One of the most common kitchen renovation questions what should be done with the kitchen cabinets. Should or could they be refinished with a new stain or fresh paint color? Should they be replaced?  Either way, it is a big—and costly—decision. Lauren Phillips from Real Simple breaks it all down for you.

By  Lauren Phillips September 18, 2018

Kitchen cabinets have a lot of requirements to meet. They need to be sturdy and large enough to hold dishes, utensils, pots and pans, and other kitchen supplies. They need to be able to withstand sauce splatters, water spills, dings, and scratches from heavy kitchen traffic, and hands dirty from cooking messes. And they need to be beautiful. Easy enough, right?

You wish. Finding kitchen cabinets that fulfill all these requirements and are relatively affordable—a 2017 study found that most people budget and spend between $25,001 and $50,000 on their kitchen renovations—can be daunting, doubly so when you consider how quickly kitchen design styles shift.

White and gray cabinets look great!

So when it’s time to update your kitchen, whether for functional or aesthetic purposes, you have to decide: Will you refinish or replace your kitchen cabinets? Brigitte Ballard, a design trend expert at N-Hance Wood Refinishing, weighs in on what homeowners need to consider when making that high-stakes choice.

Ballard says you should refinish the cabinets already in your kitchen if the current design is functional. If you don’t want to change the set-up of your cabinets, refinishing them can give a dated color or stain a fresh new look without costing you a fortune or putting you and your family through a full-scale reno. Updating hardware can also help make old cabinetry look new again.

High-quality wood cabinets are also solid candidates for refinishing. “Replacing your cabinets is a huge cost that is not completely necessary if the cabinets are less than ten years old and made from a high-quality wood like cherry, maple, ash, hickory, or oak,” Ballard says. Refinishing these hardy cabinets, instead of replacing them, can both conserve wood and money.

Opting to refinish, rather than replace, kitchen cabinets is more cost-effective, too; Ballard says it can save you up to $5,000. Of course, if your cabinets aren’t wood, refinishing may not be an option. Lacquer cabinets are more contemporary and look a little more high-end, but they’re not candidates for refinishing or even repainting, often.

If you’re thinking about a new kitchen for your new or existing home, contact me for the design plans and construction build. Beautiful cabinets are one of the most striking features you can add to a kitchen. I can help your navigate the wide variety of cabinetry. Staying true to your style, we will choose cabinets for the kitchen from – the space plan, appliances, and cabinet colors, textures, door styles, hardware, and functionality. 

xo Jennifer