Cabinet refacing involves replacing or veneering the parts of the cabinet that are visible all the time. Therefore, the cabinet boxes, called the cases, stay in their current layout, but get a new finish with veneer. Other parts, such as drawer fronts and cabinet doors, get completely replaced. Finally, you finish off the decoration with complementary trim and cabinet hardware.

For a small budget and tight schedule, cabinet refacing can bring a whole new look to your kitchen. When you reface your cabinets, you keep the existing structure but spruce up hardware, drawer fronts, cabinet doors, and exterior surfaces. This way, you can rework an already adequate kitchen with a facelift without interrupting your busy life.

Many people turn to cabinet refacing when they'd like to update their kitchen, but don't have a huge budget and can't manage total demolition. With cabinet refacing, it's easy to coordinate a new floor or wall paint and end up with a beautiful new room for much less cost than true remodeling. It is also appealing as a do-it-yourself project within reach of an amateur carpenter.

For example, you could do a quick cabinet refacing project where you cover your existing cabinets with veneer. If your cabinet doors are smooth, called flat panel, you can use wood veneer in another color, rather than replacing the doors. Most veneer is peel-and-stick or iron-on. The most important step that is cleaning the surface thoroughly so the veneer adheres properly. Then you cover the cabinet cases with sheet veneer similarly.

A more complicated process might involve removing and replacing all doors and drawers. This way, you can get fancier, brighter, or richer surfaces in your kitchen that result in a more dramatic change. Perhaps you'd like drawer fronts with integrated handles that look like cubbyholes for your fingers. You could also choose to replace a couple of doors with windowpanes on a set of cabinets above a counter to show off collectible dessert plates or fluted baking tins. A regal look can be accomplished with small braid trim on the fronts of doors and wide crown molding along the top of cabinetry.

Along with straightforward cabinet refacing, one might use this opportunity to accomplish other improvements that make the kitchen easier to use. For example, it is fairly easy to add a lazy susan in a corner cabinet and roll-out shelving for heavy pots that allow you to use existing cabinet space more efficiently. Self-closing hinges are helpful for someone who is constantly opening and closing doors.