Scratched, faded, chipped, or otherwise beat up. Do any of these words describe your kitchen cabinets? The kitchen is a central part of any home, and so it is naturally the first place people look for replacing kitchen cabinets. From cooking to simply hanging out with company over drinks, the kitchen serves many purposes and highlights a home’s interior design. We’ve done many home renovations—including new cabinet installation Sussex County, DE

Naturally, old and worn kitchen cabinets can impair your home’s overall interior aesthetic. Whether you’ve lived in the home for 20 years or just purchased a home that was previously owned, one of the first renovations you’ll make are your kitchen cabinets. However, we understand that everything has tradeoffs—and in the world of home renovations, truly assessing the pros and cons of something to determine whether the money is well spent is absolutely crucial.

Today we’ll be looking at whether you should reface vs replace kitchen cabinets.

Reface vs replace kitchen cabinets

  • Cheaper alternative to replacement
  • Can look brand new and provide a change
  • Quicker installation times as compared to full replacement

Cabinet refacing is an option for those looking to refresh the look of their kitchen…but without the expense of new cabinet installation. Refacing is when veneers are installed up front to improve the front-facing aesthetic of the cabinet boxes and/or replacing faulty drawers. In essence, refacing means replacing the drawers and doors, but not the whole box. The kitchen design remains the same.

While refacing is a cheaper alternative than getting all new cabinets, we are of the opinion that in many cases, refacing is not worth the money spent. Sure, you get a new aesthetic for cheaper, but typically options for refacing are limited when considering that the box of the cabinet remains the same. Sometimes companies that extensively focus on refacing projects will state that things can be given a different finish, but at that point, the cost of labor and paint will creep up to what it may cost you to simply get new cabinets.

Last but not least, if you’re simply taking some of the old and adding in a splash of new, does it truly feel like a renovation? This is a subjective point. While there are people who do cabinet refacing and are happy with the results, there are many who choose to reface and end up not quite getting that refreshing feeling that the work is new and satisfying.

types of wood for kitchen cabinets

Replacing Kitchen Cabinets

  • Brand new installation allows full redesign
  • Removes any potentially lingering issues such as warping or drawer problems
  • Good investment/may improve home resale value more than refacing
  • Job satisfaction is generally higher

Replacing your cabinets is typically more expensive than refacing them, however you get the satisfaction of knowing that everything is replaced and that any potential lingering issues from the last cabinet boxes you owned will not be relevant. In addition to that, fully replacing cabinets

also gives you greater creative freedom in renovating your entire kitchen and eventually your home. As mentioned with refacing, when only a portion of the cabinet is being replaced, it can hamper total redesigns since the original cabinet box and kitchen footprint will remain—especially if you wanted to increase storage space in your kitchen.

New Cabinet Installation Sussex County, DE

Given the choice, we would nearly always choose to replace when considering the debate to reface vs replace kitchen cabinets. Refacing kitchen cabinets may be tempting for those on a budget, but it is so often that budget choices can cost more in the long run. In the long term, we believe new cabinet installation is worth the money and will provide the result that many are looking for: a real, total renovation. Refacing may seem like a cost-effective, easy solution—and for some people it can be. However, many times the installation of veneers, new doors, hardware and counter tops makes refacing not as cost-effective as initially believed.

Home & Office Cabinetry provides kitchen cabinet design and installation in Sussex County, DE. We source our cabinets from Medallion Cabinetry, a high-quality bath and kitchen cabinet manufacturer.

Contact us today at (302)-349-9750 so that we can discuss your kitchen renovation and cabinetry needs.