Another long day at work is finally over. You go home, take off your coat and prepare to cook dinner. You grab a few things out of the refrigerator, and as you lean down to pull out a pot, you get a real close look at your cabinets. They’re starting to look tired these days, real tired. You can’t afford to replace them, but with a little bit of money and some elbow grease, you can certainly give them a facelift. Here are some ideas.

Revive the finish

Are your cabinets stained or painted? If they are stained, take a good look at the finish. Is it in relatively good condition? If so and you like the color, leave it be and give the cabinets a good cleaning. See a little bit of damage or want to spice things up? Add a glaze on top of the finish. Don’t like the color at all but like the look of stain? Sand them down and apply a different color of varnish. Keep in mind that this last step will involve some work.

Paint is another option and can do wonders in transforming the look of kitchen cabinets. There are numerous colors and sheens available, and many faux finishing techniques to boot. You can turn a tired cabinet into an instant work of art with just a few quarts of paint and some specialty brushes. Read up on the various techniques, consult some color guides and give paint a whirl.

Opt for new doors

If the finish on your cabinet doors is in such poor condition that new stain or paint won’t help, you might want to consider replacing them. Many stores carry new cabinet doors for less than you might think. Of course, you will need a certain size of door, and if it is not standard size, you might have to custom order new doors, which could increase the cost.

Depending upon your budget, you may even be able to have the new doors stained or painted at the factory, saving you even more time and money. Once they come in, all you’ll have to do is install them.

Add some trim

If your cabinets are rather plain, you can dress them up with trim. Many types are available from crown molding for the cabinet tops to rope molding for the cabinet door fronts to chunky baseboards for the cabinet bases. Shop around and find out what will work best for your situation.

Depending upon what you select, you could install it in a day or so. All you need to do is cut the pieces to size and adhere them to the cabinets with glue or nails. Paint or stain them beforehand, and all you will have to do is fill in any nail holes and paint or stain them to match.

Change out the inserts

Got a special collection of plates, teapots, pitchers or glassware you would really like to showcase? Select a cabinet to put them in, remove the doors and have the inserts replaced with glass. Don’t have anything to display but like the look of glass? Opt for frosted glass in a few of your cabinet doors.

Rather not have glass? Consider using chicken wire or remove the doors completely for an open shelved look. You can wallpaper or paint the cabinet interior and shelves to make your collection really pop. Not into the open look? Leave the inserts be and apply some wallpaper or metallic sheeting to them. Or go ahead and remove the doors and hang up a curtain.

Replace the hardware

Nothing can update kitchen cabinetry more than new hardware. There are so many styles to choose from in a number of finishes ranging from burnished bronze to polished chrome to iron black. You can also shop flea markets and antique shops for antique handles and pulls.

To create less work, consider purchasing the same size of handles and pulls. That way, you can use the existing holes and won’t have to make new holes and fill in the old ones.

New kitchen cabinetry is not always an option for homeowners. Fortunately, there are many less inexpensive ways to give your old cabinets a fresh look. Try some of the tips above, ask around and see what else you can come up with.