4 Ways to Redo Your Kitchen Cabinets on a Budget

dark wooden kitchen cabinets

Your kitchen cabinets are not only highly functional, they’re also an aesthetic focal point. When it comes to redoing cabinets, though, complete overhauls can be pricey. Luckily, there are budget-friendly ways to provide your cabinets a lovely refresh.

1. Swap Out the Hardware

When you add fresh hardware to older cabinets, it can completely change their vibe. This is also a project that can be done quickly—in as little as an afternoon. New hardware can be found on the cheap, making this a budget-friendly refresh. Consider brass, black, or creatively shaped pieces to give your kitchen a stylish flair.

changing the hardware on a kitchen drawer

2. Paint Your Cabinets

One of the simplest ways to redo your cabinets without shelling out too much cash is to paint them.

To do so, you’ll have to remove all cabinet doors and hardware to start. Label each door with tape to ensure you know where each one should be put back at the end of the process. Then, thoroughly clean your cabinets with an effective degreaser. Next, sand all the doors with a finishing sander. This is easiest with an electric sander, but it can also be done by hand. If you don’t have the time or energy to sand the cabinets, wipe them with a liquid deglosser and let the substance dry.

Now, prime your cabinets. Once this coat dries, sand any areas with drips or runs. Do so lightly to ensure all of the primer doesn’t come off. Next, paint your cabinets with the color of your choice. Start by coating the back of your cabinets, then move on to the front sides.

Beveled areas should be painted using a brush, while flat surfaces can be painted with a foam roller. In between coats, gently sand the cabinets to rid them of any drips or runs, as you did with the primer. Once the cabinets are dry, rehang them and your kitchen will have a whole new feel!

You can get really creative with this redo. Paint your cabinets with chalkboard paint to use them as memo boards, or go for a trendy cabinet color like white, gray, navy blue, or black.

red and white kitchen cabinets

3. A Pop of Color

If your cabinets don’t have doors, you can still “redo” this part of your kitchen to spruce it up. Add adhesive backing to the back of the cabinets to add a pop of color to the room. Find something in a cool hue or interesting pattern and it’ll be an eye-catching touch. Once you find the adhesive you like, measure the back of each cabinet space and cut it to match the measurements. Adhere the paper to each space and enjoy this low cost update.

For an even simpler approach, pick out some self-sticking contact paper with a color or design you like.

4. Add Trim

The simple addition of trim to kitchen cabinets is inexpensive yet impactful. This is best done in conjunction with painting the cabinets, but adding the trim definitely brings a new dimension to the woodwork all by itself.

One cool, cheap trim option is to repurpose yard sticks as decoration! Measure the sticks to line the perimeter of each cabinet, cut them and then use wood glue to adhere them to the cabinet’s edges. Once the glue dries, sand the yardsticks as needed. Then, paint the entirety of the cabinets, including the trim. It’s as easy as that!

Sometimes the simplest upgrades are some of the most transformative for a room, and it’s even better when they’re affordable and easy.