When we purchased our first home, we knew there was a bit of work to do on it. Like many other first-time homeowners, the number one thing we wanted to do was update the old with the new. Whether this be carpets or something as simple as kitchen cabinets, they are always looking to improve their homes with something new and pleasing to the eye. Replacing carpets and other various types of flooring is as easy as either calling a professional to come to your home and do it for you, or do it yourself by using materials from a big box home improvement store such as Home Depot. For updating kitchen cabinets, there are a few more steps involved.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper can be an awesome technique for updating old cabinets with a new look. For one thing, you can easily remove wallpaper when you want a new look. For another, you can choose a pattern that matches the look you are wanting for your kitchen. You can choose a multitude of different shades, patterns, and looks for your cabinets. Simply follow the instructions for the wallpaper you want to use and update to your hearts content.

Things to make sure you have when using wallpaper are:

• Glue
• Water
• Stripping tool (in case there is a wallpaper goof-up)  
• Knife (or scissors) for cutting wallpaper
• Smoothing tool (for getting rid of any air bubbles)  

Paint/Stain

Another thing that can be your best friend with your endeavor to update your kitchen cabinets is to use paint or stain. Most cabinets are made out of wood, so this is another way to create a uniform look and give you a chance to express your artistic side as well. Go crazy and have fun.

Things to make sure you have when using paint are:

• Paint color of your choice
• Any texturing tools you may want to use
• Paintbrush or paint roller
• Paint thinner
• Scraping tool
• Painters tape
• Tarp (to make sure no paint drips on your other surfaces)  

If you want to paint the doors a different color than the rest of the cabinets then you can use spray paint as an alternative. Plus, one of the added benefits of using spray paint, you can create patterns by alternating distance between the doors and spray nozzle.

Some cabinets are in such great disrepair when you first buy the home that the only recourse for updating them is to replace them. This can mean several different things for a new homeowner. It can be a source of great trepidation or great joy, depending on the homeowner. If this is the situation that you are looking at, there are many options available to you.

There are two ways to replace old cabinets. One is to have a professional come into your home and replace them for you. The other is to do it yourself. Since my husband is pretty handy, he actually built new cabinets for us and they turned out great! The previous summer, he did a lot of research looking at portable air compressor reviews online. He had his mind set on a Makita unit since he loves their cordless drill and he found the best price on the Makita MAC2400 online. While having someone come in the home may be more expensive, it can also be the way to go if you want your cabinets done quickly. Let’s face it, not a lot of people are going to want to spend their off time doing repair work on their homes. 

One of the best way to determine what is the best choice for you is to do your research and ask questions. Find out how much it will cost you to do the work yourself and factor in the time it will take you to finish the work and compare it to what it will cost to have a professional come in. Look at all your options and determine which is the best path for you to take while updating your cabinets.

New Hardware

New cabinet pulls or knobs are probably the easiest and least expensive way to update the look of a kitchen. There are literally hundreds of different options available. For some, this is all they do. Others add new hardware as the finishing touch once the cabinet faces are redone (recommended).  Keep in mind that it’s a little more work if replacing hardware that has a different number of attachment points. With that, you may need to fill in the old holes and re-measure everything for alignment.

Most of all, remember to have fun with your decorating. After all, this is your home.