Author: ken-1458

Lake and Lumber: LAKE HOUSE CABINET REFACING WITH FRONT + CENTER

At Front + Center we love highlighting our customers who go on to create beautiful spaces using our products. We see so many talented designs, DIY projects, and kitchen remodels that we want to share the results with you and hopefully pass along some inspiration or help for your next project.

In a recent project, we were able to work with Melissa from Lake and Lumber. She was working on a lake house project that was looking to get a face-lift in the kitchen via cabinet refacing. The results turned out amazing! In the following she discusses her project and the process she went through in her own words.

“5 years ago we purchased our lake house in southeast Michigan as an estate sale purchase and we have never looked back. It was in desperate need of a makeover (hello beige!) and piece by piece, we cleaned, painted, styled, and brought it to life. However, the 1960’s kitchen with original cabinetry, brown laminate countertops, and asbestos-filled flooring seemed like the project that would always get kicked down the road. After all, kitchen renovations are EXTREMELY pricey, right? That was until we stumbled upon Front + Center and their DIY cabinet refacing options…

I had heard of people having their kitchen cabinets “refaced” and had always been told that the process costs upwards of 10k for an average-sized kitchen, which was WAY out of our budget for a project on our “second home.” What I didn’t realize, was that the majority of that cost was in labor and that Front + Center was bringing its DIY cabinet refacing supplies to market, aimed specifically at people like us who have a basic understanding of a few power tools and paint and are willing to put in a little elbow grease to get it done!

Before we get too deep here, let me show you what we were working with. The cabinet boxes were old, but still in really good shape. The layout of the kitchen (other than the oversized refrigerator that is awkwardly placed) worked for us, which meant that there was no need to rip out all of the cabinets. This is one of the main factors to consider when deciding if refacing is right for you; does your current layout work for you and your family? The second decision was whether to paint the cabinet boxes (hybrid refacing) or do a full reface. The full reface, which is offered by Front + Center is done using a 3M backed material to “skin” your old cabinets. I chose the painting option to save money and for the ease of installation. If your cabinet boxes are in really rough shape, you may choose to go with a full reface.

Step one was to order cabinet finish samples from Front + Center. You can order free samples here and they arrive in 7-10 business days. Be sure to pull the protective film off of each sample to see an accurate finish (coming from someone who did NOT)! We decided to take the plunge with a deep blue color called Deep Sea. It seemed like the perfect way to add color to the lake house and with plans for a white marble backsplash and countertops, I just couldn’t resist!

Once you have decided on a color, the next step is to measure. While this can seem intimidating at first, Front + Center has worked hard to make it DIY-friendly and even has an entire section of their website dedicated to walking you through the process! You can find the videos and measuring steps here! All I had to do was measure my openings and add .5″ to each side. Since the doors come pre-drilled for hinges, the hard part is done for you!

Once the cabinet faces had been measured you are able to choose from 4 different door styles and 8 colorways! The online ordering process is seamless and the cabinet refacing supplies will be shipped directly to your home in a few weeks. While waiting for the door and drawer fronts to arrive, I focused on prepping and painting the cabinet boxes! I removed the old door/drawer fronts and all hardware. Using wood filler, I patched old hardware holes, as well as any dents or dings. Next, I gave all of the cabinet boxes a light sanding to rough up the old finish and prep for paint. When it is time to choose your paint, simply take your Front + Center samples to your local paint store (I chose Sherwin Williams) and ask for a cabinet-grade paint. This will help to achieve a higher level of durability which is essential in a kitchen or bathroom! Trust me, it is worth the price!

My cabinet refacing supplies arrived just in time and they were packaged beautifully! Each door and drawer face is also coated with a clear plastic film, which allows for added protection during the installation process. We opted for a 1/2 inch overlay, which is highly recommended for DIY applications. This gave us a clean, modern look, without as much room for error as the full overlay option. When purchasing hinges, we chose the 1/2 overlay hinges with a soft close option. All you need is a rubber mallet to knock the hinges in place and a drill to install them on your boxes.

The final step was to add decorative hardware and remove the clear protective film from each door and drawer face! I used the Kreg Cabinet Hardware Jig to get the placement just right.

Final thoughts and pricing: I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when we started this process. I have seen professionally refaced kitchens and I couldn’t imagine that mine would look just as good for less than 1/3 of the price. That’s right, 1/4 of the price! My 19 cabinet doors and 10 drawer fronts came to a grand total of $3100 INCLUDING tax and freight. The kitchen has been done for almost a month now and we are blown away by the quality and durability of the doors and drawer fronts. The entire process was seamless and the DIY install couldn’t have been easier. Our dream kitchen is a reality and we owe that to Front + Center!”

Front + Center wants to help the world elevate their living spaces with high-end cabinet refacing products. If you are looking into a new renovation or design project, give us a call or contact us and we can help you get all the information you may need to feel comfortable tackling your project.

