run into this, try talking with the door manufacturer to see if they will work with you. The company I used was Harris Door and Drawer. They work with builders all the way down to individual homeowners. My first order was literally just a drawer. They were wonderful to work with each time, and I'm not sponsored to say that. They were just really amazing!
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{An 80's Kitchen DIY Reno Series}
-Part 8- Matching an Older Door Profile
-Part 9- Cabinet Painting and New Hinges
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