12 Ways to Update Your Kitchen Cabinets

You can transform your cabinets quickly by refacing them with a new veneer. You can make your veneer any color you like, but cabinet refacing is a step above painting. It replaces cabinet surfaces instead of just covering them with paint. Cabinet refacing usually includes new hinges and hardware, too, so your old cabinets get a total makeover. This is a job for a pro. If you're interested in these kitchen cabinet refacing ideas, Lowe’s Home Services can do it for you.

Hardware is like jewelry for your cabinets. Changing the cabinet knobs and drawer pulls give cabinets a fast and dramatic update. Be sure you pick new hardware that will fit in the holes drilled for your old hardware. You do not want to drill new holes in your cabinets. This is super simple job. If you can use a screwdriver, you can replace your hardware.

All-white kitchens are so last decade. Update your kitchen by painting the cabinets a bold hue. Green, navy, charcoal gray, greige and classic blue are trending colors for kitchen cabinets. You can DIY this update, but it’s a big job that requires you to take all the doors and hardware off and spend a few days sanding, taping and painting.

Are you ready to tackle this project? Watch this how-to video on how to paint your kitchen cabinets.

There’s no rule that says all your kitchen cabinets must be the same color. Bring an on-trend look to the space by painting the lower cabinets one color and the upper cabinets another color. This is a great way to upgrade an all-white kitchen, fast. Paint the lower cabinets and leave the top ones white. Contrasting cabinets work best when the lower cabinets are a rich hue, and the upper cabinets are white or neutral.

Get the look of wall shelving without tearing out your cabinets by taking the doors off the upper cabinets in a kitchen. Your kitchen will feel open and airier, and you can display your pretty dishes or glassware, making them part of the décor. This is an easy job to DIY because you just take the hinges off the cabinet boxes, patch the holes left by the screws and touch up with paint. Paint the interior of the cabinet boxes to make your newly doorless storage look more finished.

Swap out solid wood cabinet doors for glass-front doors. Paint them to match the rest of your cabinets and you’ll give the kitchen a whole new, open look. Most people don’t want an entire roomful of see-through cabinetry because they’ll have to keep all the cabinets perfectly organized. Try glass-front doors on the cabinets on either side of the stove or on a single wall where you can show off your best dishes.

Make your kitchen feel airier and more contemporary by replacing some upper cabinets with floating shelves. You’ll get charm along with your storage space and have a place to put plants, dishes, cookbooks, and other accessories that make the room feel like home.

Learn how to install floating shelves.

Wallpaper isn’t just for walls. Update your cabinets by putting wallpaper inside drawers or on the back interior walls of cabinets. Wallpaper has its biggest impact if you take doors off cabinets or put glass doors on them so you can always see the wallpaper. Otherwise, the paper is a sweet surprise when you open a door or drawer.

Add height, architectural interest, and elegance to a kitchen by putting moulding on your existing cabinets. Put crown moulding along the tops of builder-grade cabinets to make your kitchen appear larger by drawing your eyes upward. Put soffit moulding at the top of the cabinets to close the gap between the ceiling and give a custom-look. Add chair-rail moulding to the bottom edge of upper cabinets to elevate the look and hide under-cabinet lighting. Hire a carpenter to install the trim, or DIY it if you know how to wield a miter saw. Paint the moulding to match the cabinets. 

Adding lights under the cabinets adds beauty and functionality. You’ll get a layer of ambient light that warms up the room. You’ll also light up countertop work areas that aren’t illuminated by the room’s overhead lighting. Two of the easiest and most affordable ways to add a lighting system under the cabinets is with puck lights and tape lighting. Puck lights are battery-operated, low-voltage lights with an adhesive backing, so you can peel and stick them on the underside of your cabinets. No electrician needed. Tape lighting or LED strip lighting is a strip of many LED emitters mounted on narrow, flexible circuit boards with adhesive backing. It’s sold on reels and can be cut to length and stuck on the underside of cabinets. Plug in the strip lights once installed and you’ve got light.

Learn how to install under cabinet lighting.

Custom cabinets can come with a ton of built-in features. You can get the same luxe perks for less by installing organizers in your cabinets. Add roll-out shelves and racks in bottom cabinets and organizers and dividers in drawers. You’ll get a bespoke look and feel for a bargain price.

For the ultimate kitchen cabinet update, buy new ones. It’s like hitting reset on your kitchen style. Lowe’s sells three types of cabinets.

Stock cabinets are mass-produced and come in limited colors, sizes, styles and materials. They’re the most affordable option.

Online and semi-custom cabinets are more affordable. They can be made to order in certain sizes and modified to fit your kitchen so you can personalize the style and storage.

Custom cabinets are top-drawer quality, made specifically for your kitchen. If you want top drawer quality, hire Lowe’s to make custom cabinets for your kitchen. You can get every luxe feature you desire, whether it’s a coffee station or leaded glass doors. Lowe’s can make your cabinet dreams come true.

Drop by a store to see our selection and get help making your dream kitchen come true. Lowe’s offers free professional design services, with designers available in store in real life or virtual who can design your kitchen no matter what type of cabinets you buy. Lowe’s Home Services can install your cabinets, too. Your kitchen will be Instagram-ready in no time.