Should I Replace or “Reface” my Cabinets?
“My kitchen isn’t in that bad of shape, should I replace or just reface my cabinets?” That is a very common question we get at Village Home Stores. In the last handful of years, we have become well known in the Quad Cities region as the complete start-to-finish remodel experts… but we wanted to jump online to remind you we love a smaller-scale project too! You don’t have to gut your kitchen to end up with a dream kitchen from Village. If you have investigated refacing or painting your existing kitchen cabinetry, we are so glad you found this article.
Sure, we are in the business of selling new kitchens… but not every project demands an entirely new kitchen. The bottom line is we are ultimately in the business of you loving your kitchen from us. For your budget, and the property, that may not be removing a wall or a complete demo of the space. Be sure to read this whole article because after we give some insight into refacing, we will share 5 ideas that could inspire your own partial remodel project. Your dream kitchen from Village could just involve a refresh for a couple of the elements of the kitchen already there. Let’s dive into the pros, cons, and common assumptions of replacing versus refacing your kitchen cabinets.Â
Isn’t Refacing Cheaper?
Not necessarily. There is no way to truly know if refacing your kitchen cabinets will be cheaper than replacing them unless we have a chance to bid you new cabinetry for the project. No kitchen project is alike so don’t base your assumptions of a project price off a brochure, sales pitch, or even another’s experience. Village Home Stores offers cabinetry from a half-dozen brands. This allows us to work with most budgets and even offer basic cabinet and drawer box constructions to keep the cost down for you. Of course, if you were to install products from the higher end categories we offer, your material costs will exceed any refacing number you see. The most expensive part of a cabinet are the doors and drawer fronts along with the drawer boxes and guides. Many refacing programs don’t include new drawer boxes or guides, just the fronts. All this to say that if you are paying to replace the most expensive elements of your kitchen cabinetry anyways… why not consider replacing them for a full update.
Most often, the layout of a kitchen could be much better with a remodel. Refacing existing cabinets can’t solve those layout issues. A common reason why replacing can be more expensive than refacing is that refacing, or painting existing cabinetry allows you to keep your current countertops. Most always the tops are getting updated in some way as well. So, the cost of that labor and material must be considered. Therefore, a reface vs. replace project estimate will never really be an “apples to apples” price comparison as these are two different categories of projects. All this to say that Village Home Stores absolutely offers new cabinet prices competitive to what you would pay for refacing your existing cabinets and we would love to show you those options.Â
Won’t Replacing the Cabinets Take Longer?
Of course! There is no way we are going to dance around a response to that question. Removing the existing cabinets and replacing them with new ones is a much more involved process than giving a temporary facelift to the front end of the installed cabinet boxes. Assuming everything was measured and ordered correctly, most refacing services can just take a few full workdays to complete the work they are doing for you. The timeline for your project using new cabinetry can vary based on several reasons. Who is doing the work, what other work is to be done, and involvement of other crews (i.e. electricians or plumbers) are just a few things that can extend the length of your project’s timeline. But don’t worry, we can help coordinate that timeline of events. It’s what we do.
Is Replacing or Refacing a Way to Improve the Value of my Home?
Any update you make to your home can impact its value. How much it can impact it is difficult to generalize making this a tricky question to field. Value is such a hard thing to define for any home project because every market and home is so different. We always ask our clients how long they plan on staying in that home once the work is completed. We believe the length of time you get to use the space adds to the weight of its value to you. A kitchen you can enjoy every time you use it has a quality-of-life value that a home assessor can’t measure.
A great example of this is customers who are wanting to make age-at-home investments in bathroom and kitchen remodels. These choices will help them do that successfully. Wider walkways and a variety of surface heights can improve your life at home every day. Refacing does not allow you the opportunity to adjust a dishwasher location or gain any new usable storage space. It is important to weigh what is important to you and the needs of your home’s users. Why reface now just to replace 5 years from now? The great news is that years from now, Village Home Stores will still be here and ready to help. Plus we offer many financing options if you are wanting to spread out paying for your investment over time.Â
Is a Partial Kitchen Remodel Right for Your Project?
