Have you ever taken a minute to evaluate how much woodwork you have in your home? If you are like most homeowners, your kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and living rooms are most likely adorned with polished or stained wood for cabinets, tables, drawers and closets. During this slow housing market and continually downward spiraling economy, perhaps you should undertake a new do-it-yourself home improvement project. Refurbishing or replacing your existing cabinetry is a quick, 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 will be on your way to creating a fresh, new home style that will put extra dough in your pocket in the long run!
Dust off Your Tool Belt
Your home renovation project should most likely begin with your kitchen. After all, the cabinets and woodwork in this room are put through enough daily 'trauma' such as spills, nicks, and scrapes from the everyday rush of living. Before you decide to yank off any existing cabinet wood, knobs or pulls, however, you should gather all the necessary home hardware items to complete the project. These items include:
- Tape measure
- Level
- Pencils
- Stud finder
- Replacement wood
- Cabinet pulls, knobs, or handles
- Matching screws and hinges
- Screwdriver
Remove the Old Hardware
This is the fun part of your home improvement project! Get the whole family involved in this step. Be sure to wear protective goggles if you are going to be ripping wood to shreds! Proper removal entails unscrewing the hinges of all cabinets and gently prying the wood off the cabinet frame or wall.
Align & Assemble
Unless you are simply replacing the existing cabinet doors, you will need to use your stud finder to hang new cabinets and other wood work. Demark where you will be hanging the new cabinet with your pencils. Next, whether you are just replacing a cabinet door or installing a new one, you should utilize your level to make sure you are correctly hanging the new fixture! Screw in hinges partially while holding the level to ensure for an accurate, straight line.
Choose the Accessories
Now that your new woodwork is in place, it is time for fun! You can freshen up any tired kitchen, living room or bedroom look by re-staining the color of the wood or simply adding new cabinet pulls. For busy homes, easy-to-use kitchen cabinet handles and simple door knobs might be your best option. More contemporary kitchen designs are incorporating more unique cabinet pulls, including finger wells that are hidden in the top edge of cabinet drawers and shelves.
Get Creative
With the hardest, most inconvenient part of this project out of the way, now is the time to think outside of the wooden box! Adorning your newly hung cabinets with unique or interesting cabinet handles can totally transform any room almost instantly. For rooms that usually receive a high volume of traffic, choosing larger drawer handles might make things easier. However, the kitchen also has the most drawers in a small area of space, so having too large handles might create some clutter. Purchase and test out a variety of sizes to see what feels the most comfortable and looks the most pleasing to the eye.
In addition to trying out large sizes, consider installing cabinet hardware that features a unique design or polish. Newer handles and knobs feature knotted iron in a weathered or antiqued varnish to create the feeling of an aged, rustic home design. For newer styled rooms or rooms that include multiple stainless steel appliances, a bright polished chrome or satin nickel will add sparkle and shine, especially when it catches the sunlight. Viola! Your new or refreshed cabinets, drawers and shelves are complete!
Tori works for Your Home Supply (YHS) the definitive website for home improvement tools, and gardening supplies. Your Home Supply offers a wide range of cabinet pulls to help you refresh your cabinets. Visit them now at http://www.YourHomeSupply.com
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