Almost Everything You Want to Know About Updating Kitchen Cabinets

Updating kitchen cabinets can be a very intimidating project to plan for. How much do kitchen cabinets cost? Should I paint existing or install new? Where do I buy them from? How do I plan my layout?

Cabinets are the most important part of your kitchen design. The style of your cabinets is what establishes the style of your entire kitchen. The layout of the cabinets also defines the flow of your kitchen and surrounding areas. It also determines how well the heart of your home functions.

But where do you begin if you want to change them? We’ll walk you through how to plan for updating or replacing kitchen cabinets in a way that best fit your needs and budget.

The Hard Truth

The first step, before anything else, is establishing your budget. You may be thinking, “How can I budget if I have no idea how much cabinets cost?”. The hard truth is that you should be finding a cabinet solution that works with your financial state rather than finding cabinets you want and then trying to stretch your budget to afford them. Take a good, honest look at how much money you could afford and use that as your starting point.

Replace vs. Refinish

Next step is determining whether you want to refinish existing cabinets or install new. Start by looking at the doors of your existing cabinets. Hardware can be replaced but the style of the door needs to work with your future kitchen design. A few different types of cabinet faces include slab (flat surface), shaker (trim around the edges), and arched (curved detail within the panel). Determine if the face style works with your vision for the kitchen. For example, if your end goal is a modern kitchen, arched or cathedral style cabinet faces won’t work as well as slab or shaker style. Painting/refinishing cabinets is a project that many homeowners take on themselves, but you can also hire a professional to complete the work and likely spend less than the cost of installing all new cabinets. If the style of your existing cabinets doesn’t match the style of your planned design, then it’s time to explore installing new cabinets.

So Many Options

If you’ve decided to install new, there’s a few different paths you can take. Custom or semi-custom-made cabinets are cabinets made by a professional cabinetmaker specific to your kitchen. Ready to assemble cabinets are a great option for homeowners with some level of skill who are looking to save some money. Ready to assemble cabinets are available in a wide variety of sizes and colors and come to you unassembled at a lower cost. We bought our kitchen cabinets from RTA Cabinet Store. Stock cabinets are cabinets that you would find at a big box retail store. These cabinets usually cost less than custom or semi-custom cabinets but are only available in certain sizes. Stock cabinets can be challenging if your kitchen has a unique shape or layout.

Layout Planning

When it comes to planning the layout for your kitchen, there are many tools and resources to help guide you. If you choose custom or semi-custom, the company you work with will likely help you with the planning. Most stores that you purchase ready to assemble or stock cabinets from also have free online kitchen planning tools. Some may also offer free design help.

One final thing to consider is resale. If there is any chance that you’ll be selling your home, consider sticking to classic styles and finishes that would more broadly appeal to potential buyers. You can always take more risk on your décor and other finishes that are easier to update like hardware or backsplash tile.

If you’ve made it this far, we hope this provides you with some help as you plan for your kitchen cabinet update. Good luck!  

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