Can I replace just my kitchen doors? Yes, you absolutely can replace just your kitchen doors. This process, often referred to as kitchen cabinet door replacement or replacing kitchen cupboard doors, is a popular and cost-effective way to dramatically update the look of your kitchen without a full remodel.
This guide will walk you through every step of updating kitchen doors DIY. We will cover everything from picking the right style to the final screw tightening. This project is easier than you might think!
Why Replace Only Your Kitchen Doors?
Many homeowners feel stuck with old, dated kitchen cabinets. Ripping out the entire kitchen is expensive and messy. Replacing kitchen cupboard doors offers a fantastic middle ground.
- Save Money: New doors cost far less than new cabinets.
- Save Time: The job can often be done in a weekend.
- Big Impact: New doors completely change the feel of the room.
- Sustainability: You keep the existing cabinet boxes, reducing waste.
Before starting, it is smart to think about the cost of replacing kitchen doors. This cost depends on the material you choose and whether you go for standard sizes or ordering custom kitchen doors.
Step 1: Deciding on New Styles and Materials
Choosing your new doors is the most fun—and most important—part. The style you pick sets the tone for your entire kitchen.
Styles of Kitchen Cabinet Doors
There are many styles of kitchen cabinet doors available. Your choice often depends on the look you want: modern, traditional, or something in between.
| Door Style | Look & Feel | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Slab (Flat Panel) | Very sleek, modern, no detailing. | Minimalist or contemporary kitchens. |
| Shaker | Simple frame with a flat center panel. | Timeless, fits most kitchen designs. |
| Raised Panel | Panel in the door is higher than the frame. | Traditional or formal kitchens. |
| Beaded | Has small grooves or beads inside the panel. | Country or cottage style kitchens. |
Choosing Materials
The material affects durability, look, and price.
- MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard): Great for painting. It is smooth and resists warping better than solid wood in humid kitchens.
- Solid Wood: Offers a high-end look. Maple and oak are popular choices. They can be stained or painted.
- Thermofoil/Vinyl Wrap: A thin plastic layer heated and vacuum-pressed onto an MDF core. It is budget-friendly and easy to clean.
Step 2: Measuring for Replacement Kitchen Doors
Accurate measurements are crucial for successful kitchen cabinet door replacement. If you get this wrong, your new doors won’t fit! This process is called measuring for replacement kitchen doors.
Door Measurements: Height and Width
Always measure the existing door you are replacing.
- Measure the Door Height: Measure from the very top edge of the door to the very bottom edge. Write this down.
- Measure the Door Width: Measure from the far left edge to the far right edge. Write this down.
Tip: Measure three doors on the same cabinet run—one at the top, one in the middle, and one at the bottom. Sometimes cabinets settle or were built slightly unevenly. Use the smallest measurement if they differ slightly, or average them if they are close.
Understanding Door Overlap (Overlay)
This is the trickiest part of fitting new kitchen cabinet doors. Overlay refers to how much the new door covers the cabinet frame (the carcass).
- Full Overlay: The door covers almost the entire face of the cabinet box. This hides the frame almost completely. It is common for modern cabinets using concealed hinges.
- Partial Overlay (or Standard Overlay): The door sits over the frame, leaving a visible gap of the frame showing around the door edge. This is common in older or standard framed cabinets.
- Inset: The door sits inside the cabinet frame, flush with the front edge. This requires very precise measurements.
How to determine your overlay: Measure the gap between two doors when they are closed, or measure how much the current door overlaps the cabinet frame at the hinge side. You will need this detail when ordering custom kitchen doors.
Drawer Fronts
Don’t forget the drawers! Drawer fronts are measured the same way—height and width. If you are using the same hinges as the doors, the overlay will be the same.
Step 3: Selecting the Right Hinges
If you are keeping your existing cabinet boxes, you must select hinges that work with your new door style and the old cabinet construction. Types of kitchen door hinges have changed a lot over the years.
Common Types of Kitchen Door Hinges
The modern standard for easy installation and adjustment is the European style hinge.
1. Concealed (or European) Hinges:
These are hidden inside the cabinet when the door is closed. They are adjustable in three directions (up/down, in/out, left/right). This adjustment is essential for getting perfect gaps between doors.
- Full Overlay Hinges: Used when the door covers the entire cabinet frame edge.
- Half Overlay Hinges: Used when the door only covers half the frame edge (often used for side-by-side cabinets).
