Will I regret a gray kitchen?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| Getting ready for a kitchen reno. I love the look of all white cabinets but I'm worried about how well the finish will hold up with three young kids. Will gray look dated down the road? |
Anonymous
| Yes. Do white cabinets and paint the walls gray instead. |
Anonymous
| Yes, gray will look dated. Do white as long as they aren't cheap laminate. |
Anonymous
| Yes, I am already regretting it for you. |
Anonymous
| Both white and gray will look dated so go with what you like. People will claim white is timeless but for the past few years, everyone has been doing white and people always tire with the ubiquitous. |
Anonymous
|
All cabinets will look dated at some point. I see all white cabinets now and think 1980s. Cherry and dark woods are late 90s and early aughts. Oak is just blech.
But see, that is just MY opinion. Do what YOU like. Buy paint grade cabinets, and you can refinish them in a few years if you want. |
Anonymous
| Yes. Gray is having a big moment now but it won't last, and repainting cabinets well is an expensive hassle. White is timeless, not 80s - though door/trim styles, hardware, and decor can make white cabinets look 80s. |
Anonymous
|
I made the horrible mistake to buy a trend look for my cabinets. I hate them.
I agree with pp, get paint grade. Start with gray, then paint as needed. |
Anonymous
|
Don't do gray. It is a trend that will pass sooner than later.
If you go with a classic style, white is timeless. When I think of white cabinets I think of the 20s-40s, not the 80s. Gray will have a very short decorating lifespan, and then you will be stuck. No on really wants to live in a battleship... |
Anonymous
| I can't even figure out why the gray trend ever started. Who on earth would want a gray kitchen? When I had my kitchen renovated last year, I was replacing cheap white thermofoil cabinets and I was so over the white finish. I sure wasn't going to switch to gray. I went with spice colored maple cabinets. It's an old-fashioned classic look but I love it so much more than those white cabinets that had no character. My kitchen looks warm and natural. I chose a "greige" wall color that complements the wood cabinets beautifully. |
Anonymous
| What's paint grade? Is it more or less expensive than others? |
Anonymous
White kitchens will soon be dismissed as so 2010 to 2015. They probably account for ninety percent of new kitchens in the time period. |
Anonymous
To each their own. I'm happy you love your spice colored maple cabinets but I hate they way they look, personally. |
Anonymous
|
I had a white kitchen that had been renovated by the previous owners. It shows all. the. dirt. I swore I would never have a white kitchen again. I also would be depressed by grey -- I certainly wouldn't do it in cabinets, but if you like grey do it in paint that can be changed out.
I personally like wood-finish cabinets rather than painted. But whatever you end up going with, keep in mind the upkeep/cleaning. Cabinets with a lot of molding and detail on the doors are a bear to keep clean, and even high-quality painted finishes can start to chip and peel when exposed to heat, steam, water, and cleaning -- it might not happen on all cabinets equally but those nearest the stove, sink, and dishwasher are especially vulnerable. The more pieces/parts you have in the way of molding and detail, the more pieces/parts that can experience expansion and contraction at different rates and chip or peel. |
Anonymous
|
Yes, you will regret an all gray kitchen.
Just bought a house, and got a really good deal because the Realtors painted everything gray (in the North facing house) and it seems to have depressed most other potential buyers. Use neutral colors for the expensive items (like white, wood tones etc...) and paint the walls gray. Will be easy to change. I would just ask the cabinet people what will hold up well with small children. |