Natural wood cabinet doors with painted face frame???

[Michael Weber]

Anyone seen this done? How did it look? Anyone have pictures?
My new old house has pretty nice quality cabinets but they have been poorly painted with improper prep. Plus, I'm not crazy about the door style. I would like to replace the doors and drawer fronts with natural wood (kind to be determined but maybe cherry or maple). Not sure how a painted face frame would look or how contrasting the paint color should be from the wood color. Mike

[James Reichman]

I just read and older issue of "This Old House". They had a kitchen in there that was a farmhouse green color with knotty pine doors. the center panels where a bead detail and there was a wall of hangers with clear glass. I thought it was beautiful. But maybe make one door of each species and see how it looks in the room.
Good Luck

[Steve Griffin]

That can certainly be a nice look.

Did some solid Vertical Grain Fir flat panel doors for a cabin that had existing white faceframe doors years ago. The rich fir looked very nice against the semi gloss white. Sorry, that was before digital cameras. (It feels like it was before color photos too...)

Good luck!

[Frank Drew]

Years ago I made for my own kitchen a two part cabinet with multi-light doors above and in the lower portion mahogany drawers with blistered mahogany panel doors below; everything but the mahogany drawer fronts and panels was high gloss white enamel and the comination works nicely.

[Chip Lindley]

As long as you are making new doors for your cabinets, consider refacing the faceframes with the same hardwood you will use for doors and drawer fronts.

I have refaced whole kitchens with bandsawn veneers that I final sanded with a tapered sanding disc in my tablesaw. The veneers were cut to match each rail and stile of the FFs. Even the thickness of the FFs was veneered before the faces were covered. Thus, every face of the FFs were *new wood.* All were contact cemented to the old FFs and all seams touched up with a sanding block. When stained and lacquered, the *new* FFs matched the doors exactly! It sounds like lots of work, but goes very quickly. Making up the veneers was the time consuming part. I was happy with the results, and moreover, my clients were elated not to have their kitchen torn out and rendered unusable for a time.

[Dave Bureau]

I agree with Chip. resurfacing the frames might be the way to go. you can buy the material ready to go. some are heat applied, others adhered. either way, they will match perfect.
Dave

[David DeCristoforo]

Not wanting to start an argument here but laying up "raw" or "unbacked" veneer with contact cement is a very risky business. I would avoid this at all costs, notwithstanding the fact that "someone you know" got away with it "once or twice".

[Vince Shriver]

I recently was faced with refinishing older (50+ years) natural birtch cabinets. The plywood vaneer on the doors and drawers was worn through in places and in other places it was in such bad shape sanding would have been impossible without going through to the next ply. I tried to match the finish on the face frame with new plywood, thinking of making new doors and drawer faces, but that just didn't work. Finally decided to paint it all (Dunn Edwards "Swiss Coffee") - great decision. With new hinges, catches, pulls, and a replacement breadboard, the kitchen has a trendy 50s retro look. It's a rental and people who have seen it, love the look. Actually I was pretty amazed at out well it turned out.

[Von Bickley]

Not wanting to start an argument here but laying up "raw" or "unbacked" veneer with contact cement is a very risky business. I would avoid this at all costs, notwithstanding the fact that "someone you know" got away with it "once or twice".

I agree with David. The refaced cabinets that I have seen used 1/4" oak, birch, or cherry plywood. Trash the old doors and drawers and make new doors and drawers to match.

[Michael Weber]

Thanks for all the suggestions and info. I had considered applying veneer. I think it was at Lee Valley I saw some adhesive backed veneer made for just that purpose but it seemed like a lot of expense AND I have some rounded corners on cabinet ends and molding to deal with. If one were to use thin plywood for overlay, how would it be attached? Seems like at some places there are going to be exposed plywood edges.

[Chip Lindley]

David! No offense taken, but included are some pix (taken last night) of my humble bathroom vanity which I refinished in 1992. In addition I refinished three complete kitchens for clients during the 90s.

Faceframes were sanded and degreased with lacquer thinner. 1/16" veneers were bandsawed and thicknessed of red oak. First, interior edges of each door opening were covered, along with the exposed FF edge at the outside corner. FF rails and stiles were then overlaid with a width of stock to cover the already veneered openings.

Veneer strips and FF were given two coats of solvent-based contact cement (Weldwood) with a third coat of additional cement applied to edges and corners. Veneers with cup were oriented with the cup toward the FF, to avoid any edged springing and lifting later. The vanity end was covered with a skin of 1/8" RO (sliced-not rotary cut) ply. I wish i could still get this stuff. It was wonderful to work with!!

After 16 years, my efforts are still intact, and so are my friends kitchens. No callbacks! I have seen "refaced" kitchens done with 1/4" solid wood or ply, which I deem "cheap and tacky" No pains were taken to try to cover inside edges of the FFs nor drawer openings. My effort appears as solid oak without very up-close scrutiny. I do admit to some veneer shrinkage over 18yrs, which has opened a few seams, but All seams and joints are still glued flat with no lifting or curling! Polyurethane varnish applied over the refacing effectively sealed all veneer joints, further *gluing* them together.

With attention to detail, and thorough gluing technique, I believe this solution is durable, although more labor intensive than newer technologies. My clients were very happy with the results, and even happier that I did not render their kitchens useless for a time while old cabs were dismantled and new installed. I'm not lucky, I'm just good, and I did work wayy too cheap (IMHO)!

[David DeCristoforo]

"David! No offense taken, but..."

No offense intended, but... If you want to recommend laying up "raw" unbacked wood veneer with contact cement, go ahead. I just hope you are around to take the heat when someone takes this advice and ends up with the almost inevitable problems associated with this "technique". Just for the record I repeat: "I would avoid this at all costs, notwithstanding the fact that "someone you know" got away with it "once or twice"."