5 Kitchen Cabinet Makeover Ideas to Make Them Look like New
Have you recently moved to your new home, and want to redecorate the kitchen cabinets to save up some money? Or, you’re just tired of your old ones, and want to give them a fresh new look? Sometimes, you don’t even have to touch the cabinets, but simply painting ceilings and walls or floors, and fronts of kitchen elements will refresh the look of your kitchen and prolong the purchase of a new one by a few years.
When should you start considering getting a new kitchen?
Kitchens, depending on the type of material, quality of workmanship, and the way you maintained it, have a lifespan of approximately 20 years, and in many cases even less. The exception is oak kitchens, common in our interiors, which can be kept in good condition even longer. They can gain a completely new look if you hire a cabinet painting service to freshen it up, you can find out more about it if you visit this site.
Acquiring new kitchen cabinets is a big financial commitment, which we often cannot afford. Maybe the solution is to undertake the renovation of some parts of it by yourself? For example, installing new wall or floor tiles or painting current ones over, changing the fronts of kitchen elements or painting them, putting new handles for elements, a new work surface… Unfortunately, this is not a small financial expense either, but in any case, it is less than changing the entire kitchen, appliances, and wall and floor coverings.
Here are some of the ideas you can implement to give the cabinets a whole new look.
1. Varnishing
Kitchen cabinets need a makeover every once in a while. If they are made of natural wood, sanding and varnishing are sufficient for an effective change. The kitchen will then look like new because its color will also be a shade lighter. Damaged interior shelves can also be varnished, painted or simply covered with thick decorative paper, wallpaper, or textiles.
The best thing about varnishing is that you can do the whole thing by yourself.
2. Decoupage
The decoupage technique is the solution for fronts and interior shelves. If you have glass cabinets, it is good to replace them with new glass, and you can also put a metal grid or one made of thin slats instead of glass. If all that is too expensive for you, simply remove the glass on some elements, or paint the fronts and shelves using the decoupage technique and place food and dishes in them. That is if the shabby chic style is your thing.
3. Paint the Cabinets
Change the color of the cabinets, and the whole kitchen will look different. You can paint the kitchen elements yourself. If the fronts are made of glass, then it will be very effective if you paint the inside of the cabinet with a noticeable color, which will contrast with the outside. Consult with the store clerk about which type of paint would be best for your type of kitchen. Take off the fronts and paint them like that, only when they are dry, put them back.
However, this process will require a bit more work on preparation before painting, as the elements must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and grease and sanded, then fill the resulting cavities with putty and start painting. If you want the coating not to be intense and to see the texture of the wood underneath, use lacquer stain instead of paint.
4. Change the Texture Using a Special Type of Self-Adhesive Foil
A lot less work, in comparison with painting, would be required if you decide to use a special type of foil. You can use this tool to give them a modern look.
These foils can be used on the back of the inside of cabinets or on shelves, and you can choose from a number of colors and even patterns to get a look that will complement your overall kitchen look. They clean just as easily as the normal wooden surface would, and have a decent life expectancy.
5. New Handles
Installing handles in your old cabinets is a very simple process that does not require a lot of skills. You have two options – choosing adequate ones from the store or utilizing something else to serve the purpose (your old silverware). If you choose the second option, just select the pieces you want to turn into handles, bend them a bit, and secure them where the handles are supposed to stand, with screws.
For the first option, all you need to do is go to the store, pick the handles you like, and apply them to your cabinets. You’d be surprised how much of a change it will be.
Also, if the cabinets are ok, but you want to put new tiles, you don’t have to remove the existing ones, but just put new ones over them. The same applies if you decide to put laminate or epoxy resin over the ceramic tiles. However, for epoxy resin, you need to level the floors completely. If that is too expensive for you, you can paint the tiles with paint or a decorative coating for ceramics, or put a glass panel over the wall ones. The method of painting is the same as for all other surfaces, except that for ceramics it would be good to apply a primer, wait 24 hours for it to dry, and then apply the paint in two layers.
Finally, think through the whole process! First assess the amount of damage to the cabinets and the work required, then choose the best color to paint them. Thanks to high-quality paint for painting furniture, you will not have to think about long-term, thorough restoration and replacement of equipment. Why replace when you can renew for example? All you need to do is change the color, tone, or shade, plus a thoughtful selection of accessories to create the kitchen of your dreams with furniture that looks like the cover of an interior design magazine.