How to Replace Your Kitchen Cabinet Doors
5 Materials
$1000
1 Week
Medium
If your kitchen needs a face lift but you’re not ready to do a complete renovation, then replacing the kitchen cabinet doors may be just the project for you. Upgrading your cabinets instead of tearing them down and installing new ones is a popular way to update your kitchen on a small budget. If your base cabinets are in decent shape you can have the look of brand new cabinets just by swapping out the doors. In this blog post I’ll explain the entire process from start to finish.
A couple of years ago I did a mini reno on my kitchen that included painting the cabinets, installing a new backsplash and tiling over the counter tops. The makeover turned out great but the cabinets were still kind of old and nasty looking when you viewed them close up, despite a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint. They were made out of MDF so they didn’t hold up very well over the years.
As you can see the fake wood had puckered when moisture got to it and even painting over top did not help.
The first step is to measure for the cabinets and remove the old ones. I got my new cabinet doors from Fast Cabinet Doors.com. I input my measurements into their online calculator and placed my order. In about a week my new unfinished cabinet doors had arrived. I chose the "Camden" style which is has a striped beadboard look.
After I painted the new cabinets I just had to install the hinges and attach them to the doors. The simply screwed in. The cabinets had pre-drilled holes.
Next you attach the cabinets to the cabinet bases. Drill holes for the new knob and screw those in.
This is the after shot. The hanging process took about a day. Painting the cabinets took about a week because I let them dry between coats.
This is a close up of the doors. You can see they look fresh and clean.
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4 of 28 comments
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I had good preparation results by wiping cabinets down with TSP.
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You can get it at Home Depot or Lowe’s it is a super concentrated degreaser and cleaner for almost anything. Be sure to wear rubber gloves.
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I would love to do this. My cabinets are partical board. Can I get cabinet doors? Dose Lowe's or home Depot have doors? How much are they. Thanks
Frequently asked questions
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I have been planning to do the same thing to my kitchen cabinets from 1979. I don't think I'd have a problem with the cabinet doors, but it's the drawer fronts I'm worried about tackling. Looking at the pictures, it looks like you may have changed out 4 drawer fronts. Was it difficult? What was involved? Or did you have to have a professional do that part? Thank you.
I want to paint my kitchen cupboards....but also inside them...is it food safe to do this? ....need it to b safe to put in my dishes...what would you suggest?
I am interested in replacing my cabinet doors with outside hinges with new doors with hidden hinges. Is that what you did on this project?