Many kitchen remodels start with demolition. This one started with paint. In a transformation shared by Instagram creator @pezzottipainting, the original brown wood cabinets received a dramatic update with Sherwin-Williams Navy Blue, applied in Gallery Series 10 sheen, that completely changed the look of the space.
New gold pulls replaced the original round knobs, adding a sharp metallic contrast against the dark navy cabinet doors and completing the makeover.
The kitchen still has the same layout, countertops, flooring, appliances, and cabinet doors, but the combination of dark navy cabinetry and gold hardware creates a completely different appearance.
Warm Brown Wood Cabinets Dominated the Original Kitchen
The original kitchen featured rows of orange-brown wood cabinets across the perimeter, with raised-panel doors extending above and below the countertops.
The stained finish covered much of the room and became the dominant visual element. Combined with brown granite countertops and matching wood cabinets around the sink and pass-through, the cabinetry established a traditional palette across the entire kitchen.
The space already offered extensive storage and counter space, so the project focused on changing the finish rather than rebuilding the layout.
The second angle shows how the same wood finish continued above the microwave, around the range, across the sink wall, and into the corner.
Rather than replacing the cabinet boxes or doors, the existing cabinetry remained in place.
Spray Painting Created a Smooth Finish
The cabinets were prepared for spraying while the kitchen remained intact.
Blue painter’s tape, masking material, and protective coverings isolated the cabinet frames and door openings from the surrounding surfaces. The progress image shows the wood disappearing beneath the new finish as the paint moved across the upper and lower cabinetry.
Using a spray application also preserved the raised-panel profiles without leaving the brush marks associated with painting cabinet doors by hand.
Sherwin-Williams Navy Blue Gave the Cabinets a New Identity
The most dramatic change came from the cabinet color.
Sherwin-Williams Navy Blue replaced the orange-brown wood finish with a deep blue that covers both the upper and lower cabinets. Instead of dividing the cabinetry into two colors, the same navy extends throughout the kitchen and connects each run of cabinets.
The same cabinet doors remained in place, yet the darker finish makes the raised panels and surrounding trim far more pronounced.
Gold Hardware Added a Luxury Detail
The new hardware plays an important role in the transformation.
Long gold pulls replaced the small round knobs used on the original cabinets. Their metallic finish creates strong contrast against the navy paint, making each door and drawer easier to distinguish across the dark cabinetry.
The gold pulls also coordinate with the curved gold-tone faucet at the sink, repeating the same metal finish across the room.
Existing Granite Changed With the Cabinets Around It
The brown granite countertops were not replaced during the makeover.
Against the original stained cabinets, the granite blended into a palette dominated by similar brown and orange tones. Navy cabinetry creates a much stronger boundary above and below the counter, allowing the existing stone to stand apart from the cabinet fronts.
Keeping the countertops also shows how a cabinet color can change the way an existing surface reads without replacing it.
Raised-Panel Cabinet Details Stand Out More
The painted finish brought another layer of definition to the existing cabinetry.
Raised borders around the doors are easier to see against the solid navy surface than they were through the original wood grain. Long vertical pulls emphasize the taller upper doors, while smaller horizontal pulls mark the drawers below the countertop.
The cabinet construction stayed the same, but its details became more visible after painting.
Navy Blue Continues Through Every Cabinet Run
The new color extends from the cabinets around the range to the sink and around the corner toward the dining area.
Using one color across the entire kitchen gives separate cabinet sections a consistent finish. Stainless steel appliances interrupt the navy at the range, microwave, and dishwasher, while the gold hardware repeats across each section.
The original layout remains recognizable, but the continuous dark finish changes how the cabinetry reads as a whole.
Before and After Shows the Full Transformation
The side-by-side comparison shows how much the cabinet color changed the room.
The layout, countertops, flooring, appliances, recessed lighting, and cabinet configuration all remained in the same positions. Navy paint and new hardware account for the main visual changes between the two versions.
Instead of orange-brown cabinetry surrounding the room, the finished kitchen has one continuous navy backdrop broken up by granite, stainless steel, and gold.
Every Finish Now Works Together
No walls moved and no cabinets were replaced.
Instead, the transformation came from refinishing the cabinetry already in the kitchen. Sherwin-Williams Navy Blue established the new direction, while gold hardware introduced contrast against the dark cabinet fronts.
Together, those updates turned a kitchen defined by orange wood into a space with far more contrast and a custom-built look.
What do you think of this makeover? Would you have painted the original wood cabinets navy blue, or would you have kept the stained finish?
All credits go to Instagram creator @pezzottipainting.