Transforming Drab to Fab: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers

Transforming Drab to Fab: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers

Conquering My Power Tool Fear for a Fabulous Facelift

Oh, man – you guys, I’m so excited about this post, I can’t even tell you! It’s been something I’ve wanted to do forever, and I finally bit the bullet last week and tackled it all by myself.

Usually, when there’s a big project – which pretty much means anything more involved than say, a hot glue gun, some spray paint, and a sander – I call in the big guns, aka my husband. Power tools have always freaked me out, so I let him handle anything that involves wearing protective goggles. You know what I mean?

But as you can probably relate, there is nothing busier for a family of 5 than fall weekends. Sports all weekend, pumpkin patches, Halloween parties – there’s just no time for the honey-do list these days. And I reeeeally wanted to get this done. So I started thinking to myself, “Wait a minute, I can totally do this myself. I have the time during the week to tackle it. Yes!”

If you read the title, you know what I’m talking about by now, but in case you haven’t figured it out – I took our 1960s cabinets that have zippy personality (I mean, what was with that decade? Skinny baseboards and flat front cabinets – painful!) and gave them some character with a little trim.

From Drab to Fab: The Cabinet Transformation

So, what looked like this before

Before

Now looks like this:

After

And what used to look like this

Drawers Before

Now looks like this:

Drawers After

And these drawers, once plain and boring and desperately in need of a new paint job…

Drawers Before

Now, freshly painted and full of life!

Drawers After

I could keep showing pictures until the cows come home – I love it so! But you probably want to hear how I did it.

Conquering Power Tools and Trim Application

First, I borrowed my awesome friend and neighbor’s portable circular saw. Remember that photo I posted on my Instagram and FB page? I was a little scared, but I had my husband give me a quick lesson the night before, and I was ready to get these puppies done.

Rewind a couple of weeks to a Lowe’s trip (aka my second home these days). I looked around the wood section and tried to find the perfect something for these boring cabinets of mine. I spotted this perfectly thin trim that’s about 1.5 inches wide. I picked up a few pieces of these 8-footers, and after much thinking about it with the hubs, we decided it was the way to go.

I know myself, and I know I would go positively cuckoo with a kitchen of naked cabinets and all the drawer stuff all over the house. So I decided to split this up into the span of what became three days:

  1. Day 1: I started around 11 am and got all the drawers done before the kids came home at 4. Like, knobs – done.
  2. Day 2: I did half the cabinets, got the knobs back on, and hinges – done.
  3. Day 3: The other half.

This way works well for me. Because I’m a little cray. This is not new information.

So, I pulled out a drawer and marked on the trim how long the piece needed to be. I cut two pieces like that, laid them on the drawer, and measured the other two pieces – the top and bottom. And I cut the wood. Sorry, I’m obnoxiously excited and proud that I did this all by myself. Just ignore me.

And since I did it by myself, there are no photos of this step. My apologies. A little wood glue, clamped that bad boy up, and just waited for it to dry – didn’t take long, maybe 30 minutes. And I kept going until I ran out of clamps. Another reason why I’m glad I split it up over a few days.

Once the glue was good and set, I removed the clamps and caulked where I needed to. I’ve said it before, but caulk is your best friend. Then I got the knobs out and drilled the holes for the new knobs. Ok, full disclaimer – the hubs helped a little with this one.

Painting and Finishing Touches

Then it was time to prime and paint. I just used whatever the cheapest primer at the store was and Sherwin Williams White Semi-Gloss. Oh, while things were drying, I took the hinges outside for a quick blast of black spray paint. I love the paint and primer in one and used Flat Black. I also sprayed it with a clear protective coating that was a satin finish – that’s all I had, and it looks perfect.

And that’s about it! Another before:

Before

And here’s what that little cabinet above the fridge looks like now:

After

It’s hard to believe these are the same cabinets, original to this house, that were then painted a creamy yellow a decade ago when we moved in, then updated with white paint and some crown molding a few years back, and now today. This is a good lesson in making what you have work for you.

I mean, would I love new cabinets that weren’t all a little off and had all that fancy slow-closing business? Sure. But do we have it in the budget to demo this kitchen and start over? Nope. But I was tired of the dated look. I ended up needing 9 pieces of trim, so this new look set me back about $72. Not bad when you consider what new cabinets would cost.

I’m so glad to have finally gotten this project done. I could not be more thrilled with how it turned out, and that I finally conquered my fear of power tools. Very exciting! The sky’s the limit now, friends.

Lessons Learned and Takeaways

One thing to note – turns out I should’ve drilled the holes for the new knobs after hanging them back on the hinges. Nothing’s perfect in an older home, but do we have it in the budget to start over? Nope.

But I was tired of the dated look, and this new trim made all the difference. And at just $72 for the materials, it’s a fraction of the cost of new cabinets. I’m so glad I took the leap and tackled this project myself. If you have similar dated cabinets, I highly recommend giving this a try. Don’t let your fear of power tools hold you back – I conquered mine, and you can too!

Now, the sky’s the limit. Who knows what other DIY projects I’ll take on next. One thing’s for sure – I’ll be rocking my protective goggles and making my husband proud.

Ready to transform your own drab kitchen cabinets into a fabulous focal point? Head to Reading General Contractor to get started on your own DIY cabinet makeover today!

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