Love Your Kitchen Cabinets Again

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Your cabinets are one of the main features of your kitchen. If
they're drab and boring then guess what? Your kitchen is
probably drab and boring, too! But what can you do? Changing
out or resurfacing your cabinets can be an expensive process.

Well, the good news is that there a number of quick and easy projects
that you can do to greatly enhance the look of your cabinets thus
changing the overall look and feel of your kitchen. So, even if your
cabinets are old and beat up, you have a number of options:

Paint 'Em!

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One of the first things you might consider is simply painting
them. The key is proper preparation of the wood before
getting started. You'll want to be sure to prepare the
surface area so that the new paint can adhere. With a palm
sander and a little primer, this is much easier than you
think. Another factor you'll want to consider is your
color choice.

Remember, this is your kitchen, so you can go with whatever color
makes you happy. But keep a couple of things in mind before choosing
your color. First off, dark colors will "shrink" the room.
This isn't a problem if your kitchen is large, or if you're
going for that cozy feeling. Since your cabinets are a prominent
feature of your kitchen you'll want to be absolutely sure they
enhance the mood of a room rather than detract from it.

For more on this project,
click here!

Stain 'Em!

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You might consider re-staining the wood on your cabinets. If
you choose to go this route, be certain to remove as much of
the old stain as possible. Any new stain you apply to the
old stain will come through as dark patches on the finished
product. This will be somewhat limited if the new stain is
darker than your old stain, but it can still be an issue.
Again, a palm sander will make this job much easier. You can
also use an angled sanding sponge to get into the edges and
corners.

Add Moulding

One great addition that will really bring out the flair in your
kitchen cabinets is to add some moulding!

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There are two ways to go about this:

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1) If your cabinet doors are flat and
lifeless, simply by adding a "moulding frame" to
the face of each door can really enhance the overall
appearance. Depending on the look you're going for,
you can choose from a wide variety of styles.

This is something you'll want to do prior to painting
your cabinets. Simply purchase enough moulding to complete
the frames on each door panel. Figure out a placement on
your door panel that you're happy with, make your cuts
and attach the pieces with nails. Don't use an adhesive,
because over time, the temperature and humidity variances in
most kitchens will break down the bonding qualities and
you'll have moulding pieces cracking off. Once your
pieces are attached, use a wood putty to fill in any gaps to
insure a professional quality look.

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2) Another great moulding technique is to
add it to the underside and top of your cabinets. One
company we've tried and liked is LP Prefinished
Moulding. It comes in a wide variety of colors and wood
grain textures, is easy to work with, and chances are you
might find one that already matches your current cabinetry.

The easiest way to complete this project, is to attach a
backer board to the top (to give you something to attach the
moulding to). Be sure the backer board is far enough away
from the edge of your cabinet top so that your new moulding
will be flush with the frame of the cabinet.

Here are a few examples of the types of mouldings available:

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click for larger pic

When purchasing your moulding, you'll want to measure out the
entire surface area you intend to add moulding to and then add an
additional 10% in case of errors. Make your cuts using a compound
miter saw and attach the pieces to the backer board using a nail gun.
Use some wood putty to fill in any gaps and paint or stain your
cabinets as needed.

Cool Tool!: If you don't already own a compound miter saw, one
saw to consider is the Ryobi One+ 8 ¼" 18V Cordless
Compound Miter Saw. This versatile saw is powerful enough to get any
job done quickly and efficiently. One other great benefit is that
it's cordless - meaning it will go where you need it when you need
it!

Light 'Em

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The overall mood of your kitchen can be dramatically enhanced
through lighting. While overhead lighting is quite
important, one area that you might normally overlook is
cabinet lighting. It's relatively inexpensive, and
it's a lot easier to install than you may think!
Ideally, it's great if you purchase and install the type
of under cabinet lighting that can be mounted to the under
(or top) side of your cabinets then hard wired into your
existing electrical wiring, which can then be controlled by a
switch on the wall. However, don't worry if that sounds
too scary: the good news is many retailers carry a great
selection of plug-in cabinet lighting, so you can simply
mount it with the provided screws, plug it in, and go!

We've always found great cabinet lighting selections as places
like Home Depot and Lowe's, or you can even try Ikea. Just be
sure its meant for installing on cabinets -- it needs to be as flat as
possible so you can hide it, and you don't want a light that's
going to heat up so much it burns a hole in your cabinets! Here are
a few examples:

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You should also keep in mind there are three types of cabinetry
lighting:

1) Ambient: This is lighting that is usually
installed on the top of your cabinets, assuming that you have at
least 5 inches from the top of your cabinets to the ceiling. This
lighting reflects upwards giving a soft glow to the ceiling and is
more of a back light. It's often a strip of rope lighting that is
installed around the interior side of the upper most portion of your
cabinets. It's a great look for parties!

" />	2) Task: Task lighting can also be known as "Under Cabinet" lighting, especially if it's directional. This type of lighting is perfect for those areas where you do your food preparation like chopping and dicing to reading and reviewing your recipes. A bit of extra light always helps!

3) Interior: Usually reserved for showing off the
dishes in your dining room, interior cabinet lighting has had a recent
resurgence. If you have glass panel cabinet doors, these low wattage
lights are easy to install and the perfect way to enhance your wares.
Just be sure the light fixture you purchase goes well with the decor,
since it will typically be more noticeable than under or over cabinet
lighting.

