Painted my kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them and changed my whole view on remodeling

I was dead set on ripping out these old oak cabinets from the 90s, thought they were dated and ugly. My wife convinced me to just try painting them with that chalk cabinet paint from the hardware store, cost me about $60 total. After 3 coats and some new handles from the clearance bin at Lowe's, they actually look better than anything I could have bought for $2,000. I learned that sometimes upgrading what you already have teaches you more than starting fresh, and for me it was about patience and seeing potential in stuff I normally trash. Has anyone else tried breathing new life into something they were ready to throw away, and did it change how you think about fixing vs buying?

2 comments

2 Comments

wilson.joseph1d ago

Man you're making it sound like painting some cabinets was a spiritual awakening or something. It's just paint on wood, not exactly a life changing revelation about consumerism and patience. I mean sure, it's cool that you saved some money and they look decent now, but let's not act like you discovered the secret to happiness by avoiding a trip to IKEA. Most people paint their cabinets and realize six months later the paint is chipping and they wished they'd just replaced them anyway. But hey, if a $60 project made you feel like you unlocked some deep wisdom about fixing vs buying, more power to you. Just don't go around telling everyone they're wasting their money on renovations now, because sometimes replacing is actually the right call.

cora5181d agoMost Upvoted

Haven't you ever felt proud of just fixing something yourself though?