Do you want to make a new look in your kitchen without completely renovating it? The easiest way is refurbishing the old kitchen flat cabinets. The kitchen cabinets are holding a very big part of the kitchen. If the cabinets become out of date, so is the entire kitchen. Therefore, to refresh your cabinets, you should know how to make old flat cabinets look modern, so that you can have a shiny and modern kitchen in the most cost-effective way.
Refacing Or Replacing Old Flat Cabinets
There are two main ways how to make old flat cabinets look modern, including refacing and replacing. When it comes to replacing or refacing the old flat cabinets, there are some pros and cons you should know about.
- Replacing Old Cabinets
Replacing the old cabinets means removing all of the existing cabinets and installing some new ones. Before you choose this way, you should make sure whether you need to add more storage space. Also, if you want to rethink your kitchen layout, you can choose to replace the old cabinets. However, this would be more expensive than refacing the cabinets. Moreover, you may need to repair your kitchen walls if removing the existing cabinets. It would be a big project.
- Refacing Old Cabinets
Cabinet refacing refers to refreshing the cabinet surfaces, including installing new cabinet knobs and pulls, doors, and drawers. Moreover, you can repaint your existing cabinet doors to make them a new look. Making a cabinet refacing definitely would be more cost-effective than cabinet replacement. But there are still some shortcomings of it. The location and amount of the cabinets will not change so you can’t change their layout and total storage space. Besides, the improvement just takes place on the surface but does not includes the inside.
Why You Should Reface Your Kitchen Cabinets?
You can save time and money
Since most of the kitchen cabinets are constructed of hardwood to last for a long time, there is no need to install the new ones. In addition, it is easier and more economical to have cabinets refaced rather than removing them to install the new ones. Generally, cabinets can account for 40% to 50% of the total kitchen remodeling cost. If you choose to remove the existing cabinets, the plumbing in the back wall of the cabinet could be damaged. So you will have to spend extra money on repairing walls and plumbing.
You can make a new design
Cabinet refinishing involves repainting and some restructuring. If you have a specific kitchen design in mind, just make sure the cabinet repainted color can go with your design idea. Regardless of repainting the cabinetry surface, you can also remove some redundant cabinets or add some drawers. Remember to install knobs and pulls that can add accent to the new cabinetry.
How To Make Old Flat Cabinets Look Modern?
Repaint Kitchen Cabinets
Repainting the cabinetry will be the easiest way to make a new look in the kitchen. Make sure what style of kitchen would you like and match your repainted cabinetry with the walls, flooring, and ceiling.
Install Under Cabinet Light
Installing under cabinet light is a great improvement of the old flat cabinets. It can not only function practically to add light to your countertop, but also combat the shadows cast by the pendant light and kitchen ceiling. Also, choosing a warm light will help create a warm atmosphere in the kitchen.
Reface Kitchen Cabinetry
The cabinets that are used for a long time tell us they need to be refaced from their faded or damaged doors. What caused the problems is the heat and moisture in the kitchen. To reface them, you can use some veneering or replace the doors. It’s amazing what a little veneer and some new doors can do to brighten an aging space.
Update Hardware
Despite the doors and cabinet surfaces, the handles like knobs and pulls also need replacement. These metal hardware can rust or fade after long-term use. So, hunt for the hardware that is in line with your kitchen style so that it can add an accent. For easier installation, you can choose the new pulls of the same size as the old one to avoid drilling extra holes.
Assemble Sliding Shelves
To make use of the existing cabinetry storage space efficiently, you can assemble the pull-out shelves in the base cabinets. This built-in installation is like a shallow drawer that can help add functionality. If you have these sliding shelves in your cabinets, you can remove the cabinet doors for easier accessibility. Or you can also leave the cabinet doors remaining to hide the shelves.
Add Cabinet Crown Molding
If you want your kitchen cabinetry to reach the ceiling, adding crown molding would be a good choice. The crown molding trim transforms your kitchen cabinetry into a seamless design. Also, mounting the right style of cabinet crown molding is the easiest way to add extra personality to your kitchen.
Replace Some Cabinet Doors
In addition to repainting cabinet doors, you can also install new ones, such as glass cabinet doors, chicken wire, etc. Also, you can just remove the cabinet doors to create open shelves. By doing so, the cabinets can serve as displaying racks. you can use some beautiful kitchen items and utensils as decor and make an airy and stunning look in your kitchen.
Craft Plant Shelves
Now, most people like to have plant pots in their kitchen for decoration. If you are one of them, you can craft a plant shelf over your kitchen garden window over sink. To make it blend with your kitchen, you can paint it the same color as cabinetry, or choose a complementary color to create a visual impact.