______________________

You don't have to feel like you're being held hostage by your
ugly kitchen. Just try a few of these easy to complete projects and
we know you'll love the results!

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its_me on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 03:37

We need to change the furniture, as well as accessories, once in a while. You could also go for home remodeling. You might also choose to remodel some parts. I recently remodeled my bathroom. I decided to buy new bathroom accessory sets. I also repainted my bathroom.

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snojean01 on Sun, 04/15/2007 - 08:26

We are in the planning stage of redoing our kitchen, with new cabinets and counter tops. My husband wants to have natural stone or granite counter tops, but I am wondering about the laminated ones. Are they sturdy, hold up to daily use, ect? I know the cost is alot less, but I don't want to regret it a few years from now. I am also afraid the stone might chip or crack. Any comments would be welcomed. Snojean

happybeststuff on Sat, 02/03/2007 - 09:30

Our cabinets are from the 1970's & have panel doors with trim around the edges. They are somewhat dark and have some poly that has worn off in areas and down to wood especially around the frequently used doors and under the sink doors. We need advice on stripping them down, filling in the 2 large holes from the "shoe horn" pewter handles that are right smack in the middle of each cabinet door. Our counters are Bradey Bunch red/orange with matching back splash. All needs to be redone. Which should we approach first, then second? Any suggestions?

kmclaugh4 on Tue, 11/21/2006 - 12:13

Any ideas on how to fill in or disguise or cover the etched design on laminate cabinet doors? It's like an etched-in frame with curved edges, painted black (the rest of the cabinet is fake "wood.") I'm planning on painting the cabinets but would really like to get rid of the design because it's not in style with my Craftsman style house.

ownbyt on Sun, 11/19/2006 - 15:02

I have a tiny house built in the 50's. The kitchen cabinets are not deep enough for my dishes. Is there any way I can add to them to make them deeper? I can't afford to tear out and put in new.

shannon165 on Mon, 11/20/2006 - 22:32

I had the same problem. I just took off the doors, lined the shelves and painted the inside, and set my dishes in plain view. I plan on adding some sort of edging to the shelves to dress it up a little, when I find something I like.

susanjane on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 09:07

We just took down our pantry cabnet cut it to 18" deep then cut top cabnet off to use a wall cabnet* the rest is just right size pantry for two* We then put new countertops on. Well, we still have the sink one to do. (He got hurt & I got sick* )All in goodtime. Our TO DO LIST just got bigger* we had bad wind took out a section of our wood fence* we to shorten that fence*

kamond1 on Thu, 11/16/2006 - 05:33

We're doing a complete kitchen remodel. We had to rip up all the plywood on the floors and we're laying a new laminate floor this weekend. I chose to paint my cabinets instead of replace. I found a beautiful kitchen layout in a magazine with black cabinets and stainless appliances. Everyone says "black cabinets?" but I love it! I just painted a practice door and it came out absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to get them all done now. I'm using one of those small foam rollers and the finish is just wonderful after it dries. Very smooth and no marks from a brush. Kim

gwied on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 10:41

Last November while my husband was in Europe I took on the task of painting the kitchen cabinets. It was time consuming but they turned out beautifuly. I first sanded then primed, added two coats of a satin base color, glazed them and then put a satin sheen sealer on. Most everyone who sees them thinks that a professional did it. I was a little nervous doing this to kitchen cabinets....cuz if you ruin them it would probably hit the pocketbook harder. But with a little encouragement from a friend I jumped right in. lisa

arae4HIM on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 12:05

We are planning on taking out our old kitchen cabinets and replacing them with stock cabinets from Lowes. My idea is to paint them a cream color with a brown glaze. What are the exact steps you took to do your's? Did you spray paint them or brush?

tina_evans on Tue, 12/13/2011 - 11:51

Well, that depends. Are you wondering if you should JUST paint them? If you're not adding in engineered hardwood flooring or any other wood flooring, then I'd say don't paint. If you are adding in hardwood flooring, I'd say painting would compliment the look of your kitchen.

kamond1 on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 17:20

We sanded and primed. I'm getting ready to add satin color this weekend. Why did you glaze and seal? Just wondering. This is the first time I've done something like this but the directions I had from DIY didn't say anything about those steps. Kim

duckndrake on Sun, 11/12/2006 - 12:34

My kitchen cabinets have warped, can i get ready made ones or wood to DIY? Help!!!!!

kamond1 on Thu, 11/16/2006 - 05:30

I don't know where in the country you're located but I've seen replacement doors at Home Depot here in the east.

jacrispi on Mon, 11/13/2006 - 22:45

Yea you can buy them. It can get costly. Check with cabinet company retailers. Often they have doors that are over stock or been rejected for minor reasons and I have paid as little as $2.00 a door. Happy Hunting!

DUCKMARCUM on Sat, 11/11/2006 - 20:17

The kitchen I have is from the 1960.s when pink appliances were in. My first question is what type of light finish were in style then. The next question is I want to place a maple stain on these and then put a chocolate glaze over the top. How do I go about this procedure? Do I just buy a glaze and mix it with the stain or what?