7 Easy Ways to Update Kitchen Cabinets

Whether you are an expert home chef or a takeout food connoisseur, you probably can appreciate a beautiful kitchen. In many ways, kitchens are the heart of the home, and it shows. In our home improvement survey, 7 out of 10 buyers said they would buy a home if it had a gorgeous kitchen.¹ And a big part of a kitchen’s appearance is its cabinets.   

How to Update Kitchen Cabinets 

Outdated, peeling, or out-of-style kitchen cabinets can ruin the aesthetic of a kitchen. Fortunately, there are several ways you can upgrade kitchen cabinets whether you want to give your kitchen a fresh look for yourself or for potential buyers. 

Some common ways to update kitchen cabinets include: 

• Replacing them 
• Refacing them 
• Painting them  
• Updating the hardware 
• Adding molding or trim  
• Trying an open-concept design  
• Adjusting the interior 

Replace Them  

If the layout of the cabinets is wonky or your cabinets are starting to fall apart, it may be better to start from scratch. While a more costly and time-consuming kitchen cabinet remodel idea, you do have the opportunity to customize the kitchen to your liking as well as improve the design and functionality of the room with this project. 

Reface Them  

Instead of pulling out the sledgehammer and gutting the kitchen, you could reface the kitchen cabinets instead. With this approach, you are covering the face frame of the cabinet with new veneer and the end panels with plywood. Refacing cabinets is a less expensive project than redoing the cabinets altogether and can drastically improve the look of the room.  

Paint the Cabinets 

Sometimes less is more when it comes to home improvement. One easy way to update kitchen cabinets without replacing them is to paint them. A fresh coat of paint can give new life to a kitchen cabinet that is peeling or dirty. On top of this, you can also get creative with the colors and go for something that pops.  

Update the Hardware 

Another way to update existing cabinets without replacing them is to just update the hardware instead. While a seemingly small detail, the knobs and pulls on the cabinets are an important finishing touch that can have a big impact on the look of the room. A newly refaced cabinet can be ruined by an old and damaged knob, but a modern pull can save the day.  

Add Molding or Trim  

If you want to update an old kitchen on a budget, you can also add molding or trim to the cabinets. With this approach, you have several options. You can add them along the bottom, in an “X” design, or in a fluted pattern. All of these designs can add texture to your kitchen cabinets and give them a more dynamic look.  

Try an Open-Concept Design 

A more modern kitchen cabinet remodel idea is to add glass inserts to the doors. This open-concept approach can add a contemporary feel to the room. There are plenty of options to choose from including transparent glass, leaded glass, textured glass, frosted glass, and more. You could also take this project one step further. Replace the cabinets with open shelving instead.  

Adjust the Interior 

Along with making over the outside of the cabinets, do not forget about the interior. As needed, adjust the levels of the shelving, add or remove more shelves, install sliding shelves, or add cabinet organizers. While these cabinet updates are less about design, they could greatly increase the functionality of the room. Especially if you are doing a tiny kitchen makeover, improving the functionality and increasing the storage capacity of your existing cabinets can drastically pay off.  

Getting Started 

If you are getting ready to sell, you want to make sure everything is in order. While updating the kitchen cabinets is a good start, there are plenty of other projects you may want to consider whether you just want to make kitchen updates or you want to give the whole house a fresh look.  

Not sure where to begin? We want to help. At Curbio, we are pre-listing general contractors for pre-sale updates. Essentially, we help you make updates to your home to get your home market-ready before it’s listed.

Ready to get started? Talk to your real estate agent about partnering with us. If you do not have a real estate agent yet, we may be able to help. Contact us today and we will try to match you with one of our partner real estate agents in your area.  

Sources: 

1.  Curbio (2022). Preparing to Sell: 2022 Home Improvement Report