Recipe for a kitchen makeover

A full kitchen remodel can be an expensive undertaking, but it doesn't need to be. You can create a new kitchen using your old kitchen cabinets and a little designer know how.

There's no need to replace old kitchen cabinets when you can save a fortune by simply refurbishing the old ones. For those of you that would like to replace your oak cabinets with handsome espresso finished cabinets, you can simply paint them a dark espresso. Yes, wood lovers, oak can be painted!

To start, remove all the doors and hardware. Then, clean each cabinet, and give them a light sanding with a fine grit paper. Next, dust the doors with tact cloth and then get ready to paint. I prefer to roll on the pain to avoid brush marks.

As for kitchen cabinet frames, these can be reconfigured to add movement to any kitchen. In the last few years, we've started to see even the most basic of kitchen cabinets placed in a position other than a straight line. A room looks larger when cabinets are raised and lowered according to the wall and their location within the kitchen. To raise and lower existing cabinets, attach cabinet frames to the wall with screws and bolts which can be easily removed. You may want to leave one or two boxes open for glass and dish shelving space.

You can paint the bottom cabinets as well as re-hang all the doors and put on new handles and pulls. The one area where you should spend a little money is on a new counter top - granite, solid surface or diamond finish granite which looks a lot like laminate. Remember that it typically will take a few weeks to get a new countertop, so order in a timely manner. With the exception of the counter top, you can have a completely new kitchen in minimal time and at a minimum cost.