Kitchen Makeovers: Doors, Benchtops, Hardware

ScopeExisting layout and carcasses retained; fronts, benchtop, splashback and hardware renewed

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Reference photoTimber fronts and vertical pulls on retained boxes

StaysLayout, carcasses, waste, power points

GoesFronts, benchtop, splashback, handles, hinges

Keep the boxes, replace everything you touch

A makeover leaves the cabinet boxes, the waste, the water and the power exactly where they are, and renews the parts that wear or date: doors and drawer fronts, benchtop, splashback, handles, hinges and runners, kickboards, sink and tap. Nothing structural moves, so there is no wall work and no re-routing of services.

That makes it the right scope when the plan already works — the fridge, sink and cooktop sit sensibly, the doorways are clear, and the boxes are square and dry. It is the wrong scope when the problem is the layout itself, when benches are too narrow, or when a wall has to come out. In those cases the honest answer is a rebuild rather than a resurface.

Read the full-scope alternative under Complete Kitchen Renovations.

Are the carcasses worth keeping?

Three checks decide it, and they are made on site with a drawer out and a torch, not from a photograph.

Carcass16 mm board, square, dry at the sink

Swollen edges under the sink, a soft base or racked sides mean the box is finished. One or two failing units can be rebuilt to match; a whole run of them points to a full renovation.

Hinges & runnersRenewed, never reused

New fronts on tired hardware feel old within a season. Hinges and drawer runners are replaced as part of the scope, and side-mounted runners are swapped for concealed undermount where the box depth allows.

OpeningsDoor sizes are set by the old boxes

Every front is measured from the existing opening, so proportions inherit whatever the original cabinetmaker chose. Where a gap is awkward, a filler panel or a single new unit tidies the run without disturbing the rest.

Makeover or full renovation

The two scopes answer different questions. A makeover answers “this kitchen looks tired”. A renovation answers “this kitchen does not work”. Reading the difference early saves money that would otherwise be spent twice.

Makeover suitsSound boxes, workable plan
Dated fronts and laminate tops
Appliances staying in place
A kitchen you can live without briefly

Renovation suitsMoving the sink or cooktop
Water-damaged or racked carcasses
Adding an island or a pantry
Opening the room to living space

A makeover cannot change bench depth, raise a low overhead run, add a window, or make a galley wider. It will not fix a fridge that blocks a doorway or a cooktop stranded in a corner. Those are drawing problems, and they are solved at design stage.

If the plan is the problem, start at Custom Kitchen Design instead.

The lines a makeover actually replaces

FrontsMatte laminate, painted board, or timber veneerBenchtop20 mm engineered or porcelain, templated after strip-outSplashbackTile or slab, set once the new top is inHardwarePulls, hinges, undermount runners, bin frameWet pointSink and tap renewed in the existing position

Material detail for two of these lines sits on Kitchen Benchtops and Kitchen Splashbacks.

Reference photographFlat-panel fronts, black linear handles, marble-effect splashback and benchtop

Questions asked before committing

Four that decide the scope. The rest are collected on the FAQ page.

Kitchen renovation FAQ →

Can the benchtop change without changing the doors?

Yes, and it is a common half-step. The top and splashback come off together, the boxes are re-levelled, and the new slab is templated on site. Fronts can follow later without the stone being disturbed.

Will new fronts fit the existing cabinets exactly?

Each opening is measured individually rather than assumed from a standard grid, and hinge positions are re-bored to suit. Older boxes are rarely uniform, so gaps are set consistently across the run instead of matching the old spacing.

Can a dishwasher be added during a makeover?

Only where a cabinet beside the sink can give up its width and the services can reach it without opening walls. If the plumbing has to travel, the work has crossed into renovation territory and is quoted that way.

What happens if one cabinet is water-damaged?

That unit is rebuilt in new board to the same external dimensions and takes a matching front, so the run reads as one piece. It is noted on the quote as a separate line rather than absorbed quietly.

Send the kitchen you have, not the one you want

A makeover is quoted from what is already there: the cabinet runs, the state of the boxes, the appliances staying and the finishes you want in their place. Describe the room and the scope, and the reply is a written schedule of the lines above.

Request a quote → · Ask a question first