Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers: 14 Before and After Ideas That Look Like a Brand New Kitchen
Kitchen cabinet makeovers are the best value home project there is. New cabinets can cost more than a car, but most of the change people notice comes from paint, hardware and a few smart tweaks. One homeowner featured on MSN this month saved about ten thousand dollars by painting her tired, orange toned cabinets instead of replacing them and the kitchen looked brand new. The secret is that cabinets cover most of the wall space, so whatever you do to them changes the whole room. Below are fourteen ideas, from a soft sage green paint job to glass inserts, open shelves and under cabinet lights. Some take a weekend, some take an hour, and all of them can make your kitchen feel like a fresh start before the holidays..
Sage Green Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers With Brass Accents
Sage green is the color everyone wants right now, and it is a forgiving shade that hides fingerprints. Clean the doors well, scuff sand them, prime with a bonding primer and roll on two thin coats of a durable cabinet enamel in a soft gray green. Pair it with warm brass hardware and a brass faucet if you can, and the kitchen suddenly looks custom. Keep a window open and a fan running while you paint, and let each coat cure fully. Would you be brave enough to go green..
You will need: Degreaser, sandpaper (220 grit), a bonding primer, cabinet enamel paint in sage green, a small foam roller, an angled brush, painter’s tape, drop cloths.
How to make it: 1. Remove doors and hardware, label each piece and degrease everything. 2. Scuff sand, wipe clean and prime. 3. Roll two thin coats of enamel, letting each dry as the can says, then rehang with new hardware.
Paint Dated Oak Cabinets a Crisp White
Golden oak from the nineties is the most common cabinet in America, and among kitchen cabinet makeovers, a crisp white paint job is the most dramatic fix. The grain on oak can show through, so many DIYers use a grain filler first for a smooth, modern finish. White cabinets bounce light around the room and make a small kitchen feel bigger. Add warm gold or brass knobs to keep it from feeling cold. It is a slow weekend project, but the before and after is the kind people share. Are your cabinets begging for a change?
You will need: Degreaser, sandpaper, grain filler (optional), a putty knife, bonding primer, white cabinet enamel, a foam roller, a brush.
How to make it: 1. Clean and sand the doors, then spread grain filler and sand smooth. 2. Prime with a stain blocking bonding primer so the oak tone does not bleed through. 3. Paint two or three thin coats and let them cure for several days before heavy use.
Two Tone Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers
A two tone look keeps light colors up high and a deeper color down low, where scuffs and kicks happen. Paint the uppers white or cream and the lowers a moody blue, charcoal or green. A wood island or open shelf ties both shades together. This trick makes ceilings feel taller and gives the kitchen a designer look without buying a single new door. It is also a great way to try a bold color without committing the whole room. Which color would you put on the bottom?
You will need: Two cabinet paint colors, primer, sandpaper, foam rollers, an angled brush, painter’s tape, drop cloths.
How to make it: 1. Prep and prime all doors and boxes. 2. Paint the upper cabinets the light color and the lowers the deeper color. 3. Tape off where the colors meet on side panels for a clean line.
Soft Sage Lowers With White Walls
If a full green kitchen feels like too much, try a soft sage only on the lower cabinets and keep the walls and range hood white. The result is calm, airy and very cottage style. Add a round wood table and simple open shelves, and the room feels like a country kitchen in a magazine. This is also one of the easiest kitchen cabinet makeovers to do in stages: paint the lowers this weekend and decide about the uppers later. What would make your kitchen feel calmer?
You will need: Sage cabinet paint, primer, sandpaper, a foam roller, a brush, painter’s tape, new knobs if you like.
How to make it: 1. Remove the lower doors and drawer fronts and prep them. 2. Prime and paint two thin coats of sage. 3. Paint the cabinet boxes in place, then rehang the doors.
Swap Small Knobs for Long Brass Pulls in Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers
Hardware is the jewelry of the kitchen, and it is the fastest upgrade on this list. Swap tiny round knobs for long bar pulls in brushed brass or matte black and the cabinets instantly look more expensive. Measure the distance between the old screw holes first, or plan to fill old holes with wood filler and drill new ones with a template. Long pulls are also easier to grab with full hands. This little change can be done in one afternoon. Would you choose brass, black or nickel?
You will need: New pulls, a measuring tape, a cabinet hardware template, a drill, wood filler, sandpaper, touch up paint.
How to make it: 1. Measure the old hole spacing and buy pulls that match, or fill the old holes. 2. Use a template to mark new holes and drill carefully (adult help). 3. Screw on the pulls and check that they line up across the run.
Slim Tab Pulls for a Sleek Modern Look
For kitchen cabinet makeovers with a clean, modern style, try tab pulls that sit on the top edge of drawers and doors. They almost disappear, so the cabinet fronts look smooth and simple. Brass tabs on soft white or light green fronts look especially elegant. They are a smart choice for flat slab doors that look plain with big handles. Most tab pulls attach with two small screws from behind, so installing them is quick. Would you like your cabinets to look more modern or more classic?
You will need: Tab pulls, a measuring tape, a pencil, a drill with a small bit, a screwdriver.
How to make it: 1. Mark the center of each drawer or door top edge. 2. Drill pilot holes from the back as the pull directions show. 3. Screw the tabs on and test each drawer.
Add Glass Inserts to Upper Doors
Glass front doors are one of the prettiest kitchen cabinet makeovers. They make a kitchen feel lighter and give you a spot to show off pretty dishes. On shaker style doors, you can carefully cut out the center panel with a router or jigsaw, then set in glass or clear acrylic from behind with glazing clips. Many people let a local glass shop cut the panels to size. Only convert one or two doors near a window for a custom look. This is a job for an adult with the right tools, so take your time. Which dishes would you put on display?
