Homeowners Jason and Beth Quave love their 1980s home, but the kitchen is dark, dated and too closed off from the rest of the house — that’s our cue to update this kitchen!

This 1980s house has been home to Jason and Beth Quave, along with their son, Aiden, and their daughter, Laurel. Its kitchen is dark, dated and closed off from the rest of the house, so we’re giving it a modern upgrade.

We’re removing cabinets between the kitchen and family room as well as a set behind the sink. We’ll replace that set of cabinets with floating shelves and paint the remaining cabinets, then we’ll add an island range hood that vents to the outside.


The Quave family's 1980s kitchen, before the makeover
This 1980s kitchen is dark and dated, but that’s about to change!

The Projects

Danny Lipford removes old cabinets
Danny removes the cabinets.

Remove Cabinets

Jason and Beth would love to see their children from the kitchen without having to duck below their cabinets.

We’re going to remove those extra cabinets and give this family a clear view. Before we do, Beth’s friend, Kandy Negus, a professional organizer, visits to help edit the space.

After the cabinets are cleared, we begin demolition. But not long into it, we hit a snag: While Beth wanted to replace a set of cabinets with floating shelves, we discover that some of the cabinets were nailed to the studs, which means we’ll have to install some drywall.

While we take care of that, Jason scrapes the ‘popcorn ceiling’ — a chore he has tackled before. He knew the ceilings hadn’t been painted, so he sprays them with warm water and applies some elbow grease while removing the texture.


Patching cabinet doors with auto body filler
Patching cabinet doors with auto body filler.

Relocate Cabinet Hardware

For this modern kitchen upgrade, Beth wants to see new hardware on the cabinets. Centered knobs aren’t her style, and they look a bit dated.

So, we remove those knobs, and the old hinges, and prepare to replace them with something more modern.

The best way to match surface-mounted hinges with your existing cabinets is to bring an old hinge to your local home center. They can check the mounting holes and the offset for a perfect match.

As for holes left from the old cabinet pulls, we patch those with automotive body filler, a two-part epoxy system. The filler dries as hard as the surrounding wood, so once it’s sanded and painted, no one will know holes were there to begin with.

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Danny Lipford

Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

Learn More