frosted upper cabinet doors

[Kathy]

When we purchased our Oliver there were two choices for the upper cabinet doors - black and frosted glass.  We knew we didn't want black so we selected the frosted ones with some concern about items being stored showing through them.  This turned out to be the case and detracted from the clean, uncluttered look of the trailer.  We have debated what to do and the only conclusion we've come up with is to purchase some white containers for storage and to add some opaque film to the door fronts.  Any other ideas?

[Landrover]

You could try painting the back side of the door white it will still have the frosted look from the front.

[Overland]

I think that’s a good idea. I painted the back of our attic cabinet door black, since I had added some electronics in there and the lights from that were too bright. From the front it has a matte black look, almost like a chalkboard. I didn't like it at first but it quickly grew on me. I’ve thought about trying white or silver paint just to see. I could see doing them in a color to match the interior color scheme or even doing each one a different color if that’s your thing. If you’re creative, there are all kinds of possibilities.  
 

I’d recommend covering the paint with some shelf liner or vinyl to keep it from getting scratched from behind. I know you don’t want black but here’s a shot of what it looks like so that you can see the matte finish - 

 By the way, I actually did it twice, for reasons I can’t remember, but I was able to take the paint off and redo it with acetone without damaging the plastic. So keep that in mind if you want to experiment. 
 

Here’s a thread with a bit more info about it - 

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by Overland

[WhatDa]

White or silver vinyl or contact paper on the backs is one thing we looked at doing.  The Oliver I toured had all mirror finish, which I liked - but it wasn't available.  We want to keep it bright but keep the cleaner aesthetic.

[Overland]

I tried just doing the black vinyl but it didn't look great from the front.  The back was smooth, but the front still looked like millions of bubbles trapped under the vinyl.

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, WhatDa said:

White or silver vinyl or contact paper on the backs is one thing we looked at doing.  The Oliver I toured had all mirror finish, which I liked - but it wasn't available.  We want to keep it bright but keep the cleaner aesthetic.

We have all mirrors and like it. I’m surprised they don’t offer it anymore. 

[Trainman]

We have the frosted ones and the light shows thru as we wanted it to to give that night light when watching TV, etc. I personally like the mirror finish, but they discounted it on the side cabinets, but available on the rear cabinet only. I would say for those who don't want to see there stuff in the cabinets, just don't turn the light on. 

trainman

[Trainman]

15 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

We have all mirrors and like it. I’m surprised they don’t offer it anymore. 

I like the all mirrored cabinets, they make your trailer look much bigger inside and the feeling of more room. On nice days with the windows open it brings the outside inside, for that natural look and feeling. 

trainman

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 5/15/2020 at 8:16 PM, Overland said:

I think that’s a good idea. I painted the back of our attic cabinet door black, since I had added some electronics in there and the lights from that were too bright. From the front it has a matte black look, almost like a chalkboard. I didn't like it at first but it quickly grew on me. I’ve thought about trying white or silver paint just to see. I could see doing them in a color to match the interior color scheme or even doing each one a different color if that’s your thing. If you’re creative, there are all kinds of possibilities.  
 

I’d recommend covering the paint with some shelf liner or vinyl to keep it from getting scratched from behind. I know you don’t want black but here’s a shot of what it looks like so that you can see the matte finish - 

 By the way, I actually did it twice, for reasons I can’t remember, but I was able to take the paint off and redo it with acetone without damaging the plastic. So keep that in mind if you want to experiment. 
 

Here’s a thread with a bit more info about it - 

 

We are still in the planning stages of an Oliver purchase.  Thinking about getting the black doors.  Do the contents of the cupboard show through them>  And how do they look with the lights on in the cabinet?  

[Overland]

I don't think anything shows through the black doors at all with the lights on.  You could probably see the light around the edges though, which I don't think would be an attractive look, and so might be something to think about.  I don't know if other Oliver owners flip those lights on and off every time they open an upper cabinet.  Seems like that would be a pain - we just flip ours on with the other lights and leave them on.  In fact they probably stay on more often than the others since they provides a nice diffuse light to the trailer.  

Oliver used to do a white door, which though opaque did glow a bit with the lights on.

 

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

We are still in the planning stages of an Oliver purchase.  Thinking about getting the black doors.  Do the contents of the cupboard show through them>  And how do they look with the lights on in the cabinet?  

We opted for the frosted only because we noticed that the black doors really show finger prints. The contents did not show through the black doors that we saw during our factory tour. Either way not something that be much trouble to swap out later on. 

[Landrover]

I prefer the black doors, It breaks up the white. You cant see into the cabinet’s. With the lights on you only see the light ring around the doors. Just my preference.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

12 hours ago, Landrover said:

I prefer the black doors, It breaks up the white. You cant see into the cabinet’s. With the lights on you only see the light ring around the doors. Just my preference.

I was thinking the same, about the black breaking up the all white interior.  Fingerprints might show, but do they wipe off easily?  The light glow around the edge of the door would alert you that the lights are on.  We put stick on (I know, that's tacky!) individual LED tough lights in all of the cupboards of our RV (no hard wired lights except in the wardrobes), but they are a pain to have to replace the batteries and remove them when the RV is not used for a long period of time.

Questions:

Where is the switch for the cabinet doors?  By chance, does the light come on when you open the door automatically even when the switch is off?

I am considering the additional cupboard, in place of the microwave.  We have a Breville Mini Smart oven that we would carry in that space.  Does the cabinet come with an interior light as do the upper cabinets?

I appreciate the pictures.  I am saving these, and others, in a file for reference for decision making down the line.

