New Life for Old Kitchen Cabinets

When people remodel their kitchens, they usually replace the kitchen cabinets. So, what happens to the old cabinets? Sometimes they get trashed for a good reason (they've outlived their usefulness). Sometimes they get trashed for bad reasons (tossing them in the Dumpster is the easiest solution). And sometimes they get recycled, either by being sold, given away or, for lack of a better word, repurposed.

This latter option is what I'm doing with the 50-year-old cabinets in my kitchen. The photos show the results of my first effort. I removed the doors, then carefully removed an upper cabinet from the wall. Then I filled holes with wood filler and sanded the whole unit. I applied a coat of primer, followed by a coat of white paint.

This cabinet is now functioning as a bookshelf in my guest bedroom. Others will wind up as storage units in my garage.

Any of the old cabinets that I can't find a new home for will almost certainly disappear within hours after I set them out by the street with a "Free" sign attached. But I'm also sure I could pick up a few bucks selling them through Craigslist or at a garage sale.

Photos © Jeff Beneke