Budget Kitchen Remodel FAQ's
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Your kitchen is really outdated but you don’t have a lot of money for a kitchen remodel. Are there good options for updating a kitchen on a small budget? Painting your cabinets could be part of the answer.
“It’s not surprising that we see painted cabinetry and trim all over home makeover shows and sites like HGTV and Houzz,” says Brian Schwaller. “It’s the quickest, most cost-effective way to update the look of your home.” Here are some frequently asked questions about painting cabinetry and updating your kitchen on a budget. |
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1. Do I need to replace my kitchen cabinets?
A kitchen remodel with all new cabinetry is a big budget project that will put your kitchen out of commission for weeks or months. “Having a professional paint your kitchen cabinets is far less expensive and much quicker, typically finished within a couple of weeks,” says Brian Schwaller. “We remove the cabinet doors and drawer fronts and refinish them in our shop, then deliver them finished and ready to re-install. Only the cabinet frames are finished onsite to minimize the mess in your home.”
2. Can old kitchen cabinets be refinished?
Older wood cabinets are often built much better than the inexpensive cabinetry that you can buy today. If it’s structurally solid, the cabinet can likely be refinished. Even a house full of golden oak cabinetry and trim can be transformed with modern paint colors or a darker, semi-opaque stain to hide heavy wood grain.
3. Is it cheaper to paint or reface kitchen cabinets?
Painting cabinets is typically significantly less expensive than refacing them. Cabinet refacing involves replacing the cabinet doors and drawer fronts or applying new laminates at a much higher cost than painting. Cabinet doors can be as much as 2/3 of the cost of the entire cabinet, so the savings vs. new cabinets is far less than you might think.
4. Can I paint my own kitchen cabinets?
Despite what you see on home improvement shows, painting kitchen cabinets is not really a good DIY project. If you want painted cabinets with a smooth, durable finish that stands up to daily wear and cleaning products, they must be correctly prepped, primed and painted by a professional with a sprayer. Rollers and brushes used by DIY’ers leave obvious marks in the finish, and the paint is more likely to chip or peel over time.
5. The quality of the paint for cabinets is equally important.
“Paint from a home improvement store isn’t ideal for kitchen cabinets. You need a high-end, cabinet-grade finish with high washability that is formulated to stand up to household cleaners,” Schwaller says.
When a professional painter applies the correct products with professional spray equipment, your painted cabinets “will look like they just came from the factory.”
6. Can I refinish my kitchen cabinets and still keep the natural wood look?
If you like the look of stained kitchen cabinets but they have scuffs or minor dings, Schwaller’s pros can custom-match the stain to touch them up and reseal them. Refurbishing kitchen cabinets can make them look new again at a fraction of the cost of buying new cabinets.
7. What are some inexpensive upgrades I can do instead of a full kitchen remodel?
Replacing your cabinet hardware is probably the easiest kitchen update. Painting the walls and ceiling can also have a big impact. New plumbing and light fixtures can also be very affordable. New countertops are a little bigger investment, but combined with freshly painted cabinets can give you a dramatic transformation.
A kitchen remodel with all new cabinetry is a big budget project that will put your kitchen out of commission for weeks or months. “Having a professional paint your kitchen cabinets is far less expensive and much quicker, typically finished within a couple of weeks,” says Brian Schwaller. “We remove the cabinet doors and drawer fronts and refinish them in our shop, then deliver them finished and ready to re-install. Only the cabinet frames are finished onsite to minimize the mess in your home.”
2. Can old kitchen cabinets be refinished?
Older wood cabinets are often built much better than the inexpensive cabinetry that you can buy today. If it’s structurally solid, the cabinet can likely be refinished. Even a house full of golden oak cabinetry and trim can be transformed with modern paint colors or a darker, semi-opaque stain to hide heavy wood grain.
3. Is it cheaper to paint or reface kitchen cabinets?
Painting cabinets is typically significantly less expensive than refacing them. Cabinet refacing involves replacing the cabinet doors and drawer fronts or applying new laminates at a much higher cost than painting. Cabinet doors can be as much as 2/3 of the cost of the entire cabinet, so the savings vs. new cabinets is far less than you might think.
4. Can I paint my own kitchen cabinets?
Despite what you see on home improvement shows, painting kitchen cabinets is not really a good DIY project. If you want painted cabinets with a smooth, durable finish that stands up to daily wear and cleaning products, they must be correctly prepped, primed and painted by a professional with a sprayer. Rollers and brushes used by DIY’ers leave obvious marks in the finish, and the paint is more likely to chip or peel over time.
5. The quality of the paint for cabinets is equally important.
“Paint from a home improvement store isn’t ideal for kitchen cabinets. You need a high-end, cabinet-grade finish with high washability that is formulated to stand up to household cleaners,” Schwaller says.
When a professional painter applies the correct products with professional spray equipment, your painted cabinets “will look like they just came from the factory.”
6. Can I refinish my kitchen cabinets and still keep the natural wood look?
If you like the look of stained kitchen cabinets but they have scuffs or minor dings, Schwaller’s pros can custom-match the stain to touch them up and reseal them. Refurbishing kitchen cabinets can make them look new again at a fraction of the cost of buying new cabinets.
7. What are some inexpensive upgrades I can do instead of a full kitchen remodel?
Replacing your cabinet hardware is probably the easiest kitchen update. Painting the walls and ceiling can also have a big impact. New plumbing and light fixtures can also be very affordable. New countertops are a little bigger investment, but combined with freshly painted cabinets can give you a dramatic transformation.
