Home Improvement Kitchen Remodel & Repair Cabinets

24 DIY Makeover Ideas for Redoing Kitchen Cabinets

redoing kitchen cabinets

Liz Marie Blog

If your kitchen cabinets have seen better days but you're a renter on a budget or a homeowner reluctant or unable to replace them, there are plenty of DIY options for redoing kitchen cabinets without replacing them. For example, you can change the look of your kitchen cabinets by refacing, painting, adding trim, swapping out wood doors for glass panes, or removing doors altogether to create open shelving.

Check out these ideas in a range of spaces and styles that will help inspire you to give your kitchen cabinets a budget-friendly, more sustainable makeover without replacing them.

  • 01 of 24

    Use Metallic Contact Paper

    kitchen cabinet doors covered in contact paper

    Alvin Wayne

    Interior designer Alvin Wayne transformed his kitchen cabinet doors from high-gloss white to shiny gold with an affordable hack: contact paper. Renters on a budget could also try removable wallpaper for a similar effect.

    Continue to 2 of 24 below
  • 02 of 24

    Create Custom Inset Doors

    diy inset kitchen cabinets

    The Merrythought

    The Merrythought wanted to emulate the look of more expensive inset kitchen cabinet doors. So they embarked on a DIY project to transform affordable kitchen cabinets with overlay doors into custom kitchen cabinets with inset door and added feet as a final flourish.

    Continue to 3 of 24 below
  • 03 of 24

    Add Leaded Glass Doors

    leaded glass kitchen cabinets

    Noelle Ryan Interiors

    Noelle Ryan Interiors added decorative leaded glass door panels to the cabinets next to the kitchen sink that give the space a sense of history and uniqueness.

    Continue to 4 of 24 below
  • 04 of 24

    Refinish and Repaint

    refinished kitchen cabinets

    A Beautiful Mess

    A Beautiful Mess transformed existing dark and dated brown stained wood cabinetry by painting high contrast black base cabinets with crisp white uppers. Add some shiny new cabinet hardware and it looks like a brand new kitchen at a fraction of the price.

    Continue to 5 of 24 below
  • 05 of 24

    Add Height

    diy kitchen cabinet makeover

    Thistlewood Farms

    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, then finishing with crown molding for a custom look before painting the whole thing out.

    Continue to 6 of 24 below
  • 06 of 24

    Do a Mini Makeover

    simple diy kitchen cabinet refresh

    A Beautiful Mess

    This mini kitchen cabinet makeover from A Beautiful Mess involved refreshing a previous DIY of sanding down and painting dark wood kitchen cabinets that had gotten plenty of wear and tear from daily use over the years. Rather than repeating that operation, this afternoon project was a matter of cleaning and degriming surfaces; a light 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.

    Continue to 7 of 24 below
  • 07 of 24

    Remove the Doors

    open kitchen cabinets

    Liz Marie Blog

    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.

    Continue to 8 of 24 below
  • 08 of 24

    Light the Stage

    kitchen cabinet makeover

    Melinda Kelson O'Connor Architecture & Interiors / Photo by Wendy Concannon

    This kitchen display cabinet from Melinda Kelson O'Connor Architecture & Interiors is finished with natural wood and lit like a jewel box, making a stylish argument for transforming one of your kitchen cabinets into a showcase for everyday dishware.

    Continue to 9 of 24 below
  • 09 of 24

    Change the Doors

    bifold kitchen cabinet doors

    Amy Leferink of Interior Impressions

    Adding foldaway doors turns this kitchen cabinet from Amy Leferink of Interior Impressions into a coffee bar and microwave station that can be left open or whisked away when not in use.

    Continue to 10 of 24 below
  • 10 of 24

    Change the Hardware

    kitchen cabinet hardware

    Ashley Montgomery Design

    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.

