Flipping through interior design magazines makes you want to run to a showroom and find those wonderful kitchen or pantry cabinets.
Chances are, you won't get that look that you envision with ready made cabinets.
Refacing kitchen cabinets is suitable for the creative you.
All you need to do, is to get some cheap unfinished kitchen cabinets and decide what finishing touches you'd want on it.
It is also applicable for your existing cabs that you wish to change the look of.
Refacing kitchen cabinets is pretty much painting on a blank canvas.
It is all up to you to decide whether you would veneer it, stain it, or paint it.
Let your creativity flow in envisioning the kitchen cab finish that suits your design philosophy.
A stained finish allows you to evoke the look of expensive solid wood without shelling out a lot of money for the real one.
If you choose to veneer it, there are available designs that range from the fantastical to the classic wood veneers of maple, pine and such.
It is a cheaper alternative than buying solid maple cabinetry for example.
Wholesale cabinets that you can reface are usually made out of treated marine plywood.
Cheap yet sturdy.
Several paint finishes allows you to make use of different paint colors.
An all-white overhead cab or base cab may look clean and calming to some, but can be drab and boring for others.
Explore the designer in you and decide on how you really want your kitchen to look like.
Painting it doesn't mean you have to use just one color.
Here's a tip, make an even base coat on an unfinished surface, then you can either employ stippling or marbling paint finishes for your kitchen cabs.
A coat of clear Polyurethane on top will protect the surface as efficiently as laminates can.
A fabulous look for your beloved kitchen cabs does not mean you have to lose a lot of your hard-earned money.
It looks expensive because you made it look expensive.
The list is endless in choosing paint finishes to reface your cabs.
You can go for a Mediterranean look for example, without buying expensive natural stones and warm-colored solid wood cabs.
Employing a sponging technique using Mediterranean themed colors of yellow ochre and sienna on your cabs, can let you have that look for less.
For more artistic panache, paint on a convincing trompe l'oeil.
A muted, yet artsy look can call for stenciling in designs on your cab borders.
You can always consult online guides or magazines for help and inspiration.
There are plenty websites that give clear instructions on how to apply finishes.
You will find it surprising to learn that finishes that may look complicated to do is actually very easy to execute.
Stencils, paints and all the other tools that you need in refacing your cabinets, are cheap and readily available in any local hardware or home section of malls.
Include your family and friends in your refacing projects.
Finishing your own kitchen cabs is a fun activity that lets your creative juices flow.