How To Update Kitchen Cabinets

How To Update Kitchen Cabinets – My mother has a kitchen that was built in the early 2000s and is very nice, but it is now about 20 years old and is starting to look a little dated. I had a small tile left over from my bathroom renovation and asked if I would like to redo her backsplash. She loved the idea! The idea quickly came to mind and I asked her if she wanted the entire kitchen refreshed. She agreed, but on one condition – no paint! So I came up with a few ideas on how I could modernize her kitchen without painting the cabinets!

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Don’t get me wrong, when I first talked to my mom about this revival, the first thing I said was, “How about a new coat of paint?”? However, she didn’t want to paint the wooden cabinets. I suggested painting the top, painting the island, different colors, anything I could think of to break up a piece of wood. (I still think it would look great to paint at least a few old kitchen cabinets.)

How To Update Dark Kitchen

My mother’s kitchen was previously made of dark stained maple, was built in the early 2000s and was in good condition.

The existing wooden cabinets were very nice and in good condition and have a lovely wood tone. Unlike some wood cabinets that can have an orange tone, these were a nice deep brown. She said she was concerned about the durability of the painted cabinets.

(You know, but she knows I did it right after I painted her laundry room cabinets!)

I respected her opinion and told her that with a few fresh little updates we could give the kitchen a completely new look without taking on a major project. We did that!

Rental Kitchen Update: How To Convert Existing Cabinets Into Open Shelving • Grillo Designs

The first thing I experienced in my mother’s kitchen was the backlash. It was made of travertine and glass tiles and consisted of several different shapes. Overall, he didn’t like the black work surfaces or the deep wooden cabinets. To add some contrast and brighten things up, we decided to remove it and replace it with some clean, modern white tiles.

My mom’s backsplash used to be several different shapes of beige tiles that didn’t match the cabinets or counters at all.

I think if you have dark wood cabinets, the best way to complement them is with white or lots of light colors. Simple white tiles like subway tiles are always a classic choice. My mom’s countertops didn’t go well with this beige background!

In this post I wrote all about backsplash replacement. If you’re looking to update your kitchen, a new backsplash can be inexpensive to make and is a great place to start for a fresh look. I can’t believe the end result, the huge difference behind it is incredible!

Updating Kitchen Cabinets

My mom’s pendant lights weren’t bad, but as I mentioned in Step 1, adding large amounts of white was key, so I asked her if she could replace her pendant lights with new lights with white shades. She got tired of keeping the clear glass of her old mounts clean and seemed to agree to it immediately!

The new faucets were really cheap finds from Amazon. They had a big influence on the overall look of the kitchen design and the back was kept in white.

Kitchen hardware makes a huge difference to the look and feel of a kitchen! We found these handles on Amazon and paired them with these knobs from Battle Creek Hardware. Replacing the hardware wasn’t a big deal and really breathed new life into the old cabinets.

If you want to update your kitchen cabinets, try out the new hardware first! I can’t believe the difference between the new cabinet pulls and knobs. We tried a few different hardware patterns and finally settled on Amazon and the buttons (generously gifted!) from Battle Creek Hardware!

Painting Kitchen Cabinets White

I love warm metals like brass, gold and copper with wooden cabinets. In my opinion, cool-toned metals like stainless steel and chrome don’t go well with wood.

If you are not painting, you should pay attention to the hole spacing of the existing cabinets and be sure to order hardware that fits the existing holes.

This is an update you can’t see, but you can definitely feel it. My mother’s closet doors had standard hinges that closed when closed, and we purchased this very simple device that turns any old hinged closet door into a soft close door. This went a long way in giving my mother’s kitchen an upscale, more personalized feel.

Never underestimate the power of fresh designs and new accessories! It’s an easy way to modernize any room and give it a fresh, clean look.

How To Update A Kitchen Without A Total Gut Rehab

I didn’t want to take away functionality from her kitchen, so I made sure to use functional styling pieces and things she already had. Her kitchen had several different areas, such as a coffee area, a toaster area, and a stove space, so I thought about a functional design in each of these rooms.

To the right of the stove, I placed her existing toaster on a tray and added a couple of butter knives and a dutch oven with butter storage.

Styling Hack – If you have a mess, it’s always a good idea to keep it on a tray. This makes things seem deliberate and composed instead of chaotic! (butter, butter knife and a toaster) by intentionally placing them on the appropriate trays.

In the coffee area, we removed excess equipment and only kept a coffee maker and brought some canisters to store coffee and tea. My sister made them for her, but this one and this one are similar.

Kitchen Hardware Diy Project: How To Update Your Traditional Kitchen Cabinets With A Modern Twist

To the left of the stove I have already added some functional decorative pieces such as oil and vinegar for her as well as a raised wooden base with a small plant.

We hung a small piece of art on the wall using command strips, added a large vintage mixing bowl for fruit, and a raised tray to house the oil and vinegar next to the stove.

We also brought it here, along with a small piece of art hanging from a command bar on the tile and a large fruit bowl that belonged to my grandmother!

I encourage you to look at your home before purchasing anything new – my mother already had almost all of these in her closet. Buying your home and moving things around is an inexpensive way to give any room you’re working on a new look.

How To Update Kitchen Cabinets On A Budget

The biggest problem in my mother’s kitchen was that there was only wood and brown tones. The floor, cabinets, pantry door and back wall were brown. Although she didn’t want to paint the cabinets, she agreed to repaint the pantry door to loosen up all the wood. I painted it the color of the Benjamin Moore Olympic Mountains wall.

My mother has had the same bowel movements since I was in high school. I won’t say how long ago…but let’s just say it was a long time ago. I bought a few inexpensive stools that we could customize and wrote all about adding new fabric to the chair here.

Changing out the bar stools gave the back of the island a fresh look and helped tie the room to the adjacent living room with this blue rug. If you have space for seating in your kitchen, consider updating the stool!

Here are the results of my mom’s little kitchen remodel! I think the little changes we made made a big difference. The best thing about this design was how cost effective it was. Let’s break it down:

Our Kitchen Update

The sources for the things we bought are listed above, and here are some links to some similar items for things she already had:

How to close kitchen drawers smoothly without changing the hinges! This works on any cabinet type and is such an easy and quick upgrade!

Since the Week 5 post was canceled, there is a lot to do this week! Last week’s post was about furniture, and this week’s post was about textiles – so I’ll be combining them this week.

Goodbye! If you’ve browsed through the One Room Challenge website, welcome! I’m very happy that you’re joining me for a little insight into the project I’m tackling for the Fall 2020 One Room Challenge! This is the third time I have participated in the One Room Challenge and it is very…