You will need: Shaker style doors, a router or jigsaw, sandpaper, glass or acrylic panels cut to size, glazing clips or clear silicone, safety glasses and gloves.
How to make it: 1. Mark the inside edge of the door frame and cut out the center panel (adult only, with eye protection). 2. Sand the opening smooth and paint it. 3. Set the glass in from the back and secure it with clips.
Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers With Open Shelving
Removing a few upper doors is the cheapest makeover of all. Take the doors off one run of cabinets, fill the hinge holes, paint the inside a fresh color and suddenly you have open shelving. It works best near the stove or sink, where you can display the dishes you use every day. Keep it styled with matching plates, a few cookbooks and a plant. If you miss the doors, just put them back. Which cabinet in your kitchen would look better open?
You will need: A screwdriver, wood filler, sandpaper, primer, paint for the interior, a small roller.
How to make it: 1. Remove the doors and hinges and store them safely. 2. Fill the hinge holes, sand smooth and prime. 3. Paint the inside a contrast color and style the shelves.
Floating Shelves Instead of Upper Cabinets
If one wall of upper cabinets feels heavy, replace them with a pair of chunky wood shelves on black brackets. The wall opens up, the room feels bigger and you get a perfect place for pots, spices and a plant. Use solid wood boards and heavy duty brackets screwed into studs so the shelves can hold real weight. This is one of the kitchen cabinet makeovers that photographers love because it looks so warm. What would you put on your shelves first?
You will need: Solid wood boards, wood stain, heavy duty shelf brackets, a stud finder, a level, a drill, long screws.
How to make it: 1. Stain the boards and let them dry. 2. Find the studs and mount the brackets level (adult help). 3. Set the boards on top and screw them to the brackets from below.
Give the Island a Furniture Look
A plain island box looks like a built in cabinet; a wood island looks like a piece of furniture. Wrap the sides in wood panels or paint the island a warm walnut tone, then add bun feet or chunky legs at the corners. Bar stools in wood or rattan finish the look. A furniture style island pulls the eye to the middle of the room and makes everything else look newer. It is one of the smartest kitchen cabinet makeovers if your counters stay but your cabinets look dull. Would your island look better in wood or a bold color?
You will need: Wood panels or a wood look paint technique, construction adhesive, finishing nails, bun feet or legs, wood stain, a sander.
How to make it: 1. Measure and cut panels for each side of the island. 2. Glue and nail them on, then sand the edges. 3. Stain or paint, and attach feet or corner legs (adult help with tools).
Under Cabinet Lighting for a Glow
Under cabinet lights are one of the cheapest kitchen cabinet makeovers with the biggest wow. Plug in or battery LED strips stick under the upper cabinets or shelves and wash the backsplash in a soft glow. They make counters easier to work on and the kitchen feels like a high end showroom at night. Choose a warm white color so the light feels cozy. Hide the strips near the front edge so you do not see the bulbs. Have you ever noticed how good a kitchen looks with lights under the cabinets?
You will need: LED light strips or battery puck lights, adhesive clips, a measuring tape, alcohol wipes, scissors made for cutting strips.
How to make it: 1. Clean the underside of the cabinets with alcohol wipes. 2. Measure and cut the strips at the marked lines. 3. Stick them near the front edge and tuck the cord along the back.
Bold Teal Lowers With White Uppers
If you love color, paint the lower cabinets a deep teal or navy and keep the upper cabinets white. It is cheerful, bold and still classic, especially with a white counter and gold or brass hardware. Deep colors also hide scuffs on lower doors where feet and pets bump them. Try a sample board first and look at it in morning and evening light, because dark colors change a lot. Would your family vote for teal, navy or forest green?
You will need: Cabinet paint in a deep color, white cabinet paint, primer, sandpaper, rollers and brushes, sample boards.
How to make it: 1. Paint sample boards and test them in your kitchen for a day. 2. Prep and prime all doors. 3. Paint the lowers the bold color and the uppers white.
Paint the Inside of a Glass Cabinet
Here is a designer secret: paint the inside back of a glass cabinet a contrasting color. A soft pink, sage or navy back wall makes white dishes pop and turns an ordinary cabinet into a display case. You can also use peel and stick wallpaper for a pattern that is easy to remove later. Add a battery puck light at the top for extra glow. Of all the kitchen cabinet makeovers here, it costs the least: a sample pot of paint and an hour of time. Which color would make your dishes shine?
You will need: A sample pot of paint or peel and stick wallpaper, a small brush, painter’s tape, a battery puck light.
How to make it: 1. Empty the cabinet and clean the back panel. 2. Tape the edges and paint two coats or apply the wallpaper. 3. Add the light and set your dishes back in place.
Soft Gray Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers for a Calm Look
If white feels too stark and green feels too bold, try a soft gray. It is calm, modern and pairs with almost every countertop. A gray kitchen looks fresh with a white island and simple black or nickel pulls. Because gray hides small marks, it is a favorite for busy families. As with every cabinet paint job, good prep and thin coats are the secret to a finish that lasts. For more budget ideas, see our hide kitchen eyesores tricks, and the original money saving story on MSN Lifestyle. Which gray would you pick?
You will need: Gray cabinet enamel, primer, sandpaper, a foam roller, a brush, new pulls, painter’s tape.
How to make it: 1. Clean, sand and prime all doors and frames. 2. Roll two thin coats of gray. 3. Let the paint cure, then add new pulls and rehang the doors.
