Add glass inserts to kitchen cabinets

Tired of the way your kitchen cabinets look and ready for a quick and inexpensive way to spice up the look of the room? One method you can use to do this is to replace some of your cabinet door panels with glass. Glass will lighten the uniformity of your kitchen and give you a place where you can display some of your most prized possessions. The best part about using glass is that it’s a really inexpensive answer to your remodeling woes, and it can open up your kitchen a bit, giving it the appearance of being bigger and brighter.

You’ll find three specific types of glass that you can use when refinishing your cabinets. They are:
* Clear like window glass – This is the perfect type of glass if you want to display fancy glassware or china.
* Darkening with patterns on the glass distorts images of what’s inside the cabinets. So even though you’ll still be able to see what’s inside the cabinet, the image won’t be clear.
*Opaque is frosted or stained glass through which you cannot see. If you want glass inserts in your cabinet doors and prefer that no one can see inside, opaque glass will be a good choice that will prevent anyone from seeing inside.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to go overboard when installing glass panels on your cabinet doors, as a few of them will suffice and look nice. Since they will appear different from the rest of your cabinets, they will naturally become the focal point of your room. Before you start swapping out wood door panels for glass, take some time to try to imagine different cabinets with glass inserts. If you have a relatively small kitchen, you will be able to choose cabinets where you feel glass could be used to the greatest advantage.

Once you know which cabinet fronts you want to replace with glass, stop and analyze the contents of those cabinets. Are the interior items something you would prefer to hide behind opaque glass, or is this a place where you want to install screens behind clear glass? The more you try to visualize before installing, the more you will like the final results.

Adding glass to a cabinet door is an easy do-it-yourself job to keep cost down. Start by gathering all the materials you will need. Tools will include drill bits, a jigsaw and blade, a screwdriver, clamps, and wood glue. You will also need to purchase new wood trim to hold the glass in place, as well as 1/8″ mirror mounts and wood screws.

Start by using your jigsaw to remove the part of the door that you plan to put glass on. Once you’ve done this, and have removed the hardware, you can do any touch-ups you’d like to do, then add your glass insert. Are you going to refinish your cabinets or just add glass fronts? To restore them you will need to sand all of the existing finish down to the bare wood. If you plan to paint them, all you’ll need to do is sand them down a bit so they’ll hold up well to paint. Then when they are finished you can insert the glass panels.

When you’re done, you can put the hardware back on the door and re-hang it. You’ll find that just this simple amount of work and little expense will make a world of difference in the appearance of your kitchen. You’ll have kitchen cabinets you can be proud of.