Kitchen Design
Before and Afters
6 Kitchen Makeovers That Benefited From Refaced Cabinets
These kitchens show how updating rather than replacing cabinets can keep costs down while adding style
Arguably, cabinets make or break a kitchen. They take up the most visual space and deliver the most function through storage capacity and organization. That’s also why kitchen cabinets are one of the largest expenses during a kitchen renovation.
But if your cabinet body — or carcass, as it’s otherwise macabrely known — is in good shape, you can reduce the cost of what you might pay to buy new cabinets and instead reface or refinish your existing kitchen cabinets. This process varies, and it can include replacing all your doors and drawer fronts or simply repainting or re-staining all the fronts and cabinetry. Either way, the result can completely transform the look and feel of your kitchen while reducing cost and waste. These six kitchen makeovers show you what refacing cabinets can do.
But if your cabinet body — or carcass, as it’s otherwise macabrely known — is in good shape, you can reduce the cost of what you might pay to buy new cabinets and instead reface or refinish your existing kitchen cabinets. This process varies, and it can include replacing all your doors and drawer fronts or simply repainting or re-staining all the fronts and cabinetry. Either way, the result can completely transform the look and feel of your kitchen while reducing cost and waste. These six kitchen makeovers show you what refacing cabinets can do.
Photo by Kat Alves Photography
After: Designer Samantha Crow removed the old drawer and door fronts, painted the cabinet bodies white and added new doors and drawer fronts in a more clean profile.
New curvy cabinet cups and knobs, a custom island, wood flooring and a marble backsplash completed the refreshing update.
Read more about this California kitchen renovation | Shop for counter stools
After: Designer Samantha Crow removed the old drawer and door fronts, painted the cabinet bodies white and added new doors and drawer fronts in a more clean profile.
New curvy cabinet cups and knobs, a custom island, wood flooring and a marble backsplash completed the refreshing update.
Read more about this California kitchen renovation | Shop for counter stools
2. White and Blue Updates Mid-Tone Oak
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A nurse practitioner
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters); 14 by 10 feet
Design consultant: Joe Rayesky of Kitchen Magic
Before: Here the homeowner felt the mid-tone oak cabinets and floor that were paired with a granite countertop struck too much of a single, muddled tone.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A nurse practitioner
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters); 14 by 10 feet
Design consultant: Joe Rayesky of Kitchen Magic
Before: Here the homeowner felt the mid-tone oak cabinets and floor that were paired with a granite countertop struck too much of a single, muddled tone.
Photo by Christian Giannelli
After: Designer Joe Rayesky removed the original warped drawers and cabinet doors and replaced them with a more squared-off Shaker-style edge in crisp white for the uppers and colonial blue for the lowers. The design team sanded down the original cabinet boxes and applied a colored laminate veneer with adhesive.
Read more about this two-tone kitchen makeover
After: Designer Joe Rayesky removed the original warped drawers and cabinet doors and replaced them with a more squared-off Shaker-style edge in crisp white for the uppers and colonial blue for the lowers. The design team sanded down the original cabinet boxes and applied a colored laminate veneer with adhesive.
Read more about this two-tone kitchen makeover
Photo by Scott Smith
3. Navy Sinks Honey-Tone Oak
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young married couple
Location: Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: About 325 square feet (30 square meters)
Designer: Richard Sterman of Palisades Kitchen & Bath
Before: These Los Angeles homeowners asked designer Richard Sterman to help update their kitchen without breaking the bank. Sterman looked to keep the layout the same and refinished the light-stained oak cabinets and range hood for the biggest, most cost-effective change.
3. Navy Sinks Honey-Tone Oak
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young married couple
Location: Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: About 325 square feet (30 square meters)
Designer: Richard Sterman of Palisades Kitchen & Bath
Before: These Los Angeles homeowners asked designer Richard Sterman to help update their kitchen without breaking the bank. Sterman looked to keep the layout the same and refinished the light-stained oak cabinets and range hood for the biggest, most cost-effective change.
Photo by Scott Smith
After: Sterman sanded down the cabinets and range hood and painted them blue (St. Bart’s by Sherwin-Williams). Next, he added a quartz countertop with a marble look to replace the granite and introduced a white subway-tile backsplash with white grout and new gray-washed oak planks for the floor. The result is a fresh, airy kitchen with an of-the-moment style.
