It’s no surprise that restoring kitchen cabinets can often cost you considerably less money than ordering in a replacement set. Professional cabinet refacers can even help you transform your kitchen the green way, without the use of high volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Before you start, it’s a good idea to have your cabinets inspected to determine whether they still have sufficient structural integrity to make a refacing project cost-effective.

Old House Web reports that cabinet craftsmen can order your veneers treated with pressure-sensitive or heat-sensitive glues with low VOC ratings.  The veneers then attach securely to your existing cabinet doors and drawer fronts to make them look brand new.

Green Is Good

Green veneers are a matter of consumer choice. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), estimates that one-fifth of all American construction will feature green materials by 2013.

Kitchen remodeling can be a cost-effective way to increase the value of your home. The Alliance to Save Energy reports that homeowners can recover between 70 and 90 percent of their investment in kitchen remodeling when they sell their home. Upgrading your appliances to EnergyStar-compliant models and choosing green solutions for your cabinet and countertop projects can increase interest among potential buyers.

Sustainable cabinets and countertops are continuing to find their way into the American marketplace. Salvaged wood, bio-composites, and formaldehyde-free cabinet doors and drawer fronts are easy to find if you’re committed to the greening of your kitchen.  If you’re hanging your own unfinished cabinets, shop for low-VOC emitting paints that have taken their rightful place on the market. Veneer Selector can help with your shopping for resource-friendly veneers.

Want to add flair and new life to your kitchen cabinets? Consider molding. Molding on your cabinet doors can be subtle—or stunning. Match your molding with the profile on your kitchen walls and hallways, or add contrast. There’s a wealth of pre-cut molding sets out there, or you can call in a talented kitchen contractor to create a set that’s perfect for your space.

When you consider the cost of replacing or refacing your cabinet doors, molding often is an easy kitchen upgrade in times when the dollar is hard to come by. Settle on a specific pattern, shape, and color to fit your décor, or mix and match traditional profiles with decorative sets.

Choosing Molding for Your Kitchen Cabinets

Decorative molding tends to be complex or fancy, and is typically comprised of hardwoods. Traditional molding often utilizes softer wood, like pine, and is quieter. There are several ways to choose the right molding for your kitchen cabinets. Some homeowners take down a cabinet door or two and bring them along to home improvement stores or cabinet shops. You can take a short length of sample molding and hold it against the door to see how it looks.

Other folks prefer to buy inexpensive short lengths of various molding samples and try them at home where they use sparse amounts of glue to hold them in place while they step back and evaluate the look. Remember, you want to coordinate or compliment the molding with existing wall design, backsplashes, and counters.

Cutting crown moldings for your cabinets is not an easy task if you haven’t had experience with a miter saw. The cost of having a set made may be lower than you think. If you’re installing new cabinets, Workbench Magazine has instructions for getting them straight.

If you’re curious about new green or sustainable kitchen storage, look no further than at the work of Mauricio Arruda. The Brazilian designer has produced several lines of cabinets and storage bins that look much like the plastic nesting crates that are found almost everywhere. But take a closer look.

The Jose Collection uses recycled plastic inserted into wooden frames with sturdy steel legs. The base is constructed of carbon steel coated with anti-corrosion paint. The wooden slats used to construct the frames are cut from trees in forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Rather than use solvent-based paints, all wood sections are treated with natural carnauba wax for their finish.

The design allows the containers to come out of the frames so you can put kitchen pots and pans, food, towels, bottled items, or spices in them. Or you can take the containers to the grocery store, arrange your purchases in them, and bring them home for storage.

If you’re shopping for sustainable kitchen cabinets and replacement materials, look for the same FSC seal of approval on your wood products. Even deadfall or storm-damaged wood can be harvested under FSC requirements and be used in cabinet or kitchen counter materials. Green flooring products can also be certified under FSC guidelines.

Other sustainable materials include bio-composites, salvaged woods, plantation-grown coconut palm, and solid bamboo. If you look around online or at green home improvement centers you’ll find non-toxic paint, natural wall coverings, non-toxic adhesives and caulk, and sustainable wall-boards. Recycled, formaldehyde-free cabinet doors, drawers, and fronts are also sold around the country if you want to use them.