How to Redo ’70s Old Kitchen Cabinets to Look New

Interiors can even be stained to match the exterior finish, allowing for a uniform look for open shelving, cabinets with glass doors and slide-out trays and drawers. Position the first cabinet in the corner and make sure it’s level. Move your first corner cabinet into place and use your level to see how evenly it sits. Add markings for any appliances and fixtures you’ll install. If you’re planning to add appliances such as refrigerators or any fixtures, measure them first so you know how much space you need to leave open. Mark their measurements on your walls so you can install your cabinets around them.

Make sure the pilot holes are large enough to fit your 2-inch screws. This line also marks the bottom edge of your upper cabinets. If any parts of your wall aren’t plumb, make a note of any dips or angles that you’ll need to shim or make alterations for to make sure the cabinets are level.

Your Ultimate Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guide 2023

Allow extra space in the corner so drawer knobs don’t collide. To find the clearance needed, add the drawer front thickness (3/4 in.) to the depth of the knobs you’ll be using and then add at least 3/8 in.

A greater degree of engineered wood will be found on less expensive stock kitchen cabinets. Kitchen cabinets are a connected set of fixed, permanent base, wall, and tall cabinets that hold the kitchen countertop and sink, plus provide storage for kitchenware and food items.

Finding your floor’s highest point is super important for installing your cabinet evenly. Cover the brush and roller with plastic bags to prevent them from hardening while you wait for the first coat to dry. Add an insert or drawer divider to keep items from rattling inside drawers. The various compartments help maintain order, so you quickly spot what you need. Fit small containers between dividers when you have especially tiny objects to corral.

Framed kitchen cabinets have a one and a half-inch wide frame on the front of the cabinet box around the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Framed cabinets are stronger than frameless cabinets due to the stabilizing effect of the frame. Spray the cleaning mixture onto a microfiber cloth or soft rag until it’s damp but not soaking wet. Too much moisture can damage your cabinets’ paint or finish. Wipe each cabinet door from top to bottom, paying extra attention to any trim or molding where dust and grime tend to accumulate. Don’t forget to wipe cabinet hardware, and the insides of the cabinet doors. Spritz more cleaning solution onto your cloth as needed, and squeeze excess solution into the sink if necessary.

Another timeless material, wood has been used as a work surface in kitchens for centuries. It became a go-to countertop material in the 1970s with the emergence of butcher block, a chopping-friendly surface made of bonded-together strips of maple or another hardwood. Nowadays, you might also see wood countertops made of less-familiar species, like teak and mahogany.

Another J.D. Power survey winner, KraftMaid came in second for overall customer satisfaction with kitchen cabinets, so you know it’s a good option based on reviews. Overall, KraftMaid has tons of styles and color options to choose from, so you’re sure to find something you’ll love.

Kitchen Sink Cabinet

Read more about Premade Cabinets here.

Updating your kitchen is one of the best ways to increase the value of your home. Even just changing your kitchen cabinets can completely revitalize the look and feel of your kitchen. They’re also not as difficult to install as you may think. If you have some carpentry experience and experience with power tools, you can get the job done relatively easily. If the cabinets are heavily stained, use a stain-blocking primer, which dries quickly and seals knots and other surface defects that might bleed through the topcoats.

It’s still in vogue today, especially with homeowners who are going for a retro, mid-century modern look. Though its prevalence has waned some since the granite heyday of the 1990s and 2010s, this natural stone remains popular, especially in traditional-style homes. It comes in an array of colors, from blue pearl to Vyara gold, and its pattern can be flecked, speckled or veined. As with any natural stone, uniqueness is a big part of the allure, since no two slabs are the same. Once a year, apply a spray-on sealant, following the manufacturer’s instructions.