[Landrover]

8 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

I was thinking the same, about the black breaking up the all white interior.  Fingerprints might show, but do they wipe off easily?  The light glow around the edge of the door would alert you that the lights are on.  We put stick on (I know, that's tacky!) individual LED tough lights in all of the cupboards of our RV (no hard wired lights except in the wardrobes), but they are a pain to have to replace the batteries and remove them when the RV is not used for a long period of time.

Questions:

Where is the switch for the cabinet doors?  By chance, does the light come on when you open the door automatically even when the switch is off?

I am considering the additional cupboard, in place of the microwave.  We have a Breville Mini Smart oven that we would carry in that space.  Does the cabinet come with an interior light as do the upper cabinets?

I appreciate the pictures.  I am saving these, and others, in a file for reference for decision making down the line.

The light switch for the cabinets  is in the panel located above the bed area it has a blue light in the switch when on. Not sure if Oliver puts in a light if you have a cabinet in replace of the microwave, I’m sure they can install one. I don’t think you’ll need stick up lights anywhere. There are so many lights in the Oliver its hard to keep track of them all.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Landrover

[Overland]

Susan, we have the same Breville, and imo it sits far enough forward that the cabin lights are sufficient.  There’s no light in that space.  We added a shelf above the oven to hold plates.  

I’ve added strip lights in the pantry and inside each of the hull access areas.  Those are the only spots that we felt needed extra light.  I think I saw that Oliver is putting lights in the pantry now though, or maybe I dreamed that.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

18 minutes ago, Overland said:

Susan, we have the same Breville, and imo it sits far enough forward that the cabin lights are sufficient.  There’s no light in that space.  We added a shelf above the oven to hold plates.  

I’ve added strip lights in the pantry and inside each of the hull access areas.  Those are the only spots that we felt needed extra light.  I think I saw that Oliver is putting lights in the pantry now though, or maybe I dreamed that.

Thank you for the info.  Where do you place the Breville oven when in use?  I know it puts out a lot of heat.  I saved the molded styrofoam the oven came packed in, knowing I might be using it in an RV.  This would add additional width to the oven - making it approx 18" wide.

If Oliver is now putting lights in the pantry, perhaps they are also putting them in the microwave cabinet.

If you could, would you mind posting a picture of the MW cabinet with the Breville in it so I can get an idea of the space.  Thanks 😊 

[Overland]

Here you go - we just pull it forward a bit when we cook, to get the back away from the wall, and have never had a problem with it getting too hot.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

12 minutes ago, Overland said:

Here you go - we just pull it forward a bit when we cook, to get the back away from the wall, and have never had a problem with it getting too hot.

 

12 minutes ago, Overland said:

Here you go - we just pull it forward a bit when we cook, to get the back away from the wall, and have never had a problem with it getting too hot.

Thanks for the photo.  So, I assume the cabinet material (fiberglass?) tolerates the heat.  Do you do something to brace it when on the move so it doesn't slide around or does it stay put just fine?  We have the bamboo cutting board that fits the top of the oven. I modified another model cutting board by moving the feet to fit the recesses on top; not sure why they don't sell one for the Mini.

I love the wood counter.  With the stock counter being removable, I have plans to replace it with wood as well.  My husband is quite handy with wooden cutting boards, counters, etc.

Your picture brings up another question: I was thinking, with the door to the cabinet in the open position, I could place the wooden cutting board (salvaged from our HS Home Ec room) there to make more counter space.  I use it to cover the glass top on the burners in our current RV for the same purpose.  Is that what you have done here?  Does there need to be something under the door to support it?

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by Susan Huff
Additional info

[Overland]

When you choose the cabinet option, Oliver builds out a wood cabinet that covers the fiberglass.  At least on mine, the wood was unfinished, so I coated it with poly so that it’s easier to keep clean.  

My cabinet door is supported on the left with a cable, which you can see in the photo.  I had to adjust it a bit to make it level when open, but yes we can use it as a counter for light things.

When traveling, we stick a silicon drying mat inside to keep the tray and rack from jostling around too much - we learned after our first trip that both will vibrate against the glass door and can actually scratch it.  I think my wife also stuffs a towel around the oven to keep it from moving around.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Overland

[AndrewK]

On our 2019, the Microwave cabinet is white gelcoat with a light and a frosted door that folds down like all of the others.

[Overland]

Interesting. Does it have a light inside?

[SeaDawg]

6 minutes ago, Overland said:

Interesting. Does it have a light inside?

Yes, I'm curious.  And, did you paint the interior,  or does the box come that way now?

I'd love to know the dimensions of your box. I  see your Magma pan carrier fits nicely, so I wonder if it's deeper than the older cabinet boxes.

I don't have the carrier, but I know my Magma pans occupy a big chunk of real estate when I  carry them in the trailer or the boat.

Sherry

[Overland]

I think if that’s a vacuum formed interior like the bath caddy that I’d be a bit more cautious about running a toaster oven in there. 

Edited June 7, 2020 by Overland

[SeaDawg]

Or, is it fiberglass, like the drawer fronts?  Edited to add, I  think Overland is talking about the interior cavity liner/box? 

Even so, I  think I would rather have wood. 

Sherry

Edited June 7, 2020 by SeaDawg

[AndrewK]

1 hour ago, Overland said:

Interesting. Does it have a light inside?

Overland, 

It does have a light.  It is the same as the interior overhead cabinet lights and it is on the kitchen light switch.

The light is blueish not a warm white like the under cabinet lights.  Thinking about changing it out so the color tone matches.

Andrew