Painted Cherry Cabinets Kitchen Makeover

I’ve said it before; painting cherry kitchen cabinets is one of the most dramatic updates you can implement to update a dark 90’s kitchen. Even if you just stopped there, you would have a great update. But, in this kitchen remodel I’m sharing with you today, we didn’t stop there. We pushed on through to solve some other problems along the way.

Kitchen Bar with Columns

The first thing you notice in this kitchen is the large columns with multiple layers of trim work and crown molding. Wedding cake crown molding with multiple tiers. That very traditional element set the tone for our kitchen update. It needed a sophisticated traditional style that would flow with the rest of the house.  The high bar top cut into the useable counter space and was too high for comfortable seating.

Our Bar Solution

We lowered the bar down to one level counter height surface. We added some additional trim on the columns to fill in where the bar was previously. We installed beautiful new quartz countertops. We treated the columns as part of the cabinetry and painted them the same color as the cabinets.

Not Quite Right Paint Colors

Our clients had updated their wall paint color a few years prior wanting to go in the gray direction. Every time we met together in their kitchen, I saw “purple” instead of gray. Once I brought it to their attention, they saw it too- and couldn’t unsee it after that. None of us could. So that led us to update the wall color.

Our Paint Solution

Since every piece of trim in the house (including the wood shutters) was painted a creamy beige-y color, we wanted to select paint colors that would coordinate but look updated. Since all the trim was beige, we couldn’t go with a white cabinet color. The color we selected was OC-7 Creamy White. This was the perfect NOT White cabinet paint color. Look how awesome it looks with the window blinds over the kitchen sink.

We painted all the walls on the first floor OC-20 Pale Oak. It pairs perfectly with the beige crown molding and trim. Actually, painting all the trim a beige/greige color is very on trend right now. My clients were ahead of the curve, they just needed the right wall color to make it all work.

Outdated Desk Area

99.9% of all the homes we work in have these kitchen desk areas. No one uses them as desks. They are mostly used as a place to collect junk. The big hole under the desk where the chair is supposed to go can be transformed into much needed useable storage.

Our Desk Solution

We pulled out the desk cabinets and countertop. We built additional drawers and installed a beverage fridge. The wonderful thing about a beverage fridge is that it always allows you to have cold drinks on hand and frees up so much space in your primary refrigerator.  We extended the quartz countertop along the whole back wall of the kitchen. Now that area is the perfect beverage center for serving drinks, making morning coffee, and toasting a bagel.

Lighting Solutions

We upgrading all the old can lights to LED trim kits. This introduces a whiter light into the kitchen and helps everything feel clean and fresh. We added some show stopping modern lights over the island and dining table. The modern lights mixed with the traditional columns created a fun juxtapostion. We also replaced the ceiling fan in the den with a large beautiful open airy fixture to complete the open concept space update.

Additional Updates

We added a trash pullout cabinet to the end of the cooking island. We matched the back side with a panel to mimic the doors on that side. We installed a beautiful new backsplash and hardware. We also installed new appliances.

Cherry cabinets always paint up beautifully and smoothly. Every time. Check out this kitchen.

After photos by Leslie Brown – Visible Style

Need help with your kitchen?

Do you have a kitchen that needs an update? We would love to help you fall in love with your kitchen too. Whether you are ready for a full kitchen update or just in need of cabinet refinishing, we would love to help. We do everything from custom cabinet refinishing and painting to full kitchen project management and design. Fill out the form below if you’d like more information.