Have you ever taken a minute to assess how much woodwork you have in your house? If you’re like most homeowners, chances are your kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and living rooms are adorned with polished or stained wood for cabinets, tables, drawers, and closets. During this sluggish housing market and downward spiraling economy, maybe you should take on a new do-it-yourself home improvement project. Refinishing or replacing your existing cabinets is a quick and easy project that will not only keep you busy but also increase the value of your home. What are you waiting for? Follow these guidelines to get started, and you’ll be on your way to creating a fresh, new home style that will put extra money in your pocket in the long run!
Dust off your tool belt
Your home renovation project will most likely start with your kitchen. After all, the cabinets and millwork in this room are subjected to enough daily “traumas”—spills, nicks, and scratches—from the daily hustle and bustle of life. However, before you decide to remove existing wood, cabinet knobs or pulls, you should gather all the hardware necessary to complete the project. These items include:
– Measuring tape
-Level
– Pencils
– Study search engine
– Spare wood
– Cabinet pulls, knobs or handles
– Matching screws and hinges.
– Screwdriver
Remove old hardware
This is the fun part of your home improvement project! Involve the whole family in this step. Be sure to wear safety glasses if you’re going to be cutting wood into pieces! Proper removal involves unscrewing all cabinet hinges and gently prying the wood out of the cabinet frame or wall.
align and assemble
Unless you’re simply replacing existing cabinet doors, you’ll need to use your stud finder to hang new cabinets and other woodwork. Mark where you will hang the new cabinet with your pencils. Then, whether you’re just replacing a cabinet door or installing a new one, you need to use your level to make sure you’re hanging the new fixture correctly! Screw the hinges in partially while holding the level to ensure an accurate straight line.
Choose the Accessories
Now that your new woodwork is in place, it’s time to have fun! You can refresh any tired kitchen, living room or bedroom by re-staining the wood color or simply adding new cabinet pulls. For busy homes, easy-to-use kitchen cabinet handles and simple door knobs may be your best bet. More contemporary kitchen designs are incorporating more unique cabinet pulls, including finger recesses that are hidden in the top edge of cabinet drawers and shelves.
Be creative
With the most difficult and inconvenient part of this project out of the way, now is the time to think outside the wooden box! Adorning your newly hung cabinets with unique or interesting handles can totally transform any room almost instantly. For rooms that typically receive a high volume of traffic, choosing larger drawer handles can make things easier. However, the kitchen also has most of the drawers in a small area of space, so having handles that are too big can create some mess. Shop and try on a variety of sizes to see which one feels the most comfortable and looks the best on the eye.
In addition to trying large sizes, consider installing cabinet hardware that has a unique pattern or polish. Newer handles and knobs feature knotted iron in a weathered or distressed veneer to create the feel of aged, rustic home design. For newer-style rooms or rooms that include multiple stainless-steel appliances, a bright polished chrome or satin nickel will add shine and shine, especially when caught in the sunlight. Viola! Your new or upgraded cabinets, drawers, and shelves are complete!
