Many homeowners are disheartened when they’re kitchen starts looking outdated. The prospects of a remodel are often out of reach, budget-wise, making them feel stuck with their current look. What’s more, if you’re thinking about selling your home soon, a tired kitchen design could cost you, since the kitchen is high on most every buyer’s priority list.
Fortunately, there are solutions to this common dilemma, starting with your kitchen cabinets. Arguably responsible for the largest amount of real estate in any kitchen, cabinets can be easily updated for a fraction of the cost of a remodel, giving your entire kitchen a fresh, new look.
Try one of the following ideas for refreshing your kitchen cabinets, suggested by the editors at Real Simple:
Change the hardware. Outdated knobs and drawer pulls can drag down the entire look of your cabinets, so swap them out for something more stylish. You can go with a rustic or vintage look by checking out local estate sales and flea markets. This would give your kitchen a bespoke and stylish touch. Or search any number of modern-day retailers to find a contemporary aesthetic that brings your entire kitchen into current times.
Paint the cabinets. Nothing changes the look of a room like paint color. So if your cabinets are still in good shape and relatively stylish, you can give them an updated look with a coat of paint or stain. This requires an investment of time to properly prep and paint your cabinets, but the result will be transformative. With a myriad of colors and finishes to choose from, the sky’s the limit.
Peel-and-stick wallpaper. Enlisting wallpaper to update your cabinets provides you with many design options, from elegant to playful. A solid-color wallpaper will resemble paint, and a pattern can give you a bold or retro look. Wallpaper will work best on flat cabinets, or you can paper just the inset of Shaker-style cabinets.
Replace the doors. Another option is to replace the doors altogether, keeping the frame and shelving of your cabinets intact. This is a less expensive and less disruptive option than replacing the entire cabinet. Consult your local home improvement store to see what your options may be for door replacement.
If none of the above options work for you, consider doing away with all or some of your cabinets and replacing them with open shelving. This look will instantly give your kitchen a fresh and modern take, but you’ll need to make sure the shelves are large and sturdy enough to support your kitchen items, and you’ll need to reserve your lower cabinets for stashing less aesthetically pleasing items.
