How to Redo Kitchen Cupboards

Most modern kitchen cupboards are solid wood doors and drawer fronts affixed to cabinet frames of particleboard covered in wood veneer. The wood fronts can look great for years, but the veneer may chip, stain and look dull and dingy far sooner. If the cupboards are structurally in good shape, consider refacing rather than replacing. This is the process of sprucing up the look with new veneer and new hardware (door handles and drawer pulls), which is a cheap, quick alternative to a major renovation.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Vibrating palm sander with 80-grit sandpaper
• Tape measure
• Self-adhesive veneer, with wax-paper backing
• Razor knife
• Block of wood wrapped in a dry dishtowel
• New door handles and drawer pulls

Instructions

1. Remove the doors from the cupboard, unscrewing the hinges. Pull out the drawers and the shelves.

2. Sand the whole cupboard surface with your palm sander. Sand it just enough to dull the surface of the existing veneer. Don't sand through the veneer. Wipe away the dust.

3. Measure each area of the cupboard where the veneer will go (on the body of the cupboard, not the doors or drawer fronts). Cut a corresponding piece of veneer for each area, using your razor knife. Make each piece 1 inch bigger all around than the area it's going to cover. Cut it from the back, cutting through the wax paper and the veneer at the same time and keeping the wax paper on the veneer.

4. Hold each piece of veneer up to the span where it's going, with an inch overhang all around. Peel back a little of the top of the wax paper and press the sticky back of the veneer to the surface. Gradually peel down the rest of the paper, pressing the rest of the veneer to the surface as you go. Get the whole piece secured to the cupboard.

5. Run your razor knife along the edge of the cupboard, cutting off the overhanging veneer in a straight line. Immediately run your cloth-covered wood block over the surface to make sure it's secured firmly.

6. Repeat for each of the other spans of the cupboard. Re-install the doors, drawers and shelves. Swap out the old door handles and drawer pulls for new ones.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear a dust mask when sanding the old veneer.

References

• This Old House: How to Reface Kitchen Cabinets