Refurbishing a Small Kitchen
A small kitchen of up to 10 doors and drawer fronts costs €700 to €1,000 to respray. New doors, drawer fronts and a laminate worktop on the same units start near €1,350. In a small room, colour, handles and light do more than in a large one, so the least costly changes go furthest.
Five changes that make a small kitchen feel bigger, and the cost.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
- €700 to €1,000a respray
- €1,350doors and a laminate worktop, from near
- 1 to 2 daysfor the doors
What makes a small kitchen feel bigger
- One pale colour on every door, wall units and base units alike.
- Slab or handleless doors. Fewer lines.
- A worktop that runs into the upstand in the same material.
- Lights under the wall units. A dark worktop is what makes a galley feel narrow.
- One open shelf or glass door where a wall unit ends, so the run doesn't stop dead.
What a small kitchen costs
| Job | Typical cost | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Doors resprayed, small kitchen, up to 10 doors and drawer fronts | €700 to €1,000 | Door count, the finish that's on them now |
| New doors, drawer fronts and a worktop on your units | €1,350 to €5,000 | How many doors, and laminate against stone for the worktop |
| Laminate worktop, fitted | €800 to €2,000 | €50 to €100 a metre. Fitted in a day |
| New handles and soft-close hinges | €150 to €450 | How many doors, filling old handle holes |
Ask for the written price to say what's included, and whether VAT is in it.
Galleys and apartments
A galley has short runs, so it's the quickest kitchen to refurbish: often a day for the doors. In an apartment, check with the management company about working hours and the lift before doors and a worktop are delivered.
When a small kitchen should be replaced instead
If it has too few units to begin with, new doors won't fix it. A new small fitted kitchen in the same layout is €4,500 to €10,000. For a changed layout, see kitchenredesign.ie.
Every guide, calculator and county page
Jump straight to any specification guide, our interactive calculator, the technical glossary or your county page.
Price & Specification Guides
Calculator, FAQ & Glossary
More on refurbishing a kitchen
Costs, doors, worktops and timing.
What it costsFrom a €700 respray to €5,000 for doors and a worktop.
Replacement doorsMade to measure for your units, from €48 a door.
A new worktopLaminate €800 to €2,000. Quartz €2,200 to €4,800.
Refurbish or replace?Five checks on the units you have.
The small partsHandles and soft-close hinges, €150 to €450.
Ten changes, by costWhat makes the most difference for the least.Kitchen refurbishment in every county
- Carlow44% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Cavan50% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Clare42% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Cork38% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Donegal48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Dublin32% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Galway48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Kerry42% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Kildare48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Kilkenny41% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Laois50% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Leitrim48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Limerick39% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Longford47% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Louth41% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Mayo43% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Meath48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Monaghan39% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Offaly42% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Roscommon44% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Sligo43% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Tipperary39% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Waterford40% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Westmeath46% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Wexford48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Wicklow37% of homes built 1991 to 2010
Price your refurbishment
Four taps: the doors, the worktop, the size and any extras. You see our price guide for it. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want one kitchen company that covers your county to ring you.
Questions people ask
How long does a small kitchen take?
A day or two for doors. One more for a laminate worktop.
Is it worth putting stone in a small kitchen?
It costs less than in a large one, because there's less of it. Short runs often need no joint at all.
Can wall units be made taller?
Not by refurbishing. That's new units.
Get a price to refurbish your kitchen
One kitchen company that covers your county. Free, no obligation. Nothing is ordered until you accept a written price.