Elevate Your Style: 13 Expert Tips to Upgrade Your Kitchen Cabinets

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Updated on August 10th, 2021

If you’re trying to sell your house, you may be thinking of budget-friendly ways to update your home without breaking the bank. Upgrading your kitchen cabinets is an easy way to make your kitchen stand out without spending a lot of money. There are many ways to redesign your cabinets, from updating hardware to refinishing with a nice stain. All of which are creative ways to make your home more appealing to home buyers.

To help you get started, we reached out to experts across North America, from Vancouver, BC to New York, NY, to give us their best tips on how to upgrade your kitchen cabinets. Keep reading to see what they had to share – there may be some ideas you haven’t thought of yet.

A Blue Kitchen with Gold Hardwear

1. Switch out your cabinet hardware 

One of the easiest and most affordable updates you can make to your kitchen is updating the cabinet hardware. You can complete this project in just a few hours and change the entire look of the space. – Vancouver Home Inspections 

2. Match your hardware to the drawer size

Be sure to size the cabinet pulls to the drawer size. Go with wider pulls on larger drawers. Forego the standard metal colors, and instead choose brass or black for a fresher look that will instantly make your kitchen feel current. – Orsi Panos Interiors

3. Entertain higher tiers of cabinetry

Visually, full custom cabinetry has tighter tolerances which provide a cleaner overall aesthetic. Their options for colors, finishes, sheens, artistry, moldings, and many other customizable features allow you to create a truly personalized and impactful space. – Kitchen NV

4. Go with a simple and airy look

Say goodbye to your old heavy cabinets and add open shelving to lighten up the kitchen. If you too cherish the antique cabinets, add glass to the cabinet doors or remove a few doors entirely. – Linhan Design & Interior

5. Use a low sheen

A careful color selection applied in a low sheen and some new handles will completely transform the space. Just be sure to hire a reputable local company that specializes exclusively in refinishing, as it does require mastery to ensure a long-lasting and quality finish. – Cabinet Painting Vancouver 

6. Use gable ends on your cabinetry

To upgrade your kitchen cabinets, consider requesting all visible end panels match the finish on your door fronts – these are called gable ends. Often millworkers will have a standard flat profile for end panels. The additional cost is worth the added visual interest it brings to the space.  – Novell Design Build

a white kitchen with a green island

7. Sometimes a full replacement is the best way to go

Painting the cabinets can go a long way to bringing a new, vibrant feel. However, for those who are interested in upgrading their kitchen cabinets and potentially increasing the value of their home, a complete cabinet replacement is often a good idea. While the price can range from $20,000 to $75,000 for this, the money can be recouped in the added home value. – Handyman Caravan

8. Go with the most-user friendly paint option

If you want your paint job to look great but you don’t have a lot of experience available to draw from, it’s best to choose a user-friendly paint option. In this case, Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane is a water-based alkyd that offers excellent leveling abilities so that no matter what approach you use, it should look close to professional. – Enderby Contractors

9. Contrast colors to upgrade your kitchen cabinets

If your kitchen is that dated honey oak color, I would suggest investing in white/light countertops and a white/light backsplash. That will transform the look. Painting cabinets is always an option as well, but can be quite a bit of work if you have stained cabinets to begin with. – Elizabeth Yager Designs

10. Don’t rush straight into a gut renovation

If your kitchen layout is satisfactory and the cabinets are structurally sound, refinishing them with the appropriate professional wood coating is often the right way to go. You can make them look new again and add another 10 to 15 years to their lifespan while saving money, stress, and the environment. – Muze Wall Design & Painting 

11. Reuse what you have before purchasing new cabinets 

Because we don’t live in a world with infinite resources, it’s increasingly important to get creative with reuse. Whether it’s updating what you have with paint, toning or glazing your stained wood cabinets, updating your pulls and knobs, or visiting a local architectural salvage store to see what neat and unique finds are there, huge impacts and updates can be made that are also cost effective.- Nichole Lovett, Harmony Haus 

12. Be smart about your workflow

When considering a kitchen remodel that grants you the flexibility to customize your cabinets, take the time to plan exactly what you want to store in your kitchen, and how you want to store it. Intelligent workflow not only considers the location of major appliances and workspaces but also considers the ease of storing and retrieving everyday items from plates to utensils to small appliances and spices. A smart kitchen remodel will reflect your unique lifestyle. – YouNique Kitchens & Bath

13. Create layers in your kitchen

Layer the colors in your kitchen for a great result with a dark floor, light cabinet, dark backsplash, and light upper kitchen cabinets. – 5 Day Kitchens

Content Marketing Manager
Ryan is part of the Content Marketing team and enjoys writing about market trends and local insights. His dream home would be a large cape cod-style house by the beach.
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