Quick Face Lift For Old Cabinets
Remodeling a kitchen can be time-consuming, expensive and inconvenient. However, there are some quick, inexpensive and easy changes that can make a big difference.
Paint
Nothing makes a kitchen sparkle like newly painted cabinets. Spray-on enamels come in designer shades like desert coral, English rose, hunter green, French vanilla, willow, Aztec clay and wedgewood. Plasti-Kote brand are water reducible and therefore ecological. They eliminate having to dispose of hazardous substances such as paint thinners and brush cleaners.
Stencil
Once you've repainted the cabinets add a stencil border around the outside edge of each. You'll find a variety of precut stencil designs in hobby, art and home center stores.
Fleck Stone
It only takes minutes to change the look of your cabinets with Plasti-Kote's spray-on, faux granite. This product works on any surface. Create a quarry finish with any of the warm tones from the Southwest or the look of ironstone, marble, alabaster or soapstone.
Color Wash
If your kitchen is dark lighten and brighten it with a pastel color wash stain. Sand off the old finish, then rub the surface with a transparent veil of color like peach, pale blue, white, or gray for a pickled effect. These finishes from MinWax stain and seal in one step. Easy soap and water clean-up.
Cracklin' Finish
From out of the past Plasti-Kote brings us the look of the future. It's the quickest, easiest way to spray on an antique crackled finish in the color of your choice and can be applied to wood, metal or glass.
Sponging
One of the easiest faux finishes is sponging. Just clean the old surface and sand lightly. Mix an acrylic paint color of your choice and, using a natural sponge dab the paint all over the cabinets. If the color is too light or dark when dry, apply a darker or lighter shade right over the first, leaving parts of the first color showing through.
Trim
For a custom look, add a simple, wooden molding trim to the front of cabinet doors. Plain and decorative strips of moldings in all different sizes are standard items at hardware stores, lumberyards and home centers everywhere. Finish with a coat of paint or a wood stain.
Knobs
Sometimes all it takes to give an old kitchen a face lift is a change of knobs and pulls. Over-sized, white plastic door knobs are inexpensive and contemporary looking as are the plain white, black or red U-shaped handles. Decorative, antique knobs or ornate drawer pulls can add character to an ordinary kitchen. Paint round, wooden knobs in one color or with a checkerboard pattern. Add a flower decal or country symbol to the center of each painted knob. For a more casual look, paint each knob a different bright color.
Lining
Don't forget the inside of cabinets and drawers. It's always fun to find a colorful interior. Try a faux painted finish such as sponging on the inside. Create squiggly lines with two colors of paint. Elegant paper such as marbleized or pretty wallpaper make good linings. Contact adhesive paper comes in a variety of contemporary designs and is easy to work with.
Copyright Leslie Linsley, author
Reprinted by permission HouseNet, Inc.