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A year ago, our kitchen looked like this:
After doing a lot of research about the best type of paint for cabinets, we took the plunge and painted the cabinets. It brightened up the kitchen so much!
This was a major improvement on what we previously had but it still wasn’t as functional as we wanted. Six months later, our kitchen has once again been transformed.
We had no plans to completely re-do our kitchen, but thought it would be interesting to entertain a quote from a Home Depot representative to try to sell us on “refacing” our cabinets.For anyone who isn’t aware of kitchen cabinet refacing, it’s a much more cost effective solution than completely gutting a kitchen and starting from scratch.
From Home Depot:
Cabinet refacing is a cost-effective way to give your kitchen a whole new look by replacing cabinet door and drawer fronts and veneering the exterior of the cabinet boxes. Your kitchen layout stays the same and the cabinets stay in place, so you avoid the inconveniences associated with major renovation and demolition. Enhancements like organizers, shelving, moldings and other accessories add the finishing touches.
Kitchen Product Recommendations For You
We couldn’t believe that the quote for our kitchen was less than what we had spent to overhaul our bathroom. AND with 0% interest for 24 months it was an offer we apparently couldn’t resist. We signed on the dotted line and had the measuring guy at our house 3 days later.
My main concern was making the kitchen more functional. You might remember the cabinets that (1) I couldn’t reach and (2) that wouldn’t even open:
We decided to extend the length of the cabinets above the stove so that they matched the length of the other cabinets. We also decided to add a breakfast bar where we previously had the Ikea table and chairs.
The cabinet doors that we decided on were a white shaker style with a beadboard accent:
Kitchen Cabinet Refacing: The Process
Four weeks later, the construction company (actually one guy named John) was ready to begin work. Before John could start, all the appliances had to be removed from the kitchen.
Day 1: Two hours after John began work….much to our surprise, we ended up getting an entire wall of new cabinets:
I guess I didn’t listen very well when the blue prints were being explained to me! ha!
The breakfast bar was also quickly put in place:
Day 2: Countertops arrived and were installed. The countertop we chose was Wilsonart’s Deepstar Slate:
The veneer was cut to fit the cabinet boxes and glued on:
Day 3: John attached the cabinet doors and hardware, and trimmed, caulked and siliconed until everything looked beautiful and finished!
Day 4: We had a electrician come in to install our new stove and over-the-range microwave, and we put the fridge back into place:
Kitchen Cabinet Refacing: The Finished Product
Here’s the before and after:
I’m still amazed that it only took a total of 4 days for such an an amazing transformation. We now have a fully functional kitchen that I actually enjoy cooking in! I’m happy to entertain guests and no longer have to store the “good dinnerware set” in the linen closet!
We still need to get a pair of stools for the breakfast bar and EVENTUALLY replace the floors…but I’m exceptionally happy with what we have right now!
Have any of you refaced your cabinets? Maybe if you’ve been eager to update your kitchen this would be a good option for you!
**Update** The following additions have also been added! Check out the Home Tour page to see the FINISHED kitchen!
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New Pendant Lights | 
Peel & Stick Backsplash |
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Hi there, could you please let me know where you get the white shaker door cabinet as I am thinking to change one of mine that just got burned. I couldn’t find it anywhere on the net, just saw this and thought I should ask you. Thanks. – Nor
Hi Nor, we got them at Home Depot.
Hi Jenna,
Your kitchen turned out so beautiful with a clean look. Love those white shaker style cabinet doors and drawer pulls.
Nice!Thank you for sharing This post.
Hi, Jenna. Your kitchen looks great! I have a question – how durable have the new fronts been? How are they holding up? It looks like it’s been a few years since you had the refacing done. Thanks!
Hi Wendy Ann! We actually sold that house last July but at that point they were still in perfect shape! We were very happy with how they turned out and they added a lot of value to our house!
I live in a Cape Cod in PA. Your old kitchen layout looks like my current kitchen, with the stove shoved right in the corner. I’ve been trying to plan the best layout in such a small, heavily used space.
OMG – your old kitchen look almost exactly like mine (even the weired windy thing above the window and the hard-ware is the exact same). I too went to home depot, but not for re-facing – for a complete makeover – because I needed to change location of appliances and add a dishwasher, smaller sink, etc… but after a lot of back and forth, they measured and said they couldn’t install it, cause my home has Adobe Brick walls and they were scared the kitchen wouldn’t hold (odd, because the current kitchen obviously held up over 50 years). So, I’m now looking at changing just the doors (which have bent out of shape and don’t close anymore). So sad. I want your kitchen!!!
Oh Anne, what a bummer! Home Depot will totally replace your doors, if you’re still looking to go that route!