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. |
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:
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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.
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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. |
kitchen cabinets is to add some moulding!
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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 |
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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 |
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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.
saw to consider is the Ryobi One+ 8 ΒΌ" 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!
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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! |
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:
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!
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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.
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ugly kitchen. Just try a few of these easy to complete projects and
we know you'll love the results!

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46 comments
Tip for Polyurethane
Submitted by brooke on Tue, 08/08/2006 - 20:29Polyurethane
Submitted by cswillig on Fri, 09/29/2006 - 15:02heating polyurethane
Submitted by erae41 on Sun, 10/08/2006 - 10:01Very helpful
Submitted by lhall25 on Fri, 09/29/2006 - 07:21Just in time! We're
Submitted by gally147 on Thu, 10/05/2006 - 09:43DYI Cabinets
Submitted by nafnlaf on Mon, 10/09/2006 - 13:38installing new cabinets
Submitted by joawalters on Fri, 10/20/2006 - 15:17fake wood cabinets
Submitted by angelia13607 on Wed, 10/11/2006 - 16:46fake wood cabinets..painting
Submitted by kathleen_brennan on Tue, 10/17/2006 - 09:45New cabinets
Submitted by harmonymellow on Wed, 10/11/2006 - 16:56Stairs case and wood rails
Submitted by gladysguzman on Wed, 10/11/2006 - 17:40stair case and wood rails
Submitted by spunkypete on Thu, 10/12/2006 - 03:44Bathroom
Submitted by girls9_2000 on Thu, 10/12/2006 - 14:51PAINTING LAMINATE KITCHEN CABINETS
Submitted by LISANY701 on Thu, 10/19/2006 - 21:21Laminate cabinets
Submitted by caramel_shannon on Sat, 10/21/2006 - 17:43poly
Submitted by anjieru12 on Sun, 10/22/2006 - 12:56resurfacing very old stained and polyurethane cabinets help !
Submitted by netsalon2001 on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 09:53book shelfs
Submitted by essievillarreal66 on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 15:26Drawers
Submitted by hooperterri on Sat, 10/28/2006 - 10:00TURNING MY WHITE REFRGIRATER TO STAINLESS STEEL OR BLACK
Submitted by antnvin on Mon, 10/30/2006 - 19:25Changing a refrigerator
Submitted by melnews on Tue, 10/31/2006 - 09:03Changing fridge
Submitted by bpennington01 on Sat, 11/04/2006 - 19:19Bathroom problems
Submitted by rmachut on Sat, 11/04/2006 - 09:34Painting fake wood cabinets...
Submitted by kamond1 on Sun, 11/05/2006 - 07:40new to site
Submitted by mmaemoore on Sun, 11/05/2006 - 12:41putting glass panels in doors
Submitted by jacrispi on Mon, 11/13/2006 - 23:13bathroom walls
Submitted by marypat on Thu, 11/09/2006 - 18:35updating old bathroom walls
Submitted by jacrispi on Mon, 11/13/2006 - 22:59new kichen counter top
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Submitted by jacrispi on Mon, 11/13/2006 - 22:42kitchen cabinets
Submitted by DUCKMARCUM on Sat, 11/11/2006 - 20:171960's cabinet finishes
Submitted by jacrispi on Mon, 11/13/2006 - 22:52I want to replace just the doors of my kitchen cabinets.
Submitted by duckndrake on Sun, 11/12/2006 - 12:34New cabinet doors
Submitted by jacrispi on Mon, 11/13/2006 - 22:45Replacing cabinet doors only
Submitted by kamond1 on Thu, 11/16/2006 - 05:30Painting Cabinets
Submitted by kamond1 on Thu, 11/16/2006 - 05:33Painting Cabinets
Submitted by gwied on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 10:41We sanded and primed. I'm
Submitted by kamond1 on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 17:20Kitchen
Submitted by susanjane on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 09:07kitchen cabinets
Submitted by ownbyt on Sun, 11/19/2006 - 15:02kitchen cabinets
Submitted by shannon165 on Mon, 11/20/2006 - 22:32Ugly cabinets
Submitted by kmclaugh4 on Tue, 11/21/2006 - 12:131970's Cherry Cabinets with large pewter shoe horn style HW
Submitted by happybeststuff on Sat, 02/03/2007 - 09:30Laminate counter tops
Submitted by snojean01 on Sun, 04/15/2007 - 09:26