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1/2 hour to an hour per cabinet
About $50 to $175 per shingle cabinet, depending on material, size, and finish
Difficulty: Moderate
If you have a steady hand and a very sharp utility knife, you'll be fine
That sweet old woman you bought your house from is truly wonderful—really, she is— especially the way she gave out homemade cookies during the holidays. But we're sorry, that kitchen where she baked them—it's ugly. Avocado green from the 1970s may be "in" again, but not like that. And those grease-caked, kid-scratched cabinets have to go.
We're not saying you must gut and rebuild. Instead of spending, say, $5,000 on new cabinets, save some serious cash and reface the ones you have for under $1,000. It's amazing what a little veneer and some new doors can do to brighten an aging space. Both are available through woodworking companies, and some manufactures offer peel-and-stick veneer to make the task simpler. Just be sure to measure twice and cut once, as a friend of ours likes to say. Work carefully, and your kitchen will look brand-new when you're done.
