How to Update Your Kitchen Cabinets on a Tight Budget?

Answer 1

Old cabinetry can make your entire kitchen look dated. Many homeowners believe that they need to makeover their entire kitchen, when what they really need to do is update their cabinets. Fresh, refinished cabinets can quickly update a space and make an entire kitchen look brand new.

How to Refinish Your Kitchen Cabinets

When refinishing your cabinets, the first step is to remove the cabinet doors. Also remove all hardware, like knobs and hinges, so that the door is completely bare.

If you have stained cabinets, remove the old stain with sandpaper. Once the stain is removed, clean the wood with soap and water and remove any debris. After the wood has dried, you can re-stain or paint the cabinets any color of your choosing. To get a professional look, make sure that you apply all paint or stain in the same direction as the natural grain. Apply a few coats until you reach the color you want. Once you achieve the right color, seal the wood to preserve the color.

If your cabinets are painted, you will first have to remove the old paint with paint thinner. Let the paint thinner sit until the paint can easily be removed. Wipe all of the old paint away and thoroughly clean the wood before applying new paint or stain.

Adding the Finishing Touches

Once the cabinet doors are completely dry, they can finally be replaced. Homeowners may also want to repaint or stain all drawers and other cabinet surfaces for a more uniform look. While cabinet doors are fairly inexpensive to replace, those on a tight budget would benefit most from refinishing them, instead of replacing them.

Once all of the cabinets are refinished, it�s time to update the hardware. Any rusty hinges should be replaced and all of the knobs can also be replaced. The easiest way to update a cabinet is to replace the knob. Consider replacing old knobs with pull handles or choose a knob in a more modern shape or color. Many people would be surprised at the difference new hardware can make.

Another way to update your kitchen cabinets is to apply molding. Even the cheapest cabinets will look expensive with nice molding around them. While refinishing and updating your kitchen cabinets will require much more work than purchasing new ones, the potential savings will make it worth doing it yourself.