Lake and Lumber
To check out the full article on her website click here.
Melissa’s Website

If you have a room that looks old and dated, changing the style and color of your cabinets can completely transform your space.  The easiest way to do that is by taking the old doors and drawer faces off, and updating with one of our stunning custom cabinet door fronts, which come in a range of styles, colors and finishes. 

Cabinet refacing is a very simple and cost-effective process. You can work with your existing cabinets, buy inexpensive stock cabinets or repurpose used cabinets and repaint them yourself. This saves a ton of work and the best part is – the cabinet boxes don’t need to match since your Front + Center doors and drawers can be ordered in custom sizes to fit any cabinet!

Once you have your space measured (and measured again!) and decide how you want to lay out your space, you can combine existing cabinets with other stock cabinets to create a custom look that’s perfect for your space.  For a luxury feel, you could stack two cabinets to increase the height all the way up to the ceiling.  Or create special purpose pull-outs with faux doors to match other cabinets while concealing things like small appliances, a garbage can, or laundry bins.  The key to pulling it all together is by creating continuity with your new Front + Center doors and drawer fronts, which makes a huge impact.

The idea is to take inexpensive cabinets and make them look high-end.  Don’t worry if your cabinets have particle board on the sides and back (which don’t paint well).  You can cut inexpensive ¼ inch MDF (which takes paint really well), and glue that on to the sides.  Sometimes lower quality drawer boxes can feel loose or flimsy, But don’t worry there are ways to reinforce them. With the use of glue or screws they can be made into premium drawers.

When putting it all together in your space, we find it helpful to locate the studs and use cabinet screws to attach the body of the upper cabinets first (so the lowers won’t be in your way).  If your cabinet doesn’t line up properly with existing electrical outlets, you can simply cut out a hole in the back and pull the wires through (because you won’t see the hole once it’s assembled).  If you are stacking two cabinets, we recommend that you attach them to each other first, before screwing the whole unit into the wall.  For a perfect fit, be sure to measure where the base of the cabinet will end and trim the baseboard so the cabinet will sit flush against the wall.

The final step is to attach your new Front + Center doors, and step back to admire your amazing new space!  If you have questions along the way, know that we are here to help.  

For inspiration, watch April Wilkerson walk you through her laundry room update – it’s sure to empower you to create a fresh, new work space of your own!

Scroll though the images below to see how Marcy Rodriguez repurposed cabinets sold at habitat for humanity and Front + Center fronts to create a custom den for a fraction of the price of all new custom cabinets.

If you want to transform your chipped or outdated kitchen cabinets, but can’t think past some of the details like how to update the drawer fronts, read on. Here are step by step instructions to master your drawer front installation for your new custom manufactured drawer fronts. With these steps you will be well on your way to the kitchen cabinet refacing project of your dreams. 

PRE-DRILL FOR HARDWARE

1. It is best to pre-drill for decorative hardware before you install new drawer fronts.
2. Place the decorative hardware to find a position you like – for pull handles, most people center on width and height.
3. On the back side of the drawer front, mark the center by measuring horizontally and vertically.  We find it helpful to draw an arrow pointing towards the top of the drawer front. This is especially helpful if you decide to install your handles off center, towards the top of your drawer front. 
4. Use a simple template to mark your holes on the backside of the drawer front. You can either buy a hardware installation template made for this purpose or you can use a piece of cardboard by using a sharp object to punch holes in the cardboard at the same spacing as your new handles.
5. Place your template on the back side of the drawer front, and use a pencil to mark your drill holes. Hold your decorative hardware in place to double check that your drill hole marks are aligned properly.
6. Drill holes using a drill bit slightly larger than your decorative hardware screws. Wait to install the hardware until after you’ve affixed the drawer front to the drawer box.

ALIGN THE DRAWER FRONT(S)

1. Place a 1″ square of mounting tape in each corner of your drawer box. This will be used to temporarily affix the new drawer front.
2. Carefully align the drawer front, using spacers to ensure even alignment between surrounding fronts.
3. Hold the drawer front tightly against the face frame and pull the drawer box forward to make sure it comes in contact with the drawer front (you may need to open the door or drawer below and reach in from behind the drawer to pull it forward).
4. Test your alignment. If you are not satisfied, use a rubber mallet to pop off the front and realign.
5. Secure the front to the box by installing your decorative hardware using your pre-drilled holes.
6. Place bumpers on the middle of each drawer front.

The biggest challenge for many people when doing a cabinet refacing project is just getting educated on how easy it can be to install. The time and money that cabinet refacing can save you on your kitchen renovation project. Check out our short video below to see it done step by step! or visit our YouTube channel for this and many other cabinet refacing tips from Front + Center.

Visit more pages on our website for other information on Front + Center cabinet refacing products.

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