Need inspiration for fixing up a play kitchen

[Think of Winter]

I'm looking for some inspiration for fixing up a play kitchen. Our local public school put in the trash, so it's not in great condition. It's plywood that's got some kind of finish on it, probably polyurethane. It's worn looking, the rectangular sink insert is broken, and it's got some mold from being left outside.

Any great ideas for me? I guess I should try sanding it to see how it would look with a natural finish on it. I'd rather not paint it. I have no good storage place for it, so I'm hoping dh will be able to get the kids out of the house a few times so I can bring it in to work on it, but I won't be able to spend much time and still keep it a secret for Christmas. They were with us when we got it, but we haven't mentioned it in months.

It's similar to this one.

[Mama Metis]

The website ohdeeoh.com always has awesome playktichens, lots are rehabed or repurposed from existing furntiture. Here is a link to a bunch of them:

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/tag/play+kitchen

Like yours, this one is a road-side find: http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/toy...refresh-127021 however they did opt to paint it.

HTH!

[Think of Winter]

That white looks good! I repainted my kitchen Swiss Coffee a few months ago. Maybe I should just do that. It would be so much easier than sanding it down to bare wood.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I agree, that white kitchen is beautiful! I do love natural finishes, but if the wood isn't good quality underneath, the white will mask that perfectly! Is the oven door painted black to pretend it is an oven door window? Or is it a real window? You might have to paint a new window on there, but otherwise, I would think a fresh coat of paint will spiff that kitchen right up. I love how they added little hooks for pot holders and utensils too. So super cute!

[Mama Metis]

Yes, I think the little details are really adorable, and relatively cheap and simple to add. You could also think about adding "real" hardware or knobs to replace the plastic handles - I bet you could find that inexpensively. Also if you can find some cheap/scrap tile you could glue it in as a "backsplash".

Very cool kitchen.... Lucky kids!!!

[E.V. Lowi]

Originally Posted by Mama Metis

The website ohdeeoh.com always has awesome playktichens, lots are rehabed or repurposed from existing furntiture. Here is a link to a bunch of them:

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/tag/play+kitchen

Like yours, this one is a road-side find: http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/toy...refresh-127021 however they did opt to paint it.

HTH!

Thank you for the links!