High-Impact Upgrades
Stretch the life of dated or ho-hum kitchen cupboards by giving them a low-cost, high-impact cottage-inspired face-lift. These simple projects can be done in a weekend and pack enough punch to give the entire room a brand-new personality.
1. Open Shelving
Ditch cabinet doors to create more airiness. Remove hardware from bottom to top, then pack screw holes with wood filler. When dry, sand smooth, prime, and paint.
2. Interior Curtains
Mimic cafe windows by adding curtains to glass-front cabinets. Fold fabric in 1-inch pleats before stapling the top and bottom to the inside of the door. Cinch in the middle with matching fabric straps.
3. Painted Borders
Make rails and stiles stand out—or create the illusion that cabinets have them—with a dose of bold color. For crisp lines, use painter’s tape to mask adjacent areas or to map out a 1- to 2-inch border on slab doors or drawer fronts before painting.
4. Door Cutouts
Delicate cutouts add handcrafted charm. Trace a design onto the doors and use a drill and a jigsaw to cut it out. Sand edges until smooth, then prime and paint. Or go bladeless: Get the look with paint and a stencil of your choice.