Cabinetry makeovers help environment too

“Cabinets: Should they stay or should they go?” is one of the first questions homeowners ask themselves when remodeling the kitchen.

Recycling the old cabinets is smart from an environmental standpoint. It’s also a good way to save thousands of dollars.

The July issue of Better Homes and Gardens shows one way existing cabinets can be modified to update their look. Upper cabinets flanking the sink were replaced with shelves for a less predictable and more open look.

Other possibilities, many from the spring issue of Kitchen Makeovers, a special-interest publication of BH&G, are:

* Have a carpenter build a new cabinet that matches existing ones. Sometimes adding a base cabinet or a new upper cabinet can make a huge difference in how well the kitchen functions.

* Paint the cabinets and substitute new hardware.

* Jazz up uninspired cabinetry by adding architectural interest — perhaps ornamental under-cabinet brackets, legs or crown molding.

* Substitute glass-front doors for solid doors to showcase serving pieces or interesting glassware.

* Remove cabinet doors altogether and transform the cabinet into shelves for cookbooks, plate racks or wine racks.