if the cupboards are still in good condition I'd just get the doors replaced ..change your bench top..handles

my sister got a stone bench top for cheap..check your stone masons sometimes they've got off cuts that might fit your kitchen for a modest price.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/good-renovation-advice/how-to-update-your-kitchen-without-emptying-your-bank-account-20140203-31wsn.html

Are you also replacing the kitchen tiles with the spotted gum floor planks? if you are and your walls will also be repainted white, it might make a big difference to the cupboards, meaning you might get away with just new door handles and a bench top etc.

wongikh..easily fixed you could clad the bottom of the bench/side with timber or any other material as a feature etc

are you going to live in it or for a rental?

Thanks Vy! I've never thought of cladding before! Great idea.

Any links on more info about this? can't find too much from a quick google search.

(and yes its' for our own home. tenants living there at the moment but we'll be moving in next year)

http://www.gunnersens.com.au/images/stories/products/easycraft/brochures/Easycraft%20DIY%20Wall%20Panel%20Brochure.pdf

http://www.rocknstone.com.au/surfaces/walling-cladding.html

timber one you'd need to glue and screw it in then fill the holes ..and paint ..

stone ones I think there's an adhesive as well..pebbles ones comes in a square mesh..etc

Thanks Vy. really helpful! can you give me the contact for the mob in QLD? This house is in Brissy so that would be great.

they are very helpful..the adhesive was from Bunnings or Masters can't remember..

we used full tiles on top..since we started on top needs 2 people one to hold tile in place the other to nail at bottom of tile to keep it up whilst adhesive dry..or else they topple over and one big mess..hubby cut the rest to size as we had drawer fronts to cover..

a few days later the nails can be removed from memory we nailed every row or two rows..

A random idea just popped into my head - do you think a self adhesive vinyl plank could work as a budget substitute for real timber cladding?

(eg. https://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/paint-decorating/flooring/vinyl/planks)

great idea re:planks will be cheaper that's for sure..and you could use the same spotted gum as the floor for it..gives it continuity ..

I think you might find the cost difference is negligible to have the doors replaced vs sending them off to be prepped and sprayed with 2-pac poly, especially if they are all 'standard' sizes. I wouldn't paint laminate. It is a plastic, plus years of grease/fat from the kitchen. Maybe check out the prices on-line at some of the flat-pack kitchen sites. They would sell doors separately.

Honestly, you could replace the whole kitchen(cabinets) with a flat-pack, that price is your decider I think. Bunnings kitchens are great, my parents have built recently (past 3yr) and put one in, it looks greats 3yr on. Only thing I've heard about Ikea is from a builder. They use thinner melamine in the cabinetry apparently, so they get saggy. Shouldn't be a problem for just doors.

there was a pro that quoted per m2 I've got to find him..it was in one of the other threads..

Hi iggs85 as it is an older kitchen I would not spend a huge amount of money on a revamp. It is definitely possible to paint laminate but good preparation is vital to ensure the paint 'sticks'. However a quality painter is going to charge you about the same as your resurfacing quote. Using either a painter or a resurfacing company does let you choose any colour though. The biggest disadvantage of the current benchtop is the bullnose which is very dated. From your photo, the colour and pattern look OK but you could get a stone 'overlay' put on it. They square off the bullnose so it looks more contemporary. An acrylic feature panel on the return is another alternative to vinyl planks. It looks like glass, comes in a good range of colours and is relatively inexpensive compared to glass. See http://zenolite.com/range as an example. You can buy acrylic sheets from Bunnings. You could also use pressed metal panels as a feature eg. http://www.wunderlite.com.au/catalogue/details/1/79/pressed-metal-crystal?start=25 Add some new handles on doors and drawers too.

Choose cabinets and bench top first, paint colour last, not the other way around.

Hi iggs85 as you already have a white in your space (Dulux Natural White is a white with a touch of red in it) you'd be best to stick with this white for your cabinets too. If you choose a different white you run the risk of getting the new white wrong for your existing one. And besides Natural White looks white if you don't have a vivid white next to it for comparison.

A big mistake a lot of people make is doing the timber floor after the kitchen has gone in. Once the old kitchen has been removed and the new one is getting made this is the perfect time for your timber floor to go down.

Hope this helps.

@iggs85

The main problem is if you do it last you will have to put a small bead around all the edges to finish it off. I would talk to the people that you are buying the vinyl planks off and see what they recommend.

thanks for the tip. much appreciated!

what about NOT painting walls white. Instead consider dark warm grey or indigo and replace all handles with the same colour. This will connect the windows to the room, create visual drama, be very cheap and you could do an Ikea wooden bench top to finish it off.