Give your kitchen cabinets a simple makeover

Are you bored in your kitchen? Feel like it’s time for something new, but don’t want to spend the money or go through the hassle of a major renovation?

Your kitchen cabinet doors provide you with an interesting opportunity to spice up your kitchen and show off your creativity.

Don’t underestimate the importance of your kitchen cabinets: they accent the walls, floor, and countertops. New cabinets can give an entire room a like-new feel, and you can achieve a similar effect simply by refreshing your cabinets.

So let’s take a look at three ways you can spruce up your kitchen cabinets: replacing those old fixtures, adding some fancy wallpaper or trim, and installing some cool LED lighting.

Replacing your cabinet accessories

Hardware on kitchen cabinet doors is often one of the most overlooked aspects of a kitchen’s aesthetic. When were they last changed?

Some new metal fixtures, whether they’re bright and shiny or dark and sleek, will add a fresh touch to your kitchen. There are more options than ever: copper, yellow brass, oil rubbed bronze, stainless steel, brushed nickel and more.

There are also many shapes to choose from, although they are usually based on a classic and practical knob or rod design.

You can replace all the hardware on your kitchen cabinet doors with the same style, or you can use different colors and types of metal in different places. This is a more modern look, using different accessories to accentuate certain parts of the kitchen.

Add some wallpaper

If you thought paint was the only option to add color to your kitchen cabinet doors, you may have missed it. Instead of going through all the hassle of painting, consider wallpapering your kitchen doors and cabinet sides.

Wallpapering cabinets is easier and cheaper than painting them, plus you get a surprising and unique look in your kitchen. You can continue with a color scheme you have, accenting the flooring, walls, and trim, or go for a contrasting look.

Food, flower or leaf patterns can give an attractive and homey look. Alternatively, a shiny metallic wallpaper can create a sleek, modern feel.

You can also use self-adhesive paper or vinyl decals, which may be easier to remove later.

Easy LED lighting

Installing new lights used to take an electrician, but today there are LED lighting options that you can easily install yourself. They are inexpensive, very bright, and a great alternative to those big flickering fluorescent tubes.

LED lights come in various types. You can buy them in thin strips of various sizes or in the form of small hockey pucks.

You can usually connect several of these lights in sequence, so you only need to plug them into one outlet. There are also battery-powered lights that don’t need to be plugged in.

LED lights usually come with an adhesive that allows them to stick anywhere you like. Most people put them under cabinets to illuminate countertops, but you can also place them inside cabinets to light them from the inside. This will give your kitchen cabinet doors a nice glow and can look warm and inviting at night.

While installing new kitchen cabinet doors is a great way to give your kitchen a makeover, there are simpler ways to accomplish the same goal. Replacing familiar old fixtures with new ones, adding wallpaper to enliven the scene with color and pattern, or installing nice and practical LED lighting are all options.

You might even consider combining all three, leaving your guests wondering when you got that new kitchen.