Refacing Kitchen Cabinets: Cheaper than Buying New Ones

Kitchen renovations can be costly, from the cabinetry to the hardware, flooring and appliances. There is, however, a way to give your kitchen a facelift without spending a lot of money. Refacing of kitchen cabinet doors can save you almost up to 75 percent of the purchase price of replacing the entire cabinetry. Refacing is a method whereby the cabinet doors are replaced with any style or finish you desire, leaving the existing cabinet frames and shelves intact. It is also a method by which the existing doors are used but additional trim or paneling are put on top of a plain or flat kitchen cabinet, giving it more character. Refacing cabinet doors may involve adding new finish whether in form of a new stain, new paint and adding new hardware such as knobs and pulls. There are different options to choose from if you plan on replacing just the cabinet doors. You local home improvement shop may carry samples or catalogs you can choose from. Talk to the experts for they can give you information on how the process works and what you need to know about how to measure, what style and finish to choose, as well as installation.

Cabinet Refacing Basic Information:

a) Ordering: Count and measure the cabinet doors you want to replace. You can do this yourself or contact the store to get a free in home estimate. You can also read some information on ordering online and doing the measurement yourself since ordering on your own could save you more money since you are buying directly from the manufacturer.

b) Choose between pre-finished and unfinished cabinet doors. Pre-finished cabinet doors are more expensive than the unfinished ones but eliminate you having to duplicate the finish on your own. What you need to do is match the finish of the sample next to your existing cabinetry. Do not worry too much about not being able to match them exactly, any exposed part of the cabinet, like the side or the trim that is exposed can be covered with veneers with the same finish as the cabinet doors that you can also order from the same manufacturer.

c) Choose Style: There are different styles to choose from- Classical and traditional, to old world and modern or contemporary design. Choose the one that matches or goes with your overall design or what is predominant in your home. For example, choose mission or craftsman style if your house has wood panels and trims from that style. The style you choose should blend well so that it is more cohesive.

d) Accessories and Hardware: You can order the trimmings such as the veneer to cover the exposed sides and trims of your existing cabinets. Buy moldings to add to the top of the cabinet to add more style and make it more elegant. You can also buy the drawer pulls and door knobs as well as hinges from the same store. You can reuse your old hardware if they are still in good condition. You may also prefer to leave the doors and drawers without any hardware.

e) Installation: You can get a professional to install the cabinet doors or you can do it by yourself to save money. Some manufacturers when you buy direct from them even offer a free “How to” video that they can mail to you ahead of time. It will show you from how to measure and order down to the installation of the new cabinet doors and the veneers as well as the accessories. If you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can have them install them for you at an additional cost.

With all available resources to choose from you can easily tackle this project, depending on your skills, in one weekend. So for your next remodeling project- reface your kitchen cabinet to obtain that look that would make your kitchen looking like you spend thousands and thousands of dollars even if you didn’t.