my kitchen: take cabinet doors off?

[dearmama22]

Hi mamas! I would love your input on this.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...IMG_4202-1.jpg

Here is our kitchen.. I love the space itself and I love the countertops, but as you can see the cabinet doors are hideous! We could paint them but it would require a LOT of work (they are not typical wood) and paint and right now we don't have the time/money for it. So, I figure my best option might be to take the doors off. We have bright, fun fiesta wear dishes which I love.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_4204.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_4206.jpg

I was thinking opening up the cabinets might make the space feel bigger too? But you've still got that awful wood showing. I also considered putting something on the BACK of the cabinets- like wallpaper type stuff that I saw on a decorating blog.

Anyways- off or on? My only issues with taking them off is the big cabinet it the corner is an awkward shape. I don't know what to put in there...

What do you think? THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[aratiaw]

I would leave them on, since I would be more concerned about protecting the contents from dust and grease.
Are they melamine veneer? I've read that you can buy a special primer for melamine surfaces that makes painting them quite straightforward.
And FWIW, I think they're a bit dated but not really terrible - at least they're a neutral colour and in decent condition!

[dearmama22]

hmm I had never really thought/worried about dust getting on them. I know tons of people that have open cabinets and eat off those dishes, so I'm not too worried about it.

I'm playing around with the layout of the dishes.. I have a lot! Especially in that far left space above the microwave, I think it's pretty cluttered so I'm thinking about moving some of those pieces, maybe putting the cookbooks in there somehow too so they're not on top of the microwave?!

Anyone else?

[momct]

I would leave the doors on .I think it will just look jumbled and like your cabinet doors are missing.If you arrange things artistically ,you are going to lose functionality.Do you have the doors for the cabinet over the microwave?If so I would rehang them, or you could hang curtains on tension rods to enclose the space.The cabinets could be refaced and new doors installed when you had the time and money. In the meantime ,shift the focus elsewhere, hang some art work in colors that coordinate with your Fiestaware-put a few more pieces on display on the counter.Consider painting your walls one of your Fiesta colors.Bright table linens or brightly painted chairs are options.The cabinets will become a neutral background for your Fiesta kitchen.

[Jodie]

I would leave the doors on. Is there any way to paint the wood? That might help, if the doors and the wood were the same color. Having the doors helps everything look cleaner and less cluttered to me.

Save up your pennies and get new cabinets one day.

[dearmama22]

thanks everyone! I'm actually really surprised to hear you say keep them on! Everyone else I've talked to has said to get those ugly guys OFF!

Thanks for your input!

[dearmama22]

Originally Posted by momct

I would leave the doors on .I think it will just look jumbled and like your cabinet doors are missing.If you arrange things artistically ,you are going to lose functionality.Do you have the doors for the cabinet over the microwave?If so I would rehang them, or you could hang curtains on tension rods to enclose the space.The cabinets could be refaced and new doors installed when you had the time and money. In the meantime ,shift the focus elsewhere, hang some art work in colors that coordinate with your Fiestaware-put a few more pieces on display on the counter.Consider painting your walls one of your Fiesta colors.Bright table linens or brightly painted chairs are options.The cabinets will become a neutral background for your Fiesta kitchen.

I tired panting the walls so many colors and nothing looked good. I don't like the light green it is now but it's the best I've found. We have an open floor plan so it also has to match the other rooms- gold/yellow in the family room (on the opposite wall) and a dark blueish color in the "eating area" right next to it.

I would have loved a bright red but it doesn't match well with the rest of the decor/colors

[Drummer's Wife]

I also say leave them on. I think it would look too cluttered or busy to have them off.

[bluebunny]

I definitely would leave them on. I am a big fan of open shelving but I prefer it in a bright, open space (no offense, it wouldn't look good in my kitchen, either). I think taking the doors off would make your kitchen looks smaller and more cramped. Plus, it looks like you have a lot of things in your cabinets and it would be hard to arrange it all both artistically and functionally.

I second the idea of painting the wood trim or looking into primer for the melamine. I don't think it would be as hard as you think. The doors aren't terrible, though, if you leave them as-is.

