Fix it or leave it?

[Rich Engelhardt]

We all got together and bought my mother inlaw new kitchen counter tops & a new sink/faucet for Christmas.
Home Depot did the install.

They removed the old (1961) plywood/Formica counter tops from the (1961) Birch ply/pine frame cabinets which are finished with orange shellac.

When they installed the new counter tops, they left a band around the top of the cabinets about 2" wide of raw wood.
My wife and I think it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Nobody else is bugged by it all that much - including my mother in law.

Now, here's the thing - my mother in law is 85.
We tried to get her to replace the whole shebang - counter tops, sink and cabinets - as well as taking down the old powder blue tile.
She didn't want to part with the tile or the cabinets, so we backed off that idea.
I know it's her house and her say and all - but - if anything should happen to her (God forbid!),,,the whole kitchen is going to have to go.

I strongly suspect that one reason nobody else objects to the appearance is because (being a Christmas gift), there's no "paycheck" in it for them.
A few of my wife's relatives will do work around her house - provided she pays them for it.
I don't mind doing the work in the least. I feel it's part of my "dues" to her and my late father in law for making me one of the family.
Plus, my MIL is great! (LOL! Unlike my late FIL, my MIL actually liked me the first time she met me!)

So anyhow - should I just let it go - or - just spend a half hour putting a coat of shellac on and drinking beer...
I'll be drinking the beer one way or another, if that mattters...it's about the only way I know of to deal with a segment of the family...

[Brian Elfert]

I would probably fix it if it is as easy as you say it is.

When the time comes to sell the house you may be better off just leaving the kitchen as-is unless the rest of the house is in tip top shape. If the house needs major renovations a buyer may want to do the kitchen their way.

[Phil Thien]

If it is unfinished, I'd finish it. Otherwise the wood will get dirt and oil and whatnot on it, and then it will really look like carp.

[Patrick McCarthy]

If it were me, I would fix it, because otherwise it would drive me nuts every time I went over there. Problem is, once you get into it, you may decide to redo all of the surface . . . . so bring plenty of beer.

Sounds like MIL is a good woman. I fell in love with mine when she started telling my wife to take better care of me, priceless . . . . . . now, if I could just get my wife to follow her instructions!

[Myk Rian]

I think the rest of the family is just respecting her wishes to leave it.
The old cabinets bring back memories to her. Let her have those.

[Greg Peterson]

Practical, pragmatic versus subjective, family politics. Hmmm. That is a sticky wicket.

Perhaps a satin clear coat just to protect the wood would go relatively unnoticed. At least the wood is protected.

[Jerome Stanek]

Fix it you MIL will love you for it. She probably feels that she is putting you out and would really like it fixed. I had a MIL that was like that I really miss her and would do anything for her same FIL.

[glenn bradley]

Home Depot's contractor's did the same thing on LOML's mom's kitchen. She took a picture of it and took it the HD manager and asked if this was what they considered a "finished" job. I agree that a counter top install does not necessarily include dressing in the trim work but, if that is the case, the purchaser should be notified before the work begins. HD stepped up and the contractor sent a trim guy out who matched the color onsite and it looks great.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I'm going to go ahead and fix it.
I already have some orange shellac & it should just blend right in with the rest of the cabinets.