5 Signs It’s Time To Replace Your Kitchen Cabinets

Wooden kitchen with marble benchtops, silver appliances, and angular windows.

Kitchens tend to be the heart of the home. For most of us, it’s where the day begins with coffee and ends with wine. Due to heavy foot traffic and hours spent cooking, eating, or socialising, keeping the area pleasant and functional is a must.

While it’s recommended that you update your kitchens every 10 years, sometimes it’s better just to look for the telltale signs that you need a kitchen renovation.

1. Staining, Fading and Chipping

Over time, kitchen cabinetry can start to stain, mainly due to the steam and splatters from cooking. It can also be affected by fingerprints from the constant opening and closing of doors and drawers and leaning on benchtops. After a while, even cleaning won’t correct the stains.

Fading is also common for kitchens that have a lot of natural lighting, especially direct sunlight. While a simple paint job can fix the issue temporarily, it is better to invest in new cabinetry and benchtop materials that are less likely to lose their colour.

Chipping is often a result of heavy use and accidents. If your kitchen cupboards are starting to crack, peel, or chip in the corners it’s time to replace them.

2. Ageing Hardware

A close up picture of handles attached to wooden kitchen drawers and cupboards.

Take a moment to close your eyes and picture your dream kitchen. Maybe you have a gorgeous island that fits the whole family, or a double-wide oven and walk-in pantry the size of a small bedroom. Everybody’s dream is different.

Now, think about opening and closing one of your cupboards in your dream kitchen. The handle fits nicely in your hand, and the hinges use that convenient soft close technology all the new homes are using these days. There is no squeaking, creaking, or loosening.

Realistically, hinges and handles will start to loosen and rust over time, no matter how many times you screw them tighter or WD-40 them. If your kitchen hardware is showing these signs of ageing, it may be time to look into updating.

3. Water Damage and Mould

The most sinister sign that your kitchen cabinetry needs replacing is water damage and mould because they are dangerous to your health and safety. Depending on where you live, the most common cause of water damage and mould changes.

If you live in a dry climate, the most common cause of water damage and mould is usually steam from cooking and broken plumbing.

However, if you live in a tropical climate, rain and external humidity speed up the water damage and moulding process. To combat this, it’s a good idea to speak to a professional cabinet maker to discuss how to design and install high-quality kitchen cabinetry that uses the best waterproofing technology.

4. Updated Appliances

An image of a kitchen sink and bench accessorised with utensils, a fruit bowl and oven mitt.

Perhaps it’s been 10 years and your cabinetry is still in good knick, but it’s a bit outdated and your appliances are starting to fail. That’s as good a reason as any to renovate your kitchen space.

Updating appliances will only modernise your kitchen so much. If you’re already shopping for a new fridge or oven, take the time to look at new kitchen designs too.

Pinterest offers a wide range of kitchen remodelling inspiration pictures, so we recommend creating a board full of your favourite designs to take to your professional cabinet maker.

5. Functionality

Functionality is key to making your kitchen a place you want to spend time in. Beyond ageing and aesthetics, your kitchen must be accessible and perfectly suited to your needs.

Maybe the previous owners of your home may have had different needs to you, and suddenly your cupboard doors are opening the wrong way and your drawers aren’t opening properly because your egg flip doesn’t fit.

If you find yourself getting frustrated with your kitchen’s functionality, it’s time to change it up.

Benefits of Custom Cabinetry

A professional cabinet maker will be able to help you customise a space that looks and feels as fantastic as it functions. They will also be able to guide you towards the best materials to work with depending on your climate, lighting, and level of usage.

Here at Madera Cabinetry, we pride ourselves on our high-quality work and unique custom designs. Contact us at 0422 784 430 or fill out our contact form today to organise a free consultation.