You would love new cabinets in the kitchen and/or bathroom but right now your budget is really not up to a full scale remodel? Or maybe you still love the layout of the cabinets and they are perfectly serviceable inside but you just wish that from the outside they looked better? Then cabinet refacing, not cabinet replacement may be the best choice for you.
There are great many different ways you can go about cabinet refacing though and certainly the design behind your brand new look is one of the most important elements of the project. The good news is that with the assistance of a great remodeling specialist the options are almost endless and creating brand new facades for even older cabinets is much easier, and affordable, than you might imagine. Here, to provide you with a little inspiration, are just a few of the ideas you can consider:
Painted Beauties
If you are generally rather happy with the basic shape and design of the cabinet fronts you have in place right now then an expert paint job may really be all you need. That does not have to mean simply replacing one solid colour with another though, you can certainly get a lot more creative than that.
Ragging
Ragging is a decorative painting technique that makes great use of simple cloth rags to create a random, textured look to paintwork that can be stunning to look at and certainly unique to your home. Sponges can also be used to achieve a similar effect that has a slightly bolder feel to it.
Colorwashing
This is a decorative painting technique that makes use of a strong base color and a special glaze to create a rather romantic, vintage look. It’s a great choice for those who are drawn the ‘shabby chic’ decor concept , which of course revolves around the sort of lighter, airier pastel finishes that can be achieved with this painting technique.
Faux Finishes
These are a more intricate and involved set of painting techniques that make great use of special paint brushes and paints to create the visual illusion that cabinet fronts are crafted from a different material than they really are.
Various wood looks are popular faux finish choices for kitchen cabinets but in a bathroom situation a marble or natural stone effect can be a stunning choice as it can literally add the appearance of a of a very high end material without you actually having to pay for much more than a few cans of paint and a little bit of expert help.
Stenciling
A cabinet that is painted in a solid color, or even one that is a simple plain wood or MDF affair can be brought to magical new life thanks to the art of stenciling. From simple but elegant swirls and scrolls to full scale decorative illustrations there are stencils available that will allow you to create almost any look you can dream up.
Going for Glass
There really is no rule that states that a cabinet has to be fronted by a solid door and in many cases replacing such things with an exciting glass alternative can change the look and feel of the whole space, especially if you are dealing with a smaller room.
Choosing the Route Less Traveled
When it comes to replacement cabinet doors you are not just limited to basic wood or MDF options. For a very contemporary look you could consider stainless steel or aluminum or if vintage is more the look you are going for then seeking out reclaimed hardwood options may well be worth looking into.
These are just a few basic ideas that can, with a little help from an expert, be expanded upon in a thousand and one different ways to create the look that is perfect for you and for your home.
Find a little more inspiration in our gallery below:
Angelica Pinto is an artist, interior design lover and Realtor serving the Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph, Ontario communities.