The kitchen is a busy hub in many homes. The appearance of the kitchen is greatly affected by the appearance of the cabinets. If you’re thinking of a complete makeover of your kitchen and rearranging the layout, then you’ll probably want to go with new cabinets. Another route you may want to consider is the options available to revitalize and transform your kitchen with a more economical approach. I would like to offer a few suggestions for you to consider before making this important decision.
Ripping out and replacing cabinets will be expensive, but sometimes it’s the best way to go if, for example, you’re going to change the design or want to choose a completely different cabinet material to achieve the look you want. An example of this would be that you have wood cabinets and prefer to have a metal cabinet theme to match a more modern theme. Whatever the reason, if you decide to replace your cabinets, there are at least a couple of ways to go about it. The most expensive thing will be to have your cabinets custom built by a reputable cabinet shop. This route will provide the most flexible options when it comes to different colors, textures, hardware, personal design preferences, and of course materials. Another option that can produce satisfactory results, if you’re not overly concerned with custom design input, but rather styles, designs, and industry standards in cabinetry, is the prefab type. You can find them at most building supply retailers, especially large retail chains. You’ll have a pretty good variety of cabinet styles and hardware that can be installed by the retailer, usually much faster than having custom built and installed cabinets, plus the cost is significantly less.
If new cabinets aren’t absolutely necessary, a cabinet facelift can do wonders for a dramatic change in the look of your kitchen. Some of the ways this can be achieved is by facing or painting. Retrofitting can be as simple as replacing existing doors and hardware, or resurfacing cabinets and then replacing doors and hardware. For example, if your kitchen seems dark and/or small, glass or light-colored doors can give your kitchen a more open feel and appearance. If you don’t like the idea of cabinet contents being exposed through glass, there is the option of frosted glass. Retrofitting can save a substantial amount of money and completely change the look of your cabinets.
Painting is another way to drastically change the appearance of your cabinets and is probably more cost effective than repairing them. A good oil-based paint will cure faster and be harder than the easier-to-use latex paint. But the trick is to prepare the project well and apply several quality thin coats, rather than one or two thick coats. A good paint job and hardware replacement will do wonders to give your kitchen an exciting new look.
In making your final decision, I suggest you look at pictures, showrooms, and even other kitchens and weigh all the options. Installing new cabinets will be the most expensive, whether you go with custom or pre-made cabinets. Sometimes you can get a new kitchen feel by doing a facelift that will revitalize your kitchen and save a lot of money and time. As with all home remodeling,
