There are two ways to change how your cabinets look without replacing them: paint the doors you have, or reface, which means new doors, drawer fronts and panels on your existing cabinet boxes. Both keep the boxes and the layout. The difference is what happens to the doors.
Short answer: painting changes the colour of the doors you already have. Refacing gives you new doors, so the colour, the style and the material can all change at once. If you like your door style and only want a new colour, painting may be enough. If the doors themselves are the problem, refacing is the better fit.
What painting changes, and what it doesn’t
Paint changes the colour. It doesn’t change the shape of the door: a raised-panel door painted white is still a raised-panel door. On hardwood, paint will show some grain over time. And any chips, dents or worn edges on the old doors are still there under the new colour.
What refacing changes
Refacing replaces the doors, drawer fronts and panels, and you choose the new door style and finish. A raised-panel kitchen can become a flat slab or shaker kitchen, which paint alone can’t do. You can also move to a different material: painted MDF, thermofoil, laminate, hardwood, or aluminium frames with glass.
If it’s a painted look you’re after, our painted MDF doors are sprayed in our shop anywhere from satin to high gloss, in any colour you like. MDF has no grain, so nothing shows through the paint as it ages, and a painted door can be resprayed years later. See every option on our cabinet doors page.
What neither one fixes
Both keep your boxes and your layout. If the boxes have water damage, swelling or sagging, or the layout doesn’t work for you, neither paint nor new doors will fix it. That’s when new cabinets are the better choice. Here’s how to tell whether to reface or replace.
Cost and timing for refacing
Refacing is priced by quote, because the cost depends on the number of doors and drawers and on the door style and material. New doors and drawer fronts take 3 to 6 weeks to make, depending on the material, and installation takes a few days to a week, depending on the scope.
How to choose
- You like your door style and the doors are in good shape: a new colour may be all you need.
- You want a different door style, or the doors are chipped and worn: reface.
- You want a finish paint can’t give you, like laminate, woodgrain thermofoil or glass: reface.
- The boxes or the layout are the problem: replace.
At the free in-home consultation we look at your doors and boxes and tell you what makes sense. See how cabinet refacing works with Aero, or contact us for a free in-home consultation. You can also call (604) 559-8080, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.