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Kitchen Cabinet Face Lift

15 years ago

I need to give my kitchen a face lift. I can't afford to replace the cabinets but I think changing the cabinet doors and hardware would be good. What material would be good for the doors? I was thinking 1/2" panel board but is there anything else that wouldn't break the budget? Any finishing tips?

Thanks.

Comments (9)

lucy
15 years ago
It would help to know what's already there in terms of not getting something incompatible, plus do you have any styles in mind yourself?
payperbiz
15 years ago
Consult an expert first because you can save a lot if you opted for wood refurbishing instead of changing the the entire doors.

Here is a link that might be useful: construction orlando
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Comments (14)
Hi, I love the natural wood features of your cabinets---as they are---no paint. People are all into natural and eco-smart but are they seeing the virtue in the beautiful natural wood of your cabinets? Your cabinets may not be sufficient to keep all your stuff so, in my op, it may be easier, not emotionally but in the overall picture, to donate or sell some or a lot of your stuff. We all could make nice meals and enjoy cooking without 3/4 of the stuff we have or want. (Think tupperware and salad bar/mayonnaise jar, marg, etc., containers) And I am a queen of containers. I am a modernist, minimalist, so that is the point of view, somewhat, that I will suggest---Somewhat- You have a high chair lovey in your house. You may be emotionally torn between having a magazine kitchen and doing right by your family-but the conclusion that I and my neighbors have come to is, that we are happier when our kids are fed, played with, toss and bounce balls, see smiling parents-often with their own parental agendas-paid work, play, crafts, pals, blah,---yes, we, the parents, are happier, when we are not Architectural Digest cops. I would change the hardware, pulls and hinges to chrome or ss. Change the light fixtures and find a fan that's more modern- they are there-I have spent $35 on a decent looking, functional fan. Your planned darker floor and countertops match reasonably well and are very pretty, but looking at the overall pic, of the not painted caramel color of the cabs, white appliances-they'd be a great investment, but you need to ruthlessly de-stuff----pretend that you are Europeans in a wonderfully located but small space- your existing floors are ok, but with new cabinet hardware, new modern lighting, some stainess shelving between the bottom of the cabs and the counters, from Ikea perhaps---your k room would be well modernized. I hope that you are near an Ikea store so that you can benefit from their point of view. I think your cabs are beautiful. I'd try to figure out a way to keep them, UNPAINTED, and fix everything around them. Your appliances, look quite nice, unless you are really set on replacing them. New hardware, lighting, counters, perhaps, and then re-evaluate. Just my 2 cents.
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How well does the kitchen function for you now? The advantage to starting over is that with careful planning you can get maximum utility out of the cabs you put in. You can also get things like a tall, skinny frig such as a Liebherr. There are some very small kitchens on here, such as this one, one of my favs, that will provide a lot of excellent functional ideas. You could change the aesthetics to suit your home. Here is a link that might be useful: brooklyn galley
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I've been where you are before, and you wouldn't believe how much of a difference a little switching around and refreshing will make. You actually have very nice cabinets, which you may not realize because you are used to them. Go find some handles at a hardware store that are a bit more updated and switch them all out (this is a little time consuming but does re-vamp the whole look of the kitchen). I agree with relocating the microwave, if possible. Simplify the counters and keep any cluttery decor off. Get rid of the two rugs and get one large rug for the space. If you want to go a step further, replace the backsplash with something new. There are cheap ways to do a good job with the backsplash. Good luck!
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I am not a fan of this rustic slate tile flooring. The previous owners painted the walls a nice neutral beige but I feel as though it’s too yellow and brings out too much orange in the flooring. I want to brighten and open the space while minimizing the floor. The cabinets will be refinished in the shaker style and new granite countertops will be added (likely in a lighter color).
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thefuzzbucket
Original Author
15 years ago
Right now the doors are 0.75" pressed wood with a laminate finish. They are tired and need to go. I thought flake board that can be painted would be a easy solution.

Let me know what you think.
ron6519
15 years ago
Posted by thefuzzbucket (My Page) on Mon, Feb 9, 09 at 7:02

Right now the doors are 0.75" pressed wood with a laminate finish. They are tired and need to go. I thought flake board that can be painted would be a easy solution.
Let me know what you think.

Flakeboard(painted or unpainted) would look like crap. Flakeboard is not a kitchen door material. The doors need to be more then 1/2" thick.
Save up for plan "B".
Ron
pjb999
15 years ago
LOL I tend to agree with Ron. OSB/flakeboard would make it look like garage cupboards, or some sort of hillbilly heaven, to say the least. If the cupboard doors are that bad, why not paint them with Melamine paint, and put on new handles? Way less work, the doors will look right, and melamine paint's pretty tough.

Or plan B. By the time you 'freshen up' a kitchen, it's often more economical to do the whole thing, especially if you were considering countertops too.

You have to be careful you don't end up with some sort of amateurish patch job, if you end up having to sell the house (and who knows these days?) it could seriously affect the price and saleability.
danw13
15 years ago
If the door's are in that bad of shape I would tend to think the cabinets themselves have to be in the same condition ? IMO I would opt for plan "c" and tear out and replace with some boxes from HD or Menards for a $1,000 or a few bucks more and atleast have something useable. By not even seeing what you have I would bet your just throwing good money after bad.
pjb999
15 years ago
Exactly. I have yet to see a kitchen that needed new cabinet doors, that didn't need new cupboards as well. Usually they're old, dingy and worn, and usually newer ones are more streamlined inside.

a) Melamine paint, save for new kitchen, b)leave as is, save for new kitchen and when you get new kitchen, old cabinets move into garage or shop or shed, where you can never have too much storage. Then who cares what they look like?
bluesbarby
15 years ago
Actually my kitchen didn't need new cupboards, only doors and drawer fronts. But they were custom cabinets made by the previous owners and the doors and drawer fronts he ordered to size. The doors were hollow core and a really ugly style. I refinished the cabs (which were all solid wood), repurposed all the lower cabinets into drawers and purchased new drawer fronts and doors online. Total cost $2500.00 and I have a large kitchen.
Jillofall
15 years ago
You could try using high grade plywood and putting 1/2" corner trim around the edges with miter cuts. Then stain & seal. I did that once for a short fix and it looked good enough I haven't changed it. Alternately, shop for cabinet doors online. I just ordered some from RefaceDepot.com. There may be cheaper ones, but they sure beat the prices at HD. --Kris

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