The kitchen is often the central focal point in a home. People gravitate to serve drinks, cook and chat during parties and daily use. Whether time has taken its toll on your kitchen cabinets or you’ve inherited a fixer-upper and want to invest in ready-to-assemble cabinets, there are endless ways to spruce up your kitchen cabinets without spending a fortune. Here, we look at the various ways to improve your kitchen cabinet from labor intensive ideas to quick and easy fixes.
1. Paint the Kitchen Cabinets
A fresh coat of paint is a great way to breathe new life into your cabinets. It’ll brighten the entire kitchen and create a new look. If you have old RTA cabinets that are looking a little dated, you can always paint them a trending color to bring them back in style. Blue and green cabinets are currently a hot kitchen design trend, as are two-toned kitchens with counters and cabinets in different colors. Make sure to prep the ready to assemble kitchen cabinet thoroughly first by cleaning, sanding and priming them before busting out the paint can.
Oil based paints work best on cabinets but can have extremely toxic fumes. Search around for latex paint made for cabinetry (100% acrylic) and the results will be quite close in quality.
2. New hardware
New decorative pulls and knobs give you an opportunity to change the look of your kitchen simply and inexpensively. No matter your price range, you’ll be able to find the right fit, whether you can spend $10 or $100. Another quick fix involves replacing old hinges. While many kitchen cabinet doors use concealed hinges, you can switch them out for decorative hinges. On the other hand, new concealed hinges would be great if the old ones are squeaky or rusted.
3. New pull out cabinet shelf
Organization and storage is always a challenge, but you can add accessories to RTA kitchen cabinets to make them more efficient. A ready-to-assemble pull out cabinet shelf only requires a little extra installation and drawer slides for easy access to whatever might be needed. Other great storage options include on-door storage for spices and lazy Susans for access to everything on a rotating stand.
4. Refinishing wood / staining
Old kitchen cabinets that have been scratched up or caked in grease from years of cooking can be fixed up with some refinishing or resurfacing. This project will require a greater investment than some of the other options, but it can make a huge difference. Replacing just the cabinet doors or adding on some veneer panels can make it an easy task. Veneer panels often have to be cut to size, make sure to measure carefully.
5. New countertops
New countertops can bring a new clean and updated look to your kitchen. Of course, this could be more labor intensive considering the removal of the old counter and installing the new one. However, if you choose one that is pre-sized to fit your counter and around your sink, and then all you’ll need to do is seal it on. Instead of completely replacing your countertops you could consider refinishing them or painting them if you’re feeling adventurous. Some companies sell granite countertop paint to give the illusion of gorgeous granite without all the labor of installing a new countertop.