Should You Refinish or Buy New?
I've noticed a surge of interest in the remodeling community recently, and many may have noted it while on TikTok for the last few years. The idea of renovating or upgrading a home has become fairly common. According to Realtor Magazine, large kitchens are among one of the most popular renovating projects (2021). One of the biggest parts of a kitchen is the cabinets. If I was going to hop on this trend- there's two options available: refinishing my cabinets or buying new.
In my experience, when making a big decision, it's important to review the facts and details of each choice before committing to one. Let’s review each side of the argument. By the end of this article, it'll be easy to make the decision, leaving your kitchen fresh, clean and authentic.
When I think about refinishing, there's two ways of going about it. The person is self-reliant to complete the task themselves, or they hire a professional to refinish the cabinets. When I think of buying new cabinetry- I think of a professional not only installing new cabinets but also making sure they are to my liking.
I’d like to start with refinishing independently. Refinishing takes time, effort, motivation, materials and most of all experience. To have it done right is a difficult job to do, especially if you've never done it before. It can be tempting to just go for it, but planning plays an important part too. It’s crucial to be thorough because these types of projects permit only one chance. The vision of a perfect kitchen can be disheartening, stressful and frustrating when things don’t work out. That’s why many DIYers likely look to popular home-renovation sources, such as HGTV, YouTube or popular magazines. It's always great to have someone in your corner when making a big decision like kitchen remodeling, even if it's just cabinets.
People, who are seeking a contractor to refinish their kitchen cabinets, may be thinking something along these same lines. That perhaps this will be able to help them achieve some type of goal while keeping the process professional and stress-free. But I would like to pose a question. “What is my vision?” One of the main reasons people take on a renovation project is so they can improve something. After-all, they wouldn’t want to renovate if it was perfect. So does refinishing complete the job? Or does it just put one puzzle piece onto a different puzzle?
Speaking of different puzzle pieces, let’s look at buying brand new cabinetry. Buying new is great for ineffective kitchens and cabinets that may be worn down, outdated or broken. The other great thing about buying new is that you don't have to worry about matching the new style to the old. Please also consider that most cabinets aren't just cabinets. They are comprised of doors, glass, countertops and trim that often hides task lighting. These are all things to worry about when refinishing something alone. When working along with Effect, these are all things the designer takes into consideration when helping to renovate your kitchen cabinetry.
These designers also know that cabinets are just one part of the picture. If we want the entire puzzle to come together, we have to think about backsplashes, hardware, flooring, tiles, accents… the list goes on and on. Those are all topics we will cover in further issues. In the meantime, we hope this article has helped you put together your puzzle of what the perfect kitchen looks like for you. If you decide you would like to see what the process is like to follow this trend yourself and renovate your kitchen by upgrading your Cabinets, click on the tab below to see our process.
Works Cited
“4 Pandemic-Fueled Home Remodeling Trends.” National Association of REALTORS®, 22 June 2021, www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/4-pandemic-fueled-home-remodeling-trends.