If you're renovating your kitchen, you can make some amazing changes with the old cabinets. In fact, instead of sending your old base cabinets to the landfill, you can repurpose them into a buffet table and bring a completely new flavor to your space. This guide gives you six steps to convert the cabinets that your home improvement contractor takes out of your kitchen into a buffet table for your dining room.

Step 1: Collect Your Materials and Tools

Gather the following materials before you begin your project:

• base cabinets
• tarp
• sandpaper
• drill
• small drill bit
• furniture Feet (4 per cabinet)
• paint or stain
• a paint brush
• a vacuum cleaner with attachments
• a handheld vacuum

Step 2: Lay Down the Tarp

Lay down a tarp in your workspace because this project will create some mess. If you have to use two pieces of tarp, make sure they overlap well so that your floor isn't exposed.

Step 3: Sand the Old Paint or Stain Off the Cabinets

Sand the cabinets you are using since they probably don't match the new space you'll be using them in. Make sure to sand inside the cabinet doors as well so that the old paint doesn't show when you open them. Depending on how many cabinets you're using or how big they are, you may need a few pieces of sandpaper to complete this step.

Step 4: Clean Up Sawdust

Clean up the sawdust created from sanding by picking up the tarp and dumping the sawdust in the trash. Vacuum any sawdust that landed on the outside of the tarp. Remove the sawdust inside the cabinets with the vacuum cleaner attachments, or a hand vacuum. This is an important step to prevent bits of sawdust from attaching themselves to the paint, therefore ruining the paint job.

Step 4: Paint or Stain the Cabinets

Paint or stain the cabinet to match the space in which you will be using it. All wood takes paint differently, so let each coat dry thoroughly to judge if the paint color looks the way you want. Don't be afraid to add more coats of paint. Your buffet will be a major part of the room, so you want the color to be perfect.

Step 5: Attach the Legs

Insert the drill bit into the drill. Dill a small hole in the bottom four corners of the cabinet. Then screw in the legs. If you are using more than one base cabinet, repeat this step on it as well.

Use the same counter that was on the cabinet in the kitchen for the top of the buffet or ask your contractor to get you something brand new. Decorate your buffet anyway you like to match the décor of your dining room. Ask your remodeling contractor for other ideas on ways to reuse the cabinets he or she is removing from your kitchen. They may have had other customers who have come up with some pretty unique ideas.

For more information about kitchen remodeling, contact a company like G & L Services.