
Add modern flair to a rustic kitchen by using lacquered high gloss cabinet doors. This finish is easy to clean and adds a reflective surface that brightens a space.
Paint and stain colors can dramatically alter a home’s style. Try a glaze to create an aged appearance or add dark paint splatters to mimic natural wear and tear. Contact Cabinet Refinishing San Jose CA for more information.
Modern
Unless you have a full cabinet replacement in mind, painting your cabinets is the quickest and most affordable way to change their look. You can use any color you want and add custom hardware to create a personalized aesthetic. (Learn more about choosing the right sheen for your cabinet paint HERE).
You can also strip your old stain, sand down to the bare wood and apply a new press-on veneer. This is a more labor-intensive option, but it can produce the best results.
Many home buyers prefer the muted warmth and modern appeal of a lighter natural stain color rather than a strong orange, yellow or red. So, if you have older wood cabinets with a dark red stain, consider restaining them to update the look.
You can also decorate the back of your cabinet doors to make them feel less like cabinets and more like a design element. For example, Thistlewood Farms used tape and a sample paint pot to transform the back of this dated wood corner cabinet into a striped affair, adding a modern twist to the compact space.
Traditional
When you want to make your kitchen look classic and cozy, a natural wood stain is the way to go. Popular shades include mushroom, clay, and sage green. This look adds warmth to your room and complements many other decorating styles, including traditional furniture. Another way to keep your kitchen looking timeless is by adding a matte finish instead of glossy. Matte finishes are less likely to show smudges and fingerprints, making them a great choice for busy Hoosier households.
Another way to give your kitchen a classic style is by adding crown molding and a valance. Crown molding raises the visual height of your cabinets, while a valance hides under-cabinet lighting for an elegant look. You can also give your cabinets a more custom look by replacing your hardware with decorative pulls and knobs. This trend isn’t going away any time soon, as it adds personality and texture to your cabinets.
If you are hesitant to invest in a full kitchen remodel, cabinet refinishing can provide the visual upgrade your home needs without the cost or hassle of a complete replacement. This DIY-friendly option can transform your kitchen with a fresh coat of paint or new stain, while improving durability. Refinishing is ideal for homeowners who want to save money on a full remodel or those with minor damage to their cabinets.
Refinishing can involve sanding and restorative stain, or simply surface finishing with a protective glaze. Gel stain is a good option for older cabinets that already have an existing color, but you should test the technique thoroughly before choosing it as your final look. It sits on top of the cabinet, rather than penetrating into the wood, so it isn’t as long-lasting as traditional stains or lacquer.
While refinishing can improve functionality, it doesn’t address issues like warped doors or outdated designs. For a more comprehensive update, refacing is a better option. It allows you to choose from a wide selection of door styles, colors, and finishes to create the design you want. This process also includes installation of new drawer boxes and trim to ensure a smooth, consistent look.
Transitional
For homeowners that love elements from different eras, but find modern too stark or traditional too stuffy, transitional might be the perfect style fit. It blends design elements from past eras with modern and new features to create a fresh, warm look.
Whether you want to paint your cabinets or update their stain, adding a touch of transitional style can give them a fresh, updated look that doesn’t feel too “new” or too old. This kitchen cabinet design idea works particularly well if you have paneled-style doors or cathedral-style cabinets. Changing your cabinet hardware can also help achieve a transitional look. Choose knobs and handles that have a more rounded shape rather than a tubular one (see what type of cabinet hardware looks best HERE).
If you’re considering restaining your wood cabinets, opt for a lighter stain color to create a more transitional look. Avoid orange/yellow or red hues, as they tend to look dated.
If you want to play with two-toned cabinets, which are a trendy cabinet design idea that increases resale value, consider painting the island cabinets a brighter, more vibrant color and staining the rest of your cabinets a darker shade. Or, try a gel stain that sits on top of the existing finish, but doesn’t actually penetrate it (see what types of gel stain work on wood cabinets HERE). The combination of natural and painted wood tones in a transitional kitchen creates an eclectic look that’s both stylish and timeless.
Country
Country-style cabinets are often made of pine, which is a softwood that’s ideal for rustic and farmhouse looks. It stains well, though it’s prone to blotching, so a pre-stain conditioner is recommended. A good alternative to staining pine is covering it with cabinet veneers that match the existing faces of the boxes. Using a plywood veneer is more ridged than the existing pine and therefore less fussy to work with, especially if you’re covering wide exposed ends of a cabinet like those on an island. Birch is another solid choice for cabinet refinishing because it’s a durable hardwood with a subtle grain pattern that can be stained or painted to match other types of wood like oak. Walnut is also a high-end option for cabinetry that can be refinished to give your kitchen a more modern look.