How to Facelift Melamine Yourself!

So today at Woodmaster Woodworks, Inc. we wanted to chat about how you can spruce up disgusting, plain, melamine cabinets without paying for a total reface. And with that in mind, we're going to call it a face-lift  not a reface :)  

So- not too long ago we talked about the beauty of beadboard in unexpected places- like back splashes  And recently I discovered another awesome opportunity to use beadboard in your kitchen- particularly if you are plagued with ugly melamine or laminate cabinets. And the beauty? This can work on cabinets anywhere in your home. Think bigger than kitchen here! You could update your laundry room, your bathrooms, the opportunities abound! 

The first step would be to measure the amount of beadboard that you will need to reface all of your cabinet doors. You want to leave about 2 or 3 inches of trim area around each door. You'll need to take the measurement with you to your local Home Depot or Lowes and get enough beadboard in sheets to cover all your doors. 

Obviously you can cut the beadboard on your own at home, or you can take each door measurement with you to Home Depot or Lowes and they will have someone there who is willing to cut the beadboard for you individually for a small fee. 

After you have all the beadboard cut to fit your doors, you'll want to attach the beadboard to the door fronts. You can do this with high quality adhesive wood glue and a couple of clamps in order to make sure that the doors get a firm fitting. Allow the doors to dry and adhere for about 30 mins. 

Then you'll need to add the surrounding trim to the doors. There are lots of different trim options available, so don't limit yourself and go with something that speaks to the style you're trying to evoke. Again, use the adhesive and the clamps to firmly attach the trim to the door fronts. Allow for more drying. 

When the drawers are totally dried, you'll need to sand the entire door- eliminating rough areas on the trim and also prepping the surface for paint application. 

Select a paint color that works for you! But do keep in mind Cabinet Rescue- the paint we previously discussed in this blog. It produces a wonderful finish for DIYers, and as unprofessional painters, you're going to want something highly user friendly. It also has the added benefit of having a paint and primer wrapped into one. If you go with a different type of paint, you'll need to prime the entire surface first. 

Lastly, before attaching the door front by to the cabinets, you may want to attach new hardware to the doors. Economical options can be found at any home improvement store. 

And there you have it- a totally new look for less than $500. But let's not pretend- the sweat equity is serious here. Seriously, worth it. :)