Three Options for Refacing Kitchen Cabinets
By Karen LawsonRefacingCabinet.com Columnist
Kitchen remodeling can increase the convenience and appearance of your kitchen, and is a good investment as one of the home improvement projects that can add to home value. You can select from a variety of kitchen cabinet styles to complement your new kitchen and cabinet refacing options can help control cost.
Cabinet Refacing: What are My Options?
Your kitchen cabinets need to be durable, functional, and pleasing to the eye. Cabinet refacing options depend on your aesthetic preference, utilitarian needs, and budget. Here are three refacing options along with notes on how each can work for you.
- Wood veneer: Kitchen cabinet refacing typically involves replacing cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and applying matching veneer to the cabinet boxes. Wood veneer provides a traditional, natural look and is available in many colors and wood grain patterns. Select wood grain to match your kitchen's style and color scheme. Wood adds warmth and visual interest to your kitchen and is pleasing to most tastes.
- Laminate veneer: Laminates are available in solid colors and wood grain; they offer a cost effective alternative to wood, and can stand up to the punishment of a busy family kitchen. Veneer wipes clean with a damp cloth and can complement a variety of decors. If you're seeking a sleek, contemporary look in your kitchen decor, laminate veneer can be a good choice.
- Glass cabinet doors: Adding glass to your kitchen cabinets allows you to display china and other prized kitchen objects. If you prefer not to display the contents of kitchen cabinets, you can select textured, stained, or etched glass that provides texture without revealing everything in your cabinets. Selecting a combination of solid and glass doors breaks up the monotony of a wall of solid cabinet doors, while providing durable solid doors for your most frequently used cabinets.
Adding final touches to your new cabinets completes your kitchen's new look.
Hardware and Lighting: The Icing on Your Cabinets
Once you've chosen your cabinet refacing materials, you can select from a nearly limitless variety of hinges, drawer pulls, and knobs for your "new" cabinets. Whether you go with satin finish stainless to match your kitchen sink and appliances, or select more traditional hardware, there is kitchen hardware for every decor and decorator.
An increasingly popular feature in kitchens is under-cabinet and in-cabinet lighting. If your kitchen remodeling plan includes adding lighting, try to view your cabinet refacing material in similar lighting conditions. Lighting enhances the appearance of your kitchen cabinets while conveniently illuminating your work space.
About The Author
Karen Lawson is a freelance writer whose interests include home renovation and decor. She holds an MA degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.
