If you’re in the middle of tearing out your tired kitchen cabinets, stop where you are!
It doesn’t need to be like this. There are plenty of ways to give your kitchen a brand-new look without gutting it from the inside out. After all, cabinets are one of, if not the most important, features of a kitchen.
Once you choose their colour, they influence the rest of kitchen design. They’re likely one of the first things your guests will see, and no one wants to be distracted by loose handles, chipped paint, or mismatched colours.
While your first instinct might be to rip it all out and start fresh, we’re here to suggest a simpler solution. Save long-term with Rehome’s guide to updating old kitchen cabinets without replacing them!
1. Switch out cabinet hardware
For many, kitchen hardware is a ‘bottom-of-the-list’ type of purchase.
If you’ve got enough money (after appliance shopping and paint samples), only then would you think about replacements. But knowing how to update kitchen cabinets on a budget is about finding those small, impactful ways to create change.
Hardware like pulls, knobs, and handles can be relatively inexpensive (especially when you source them from trusted second-hand retailers).
All you have to do is measure the existing holes when shopping. It’s a quick project that any DIY novice could whip up in an afternoon.
2. Install under-cabinet lighting
As anyone who enjoys photography would know, how you light up a scene can drastically change the picture.
Bulbs that are too harsh, too cold or improperly placed can make your cabinets look completely different (potentially, even a different colour!) Again, this is a quick fix that can, usually, be completed without assistance.
Measure the width of your cabinets before shopping (to make sure the lights are concealed), and then get to shopping! You may need to drill some holes and run some wires, but this is the extent of the job.
3. Add moulding
Cabinet moulding is the budget-savvy renovator’s best-kept secret. These decorative pieces of wood are great for adding trimwork to cabinets without dismantling them entirely.
Homeowners can purchase crown moulding that is added to the top of cabinets to draw the eye upwards. Then, there’s light rail moulding that you can use to conceal any stealthy positioned LEDs. Cover gaps between your cabinets and the wall with scribe moulding, or conceal exposed wood by the floor with toe kick moulding. You can use glue or caulk to attach them, et voilà!
Your cabinets should now look more ornate and (if positioned correctly) spatially aligned.
4. Paint
While an obvious fix, a fresh coat of paint does wonders for faded cabinets. You may not notice the effects of steam and grease from cooking immediately, but after a few years, the toil of kitchen tasks will start to show on your cabinets.
The day you notice that the bright blue paint you once loved has faded to a dull white, it’s time to reach for the brushes. The timeline for painting kitchen cabinets is certainly longer than our other tips, but this effort will be reflected in the result.
5. Soft-close doors
Sick of the sound of slamming doors? Make each time you shut your cabinets peaceful with soft-close hinges! Cheap, accessible, and easy to install, these hinges are made using fluid-dampening systems for a gentle, silent close.
It’s the update you can’t see, but will feel.
6. Wallpaper insert
If solid colours are boring you senseless, wallpaper inserts may bring joy back into your kitchen. Simply pick a print that pops when placed behind your cabinet’s colour and measure it to fit inside the recessed panel.
Then, peel away the adhesive backing, lining up the corner of your wallpaper with the inner corner of the panel. Slowly pull back as you stick your print to the remainder of the cabinet.
7. Distress
On the other side of the spectrum, some homeowners may think their cabinets look too much like a showroom display. To give your cabinets character, apply a base coat of paint in your chosen colour.
Then, add a second complementary colour. After the paint has dried completely, use fine-grit sandpaper to lightly sand areas that would naturally show wear, such as edges, corners, and around handles.
Continue until the underlying wood or previous finish becomes visible.
Shop for pre-loved kitchens with Rehome!
Now you know how to update old kitchen cabinets without replacing them, we hope more homeowners are working with a bigger budget for their renovation.
If you want to save even more money, why not shop with the UK’s number one Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom outlet? With thousands of pounds off high-street prices, we’ve got pre-loved kitchens from industry-leading brands like Martin Moore and Hacker Kitchens.
