Replacing kitchen vs changing cupboard doors etc.

I had the doors replaced and quite happy with them. I, too, have Imperial measurement cupboard doors, not metric, but the doors were manufactured to fit. If thethe cupboard carcasses are solid and sound it would be a waste of money to rip them out. There are several door replacement companies who make them to measure. I used Kitchen Magic, but Dream Doors are also a national company.

@hootymcowlface, your cupboard doors can be filled and lightly sanded if scratched by wheelchair. Once painted over the top you will not see the scratches. Good quality wood units last a lifetime. Shiny new handles make a difference too. You can get metal end pieces for the end of a work surface.

I often refurbish the kitchen when I get a new b2l. I have often bought a second hand good quality kitchen to replace a plastic looking one. I usually install new work surfaces, door knobs and metal end pieces on work surface. I usually replace the sink unit as they often have water seepage.

I took the doors off and replaced them with gingham curtains that I made in different colours. Repainted the drawer fronts in different colours and I love it!

Replaced our doors as not real wood and the front coating was bubbling. Good job if your really happy with the layout. Am considering like others here changing kitchen as need oven up higher and drawers on lower units rather than cupboards due to back problems

Look online for frenchic paint. Ypu can join the frenchic paint fan forum absolutely fantastic makeovers people have done. Painting everything, this paint is incredible and so easy to use.

I changed the cupboard doors and drawer fronts myself. Instant update, if your cupboard carcasses are in good condition and in the right place why pull them out? I've covered the tiles with wall panel, no more grouting to do. Very pleased with it.

Franbern my daughter's professional kitchen painter for a very upmarket kitchen firm said he always used Little Greene. The eggshell is oil based and therefore very hard wearing.
We took up his recommendation and are very pleased with ours. Elsewhere in the house we have used F&B eggshell and that has chipped.

Tons of good advice on here. Many years ago we had a new kitchen fitted - very smart but not a luxury one. The kitchen fitters told us that most kitchens had similar carcases, including wildly expensive luxury ones - there was no need at all to pay a fortune because it was all down to the fitting and then taking reasonable care of the units.

I get great pleasure from taking something quite shabby and renovating it with good paint, handles, etc., So, I'd definitely opt for a repainted kitchen - diy or getting doors etc., re-sprayed. So much cheaper and none of the aggravation that a refit causes. I had a really unpleasant dark wood kitchen in a little holiday home with a long past it worktop. DH bought a super beech wood top from IKEA and cut it to size and fitted it. I washed everything down, undercoated the lot with Zinsser Bullseye primer/undercoat, then 2 coats of Farrow & Ball White Tie. Did the same to the hideous kitchen tiles, which had pastoral scenes on some of the tiles . Two coats of Zinsser on there and then 2 coats of dark grey Elephant. New LED lighting, 2 coats of worktop oil, new handles. Really pretty, totally transformed and not expensive. ( I never charged for my time!!!! )

As long as the carcass` are sound i don`t see why not.

Oh and lovely open shelving with copper brackets well I can dream

We changed our doors but we had too many panels and architrave to change along the top of them so just did the doors, Husband was happy but I don’t like the look but I went along with it anyway. The layout is good though.

I do love new kitchens with no uppers and architrave mmmm one day x

Notice that several people here mention cupboard paint. Do you have any particular recommendations for this. In my bedroom my lovely wardrobe fitters matched the colour to some newly bought chest of drawers and dressing table etc. However, there was already in there an existing fitted robe which is white, and would like to paint that to match the rest of the furniture.

SorryTanaMa,when I moved I destroyed all the paper work relating to work I had done in my old house.

I was all set to replace my kitchen but was let down by the fitter at the last moment. The carcasses were fine as were the doors, just a tad dated. I decided to spruce them up so I bought two tins of cupboard paint for around £34 for the two. I choose pale grey which is in fashion at the moment and I couldn't be more pleased. I've had lots of compliments about then, even my grandchildren think they are 'cool'.

Franbern - do you have the firm's name? Midlands wouldn't be too bad as I am in S Wales.

