Kitchen Cabinet Refresh
Paint, new hardware, and a weekend of prep turned our dated oak cabinets into a clean, modern kitchen.
We didn’t want to rip out solid oak cabinets—just make them look like they belonged in this decade. So we went with a full refresh: degrease, sand, prime, and two coats of a durable enamel, plus new hinges and pulls.
The trick was prep. Every surface got a light sanding, then TSP substitute, then a bonding primer. We used a small roller and a brush for corners; the second coat went on smooth and has held up to daily use.
We also replaced the old hinges with soft-close versions and swapped the knobs for simple bar pulls. Total cost was a fraction of new cabinets, and the kitchen feels like a different room.