    Continue to 11 of 24 below
  • 11 of 24

    Focus on the Inside

    diy painted kitchen cabinet

    Thistlewood Farms

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

    Continue to 12 of 24 below
  • 12 of 24

    Change the Color

    diy painted kitchen cabinets

    The Merrythought

    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.

    Continue to 13 of 24 below
  • 13 of 24

    Paint It All White

    diy kitchen cabinet

    Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Max Kim-bee

    Leanne Ford Interiors mixed modern finishes and vintage pieces to give give this timeless charm. A glass-front vintage cabinet mounted on the end of the kitchen countertop is painted white to match the rest of the space. Wall-mounted shelving that matches the butcher block countertops makes the standalone piece feel built-in.

    Continue to 14 of 24 below
  • 14 of 24

    DIY Shaker Cabinet Doors

    diy shaker cabinets

    The Merrythought

    The Merrythought made DIY Shaker cabinet doors for a wall of built-ins to give them a custom look.

    Continue to 15 of 24 below
  • 15 of 24

    Install Reeded Glass Doors

    reeded glass kitchen cabinet

    Design by Emilie Fournet Interiors / Photo by Kasia Fiszer

    Reeded glass adds texture to glass-front cabinet doors in this London kitchen from Emilie Fournet Interiors, rendering them less transparent while retaining a glimpse of what's inside.

    Continue to 16 of 24 below
  • 16 of 24

    Add Ambient Lighting

    diy kitchen cabinet lighting

    Tina Ramchandani Creative / Jacob Snavely Photography

    Tina Ramchandani Creative added LED under-cabinet lighting that creates a focal point on a wall of cabinetry in this open kitchen, adding ambiance and dimension.

    Continue to 17 of 24 below
  • 17 of 24

    Paint the Interior

    kitchen cabinet interior paint ideas

    A Beautiful Mess

    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.

    Continue to 18 of 24 below
  • 18 of 24

    Repurpose With a New Door

    kitchen cabinet dog room

    Michelle Berwick Design

    Part of the design brief for designing this kitchen included finding a place for a dog crate. Michelle Berwick Design sacrificed a lower kitchen cabinet to build a dog crate with room for a small dog bed, and the addition of a breathable mesh-insert door.

    Continue to 19 of 24 below
  • 19 of 24

    Take a Two-Tone Approach

    diy kitchen cabinet makeover

    Casa Watkins Living

    In this kitchen from Casa Watkins Living, a mix of stained and painted wood two-tone cabinetry allows an accent wall of colorful wallpaper and open shelving to stand out, while using the same simple silver pulls and knobs throughout pulls it all together.

    Continue to 20 of 24 below
  • 20 of 24

    Add Texture and Color

    diy kitchen cabinet doors

    Ashley Montgomery Design

    In this vintage-style blue-and-white butler's pantry from Ashley Montgomery Design, blue paint on the inset doors adds color while a mix of cane fronts on upper cabinetry and smooth wood on base cabinetry adds texture. Bulbous white vintage-style knobs add retro charm to the mix.

    Continue to 21 of 24 below
  • 21 of 24

    Personalize With Paint

    diy kitchen cabinet makeover

    Studio DIY

    Studio DIY upgraded premade Ikea cabinets with Semihandmade DIY shaker doors and blush pink paint to give this kitchen a custom look for less.

    Continue to 22 of 24 below
  • 22 of 24

    Stain Reclaimed Wood

    kitchen cabinet diy

    Lobster and Swan

    Lobster and Swan created a cohesive look in a small English country kitchen by staining 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.

    Continue to 23 of 24 below
  • 23 of 24

    Decorate the Sides

    kitchen cabinets

    My 100 Year Old Home

    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.

    Continue to 24 of 24 below
  • 24 of 24

    Try Semi-Transparent Film

    diy reeded glass kitchen cabinets

    Casa Watkins Living

    Casa Watkins Living opted for reeded glass window film to add intrigue to existing glass-front cabinetry.