When to Refinish or Replace Your Kitchen Cabinets in North Carolina
/This article will discuss various factors that can help determine when it’s worth refinishing or replacing your kitchen cabinets. We’ll look at how age, aesthetics, functionality, convenience and investment amount all play a role. Let's start with age.
If made with durable material, such as hardwood, the age of your cabinets may not matter. A fresh coat of paint and new pulls may be all that’s needed to bring your cabinets up to date. Age may be more of a factor if your cabinets are worn out. It’s not to say that a good craftsman may not have some tricks up his/her sleeve that could adequately address your concerns, but often the investment of such renovations can outweigh the benefits of purchasing new cabinets.
Aesthetics is an easy one! Just ask yourself the following questions: Do I like looking at it? How does it make me feel (also impacted by functionality, discussed below)? Is it something I’m proud to bring guests into? Is it even my style? Simply put, aesthetics equate to your preferred look. So when determining the best option, refinishing or replacing your cabinets, consider which is more or less likely to bring about that WOW factor!
Now that we’ve considered age and aesthetics let's talk about functionality. Maybe this is your chance to finally make it your own, including colors, style and functionality. In this case, cabinet organizers could help. But what if you are ready to make it YOURS? Kitchens are a place to “make it happen,” whatever it is! There’s nothing more annoying than having a poor layout, broken drawers and doors and barriers to organization. Comfort and time are valuable. Smooth transitions and operational features = functionality. So, replacing your cabinets may be your only viable option to get the functionality you need.
Convenience, time and disruption to the home environment should also be considered when choosing between refinishing or replacing kitchen cabinets. Which approach would take less time? But you may be surprised to learn that it’s a tossup! Due to the prep work and possible repairs mentioned above (including multiple coats of primer and paint - which take time to dry), refinishing cabinets could take several weeks. On the other hand, tearing out and replacing cabinets (should rerouting plumbing or electrical be necessary) could take the same amount of time. Replacing cabinets is often a part of a full kitchen remodel, which usually requires more time than a refinish.
Age, aesthetics, functionality, convenience and investment amount are all factors to consider when refinishing or replacing kitchen cabinets. After reading this article, if you are still having difficulty deciding between a cabinet refinish or replacement, or if you are ready to move forward in designing or building your dream kitchen.
We are located in Graham, North Carolina, but we also serve in Greensboro, Burlington, Mebane, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Pittsboro.