Easy Ways To Update Your Kitchen Cabinets – Want to give your old or factory-grade cabinets a designer look without the high price tag? Instead of ripping it out and replacing it before you spend a fortune, try these tricks to create a custom, high-end look on a DIYers budget. Most of these things can be fixed on your own in a long weekend!
We are currently in the process of building a Hacienda Hideaway kitchen and I have spent the last year collecting dream inspiration to take my design to the next level. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the best ideas I’ve come across. I have included almost all of them in my upcoming plans.
Easy Ways To Update Your Kitchen Cabinets
No disclosure here – a fresh coat of paint is always the best value for your money. Most cabinet surfaces can be repainted with a high quality primer and specialty paint. I’ve had great results with Benjamin Moore Advance and Sherwin Williams Urethane Enamel, both designed for cabinets and recommended by experts/DIYers.
Easy Ways To Revamp Your Kitchen
If you don’t want a complete color change, try painting just the upper, lower or island cabinets. Adding a second color adds interest. and helps keep the space from feeling too one-dimensional. Even a few shades lighter or darker than your existing cabinets will give your kitchen a more unique feel.
Check out my detailed guide to professional paint booths. And the color strength of my paint roller test results cannot be emphasized enough!
Quick fixes that can dramatically improve the look of your cabinets Hardware is the ‘jewelry’ of your kitchen. So you can add some flair here!
Today there are endless options at every price point. Suitable for every design style. This is one area where you don’t have to spend money on something that looks classy and feels luxurious. Websites like Amazon, Lowe’s and Home Depot, and even Etsy have a wide selection of inexpensive cabinet hardware. (This is the top choice. Mine on a limited budget)
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Options 1 and 3 are the easiest. But this limits your replacement options. Option 2 requires some extra work You can choose a solid handlebar like this to cover old holes.
Pro Tip: Use a cabinet hardware jig to drill perfect holes and save time! We are using this for our upcoming hardware installation:
This is the biggest investment. (both time and $) on this list, however you may find it necessary to make the biggest impact. If you are happy with the overall style of your kitchen, there are old or damaged doors. You should consider giving the cabinet a new look.
There are many companies (both local and online) that can make custom cabinet doors and drawer fronts to fit your existing cabinets. You can upgrade drawer doors with a few additional modifications. They tend to use space more efficiently.
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We are working with Nieu cabinet doors to renovate our Hacienda kitchen and so far the process has been very straightforward. Door installation will begin this week. You can follow along on my Instagram story!
If replacing all the cabinet doors/drawer fronts is not possible try improving it with molding. This is one of my favorite easy DIY tricks for any size door. (See my easy DIY door upgrade tutorial)
This process is perfect for flat-bottom or shaker-style doors. When you want to take it to the next level we’ve upgraded our shaker cabinet doors with slim moldings to give them an enhanced, custom look. Details are magic!
You can also experiment with other types of molding, such as grooves, like we did with these DIY grooved Ikea cabinet doors below:
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Another idea to consider: add molding along the bottom edges of cabinet boxes for a more polished look.
Cabinet termination is another opportunity. An (often overlooked) way to customize your kitchen can be a simple DIY using molding. or a thin covering panel such as bead board.
Islands are To add detail and help define a room’s style, in our Hacienda kitchen, we chose to cover the cabinets on both sides and vertically:
You can make a statement with a pattern behind the island using wallpaper or tiles:
Update Kitchen Cabinets Without Replacing Them By Adding Trim
This custom detail was at the top of our Hacienda Hideaway kitchen wish list After gathering inspiration on Pinterest, we came up with a curved and forged kick-toe design for our cabinets. (Full tutorial coming soon!)
Most people don’t know that there are alternatives to the standard toe kick box. And this is one of the reasons for their expression. Which is very hard to find! You will find it if you study projects from leading interior designers. This kitchen from Warmington & North was a huge inspiration for our kick-ass design:
In our own kitchen we added individual stands under the cabinets. This is the easiest way to get dressed.
In our Riverside Retreat kitchen, we installed flush faucets. It only requires an additional 2×4″ block to extend the face of the toe kick. And ends with a quarter round.
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These non-standard options will make your cabinets look more like built-in furniture. And create a sense of deliberate and thoughtful design.
If you have enough covered storage space, and love the idea of displaying your favorite food or drink containers? Consider replacing your upper cabinets with open shelves instead.
We chose an entire wall of open shelves in our own kitchen. And I love that our daily meals are easy to access. Although our kitchen is not very large and we could use some extra hidden storage space, the open shelves make the space feel larger. And cabinets have more personality than walls
I also chose this route for my Riverside Retreat kitchen, replacing the old upper cabinets with two sets of shelves.
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An easy choice A more practical (and less permanent) solution for open shelves is to remove the doors from the upper cabinets to give an ‘open’ feel I like the idea of painting the boxes the same color as the walls. To make it look more harmonious and feel less like a cabinet. You can have more fun by adding wallpapers. Or even peel and stick tiles to the back wall.
Here is another option to remove the top cabinet door: replace it with glass! It also allows you to display your favorite dishes without getting dusty yet. A local glass company should be able to repair your existing door and replace the interior panels with glass. (Floor doors may require additional customization)
Don’t hesitate to get creative and consider using reed glass. Use leaded glass or stained glass or a mullion shaped glass plate. Take it a step further with unique options like wicker straps, wire mesh or antique glass mirrors.
It’s a great place to add your own personal style to the kitchen and try new things.
Easy Ways To Transform Your Kitchen
The space above the top cabinets is one of my biggest design pet peeves. But luckily it’s a relatively easy fix! Filling that space instantly makes the room look taller and more finished.
There are many ways to go about this. And there are tons of great before/after tutorials online. The fastest solution depends on space framing. Installing filler pieces, crown molding and painting to match your existing cabinets.
While you’re at it, consider creating an area around your refrigerator that covers the bare sides of your refrigerator to instantly brighten up your kitchen.
This is my personal favorite kitchen design tip. I use two vintage pieces in our kitchen. This log cabin has drinks, a microwave and a toaster:
Three Easy Ways To Update Your Kitchen
Vintage pieces can be easily renewed to your taste. (both of my pieces) and generally less expensive than cabinetry. They add a lot of character and will set your kitchen apart from builder-level basics.
I try to include at least one antique in every room. And kitchens are no exception, at Riverside Retreat, I found a used kitchen table for $50, painted it, and put it on wheels. And make it a moving island:
Consider replacing your cabinets (upper or lower) with something old, or if space allows, add an old hutch.
And there you have it, 10 designer-approved ways to give your kitchen cabinets a makeover. If you have any favorites? Hopefully this has inspired you to get creative with your existing cabinets if you don’t have the will or budget to replace them. You may be surprised at the small difference it can make!
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As we continue to develop our Hacienda kitchen cabinets, I’ll be checking in on our progress next week on Instagram Stories: New Landscapes at the Heights House!
Hello, my name is Jenna. I have been designing and DIYing homes since 2008. Join me as I learn. Share my experiences and I hope to support/inspire you along the way!
Get my most popular DIY beginner tutorials. This can be done with limited equipment and a budget. (In one weekend!) The story of how I transformed my kitchen using paint. It was old when we moved in. And I have no money
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