Low-Cost Cabinet Makeovers

Bright & Cheery

Kitchens awash in white look neat and tidy, but color is the key to keeping the space fresh and fun. If you opt to paint your kitchen cabinets white, choose one or two favorite hues to use as accents. Touches of bright red and sky blue set off pristine white cabinets in this kitchen. Paint the soffit or wall above your cabinets with one of your accent colors for a polished look.

  
Sunny Yellow

Two coats of buttery yellow enamel paint catapult white Plain Jane builder's cabinets into the spotlight. Wrapping the island with beaded-board paneling turns it into a focal point.

Vintage Inspiration

Light green high-gloss enamel paint on old, dinged-up cabinet doors refreshes the look of an older kitchen. (The paint color was inspired by vintage Jadeite.) Dated hardware was swapped for brushed-nickel knobs and hinges.

 Red Renovation

Two layers of paint transform plain wood cabinets: a red latex base coat coupled with a top coat of oil-base paint (black and raw umber) mixed with oil-base glazing liquid and paint thinner. Basket-style metal hardware suits the decorative paint finish.

 Rustic Look

This casual, gently distressed look is the perfect theme for a country kitchen. Open shelving allows ample storage and display space without being overtaken by clutter. Unconventional wooden bars serve as door handles while keeping with the cabinet style.

 Mellow Yellow

Pantaing old cabinets crisp white (plus polishing existing hardware) saves them for another decade of use. Repeating the beaded-board backsplash on a new island gives everything the same old-time flavor.

 Hot Stuff

Once stuck in neutral, this kitchen gets its kicks from newly painted yellow cabinets and deep red walls distressed with a crackle medium. Hefty black hardware holds its own against the vibrant colors.

Storage on Display

Take ordinary cabinets to the next level by swapping out a few solid door panels for glass-front ones. This setup doubles as storage and a showcase for glasses, plates, serving bowls, and tea pots.

 Feeling Groovy

Vertical grooves and horizontal supports create texture that adds interest to basic doors. Soft green paint, a butcher-block countertop, and new hardware, including bin pulls in a weathered iron finish, continue the rustic look.

Green Space

Creamy white paint on formerly dark cabinets can make a kitchen feel larger; such was the case for this kitchen. To add a dose of color, paint your island a bright hue. This island was painted a darker shade of green than the walls to help it stand out. Faux wrought-iron knobs tie in the updated cabinets with the black light fixture/pot rack.

 Open Options

Open shelving will give your kitchen a lighter look. In this space, it also helps draw more attention to the gorgeous gray tile backsplash. Use shelf brackets that fit the look of your kitchen. Curvy brackets, like these ones, are in-step with cottage style.

 Cabinet Message Board

Grab a can of chalkboard paint and apply it to a few cabinet panels for a new look and a new message board. Pick cabinets that are easy to reach, to make jotting down a grocery list a cinch.

High-Contrast Cabinets

Can't decide on just one cabinet color? Mix and match finishes for a unique look. Here, high-gloss lower cabinets stylishly contrast upper white cabinets. Use a darker color on the lower cabinets and a lighter color on the upper cabinets. The reverse (dark on top, light on bottom) can weigh down the space and make it feel cramped.

 Less is More

Removing the doors from some of the upper cabinets reveals the space inside, making the kitchen look larger. Paint the interior a rich accent color to spice up the kitchen even more.

Aged to Perfection

Distressed cabinets, such as these aged black ones, give off a beautiful vintage vibe. A granite countertop, exposed brick walls, and slate flooring make a dramatic statement by playing off the dark cabinet finish.

Sparkling White

Once-boring brown cabinets now offer streamline style with several coats of white paint over their dated facade. Removing cabinet doors also provides visual interest. Say good-bye to the cabinet doors below your sink and replace then with a soft curtain, or eliminate doors on the upper cabinets and use the open shelves for display.

 Elegant Makeover

A kitchen has an abundance of hard surfaces -- appliances, flooring, faucets, and light fixtures, to name a few. To soften the look of your kitchen, refresh your cabinets with a few coats of a soothing paint color. An inviting powder blue does the trick on these cabinets. Light blue walls, white trim, and open shelving also boost the room?s bright and airy look.

 Country Cabinets

Go country chic with distressed cabinets. Paint wood cabinets in your choice of color (a bolder hue, such as this vibrant robin?s egg blue, will lend a more modern look) and once dry, do a little bit of sanding around the door edges and across the cabinet fronts.