Many years ago we were selling our house and had the dirt cheap pine MFI (oh yes) doors and drawer fronts spray painted satin white, and put on new shiny chrome knobs, and new worktops. It totally transformed the place; one estate agent who came round thought it was a designer kitchen. I didn't let on just how cheap it had been!

I have changed all the doors on a previous kitchen - the results were brilliant, and a fraction of the cost of a new kitchen. So if your carcases are sound then you could save yourself a lot of money, and upheaval. Sadly when I moved house the kitchen cupboards were all falling apart so it was not an option, and had to go for a new kitchen.

My husband is in the process of re-vamping our kitchen. He is sanding down the work surfaces, staining and lacquering them. He has re-grouted the tiles, which was a surprising improvement, and will rope me in to help paint the walls. They were lemon yellow (what were we thinking?) but will be a soothing, very pale grey.

The biggest improvement is the new doors. The old ones were decidedly tatty. He has already fitted the ones for the top cupboards and will do the bottom ones when the worktops are finished. They are going to be a huge improvement. They fit perfectly. The only thing he is going to have to alter is a corner post, which is going to have to have a fraction shaved off it to make it fit.

One bonus of the lockdown has been that he stays at home and gets on with it, instead of wandering off around the shops. (He loves shops.) A downside is that he has discovered YouTube and spends hours watching videos about wood saws, sanders and other tedious things. I suppose it is worth it if I end up with a nice kitchen!

I would recommend replacing the doors. No need to rip out the carcasses if there is nothing wrong with them.

My kitchen is 19 years old, same age as our house. I went for untis in a warm cream colour and black handles. It was the best buy ever as it is still in great condition and still in fashion - IKEA has a similar style in their showroom. I do need new worktops, however, and as there will be no holidays this year that's the plan!

I have just painted my kitchen doors. I used white V30 paint from B&Q and steel grey from Wilkinson's which was almost half the price and I thought went on better and gave a better finish. My husband replaced the worktops and splashback already cut to size from Worktop Express and I am delighted with it.

TanaMa, the company I used was no where near to me. I was in East London (Essex borders). This firm was somewhere in the Midlands. However, they told me they would be with me at 9.00 am on the morning they were removing those doors,and - there they were dead on nine. Two men, told me they had driven down in their van, checked where my house was at 8 oclock, then gone off to find a cafe to have breakfast.

Again, when they were bringing them back the following week, they said would it be okay to arrive by .8.00 am. I said it was, (takes longer to put back than to take off), and a gain they were on time.

All the arrangements had been carried out originally on line, with me sending pictures to them, and numbers of doors, and letting them know any difficult ones (such as the ones that had glass in them).

Sounds lovely GrammaH. ?

We're just waiting for our builder to come & put replacement cupboard doors on our kitchen units. It'll be the 2nd time - we realised with horror when we first started thinking how shabby the kitchen was looking that it's 20 years since the last time! We had new worktops quite recently so they're staying & we're having pale grey doors from Howdens. A new colour on the walls & some new easy chairs by the log burner & we'll think we've got a new kitchen. I always thought it was quite big til I read about the one with 18 bottom cupboards & 17 top! Wow! ?

Thank you all who took the time to comment. I'm considering replacing doors etc rather than painting. The doors are just a light wood laminate and have not worn well. I've had to glue down most of the edges around the doors and drawers and when I'm wearing my glasses, I can see faults in the laminate. One or two hinges are dodgy too.
The kitchen was refitted in 2007, our previous kitchen lasted 35 years! It was in a sorry state long before being replaced but lack of funds prevented us doing anything major.
As I mentioned in my OP we had no end of trouble with the company who made and fitted it. It was a nightmare and I wouldn't want to go through all that again. ?
My cousin had her kitchen revamped a couple of years ago and it looks amazing. Unfortunately the company has ceased trading otherwise I would get a quote from them
We have contacted 4 local companies so watch this space, I'll let you know how I get on!

For those who had their kitchen doors spray painted did you use a Company who would work anywhere in the country, or was it just a local firm? Sounds like something I would loke to have done.