27 DIY Makeover Ideas for Redoing Kitchen Cabinets

Use Metallic Contact Paper

Redoing kitchen cabinets doesn’t have to be expensive. Renters can cover flat-front cabinet doors with contact paper or removable wallpaper for a budget makeover. Interior designer Alvin Wayne transformed his New York City kitchen cabinet doors from high-gloss white to shiny gold with metallic gold contact paper.

Create Custom Inset Doors

Emulate the look of more expensive inset kitchen cabinet doors with a DIY project. The Merrythought transformed affordable kitchen cabinets with overlay doors into custom kitchen cabinets with inset door and added feet details as a final flourish.

Add Leaded Glass Doors

Add decorative leaded glass door panels cabinets for a custom look. Noelle Ryan Interiors chose a geometric pattern that adds a sense of history to this kitchen makeover.

Change the Hardware

Swapping out cabinet hardware is one of the simplest ways to change the appearance of existing cabinets without completely redoing them.

Ashley Montgomery Design added decorative gold-toned cabinet pulls in two different designs that complement the navy blue kitchen cabinets that have become a timeless modern classic in recent years.

Refinish and Repaint

Give dark and dated brown stained wood cabinets a DIY makeover with paint. A Beautiful Mess added dimension by using black on base cabinets and crisp white on the upper cabinets for a crisp, two-tone cabinet combo.

Add Height

Add extra height to take your kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling by attaching trim to existing cabinets. Thistlewood Farms updated existing cabinets on a budget by adding an 18-inch piece of plywood to the top of the cabinet as a bridge to the ceiling. The top of the cabinets was finished with crown molding before everything got a fresh coat of white paint for a seamless, built-in look.

Do a Mini Makeover

If your kitchen cabinets need a refresh to erase the signs of wear and tear, consider a mini kitchen cabinet makeover. A Beautiful Mess spent an afternoon cleaning and degriming surfaces; lightly sanding; and, having made a note of the exact color used, applying a light touch-up coat of paint to the doors and drawer faces to give cabinets a redo without a total facelift.

Remove the Doors

While cabinet doors can hide clutter, blogger Liz Marie took an opposite approach in her all-white farmhouse kitchen by opting for open shelving from countertop to ceiling. Remove existing doors on old cabinetry or add glass-front doors to achieve a similar look.

Light Glass-Front Cabinets

Transform one of your kitchen cabinets into a showcase for everyday dishware with glass fronts and interior lighting.

Melinda Kelson O’Connor Architecture & Interiors finished this kitchen display cabinet with natural wood and lit the interior like a jewel box to create a stylish focal point.

Change the Doors

Turn a kitchen cabinet into a coffee bar and microwave station by swapping out the doors. Amy Leferink of Interior Impressions used foldaway doors that can be left open or make the functional space disappear when not in use.

Focus on the Inside

Consider decorating the inside of cabinetry with paint or removable wallpaper to make them more visually appealing.

Thistlewood Farms used painter’s tape and a sample paint pot to turn the back of plain white cabinets from into a striped affair, a fun little DIY project that also helps to make the white dishware stand out.

Change the Color

If you’re a renter with dated cabinets, consider asking your landlord if they are open to allowing you to refresh them with paint.

The Merrythought gave the dated wood cabinets in a rental apartment a $55 olive green paint makeover—with the landlord’s blessing—that updated the compact space in one fell swoop.

Paint It All White

If your kitchen cabinets are a mix of old and new elements, give them a cohesive feel by painting everything white. Leanne Ford Interiors painted a glass-front vintage cabinet mounted on the end of the kitchen countertop white to match the rest of the space.

DIY Shaker Cabinet Doors

If you like the look of Shaker cabinet doors but can’t afford to replace your existing cabinetry, consider a DIY project. The Merrythought made DIY Shaker doors for a wall of built-ins to give them a custom look for less.

Install Reeded Glass Doors

Reeded glass adds texture to glass-front cabinet doors. Emilie Fournet Interiors chose the textured glass to render the doors less transparent while retaining a glimpse of what’s inside in this London kitchen.

Add Ambient Lighting

Create a focal point on a wall of cabinetry with LED under-cabinet lighting. Tina Ramchandani Creative added ambiance and dimension to this minimalist coffee station with soft warm lighting that turns it into a decorative feature when the doors are left open.

Paint the Interior

An easy way to give old cabinets a boost is to paint the interior in a vibrant color that will surprise you every time you open the doors. A Beautiful Mess painted the inside of this corner cabinet peacock blue and filled it with bright white everyday dishware for a high-contrast look.

Repurpose With a New Door

Turn a lower cabinet into a dedicated spot for a pet with a breathable wire mesh door. Michelle Berwick Design found space for a client’s dog bed by sacrificing a base cabinet in this modern kitchen.

Take a Two-Tone Approach

Paint just some of your existing cabinetry to break up an all-wood look. Casa Watkins Living painted some of the wood cabinetry in this bright kitchen white, turning the wood cabinetry and open shelving into an accent wall with colorful wallpaper. Using the same hardware throughout adds cohesion.

Add Texture and Color

Wake up old cabinetry by painting the door fronts in a favorite color. Ashley Montgomery Design used blue paint on the textured cane inset doors to add color to cream cabinetry in this vintage-style butler’s pantry. Bulbous white vintage-style knobs add retro charm to the mix.

Personalize With Paint

One of the main drawbacks of purchasing premade big box cabinets is the lack of color options. Studio DIY upgraded IKEA cabinets with Semihandmade DIY Shaker doors and blush pink paint to give this kitchen a signature look for less.

Stain Reclaimed Wood

Stain reclaimed wood the same tone for a cohesive look. Lobster and Swan stained disparate reclaimed wood used on the upper half of the wall in a similar color, from the open shelving to the wood on the range hood. Painted olive green base cabinets add dimension, and mixed wood countertops and accessories add variety.

Decorate the Sides

If your upper cabinets sit on the countertop, make them look more intentional by decorating the sides with thrift store decor or art. My 100 Year Old Home used the visible side of existing kitchen cabinetry as a blank canvas to hang a decorative vintage-style bakery sign.

Try Semi-Transparent Film

If you want the look of reeded glass but don’t have the budget to splash out on new cabinets, there are ways to fake it. Casa Watkins Living gave plain glass-front cabinetry an affordable makeover by applying reeded glass window film.

Go Bold With Color

Transform an all-white kitchen with a row of bold colorful cabinets. A Beautiful Mess electrified this neutral kitchen by redoing painted base cabinets with a DIY paint job in a shock of neon yellow.

Add Gold Mesh Door Fronts

Give your kitchen cabinets a glam feel by replacing door inserts with gold metal mesh. Kate Marker Interiors gave upper cabinets a shiny redo with semi-transparent gold criss-cross metal doors and shiny brass hardware.

Try Semi-Opaque Glass

Replace solid wood cabinets with semi-opaque glass doors for a modern refresh. Mary Patton Design filled the upper cabinets with colorful glassware that gives this kitchen a contemporary feel.