Your kitchen should cost no less than 5% but no more that 15% of the total value of your home, with the exception of high-end kitchens for professional cooks and bakers. In the state of New Jersey, the typical percentage is at the lower end of the spectrum, at just 8%.

After the recent economic meltdown the median home price in New Jersey is now around $490,727, putting the average value of a kitchen at approximately $39,258. Since 50% of the budget for the kitchen is usually allocated for cabinetry, the average value of NJ kitchen cabinets is best priced at just over $19,500.

Another consideration to make is in the resale value of your home after remodeling. But since many New Yorkers move to NJ to retire or settle down, the resale value may not be a primary concern.

The actual budget allocated to cabinetry can fluctuate depending on whether your cabinets are stock, semi-custom, or custom made, as well as on the actual quality and materials used. When shopping for NJ kitchen cabinets, however, keep in mind that a percentage of the cost must also be allotted for installation. In New Jersey, you can expect about 18% of the total budget to go towards labor.

To avoid exuberant shipping costs, you can rely on warehouses and outlets in New Jersey that offer free shipping for some of the industry’s biggest brand names. These include Hanssem, Fabuwood, and Ultracraft among others.

Resource Box:

Direct Depot Kitchens is the ideal place to go in NJ for kitchen cabinets. Apart from their extensive showroom, with over 50 kitchen and bath displays, they also have a state-of-the-art design center that offers free design consultations on custom kitchen cabinets. For more information, call 800-4-CABINETS or visit KitchensAndBaths.com.

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Cabinet refacing can be approached one of two ways. Cabinet doors and drawer fronts can be replaced at a fraction of the cost of new cabinets. Or if your budget is really tight and even replacement of the doors and drawer fronts is out of the question, you can refinish your cabinets and still come out with what appear to be fresh and new kitchen cabinets. Refinishing your cabinets involves spending just a few hundred dollars for materials and supplies and can be accomplished in a very short period of time by even the most novice do it yourself homeowner.

While both of these processes can be great solutions to your dilemma, there are some things you need to consider before you decide this solution is for you. First, your cabinets must be structurally sound and not have any major damage. Open each cabinet and thoroughly inspect the joints to be sure they are still tightly joined and inspect the drawers to see that they still open and close smoothly. Carefully check the cabinet beneath the kitchen sink for any signs of water damage that may have occurred due to a past leak in the plumbing or drainage systems. If you find no damage or other issues with your cabinets, or at least have no major issues that are beyond repair, then an affordable cabinet refacing can be the answer you have been looking for.

Now that you have established that a cabinet refacing will fit your needs, you must decide the process you will use. If you choose to replace your cabinet doors and drawer fronts, a trip to your local home improvement center will provide you with the many choices in patterns and finishes available in modern cabinets today. The home center can also give you a price on the replacement of these items as well as the laminate refacing material for your existing cabinet boxes that is necessary to match your new cabinet doors. Consider acquiring two or three estimates from different reputable suppliers to ensure you receive the best price for your project. If you choose to simply refinish the existing cabinets, then the decision to apply a paint or stain finish will determine the exact process you will follow.

No matter which of these processes you choose for your particular project, they both will provide the look you desire. By combining an affordable cabinet refacing along with new cabinet pulls, hinges, and drawer pulls, you will have fresh and new looking cabinets that will supply a solid beginning for a total kitchen remodel that can be well within even the smallest of budgets.

“To learn much more about affordable cabinet refacing, please visit http://easycabinetrefacing.blogspot.com/ where you will find this and much more about all types of cabinet refacing projects.”

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Wooden cabinet knobs are very popular in country and old world kitchens. While they can be very attractive and look great they also are prone to a lot of issues over time and use. From dirt and grime that has built up to stains from the oil on hands to paint and stain that is just wearing off and cracking over time, there are a lot of reasons your wooden cabinet knobs can look less attractive than you would like. Now that the idea is in your head you may want to jump right into refinishing all of those wooden cabinet knobs. Not so fast! Take a breath and plan this out before you begin.

First you need to decide just what you want. Are you just going to repaint the knobs? Strip them down and stain them in a natural wood color? There are options here so you need to know which ones you want to go with before you begin. One thing you may want to do is take a look in a few home decorating magazines or in your local home décor store to get ideas for what you can do with them.

Next you need to get to know the material you are working with in your wooden cabinet knobs. All woods are different and some require a little more care than others. This would be a good time to get to know the wood that went into these knobs. If it is a soft wood it may take a little more care and caution to work with.

Once you know what you are doing and the kind of wood you are working with, it’s time to strip down those cabinet knobs. First, you are going to have to remove all of the knobs from the cabinets. When you are doing this make sure to make a note of where you are putting the screws and other hardware pieces that hold them in place. Nothing is more frustrating than missing pieces when you go to put the cabinets back together.

Follow the directions on the wood stripping agent you have purchased to remove the paint or finish. Once it’s all gone make sure to clean off any residue and let the pieces completely dry. Repaint or finish them and once again let them dry. Now all you have to do is reattach them to the cabinets and enjoy changing the look of your kitchen without emptying out your pocket book.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is cabinet hardware for your bathroom or kitchen cabinet hardware for your kitchen there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses.

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Buying unfinished kitchen cabinets not only gives you a choice about the kind of finish you can give them it’s also a very economical way to fit out your kitchen. You can end up saving yourself hundreds of dollars by either staining, painting, varnishing or finishing them in the style you choose.

When you buy unfinished kitchen cabinets you have the choice of what kind of finish you want to give them. You can choose the type of stain or varnish they are going to have so it really gives you a lot of freedom with your color choices.

Or you might prefer to paint them in a color that will complement or match other items in your kitchen. You really have unlimited choices as to the kind of finish you put on these unfinished kitchen cabinets.

If you want to stain or varnish your unfinished kitchen cabinets just be aware that different kind of woods will absorb the stain differently so you have to take into account the type of wood you’re going to stain. Ask the salesman that you’re buying your cabinets from for his opinion about how the stain responds with that type of wood.

Also ask at the paint store where you buy the stain, what their opinion is about the stain used on the kind of wood your cabinets are made from. If possible take along a drawer and tell the salesman the kind of color you want from the stain. He may be able to help you out by brushing a little bit of different colored stains on the back of the draw or another inconspicuous spot so you can see for yourself how the wood is going to look with the various colored stains on it.

No matter whether you stain, varnish, paint or otherwise decorate your unfinished kitchen cabinets, they are a very cost effective way of fitting out a kitchen and give you the freedom to tailor them to complement the theme of your kitchen.

If you enjoyed this article and would like additional ideas for decorating your kitchen, head over to my latest website for information and advice on Kitchen Window Treatments and Sheer Vertical Blinds that will beautify your kitchen.

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