Increasingly in our culture, the kitchen has become the hub of the home. We have knocked down walls and created kitchens come dining rooms to help us feel like our family space is also our food preparation space (or vice versa!).

The result of this has been a proliferation of places to eat in the kitchen. This might mean a breakfast bar, a central island, a corner nook or even a full-blown dining table and chairs. Which ever you want or already have, it will always mean more cupboards and certainly more work surfaces.

Breakfast bars and central islands in particular come in for some pretty serious family time. They can be places for eating breakfast and snacks through out the day. They are also used by children for homework while they watch Mum or Dad cook and they are places for a chat with your friends. This means that any cupboards underneath are likely to be kicked and scratched by little (or big) feet. Replacing these kitchen doors is a breeze, if you know how.

Unless you can find cupboard doors to match (which is often possible) it will mean that the entire kitchen cupboard doors will need replacing so that everything matches. But this doesn't have to be the end of the world.

With the price of replacement kitchen doors coming in at a fraction of the cost of a new kitchen, you can afford to replace them with cheap kitchen doors for a lot less than you might think.

Replacing kitchen doors is as easy as getting on the Internet and choosing the doors you like in the sizes you need. Once you receive them (which could be as soon as a few days) you can set about attaching them to your current kitchen carcasses. With the help of a screwdriver and a level, you will have the job done in less than a day.

If you are creating a new eating area in your kitchen, your approach is going to be a little different. You will need to extend your worktop and probably build some new cupboards. This is easier than you might think.

Simply buy the number of carcasses you need to extend the area of kitchen you have allowed for. Then top it with a worktop which has an overhang. Place your replacement kitchen doors underneath and even above as required and you have the perfect eating area. Not only does this provide you with more space, it offers extra storage.

Even a separate dining area can be incorporated into your kitchen with the addition of some kitchen units to store crockery. A line of extra cupboards along one wall in your dining area will bring it together with your kitchen, clearly marking it as part of the same room. You can add the same replacement kitchen doors and you have the ideal place to store everything from your plates and cups to your best silverware.

You could even choose to add a worktop to this area of your kitchen /dining room to allow you to have room for serving your family. While this may seem rather grand, the cost does not have to be prohibitive. You can order your doors, carcasses and the worktop online from a replacement door merchant.

An eating area in your kitchen is as natural as having a television in your living room. It is the perfect spot for a quick snack or even a full sit-down family meal. Whatever you have room for, you can achieve with replacement kitchen doors and work surfaces. The hardest jobs is actually choosing the best styles and design for your particular needs.