Red Cabinets - Taking the Leap

I just want to send out a huge round of 'thank you's' to all of you who emailed me regarding my white vs beige paint decision in my last entry, "Tell It to Me Straight". There was an outpouring of honest thoughts and opinions, and they've proven to be invaluable in helping me make the right choice. I've been able to respond to all of Sunday's and a few of yesterday's comments and am eagerly looking forward to replying to the others today. I'll fill you in on what I'm going to try because as of last night, I think I've finally figured it out.;)

By the way, this is one of the reasons why I am loving the private commenting feature: You get to tell or ask me what is really on your mind without worrying about what others may think. I've enjoyed hearing from long time readers who have never commented before as well. And I love being able to give personal responses - something

There was an outpouring of honest thoughts and opinions, and they've proven to be invaluable in helping me make the right choice.

that was lacking with the older format. I know private commenting may be weird and out of the norm for blogs, and I can appreciate that some do love to read the comments of others. Thank you all so much for your support with this, well, kind of major change to Twice Remembered's blog format. Feel free to tell me what you think about the changes - and it's ok if you don't like some of them. Also, I would love to hear what you do and don't like in blogs in general. From time to time I do like to take a step back and reevaluate by site and figure out what is working - and what is not.


Speaking of private commenting, I received an email the other day that I would like to share with you {I know...the irony!}. I thought it was interesting because I think it really states what many of you may be feeling regarding painting your cabinets red. Some may worry if taking the leap by going red would make it harder to sell their home in the future. I've added this question to my FAQ page as well because I'm sure it is a common concern.

I have been inspired by your red kitchen cupboards but am still frightened to take such a leap. Currently mine are plain old white. A friend...has said that it will take at least 3-4 coats of paint and if we decide to sell our home in the next 2 or 3 years no one will want to buy a house with a red kitchen. Do you have any words of encouragement?? -C.

C., I can certainly understand your hesitation with the red. It is a very bold color choice and one of your friends was right in that it does take many, many coats to cover properly. Mine took four, maybe even five on the doors, and that isn't counting the primer coat. So it is quite a time commitment to say the least! Resale could certainly be a consideration as well, but I don't think red cabinets would be quite the deal breaker as some might think. It really depends on the way you look at.


For me personally, I feel that by the time we are finished with our remodel, our home may just be completely out of the norm/unusual compared to other homes on the market in my area. It won't really be the "neutral blank slate" contemporary home that many are searching for.

Our house and red cabinets will fit just the right person, and I'm willing to wait for them to come along.

It will have {one of these days!} a very distinct style that folks will either love or hate depending on their personal taste. The person that I want to own the house after us is the person that falls head over heals over it and the red cabinets. The way I see it - and maybe it's an odd romantic approach - is that the red cabinets are like Cinderella's missing glass slipper. When and if we ever sell, our house and red cabinets will fit *just the right person*, and I'm willing to wait for them to come along.

I know I'm just biased, but I feel that if the cabinets are painted red and painted well {and the right shade is picked...a red that isn't too garish}, it will not detract from the beauty of the home. In fact, a red kitchen will be one that buyers will remember while they are out searching for homes. It will stand out in their mind. Incidentally, the other day I was watching one of those 'designed to sell' kinds of shows on HGTV...the ones where professionals come in and spruce up a house to get it ready to sell, you know? Well, in the episode I saw, a huge shelving unit in a wide hallway {or maybe it was the passage way from the mudroom?} was painted. Do you know what color they painted it? Red!


I think red is just one of those colors where the "concept" of it is scary - the idea of actually going through with it in our own homes can be terrifying. And especially so if it is like nothing we have ever done before or like nothing our friends and family have ever done. It may just sound like a foreign concept! But I don't think folks in general get that horrified feeling when they see other kitchens or things painted red. Instead they may feel "I would have never thought to do that but it works! It looks nice! I love it! Pretty! I like it better than I thought I would!" It's only when they consider doing it in their own spaces that they may hesitate or worry if it's the right decision.

I guess in some ways, going red is just a leap of faith. Like I said, there are things to consider like finding the right shade {I love the shade I used - Waverly's

Going red is just a leap of faith.

Cherry but I still toned it down by wiping on and then wiping off some brown glaze}, wall color, countertop, backsplash, the colors of decorative items and fabrics you plan to use...all these things will either accentuate the red cabinets nicely or make them look like it's all too much. For me, I've decided to stay neutral with very little color elsewhere - white, off-white, and dark brown accents.

One last note about going red with your cabinets: Remember, it is only paint and can be repainted. Try painting one single cabinet if you have one detached from the others. I have a single cabinet on the other side of the sink above the dishwasher

Remember, it is only paint and can be repainted.

and that is where I started. I completely finished that one before moving on to the rest. So if you decide to take the leap, first paint that one cabinet completely and live with it for a while. It won't take you too long to know if you want to go with another color or not. If you love it, you won't hardly be able to wait to paint the rest. If you don't like it, you may feel like "Ugh!" every time you see it and will hardly be able to wait to paint over it!


I hope this gives you a few more things to think about before making your decision. I believe that when it comes to painting our homes, do what is going to make you happy - not what is going to make the future homeowners happy. If you do anything that you feel might be too "out there" when it comes time to resell, remember that it can be reversed if you are up to a little extra work. Don't not paint your cabinets red because you're worried about future buyers. It is your home now, so enjoy it - and if that means having white, red, green, or purple cabinets, then so be it!

-Kim


P.S. Just thinking about resale again...With our own house, we will never, ever get out of it what we've put into it so far, considering our neighborhood and the values of the homes around us. But it's just an example of doing what we love and what makes us happy.:)