Cabinets Complete a Kitchen
by Charity Shumway

Beautiful kitchen cabinets doors can make your entire kitchen shine. Starting from scratch with new custom-made cabinets is one option and often the best one, but with the right attention, you may be able to transform the kitchen cabinet doors you already have into the beautiful cabinet doors you want. Here are a few guidelines than can help you decide between kitchen cabinet replacement and kitchen cabinet resurfacing or refacing.

Question #1 ?? Are Your Cabinets Well Configured?
If you want to change both the look of your kitchen cabinet doors and the layout of your cabinets to create better workflow or to give yourself more storage, kitchen cabinet resurfacing or refacing may seem like a reasonable interim step. You're probably better off, though, springing for the new cabinets now and getting both the look and the layout you want, rather than spending now and spending again in the future. Well-made, well-cared-for custom cabinets will last and last and can be refinished if you want to change their look in future years. As a result, it's worth it to get them in the layout you want.

Question #2 ?? Can You Simply Repair and Refresh your Cabinet Doors?
Entirely resurfacing or refacing your kitchen cabinet doors to achieve the look you want might be completely unnecessary. Refreshing the look of your kitchen can sometimes be as simple as repairing your cabinet doors. If you like the general look of the wood but know it's seen better days, you can repair nicks and scratches in the cabinet doors with a cabinet repair kit, available at any number of retailers. You can also fix minor nicks and scratches by sanding and then resealing the surface. Post-repair, painting the cabinet doors can be a fun way to punch up the color in your kitchen and refresh the overall look.

Question #3 ?? What's Your Budget?
If you choose to reface your cabinets rather than replace them, you'll enjoy considerable savings. Kitchen cabinet resurfacing, which can be as simple as sanding and varnishing, is the most affordable of all.

Whether you choose kitchen cabinet resurfacing or total cabinet replacement, rest assured that better looking kitchen cabinet doors will mean a better looking kitchen overall.

About the Author
Charity Shumway is a freelance writer and teaches writing at Oregon State University.