| Home remodeling is at an all time high. In fact, | | | | today. |
| remodeling bathrooms and kitchens has almost | | | | One option would be to "reface" your cabinets. |
| become a national obsession. A significant cost factor | | | | Re-facing cabinets is a matter of putting a new |
| in remodeling or adding on to a house can be the cost | | | | exterior "face" on existing cabinets and keeping the |
| of cabinets. Whether remodeling or adding a kitchen, | | | | existing frames and cabinet boxes intact. Cabinets can |
| home office, family room, hobby room, play room, | | | | be refaced with laminates, veneers, or high-quality |
| child's bedroom or bathroom, your design might include | | | | wood to give the appearance of new cabinets for a |
| new cabinets. In a kitchen remodel, cabinets can | | | | fraction of the cost. The cost savings come from |
| account for as much as half of the total cost. So it | | | | lower cost for both materials and labor. |
| seems important to think carefully about new cabinets | | | | Painting existing cabinets is another option, particularly if |
| and remodeling. | | | | the cabinets are functional but need to be lighter and |
| If you happen to have the luxury of planning a remodel | | | | brighter. White cabinets are very popular. Yet another |
| with no budget constraints, and you want new | | | | option is to remove the cabinet doors, sand or strip all |
| cabinets, you have two options: stock cabinets or | | | | surfaces and refinish/re-stain them. This gives you an |
| custom cabinets. Custom cabinets are built to your | | | | opportunity to repair damage and put a fresh face on |
| specifications for your room. These might be built on | | | | what you already have. Yet another option is to |
| site, or they might be built elsewhere and installed | | | | refinish flat cabinet doors and add matching moldings |
| when complete. This option certainly gives you the | | | | to create the look of finely molded woodworking. |
| greatest flexibility with your kitchen design and in | | | | If you want to work with existing cabinets and give |
| getting the cabinets you want. If, however, you want to | | | | them a facelift, you can also consider adding |
| complete your remodel faster or you want to save a | | | | decorative trim with paint. For example, you can add a |
| little bit of money, stock cabinets are a very good | | | | design on white cabinets to give them pizzazz, or you |
| option. Stock cabinets are available in a wide variety of | | | | can paint trim on stained cabinet doors. |
| sizes and shapes, made of most any kind of wood | | | | If you are working with existing cabinets, remember |
| you could want, with various kinds of moldings on | | | | that they can also be resized as necessary to |
| doors and glass panels. You can purchase these | | | | accommodate new appliances. This may take a little |
| completely built, or in precut and pre-finished pieces | | | | bit of work, but it can certainly be done if you like the |
| that you assemble. | | | | cabinets you have. |
| If your existing cabinets don't measure up to your | | | | Finally, consider the difference new hardware can |
| needs or expectations, you might need to buy new | | | | make. Changing the hinges and door/drawer pulls can |
| cabinets. If your cabinets are showing significant signs | | | | give older cabinets a very fresh appearance. If, for |
| of wear and use, if they are made of composition | | | | example, you have pine cabinets with black hinges and |
| board, or if they simply make things inaccessible, new | | | | door pulls, you can create an entirely new look by |
| cabinets are probably a good idea. Choosing the stock | | | | painting the cabinets white and changing the hinges |
| cabinets that will fit your remodeling design should be | | | | and door pulls to brass or brushed nickel. |
| reasonably easy. If you need new cabinets and your | | | | As you renovate, you might also want to consider |
| budget is limited you might want to look for recently | | | | adding features that make the items in your cabinets |
| discontinued cabinets or buy very plain cabinets to | | | | more accessible. There are many items available that |
| which you can add decorative moldings. This could | | | | can be placed in existing cabinets or built into new |
| save a lot of money. | | | | cabinets that will make them more accessible, such as |
| If your cabinets are functional, in good shape, and of | | | | lazy Susans, drawers, drop-down shelves, and the like. |
| good quality, there are many other things you can do | | | | The possibilities for new cabinets and remodeling are |
| to revitalize old cabinets into a style that accents your | | | | limitless. Just use your imagination to find ways to |
| new room design while saving money. Particularly in | | | | achieve the highest quality with the available budget. |
| older homes, you may have solid wood cabinets that | | | | The rest is a matter of creative thinking and some |
| are far better than many economy cabinets available | | | | effort. |