Written by Lee Wallender – Thespruce
Refresh Rather Than Replace the Cabinets
In general, all tear-out-and-replace projects are more expensive than projects that keep most of the materials. Kitchen cabinetry is a prime example of this. New kitchen cabinets can be very expensive, especially if you need custom-made pieces to fit your space. Fortunately, there are ways to refresh your existing cabinets that are both eco-friendly (because the old cabinets won’t end up in a dumpster) and cost-effective.
- Painting: Painting kitchen cabinets is a classic method of updating them. The process of sanding, priming, and painting can be time-consuming depending on how many cabinets you have. But it’s simple enough that beginners can achieve good results.
- Refacing: More expensive than painting, refacing adds a new veneer to the outside of the cabinet boxes and entirely replaces doors and drawer fronts. This is difficult to do yourself, as it requires tools and expertise that most DIYers don’t have. But it’s still cheaper than getting all new cabinets, and it will completely change your kitchen’s look.
- Hardware: In addition to the cabinet finish, consider updating the hardware. Sometimes modern knobs and handles are all it takes to make existing cabinets feel brand new.
- Shelving: Instead of purchasing new cabinets or refinishing your old ones, consider installing some open shelving. Shelves are inexpensive, and you can easily match them to your kitchen’s style, resulting in an airy feel almost like that of a commercial kitchen.
If you do need to replace cabinets, look for ready-to-assemble options. It’s typically not that difficult to assemble the pieces yourself, so you won’t have to pay for labor costs. But getting the right fit for your kitchen can be a challenge, especially if you have odd angles.