- Inset Hinges: Used when the door sits inside the cabinet frame.
2. Surface-Mount Hinges (Older Style):
These hinges attach directly to the face of the cabinet frame. If you are replacing kitchen cupboard doors on older cabinets that already have these, you might need to stick with them or fill and re-drill for European hinges (which adds complexity).
Crucial Tip: Check the cup size required for your new doors and the mounting plate required for your existing cabinet boxes. If you order new doors, tell the supplier what types of kitchen door hinges you plan to use so they can drill the holes correctly.
Step 4: How to Remove Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Safety and organization are key here. How to remove kitchen cabinet doors is straightforward, but you need a plan for keeping track of all the screws and hinges.
Tools You Will Need:
- Screwdriver (manual or electric drill with clutch)
- Small bowl or magnetic tray for hardware
- Painter’s tape or sticky notes
- A helper (especially for large or heavy doors)
The Removal Process:
- Empty the Cabinets: Remove everything from the cabinets below the doors you are working on. You don’t want items falling out when the door swings unexpectedly.
- Label Everything: Use painter’s tape to label the inside of the door clearly (e.g., “Top Left,” “Bottom Right”). This prevents mix-ups later.
- Support the Door: Have a helper hold the door steady, or prop it up gently with a box or book underneath, especially for taller doors.
- Remove the Hinge Screws: Locate the screws holding the hinge to the cabinet frame (the box). Unscrew these screws. Be gentle.
- Detach the Door: Once the frame screws are out, the door should come away from the cabinet box.
- Remove Hinge from Door (If Necessary): If your new hinges attach differently, you may need to unscrew the hinge base from the door itself. Keep all hinge parts together with their corresponding door.
- Store Hardware Safely: Place all screws, plates, and hinges in a labeled bag or tray corresponding to the door label.
What about drawers? Removing drawer fronts is similar. You usually unscrew the drawer box from the slides, or sometimes the slides detach directly from the drawer front depending on the system.
Step 5: Preparing the Existing Boxes
Once the old doors are off, you will see the area where the old hinges were mounted. This area needs prep work before fitting new kitchen cabinet doors.
Dealing with Old Hinge Holes
If you are switching from surface-mount hinges to concealed European hinges, you will likely have old holes that need filling.
- Cleaning: Wipe down the cabinet frame area where the old hinges sat.
- Filling Holes: Use wood filler or a wooden dowel coated in wood glue to fill any large, unused screw holes. Let this dry completely.
- Sanding: Lightly sand the filled areas until they are smooth and flush with the cabinet frame. You want a clean surface for mounting the new hinge plates.
If you are simply replacing the door face and keeping the same hinge style, you may just need to clean the area and check that the screws still hold firmly. Loose screws lead to sagging doors.
Step 6: Installing the New Hardware
This phase involves mounting the new hinges onto the new doors and then attaching the doors back onto the cabinets.
Preparing the New Doors
If you ordered custom kitchen doors, they should come with the correct hinge cups drilled into them. If they came undrilled, you must use a template provided by the hinge manufacturer to drill the hinge cup holes precisely. This requires a Forstner bit and a drill press for the best results.
- Attach Hinges to Doors: Screw the hinge arms securely into the pre-drilled cups on the back of your new doors. Use the screws provided with the hinges.
- Attach Mounting Plates to Cabinets: Screw the mounting plates (the parts that clip onto the hinge arm) onto the inside of the cabinet frame where the old hinges were. Remember to check your overlay type (full, half, or inset) to ensure the plates are mounted at the correct distance from the cabinet edge. Refer to the hinge instructions for specific plate positioning.
Step 7: Fitting New Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Now comes the satisfying part: putting the new doors on! This stage requires patience and constant minor adjustments.
- Attach the Door: Hold the door up to the cabinet. Clip or screw the hinge arm onto the mounting plate that is fixed to the cabinet. If you have standard European hinges, they usually just snap onto the plate.
- Initial Check: Gently open and close the door. Does it swing freely? Does it align roughly with its neighbor?
-
Adjustment Time: This is where the power of modern hinges shines. Most adjustments are made using the three screws on the hinge arm:
- Screw 1 (Depth/In-Out): Moves the door closer to or further away from the cabinet frame. Use this to get the door flush with other doors.
- Screw 2 (Side-to-Side/Gap): Adjusts the gap between this door and the adjacent door or cabinet side.