[momct]

Do you have photos of the other areas to show the wall colors and the relationship of the rooms to each other- where they meet, view from one space to the other?Perhaps you can use the existing yellow or blue in the kitchen also.

[dearmama22]

Originally Posted by bluebunny

I definitely would leave them on. I am a big fan of open shelving but I prefer it in a bright, open space (no offense, it wouldn't look good in my kitchen, either). I think taking the doors off would make your kitchen looks smaller and more cramped. Plus, it looks like you have a lot of things in your cabinets and it would be hard to arrange it all both artistically and functionally.

I second the idea of painting the wood trim or looking into primer for the melamine. I don't think it would be as hard as you think. The doors aren't terrible, though, if you leave them as-is.

Its actually a very open space, the whole downstairs is open so the familyroom/kitchen/eating area is one big room.. if that makes sense.

I'll try to get some pictures up soon. Thanks!

[dearmama22]

if this helps, here is one looking out from the kitchen- you can see part of the other rooms.

thank ya!

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_4220.jpg

oh, also, here is what a couple of the shelves would look like if they were open. This is actually very functional, if not more so cause you don't have to open the door!

I put the decorative piece on the top because I can't reach up there any way

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_4222.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_4221.jpg

[Grower]

Why don't you take them off and live without them for awhile? It shouldn't be too difficult to carefully remove them. Just make sure you mark which cabinets each door goes with, and save the screws.

[*green*faery*]

I would take them off. You dishes are colorful, but simple looking & I think it would look great

[Traci mom23boys]

When I lived in a house with hideous cabinets I took the doors off and painted the insides white. I loved them! I love open shelving. I have all my pantry items in different jars on an antique postal cabinet sitting on my counter.

Your dishes are lovely (i have fiestaware too). I think it would look great. The insides of your cabinets look good so, you wouldn't even have to paint.

You could add baskets for small items that may look cluttered. I have gathered mismatched baskets and painted them one color (using spray paint) for a cohesive look.

Have fun!

I just looked at your pics again. I would leave the bottom doors on and just remove the upper doors. I think it would brighten up the kitchen without looking cluttered.

[dearmama22]

Originally Posted by Traci mom23boys

When I lived in a house with hideous cabinets I took the doors off and painted the insides white. I loved them! I love open shelving. I have all my pantry items in different jars on an antique postal cabinet sitting on my counter.

Your dishes are lovely (i have fiestaware too). I think it would look great. The insides of your cabinets look good so, you wouldn't even have to paint.

You could add baskets for small items that may look cluttered. I have gathered mismatched baskets and painted them one color (using spray paint) for a cohesive look.

Have fun!

I just looked at your pics again. I would leave the bottom doors on and just remove the upper doors. I think it would brighten up the kitchen without looking cluttered.

awesome, great, thank you!!

[MisaGoat]

I would take the upper cabinet doors off. You don't have too much stuff in your cabinets and your dishes are fun colors. I think it warms up the kitchen to see less white and more color.

If you decide to paint the doors you'd have to take them down anyway. If you live with them down for a little while you can just put them back up if you decide you miss your doors. A totally reversible quick, change so go for it. You know what they look like on, see what they look like off.

[Usually Curious]

Red looks great w/gold and blue. Right now I am sitting in my gold living room looking at my red breakfast room wall. Make sure it's a deep, dark red, like an old barn.

ETA - yeah, upper doors off w/artistically arranged Fiesta Ware. You could put nice baskets above the microwave.

[jackson'smama]

i agree with taking off the top doors. the problem with all-over taking them down would be what to do with your drawers.
i agree with PP who suggested baskets for stuff that doesn't match/plastic/storage container type stuff.
IMO, things get dusty if they sit in a closed cabinet too long, so i wouldn't worry about things getting dirty. if you don't use it frequently, just clean it every now and then
i don't think you need to put anything inside the cabinets - the fiesta pops against the dark wood as it is (save your money and energy for when you're ready to do something more advanced with these cabinets, like refacing them).
show us when you're finished!

[_ktg_]

Take them off! I agree with the suggestion to just take the top ones off, as this is what I did with my kitchen cabinets.

I love your idea of adding a wallpaper backing too!