It is Easy To Replace Your Kitchen Doors

If you are considering getting new doors for your kitchen cabinets, you may be concerned that you don’t have the right skills to measure up and order the correct sized doors. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the easy part is doing the measuring and the harder part is deciding which colour and material to go for.

While replacement door websites will have detailed guides to show you how to measure for your new doors, the following tips will make the task seem less daunting and will ensure that you get a professional finish every time. Not only that, but you will be able to avoid having to get a tradesman in, which will save you money and time.

• Most kitchen doors come in standard sizes due to the way that kitchens are supplied. If your kitchen has been supplied by a DIY store for example, it will have standard carcass sizes and measuring the doors will be a fairly simple process. However, if you have custom cupboards, you will need to measure them carefully. Bear in mind that not all styles of door will come in non-standard sizes.
• Generally your doors will be 4mm less all the way round than the carcass edges. This gives room for the door to open.
• Measure your old kitchen door on the inside so that any detailing on the front won’t affect the measurement. Remember to write down the height  then the width and to keep to this pattern. Always measure your old doors rather than the carcasses. This will give you are more accurate idea of the sizes required and it is easier.
• If your doors have hinges which are located in non-standard positions (ie: not 100mm from the top and bottom) it is wise to note this as well so your new doors can be pre-drilled to your specifications.
• Take note of the type of hinges which you have been using. Do they open further than 180 degrees, as an example?
• Write down the thickness of your carcass as well. This can affect the type of hinge you will use.
• Drawer fronts should be measured in the same way. When checking the drawers check to make sure the runners are still in good working order, as this might be the perfect time to replace the drawer box, if required.
• Lastly think about other things which you might need in your kitchen such as cornices, pelmets, shelving units and plinths. These will finish off the look of your kitchen and should be ordered with your new doors so that you are left with a cohesive look. Measure these in the same way as your doors.
• Cornices, pelmets and plinths should be ordered with an extra 20% for wastage, but do take note of the width of your current plinth, as these can come in varying sizes.
• If you are replacing your worktop, you may want to consider getting an expert in to fit it as this is a tricky job. When ordering this item it is best to buy more than you need to be on the safe side.

It is worthwhile taking your time when you do the measuring and ordering of your new kitchen replacement doors. Read through  all of the information given by your door supplier to ensure you have given them all the details they need. Getting it right at this stage will make the job of fitting even easier and will mean that you will be able to complete the job in no time.

Choosing the right colour and style for your kitchen doors can be a daunting task, one which can cause unnecessary stress and even sleepless nights.

It’s a big decision to make, one which you don’t want to get wrong.

Since 1996 I’ve worked with literally thousands of home owners to help them create their perfect kitchen – here are my top tips on how pick the perfect colour and style for your kitchen and how to avoid the most common kitchen ‘disasters’

The first two things to consider when planning your kitchen refurbishment are;

1. What do I really want from my new look kitchen?

This is where you get to compile your ‘wish list’ of what’s important to YOU and what you’d really like to achieve, whilst at the same time having realistic expectations about your budget and the physical constraints of the space you are working in.

2. What aspects of my existing kitchen must be incorporated into my new kitchen?

Unless you are working with a totally empty shell then it’s likely that there are going to be aspects of your existing kitchen that need to be incorporated into your new kitchen.  This might be existing floor or wall tiles, worktops, a sink or maybe a perfectly functional oven and hob or even an ugly gas boiler that has never been boxed in properly. Whatever these things may be, its important to make a mental note of them and to choose your new kitchen doors and worktops with these items in mind.

Practical door styles and colours

One of the most highly rated featured on our customers ‘wish lists’ over the years has been kitchen doors with a practical – easy to clean surface.  Practicality can be looked at in two distinctly different ways when considering the best type of replacement kitchen doors for your home.

Firstly there are practical kitchen door styles. These are kitchen doors which have a smooth surface which is either totally flat, or a ones which have a simple design in the surface. Door styles such as Lewes or Newick are the most popular plain doors, whilst Washington Kitchen Doors  have a very simple flat centre panel and a versatile design which works well in almost any kitchen either traditional or contemporary.

