Updating Kitchen Cabinetry

If you’ve been thinking about renovating your kitchen, summer is the perfect time to get it done: you can cook on the grill, eat more cold dishes, and its easier to spend time outside of your home (so you don’t have to listen/deal with all the construction noises/dust/etc). Completing this project in the summer also allows you to get it done BEFORE the holidays. I can’t tell you how many clients wait until September/October to reach out to a designer, and then are upset when they’re told that its going to be very difficult (if not impossible) to get the kitchen of their dreams completed in time to host Thanksgiving dinner. If you want a completely brand new kitchen by Christmas, now is the time to start. That being said, if you want to do some updates but don’t want a full gut job, there are options out there for you as well. Let’s look at some ways to update your cabinetry and help determine which option might be best for you:

If your kitchen functions as it is and the cabinets are in good shape - but you just don’t like the aesthetics of the space, you have a few options besides a full gut job.

• Painting Cabinets

Painting your cabinets is an easy way to get an updated look in your kitchen without having to tear anything out and is easily the least expensive option. This can be a DIY project, but make sure to really do your research on how to get a nice finish and take your time - it will be a time investment. Painting your cabinets will have a huge impact on how your space looks and feels, but it will not impact the function at all. This means if you really hate the layout or feel like there isn’t enough storage, this isn’t going to do it for you. Also, if you have damaged cabinets, particularly water damage in the sink cabinet, you really should invest in replacing the cabinet boxes as paint won’t fix that problem.

Image courtesy of Morgan Hanson from A Little Kooky blog - check out her painted kitchen blog post here!

• Refinishing Cabinets

  Refinishing cabinets sometimes gets interchanged with painting cabinets, but really takes it one step further. When you refinish cabinets, the boxes stay, but the doors are replaced and the veneer on the cabinet faces is changed as well. This is not something I would recommend DIYing unless you are very experienced or are just planning on painting anyways. Refinishing your cabinets lets you update the door style to something more modern and also can allow you to change from painted to a wood finish (or one wood finish to another). Again, because the cabinet boxes are remaining, you aren’t able to change the layout/functionality of your kitchen and you really need to make sure the boxes are in good shape before proceeding.

Image courtesy of WiseWood Veneer - they do sell DIY refinishing kits which you can learn more about here.

If your cabinets are in poor shape or you have an issue with layout, you really need to consider replacing your cabinets. In these instances you have a few options for how to proceed:

• In Stock Cabinets

  In stock cabinets are the most economical option when it comes to new cabinetry. They come in limited sizes and with limited detailing and finish options. They are also usually made from MDF board as a way of being more economical. As their name implies, they are typically in stock and arrive quickly (sometimes you can even bring them home the same day). Now, because they are limited in sizes, they rarely fit a space perfectly and need fillers so you don’t have weird gaps between walls and cabinets. These can be installed by DIYers, but it definitely isn’t something I would recommend for a novice. IKEA makes an excellent line of in stock cabinets with their Sektion system and is actually what we used for our kitchen renovation. I would recommend IKEA cabinetry over the stock cabinets at some big box stores. In stock cabinets are limited in their style and detail options, so depending on your style and what features you’re looking for, stock cabinets may not be sufficient for your kitchen.

This is our updated kitchen renovation. The cabinets are from IKEA.

• Semi-custom Cabinets

Semi-custom cabinets are similar in a lot of ways to in stock cabinets although they do come with a few more options for style, detailing and sizing. For example, when we were planning our kitchen renovation I wanted 15” deep cabinets for the pantry but stock cabinets were only available in 12” or 24” depth (with the exception of IKEA). I could have selected the semi-custom cabinets and gotten that 15” depth I was looking for though. They do still often need filler pieces to ensure there are no gaps however as they still are in set dimensions. Semi-custom cabinets can also be made out of higher quality material, such as solid hardwood which is a great feature if you can afford it. Semi-custom cabinets have to be ordered and generally take at least 6-8 weeks to arrive, but can be longer depending on the manufacturer (I would almost guarantee longer right now with COVID delays).

Image courtsey of ASA Builder’s Supply - they have a great post about semi-custom here.

• Custom Cabinets

  Custom cabinets are the top of the line cabinets and designed specifically for your kitchen. This means they are sized to fit exactly and filler pieces are not needed. This also means less wasted space in your kitchen and that you can create whatever layout you want. Custom cabinets are almost always hardwood (I wouldn’t ever recommend paying for custom cabinetry and not investing in hardwood). They are the most expensive option, but with this if you can dream it up, you can have it made. Because custom cabinetry is made specifically for your space, you can guarantee that no one else will have you kitchen but this also means that lead times for these cabinets are going to be the longest as well, probably around 10-12 weeks.

Image courtesy of Renovation Find Blog - they go over the benefits of custom cabinetry here.

Here is a handy chart for you to easily compare the different options - obviously this is based on my professional opinion and experience (so no one come at me about how you disagree with my analysis of DIY friendly).

Hopefully this overview has helped you figure out which direction you may need to go with your kitchen reno, but I am always here to help you figure out the best solution for your space. I would love to connect with you and help you get your dream kitchen started today (so you can be ready for the holidays!)