Cabinet refacing can breathe new life into old cabinets and bring an out-of-date home into the 21st century. But, who says you can't think out-of-the-box when tackling this fun and exciting project?

Most people take one of two standard approaches when refacing cabinets:

• Replacing just the doors, drawers, and hardware
• Replacing the doors--then, painting, restaining, or covering the cases with complementary laminates

However, using glass when refacing cabinets can bring a touch of class to your cabinets--and your home.

Think Glass for Special Cabinets

Here's where and how to use glass cabinets effectively:

1. For safety's sake, use them mostly when refacing cabinets above counter height.
2. If need be, rearrange your cabinet contents to consolidate your prettiest dishes and stemware on one wall, in diagonal corner cabinets, or where they will be most visible from the dining room.
3. To visually open up a small kitchen, install in-cabinet lighting in some or all glass-doored cabinets.
4. Even refacing one door with glass and internal lighting to display a spectacular platter or tureen can add drama to your kitchen.
5. Consider all your glass options when refacing cabinets. Choose between doors with muntins (small wood separators,), single panes of antique, textured, or even stained glass, or doors entirely made of glass.
6. Glass is easy to maintain. Get a squeegee smaller than the smallest pane. Add just three or four drops of glass cleaner to a gallon of water (you don't want suds.) Keep one edge of the squeegee on dry glass to avoid streaks. It's easier than cleaning and polishing wood!
7. For safety, get tempered glass so that any breakage won't leave jagged edges.

Sparkling glass adds an upbeat note to your kitchen. It bounces the light--a special advantage if your kitchen feels too dark. It also goes with any style, from country to Craftsman to contemporary. So, include some glass in your cabinet refacing project.