Handleless doors such as Rimger and Petworth are also a very popular option as they also give a totally flat appearance, without any need for knobs or handles.

Secondly there are practical door colours. These are kitchen doors colours which by their very nature are more suited to the busy lifestyles that many of us live today. These colours would include lighter woodgrain finishes, in fact any satin door finish which will stay cleaner looking for longer. High gloss finishes can look great, however by their very nature, they can show finger marks and smears more than satin finishes and as a result may need that little bit more care and attention.

Wahington Kitchen Door in Ontario Maple

Don’t over compensate for your old dark kitchen

If you are fed up with your old mahogany brown kitchen and dark brown worktops then its only natural to think about replacing it with a white one, however you don’t necessarily have to go from one extreme to another to create a lighter brighter kitchen. Colours such as creams and light woodgrains will give you a much lighter room whilst at the same time adding a natural warmth to your kitchen.

How to choose colours which work well together

I’m a great believer that contrasting colours work well together. By that I mean that lighter colour kitchen doors work well with darker colour worktops and tiles. At one end of the colour scale this can be as extreme as white kitchen doors with black worktops, which is classically elegant combination. However the same rule applies to colours more closely related to each other such as a light woodgrain kitchen door with a slate grey worktop, or maybe a Vanilla Shaker kitchen door with a woodgrain worktop. In both of these examples the colour of kitchen door still contrasts the colour of the worktop but in a more subtle way. Now I’m not saying that matching kitchen door and worktops can’t work together, they can in some cases, providing that you introduce a contrasting colour somewhere else in the kitchen, such as with tiles or wall colours.

How to introduce strong colours into your kitchen

Its great sometimes to let your imagination run wild and if you have a particular colour that you just love and want to incorporate into your new kitchen then there it is possible to do this without going overboard.

One way of working with strong colours in the kitchen is to mix them with more neutral ones. For example one of our customers chose High Gloss Black doors for the main part of the kitchen, then added just a few Paprika doors to introduce their favourite colour. This is a simple and effective way to work with strong colours, and if you change your mind at a later date then you’ve only got a few doors to change.

White cabinets don’t mean you are tied to a white kitchen

Just because your existing kitchen cupboards have white sides does not mean that you are limited to having a white kitchen. There are two simple and effective solutions to this problem;

1.Cover your existing white cabinet sides with either self adhesive vinyl, or apply end panels to match your new kitchen doors. Our self adhesive vinyl is quick and easy to apply and gives your kitchen a totally new look in no time at all.

Matching self adhesive vinyl is a quick and easy way to change the colour of your kitchen cabinets

2. Choose a contrasting door colour and make a feature of the way that the two colours work with each other. One great example of this is our Visions Kitchen Doors which look great on white cabinets.

Kitchens sell houses (or NOT if they are done badly)

It’s a well known fact that kitchens sell houses. Sadly, many homeowners forget this important fact and create a kitchen which is based on their personal ‘tastes’ rather than thinking about what their potential buyers (or tenants) are looking for.

Making a statement with strong colours or distinctive styles may be just what you’re looking for, but if you’re thinking of selling or renting your house then you should consider more neutral tones and styles, in keeping with the aspirations and expectations of your target buyers.

An old fashioned kitchen can knock thousands of pounds off the value of your home, but replacement kitchen doors can add the value and appearance of a new kitchen, but for a fraction of the price.

We often get asked for cheap kitchen doors, however you don’t want to end up with a cheap looking kitchen.

Our best selling Trends and Visions kitchen doors not only look great they are great value for money too – and because we compare our prices with all the other major online retailers you can be sure that you’re getting the best quality doors at the best price too!

If you need any help or advice with your replacement kitchen door project, simply send us an email or give us a call and we’d be delighted to help.

Robert Clark

Email; [email protected]

Tel; 01825 765041