Read more about this Los Angeles kitchen update
After: Sterman sanded down the cabinets and range hood and painted them blue (St. Bart’s by Sherwin-Williams). Next, he added a quartz countertop with a marble look to replace the granite and introduced a white subway-tile backsplash with white grout and new gray-washed oak planks for the floor. The result is a fresh, airy kitchen with an of-the-moment style.
Read more about this Los Angeles kitchen update
4. Creamy White Wins Over All Black
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Marion and Barrie Reeves
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Designer: Lori Steeves
Before: Black cabinetry brought down the vibe in this Vancouver kitchen.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Marion and Barrie Reeves
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Designer: Lori Steeves
Before: Black cabinetry brought down the vibe in this Vancouver kitchen.
Photo by Tracey Ayton Photography
After: Designer Lori Steeves refaced the perimeter kitchen cabinets but kept the island as-is for a two-tone effect that created a brighter, timeless style. She also kept the existing granite countertops but replaced the backsplash with white moroccan-pattern tile that matches the new creamy cabinet color.
Read more about this refreshing kitchen refacing project
After: Designer Lori Steeves refaced the perimeter kitchen cabinets but kept the island as-is for a two-tone effect that created a brighter, timeless style. She also kept the existing granite countertops but replaced the backsplash with white moroccan-pattern tile that matches the new creamy cabinet color.
Read more about this refreshing kitchen refacing project
5. Two-Tone Takes Over Yellowish Oak
Kitchen of the Week
Who lives here: A couple and their two teenage boys
Location: San Carlos, California
Size: 209 square feet (19.5 square meters)
Designer: Sabrina Alfin Interiors
Before: With the cabinet bodies and appliances in good shape, designer Sabrina Alfin suggested refacing these honey-tone cabinets.
Kitchen of the Week
Who lives here: A couple and their two teenage boys
Location: San Carlos, California
Size: 209 square feet (19.5 square meters)
Designer: Sabrina Alfin Interiors
Before: With the cabinet bodies and appliances in good shape, designer Sabrina Alfin suggested refacing these honey-tone cabinets.
Photo by Dean J. Birinyi Photography
After: Alfin pushed for a two-tone look (Ice Cube for the uppers, Refuge for the lowers, both colors by Sherwin-Williams) with new custom Shaker doors and drawer fronts. The floors are porcelain tile that looks like weathered driftwood.
Read more about this dramatic kitchen makeover
After: Alfin pushed for a two-tone look (Ice Cube for the uppers, Refuge for the lowers, both colors by Sherwin-Williams) with new custom Shaker doors and drawer fronts. The floors are porcelain tile that looks like weathered driftwood.
Read more about this dramatic kitchen makeover
6. Tan Freshens Up Bland Birch
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Size: 185 square feet (17 square meters)
Location: Alameda, California
Designer: Lisa Narum of Custom Kitchens by John Wilkins
Before: Although built in the 1970s, these original birch cabinets still had bodies in great shape. All they needed were new doors and drawer fronts and some paint to create an updated cabinet style. Designer Lisa Narum had the fronts removed and the cabinets boxes painted.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Size: 185 square feet (17 square meters)
Location: Alameda, California
Designer: Lisa Narum of Custom Kitchens by John Wilkins
Before: Although built in the 1970s, these original birch cabinets still had bodies in great shape. All they needed were new doors and drawer fronts and some paint to create an updated cabinet style. Designer Lisa Narum had the fronts removed and the cabinets boxes painted.
Photo by Mike Kaskel
After: Narum replaced the doors and drawer fronts with paint-grade maple in a more popular Shaker style. The color is a tan with green undertones.
After: Narum replaced the doors and drawer fronts with paint-grade maple in a more popular Shaker style. The color is a tan with green undertones.
Photo by Mike Kaskel
To complete the update, Narum added quartz countertops with burgundy flecks that match the red tiles in the new backsplash.
Read more about this warm kitchen renovation
More on Houzz
How to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets
Pros and Cons: Painted vs. Stained Cabinets
Kitchen Confidential: 9 Ways to Save Money on Cabinets
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
To complete the update, Narum added quartz countertops with burgundy flecks that match the red tiles in the new backsplash.
Read more about this warm kitchen renovation
More on Houzz
How to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets
Pros and Cons: Painted vs. Stained Cabinets
Kitchen Confidential: 9 Ways to Save Money on Cabinets
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An appraiser, a teacher and their two boys
Location: Rocklin, California
Size: 2,729 square feet (253.5 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: Samantha Crow of Juxtaposed Interiors
Before: These homeowners disliked the standard oak cabinetry, small island and large-format white floor tiles.
Find a kitchen designer near you to help update your space