- One inexpensive way to remodel kitchen cabinets is to resurface or reface with new cabinet doors and drawers. This is particularly effective if the cabinets are made well, but are outdated. The refacing process replaces the door fronts and, in some cases, adds new laminate to the other exposed surfaces of the cabinets. It saves the labor costs of ripping out your old cabinets and installing new ones.
- With refacing your have several options. You can simply replace the door fronts on your cabinets and drawers or you can laminate and replace the doors and drawer fronts. It depends on what color the actual cabinets are and what color you want them to be. For example, if the cabinets are a bright white and you are refacing with a rich, dark mahogany color door, you will need to install a cover board on the exposed sides. The insides of the cabinets should also be stripped down and stained to match, or apply a matching laminate. Some companies sell refacing products that will include both the doors and laminate materials, or they will offer stripping and staining as part of their service.
- A complete renovation is always an option. In this case, you strip out the old cabinets and put in new ones. This gives you complete control over how the new kitchen looks. The cabinet woods and doors are a perfect match, and you can expand or rearrange the layout of your kitchen, moving the major appliances like the refrigerator and stove to places where they are more convenient. This is more expensive but many companies have competitively priced custom made or semi-custom made cabinets.
- Another option is to improve on what you have. Repairing and repainting your existing cabinets will bring your kitchen back to life. When you repair the existing cabinets you can take off hinges and replace them with new, stronger hinges. This will straighten the doors and give the cabinets a better appearance. You can also add new hardware, replacing broken handles and slide tracks for the drawers. This also adds to the quality and functionality of the cabinets. Repaint or reface the repaired cabinets by applying removing the current surface and either painting, staining or covering the existing surface with laminates over the frames and doors. This will give the cabinets a complete make over.