If the timeline (or potential investment price) of a “full gut kitchen remodel” project doesn’t fit your current situation, have you considered a partial kitchen remodel with Village Home Stores? Our design team can help guide you through the steps for that. A partial remodel project is also a great way for DIY customers to get involved in all or just a select amount of the work to be done. We can arrange for the labor to be done for you or order in materials for you to work yourself. If there are key elements of your current kitchen that work and flow well, why not just give it a refreshed look? Here is a menu of 5 kitchen projects that can improve it. Updating one or many of these categories using your existing kitchen footprint can make a big difference!
1. Replace Your Countertop Surfaces
Could replacing your countertop surfaces make a difference in the performance or look of your existing kitchen? Countertops are a key material of any complete kitchen design. If your existing cabinetry doesn’t need replacing, perhaps you can upgrade to get your dream surface! There are so many exciting options for the countertop surfaces in a kitchen. We can even make some minor adjustments with the new countertop materials like adding curves, overhangs, or added sill pieces.
Most surfaces we offer include a professional template and installation in your price. We can arrange plumbing work to be scheduled and/or the tear-out and disposal of your existing tops if needed. Countertop replacements are a great remodel investment with a much shorter amount of time leaving your kitchen “out of commission”. Select natural and man-made stone options can have as short of a timeline as ONE WEEK from template date to install date! You could have a completely fresh look in just a few days. Message us right now to find out about our current promotional stone prices.
2. Replace or Add a Tile Backsplash Surface
A surface that is highly visible but often forgotten in a kitchen is the backsplash area. Could adding or replacing wall tile in your kitchen be an option to improve the overall look of your own kitchen? There are countless options for backsplash tile and installation inspiration. Our surface experts can help you select and order materials for your own DIY installation or arrange to have it installed for you. Check out this board on our Pinterest page showcasing tile projects we have completed in and around the Quad Cities area.
3. Replace The Cabinet Hardware
New hardware is the quickest and easiest way to change the look of your kitchen. You would be amazed at how dramatic a change you will see just by replacing your existing cabinet hardware with new handles or knobs. Just like adding the right accessories to any outfit, cabinet hardware can help to anchor in a certain style or finish to your kitchen design. To get started, just count the number of handles/knobs you need and be sure to measure the drill distances of your handle screws. Even better, bring in one of your handles to the showroom. A member of the Village team can help show you our hardware selection and the finishes that are available.
4. Add a Specialty Insert or Pantry Cabinet
If you are keeping your existing cabinetry for your partial remodel, ask our designers about what we can do to improve your usable storage. There are a lot of exciting cabinet inserts that come in sizes that can accommodate standard openings. Maybe that tray divider could become a spice pullout? Or a base cabinet could gain sliding shelves? Perhaps we could even order and install a pantry cabinet or convert an existing pantry into a coffee bar area? Our team is ready to offer ideas.
5. Add Undercabinet Lighting or New Light Fixtures
Just like cabinet hardware, lighting can help complete the look of a well-designed space. A kitchen can go from outdated to on-trend with just a single swap of some great lighting. Shop in store or online with us to find the perfect new pendant or ceiling fixture for your kitchen. Our award-winning lighting team would love to see some of the inspiration images you have pulled to help you find the light your dream kitchen needs. Our low-profile LED tape lighting system is another kitchen upgrade that you will thank yourself for daily.
 Let’s Get Started!
Ready to take the first step to a kitchen you love? No matter how many changes you are considering, we would love to chat with you about them. You can connect with us by using the chat feature right on this page. You can also complete this short online form and a member of our team will be in touch. If you have a project to discuss we always recommend making an appointment before stopping in the showroom. That way we can be sure to have someone available on hand to answer your questions about our products and our process at Village Home Stores. We are located at 105 S State Geneseo, IL 61254. You can call us during store hours M-F 9am-5pm and Saturdays 9am-noon at (309) 944-1344. Get inspired with us and see what we have be up to in and around the Quad Cities! Follow us on Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and more!