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Q: I dislike oak cabinets. Is refacing just about the doors/drawer faces, but you're left with Oak as your choice to match the grain? Or is it much more of an in depth procedure than this, and if I like maple or cherry can we go to that without completely new cabinets? How much does it cost, on average, to reface cabinets, upper and lower, versus entirely new cabinets
A:
The answer to your first question is kind of yes and no, you're still going to have oak cabinets, but when you have them refaced you can have them stained or painted another color so that it doesn't look like oak. Personally, I don't like oak either, I think it looks kind of cheap.
Honestly, there is very little difference between refacing and getting new cabinets. I think KfraftMaid cabinetry has a pretty good value. You can get new cabinets for as little as 3400 but the more bells and whistles, the more you will spend. Your old oak cabinet carcass would be reveneered with maple, and new maple doors would be hung to match - and generally you'd have maple cabinets. Now if the inside of the cabinets looks oak as well - you could either have it painted white (or a neutral) or just accept the oak. Reveneering the inside would be expensive and kind of wasteful. I've had lots of cabinets in my home refaced. You can literally get anything you want--wood (any), laminate, RTF (rigid thermofoil)... We used the RTF doors, which are "wood look" in the same way that wood laminate floors are, which is to say, pretty darn convincing these days. There are endless options for door styles too, e.g., raised panel, etc... Whatever you choose, they will also veneer your cabinet box to match the new drawer/door fronts. You will obviously need new hardware, and if you have exposed hinges now, chances are that the new doors will have hidden hinges that mount inside the frame.
I think that if you reface with wood--particularly nice wood--the cost can rival if not exceed the cost of getting all new cabinetry. However, especially with less expensive materials like RTF, refacing can be a very economical option. It's also quick and painless--no need to disconnect plumbing, remove countertops, etc so factor in that savings as well. |