- Screw 3 (Vertical/Up-Down): Adjusts the height. Use this to make sure the top and bottom edges line up perfectly with other doors.
Tip for Alignment: Adjust one hinge fully before moving to the next. A common technique is to set the gap first (Screw 2), then the depth (Screw 1), and finally, the height alignment (Screw 3). Take small turns—a quarter turn makes a big difference!
Step 8: Replacing Drawer Fronts
If you are replacing kitchen cupboard doors, you likely replaced the drawer fronts too.
Drawer fronts are often attached differently than doors. They might use special brackets or simply screw directly through the drawer box face.
- Locate Screw Points: Check how the old drawer front was attached. There are usually screws accessible from inside the drawer box.
- Attach New Front: Align the new drawer front perfectly. Ensure the gaps around the edges are even.
- Secure: Drive the screws through the box and into the back of the new drawer front. If you are using knobs or pulls, install those now, making sure they align with the existing holes on the drawer face.
Budgeting for Your Refresh: Cost of Replacing Kitchen Doors
As mentioned before, the cost of replacing kitchen doors is highly variable. Here is a general breakdown:
- Budget Options (Foil Wrap or Budget MDF): Expect to pay \$40 – \$70 per door/drawer front. This is the most budget-friendly way to drastically change the look.
- Mid-Range (Painted MDF or Simple Vinyl): Prices usually fall between \$80 – \$130 per door/drawer front. This offers better quality and finish.
- High-End (Solid Wood or High-Quality Lacquer): These specialized doors can start at \$150 and go up to \$300+ per door.
Don’t forget the extras:
- Hinges: If you are upgrading from old hinges, factor in \$5 – \$15 per hinge set.
- Shipping: Ordering custom kitchen doors often involves significant shipping costs due to size and weight.
- Hardware: New handles and knobs add to the total.
Doing the work yourself saves hundreds, if not thousands, compared to hiring a professional kitchen fitter.
Comprehending Custom vs. Standard Sizing
When deciding on kitchen cabinet door replacement, you must choose between standard sizes or custom orders.
Standard Sizing
Many manufacturers offer doors in common sizes (e.g., 300mm, 400mm, 500mm wide). If your existing cabinet boxes are built to standard dimensions, this is the cheapest and fastest route. You measure, order from a stock list, and wait for delivery.
Ordering Custom Kitchen Doors
If your kitchen is older, handmade, or built to unusual sizes, you will need custom doors.
When ordering custom kitchen doors, you provide the exact height and width measurements determined in Step 2, along with details about:
- Door style (Shaker, Slab, etc.)
- Material and finish
- Hinge overlay required (full, half, inset)
- Hinge cup drilling location (if applicable)
Custom work ensures a perfect fit, but it takes longer to manufacture and usually costs more per unit.
Final Touches: Handles and Knobs
Once the doors are hung and adjusted, install your new handles or knobs. This small detail completes the transformation.
- Placement: If you are using the old hole locations, simply line up your new hardware with the existing holes.
- Drawer Pulls: For drawers, ensure the pulls are level across all drawers.
- Height Consistency: For doors, maintain a consistent distance from the top or bottom edge. A common placement for knobs is centered vertically and positioned about 2 inches down from the top edge (or up from the bottom edge on base units).
A new set of handles can be just as impactful as the new doors themselves!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do I have to change my hinges when replacing kitchen cupboard doors?
A: Not always. If your existing hinges are in good working order and support the weight of the new, potentially heavier doors, you can keep them. However, switching to modern European hinges allows for much easier adjustment and a cleaner look, which is why many people opt to replace them during kitchen cabinet door replacement.
Q: How long does updating kitchen doors DIY take?
A: For an average-sized kitchen (10-15 doors), the entire process—from measuring to final adjustment—usually takes one full weekend if you have everything delivered on time. Removal takes a few hours; fitting and careful adjustment can take the bulk of the time.
Q: Can I paint my existing doors instead of replacing them?
A: Yes, painting is a very popular alternative to replacing kitchen cupboard doors. It is cheaper than replacement but requires significant prep work (sanding, priming with a specialized adhesion primer, and applying several topcoats) and takes longer to cure properly.
Q: What is the main challenge in fitting new kitchen cabinet doors?
A: The main challenge is achieving perfect alignment. Doors must line up evenly with each other horizontally and vertically, and the gaps between them must be consistent. This is why spending time correctly utilizing the adjustment screws on the hinges is vital for a professional finish when fitting new kitchen cabinet doors.