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When deciding between stripping or sanding kitchen cabinets, the short answer is it depends on the condition of your cabinets and your end goal for them. If the cabinets are in fairly good condition and don’t have several layers of paint on them, sanding is a good option. On the other hand, older cabinets with more blemishes or marks will benefit from paint stripping, since it will give any future finishes a clean slate.

Whether it’s better to stain or paint old cabinets depends on your situation, as each option has pros and cons. Paint offers a smooth, modern look, while stain highlights the natural wood grain for a charming, rustic look. Painting cabinets may cost about 15% more than staining cabinets. While paint tends to be more durable against damage because of its thick coating, stained cabinets hide inevitable dings and scratches better than paint.

You can modernize an old-looking closet by just painting it, but beyond that, consider electric elements like recessed or accent lighting. If this is a large and deep closet, you can consider adding an island to the middle or a nice ottoman on a rug. Luxury closets will have even more items, like felt-lined drawers for watches and jewelry, in-wall safes, electronic shoe storage, or a tablet catalog of their items.

Liquid sandpaper is a solvent used to soften existing layers of paint and make them porous enough that you can effectively apply a new coat of paint. You rub the liquid sandpaper on, wait for it to work, and wipe it off—no literal sanding is involved. Liquid sandpaper can save time and is helpful if parts of the cabinet are hard to reach with standard sandpaper. However, like paint stripper, liquid sandpaper creates dangerous fumes and must be used with care indoors. And unlike sanding, it can’t fix any scratches or dings in your cabinets.