If you're a homeowner who wants to remodel your kitchen, but who doesn't want to create an inconvenient mess, you might want to look at changing the look of the kitchen but not the actual structure. Many remodels tend to include rearranging things like cabinets and counters, but you don't have to go that far if you want to minimize disruption -- not to mention save money as well. Just getting new cabinet fronts while leaving the main compartments in place can change the look of your kitchen dramatically.

It's All About the Doors and Fronts

Your kitchen cabinets really set the tone of your kitchen, because they tend to be the most prominent feature. Unless you have a tiny kitchen with no cabinet space, your cabinets will fill up the space in the kitchen visually as well as physically. Things like appliances are merely accents. So just a few changes in what you see of the cabinets can affect the impression you get from your kitchen.

For example, changing country-ish wooden cabinet fronts into sleek, European-style frameless fronts will make your entire kitchen look updated and modern, even if the cabinet layout is exactly the same as before. Adding white or blond wood doors and veneers can make a dark kitchen suddenly look very light.

Familiar Layouts Help You Stay Organized

Keeping the layout the same also has some advantages in that you know where everything is -- there's no fumbling around in new cabinets trying to figure out where you put everything. You do not have to worry about damaging the walls or floors as you try to replace the cabinets, and once the new doors and fronts are on, you can place everything right back in the cabinets. Compare that to what you'd have to do if you replaced the cabinets; even if you got your dream layout, you'd still be checking the wrong cabinets for a while, and you would have to store the items from the cabinets for a much longer period of time while the new cabinets were being installed.

If you would like to see samples of different cabinet door styles or find out how to convert the cabinets from framed to frameless, contact a local cabinet maker. He or she can show you many different styles and discuss with you the best strategy for changing your kitchen, depending on your end goal.