In the past, kitchen cabinets were designed to be used by either the housewife or the maid and no one else ever set foot into it. Aesthetics weren’t as important as functionality, but yet there was very little consideration given to what the user actually needed to properly produce a meal. If your kitchen cabinets no longer bring you joy (perhaps they never did!), it may be time to update them. If a full kitchen renovation and Vancouver custom kitchen is outside of the current budget, fear not. There are many simple and affordable cabinet updates that you could try out.
Add Some New Paint
This is perhaps the most transformative update you could do with old cabinets. Often, older kitchen cabinets are sturdy and made out of hard, solid wood. Unfortunately, the oak and dark colours of the past are no longer trendy or appealing. A coat of bright paint can help transform the cabinets and make them look amkst brand new.
This is perhaps the most difficult of the update tips, as it does involve some time commitment to be done correct. Before painting, you will want to make sure you use a degreaser and clean the cabinets and doors really well. Before painting, use woodfill to fix any chips or scratches that may be present. Make sure that you do a light sanding (and in between each paint coat) with fine sand paper. Start with a coat of primer before moving on to the final paint. Choose a quality, self-leveling paint and use a foam roller on a flat surface (where possible) to avoid any unsightly bumps or paint blobs. The effort will be worth it.
Replace the Hardware
This idea works really well if you have just painted your cabinets, but could also be used on its own. To keep it simple, choose kitchen hardware that uses the same spacing as your existing hardware. If you decide to go with hardware that requires different spacing for hardware, you will have to spend some time filling the old holes, and measuring and drilling out new ones. Trendy hardware include brushed nickel square handles, and soft close hinges.
Add New Lighting
Another idea to update your cabinets can be to add some new lighting. This can easily be done if you purchase small lights that attach underneath and are battery powered. There are also LED strips available that could add colour and ambience to the space.
Install Rolling Shelves
A more expensive option, but well worth the investment is to replace static, stationary shelving with shallow, roll out drawers. This upgrade gives you all the convenience of practical drawers, while keeping the aesthetics and elegance of tall, cabinet doors.
You may not be ready for that dream Vancouver custom kitchen, but that does not mean you should suffer with a joyless kitchen in the meantime. Try out some (or all!) of these ideas to bring new life to your tired, old kitchen.
