# Need Creative Ideas - Refacing



## Saphellae (Apr 20, 2011)

OK, I had absolutely NO Idea where to put this lol.
I am adding some cabinets to the kitchen. We currently have an exact replica of the attached photo's cabinets.  They are standard, cheap, etc. We live in an attached house and are not willing to put the money in to replace our current cabinets while adding new ones, with wood. 

Is there a way to replace just the cabinet doors with wood without getting rid of the cabinet itself?  The cabinet is also covered in white laminate.  So we would have to somehow modify the white cabinet to match the doors.

I think its hopeless, we may just be stuck with a white kitchen.  I'm hoping not thought.  Any ideas are appreciated.. I've got a designer working on it for me, she visited earlier this evening.. this is one my questions that is popping up after her visit.  She'll get back to me with some ideas soon and we will discuss anything that came up.

If anyone has any other alternatives please let me know!!!


----------



## Andy M. (Apr 20, 2011)

Not sure if I understand you correctly.

So the cabinets are surfaced with white laminate.  You want to replace just the doors with wood doors.  Is that right?

There used to be a cabinet resurfacing market.  I think Sears marketed it for one.  Workers would come in and change the look of your existing cabinets by refacing them and maybe replacing the doors and or new hardware.  

You could add wood doors to the existing white laminate cabinets for a contrasting look.


----------



## Saphellae (Apr 20, 2011)

Yes the entire cabinet is surfaced with white laminate.  There are a few places where it has started to bubble / peel off from steaming appliances (ie rice cooker) that were placed too close.  I think what I have is called "Thermafoil" but I can't be sure without having my designer look at them closely

I am not sure I would want such a contrasting look.. it's a smallish eat in kitchen.

I was considering just doing the bottom cupboards in what I have now, but replacing all of the top cupboards with something different? Again would have to consult with my designer lol. I have no clue.  I want to keep cost as low as possible though..


----------



## taxlady (Apr 20, 2011)

One of my former clients is a handy man.

He redid his kitchen without removing the cabinets. He put veneer on all the doors, sides of cabinets, and the uprights, between the cabinet doors, etc.

It looked really good.

I don't remember what he did with the counter tops.

I have seen a stone-like product that can be applied to a variety of surfaces. It's painted on. I don't know if it is suitable as counter top, but it is used for floors. You would probably have to pull the sink out applying it.


----------



## Saphellae (Apr 20, 2011)

hmm veneer has to be glued on though right, as its a wood product, my cabinet doors have that square indentation, not sure how that would work. 

I have also seen that "spray on stone" thing - looks neat!!!


----------



## taxlady (Apr 20, 2011)

Saphellae said:


> hmm veneer has to be glued on though right, as its a wood product, my cabinet doors have that square indentation, not sure how that would work.
> 
> I have also seen that "spray on stone" thing - looks neat!!!



Yeah, you would have to fill that in, or get new doors, or take the doors off and take off those pieces of wood around the edges.


----------



## taxlady (Apr 20, 2011)

Actually now that I think about it, he had started with ugly flat doors (like mine). He put veneer and then he put real wood boards around the edges to give dimension - sort of like your doors, but wood.


----------



## babetoo (Apr 21, 2011)

i like them the way they are. i should be so lucky to have a kitchen like that.  don't think i would do much in a rented place. 

mine are wood and badly in need of paint. i hate to paint. my son hates to paint. handyman wants to much money. guess i will live with em.

tell me what you decide please


----------



## Bolas De Fraile (Apr 21, 2011)

Saph the carcass without the door will not be a laminate it will either be a melamine impregnated paper or vinyl. Where it has bubbled because of steam first check that the chipboard under the finish has not swollen, if not take an iron and a cloth and apply with some heat to try to smooth and refix, its a very long shot so I wish you luck. The carcass if it is mass produced will be a standard size and you should be able to remove the doors from the blum type snap shut fittings quite easily, it should be just two screws if it is the same as here. We can buy replacement doors,draw fronts etc with ease overhere and they are very easy to fit.


----------



## Katie H (Apr 21, 2011)

Saphellae said:


> it's a smallish eat in kitchen.



I'm a retired designer and my concern would be that if you changed your cabinetry to a darker color, your kitchen would become visually even smaller.  In view of that, you might want to remain with the white and add some "pop" with some decorative, colorful hardware and some color on your window, chair cushions, towels, etc.  Even plants, silk ones if you don't have adequate lighting for the real thing.  You don't really have to concern yourself with cooking film on today's silks because many of them can go right into the dishwasher.  I know. I've done it.

If you have open space above your cabinets, that area can be utilized for additional interest, too.  Something as simple as unusual pottery, baskets, silk vines/ivy, tiny clear lighting.

All of these aren't cost prohibitive and can go a long way toward a new look for an old space.


----------



## GrillingFool (Apr 21, 2011)

if you can paint them, just using a nice color in the door "grooves" would spark things up nicely. You could change the knobs for something nicer, too.


----------



## 4meandthem (Apr 21, 2011)

I have been in the cabinet business for 30+ years. Skip the designer! Call a cabinet shop! This is what they do!

You have frameless cabinets that need some repairs and refacing on some edges and ends. They can build any you want to add too.If they can't match the door exactly then change them all out.There are some places that sell glazed thermofoil doors that look pretty awesome.

I have had good luck with this company but your local shop may have their own source depending on what you get.
Northern Contours

If you go with the glazed doors make sure they change the crown to glazed too.

On edit: DO NOT try and paint them.The paint won't stick.


----------



## Rocklobster (Apr 21, 2011)

I don't have cupboard doors


----------



## Linda123 (Apr 21, 2011)

My hubby is very handy. We had plywood (ugly) cabinets that had been painted at least 8 times, including one horrible "antiquing" layer. He took bead-board and put a veneer over the doors and took the scraps and covered the edges. Trim covered a lot of mistakes, but all the grooves are lined up....it looks absolutely fantastic, and it's been 7 years. We (he) just put in a dark formica countertop and we (me) painted the rough walls a dark red. I am sure you could find a workman that could do that much cheaper than replacing everything.


----------



## Saphellae (Apr 21, 2011)

We are ending up sticking with the white - it will still look great.  As for the one or two that are a little bit bubbled on the bottom (cant even see it unless you know its there) the doors are extremely inexpensive. 

I appreciate all of the suggestions, some of them are useful even by staying with the white cabinets (like Katie's suggestion for example)

I prefer to use the designer simply because I'm not just doing cabinets. I have a small kitchen with NO dining room and I need someone to show me how to use the space properly.  She is also my project manager.

It's cheaper to just buy the cabinets than reface everything.


----------



## u8sushi2 (May 21, 2011)

you can order new doors. And if you want you can veneer the frames


----------



## thePanMan (Jun 1, 2011)

I used to do a lot of kitchen designing. I have done quotes for refurbs where it has got really stupid on cost and sometimes trying to change what is there can create more problems than its worth. My suggestion would be to look more at flooring and wall finishes to create the change you would like.


----------

