5 Tricks That Make Your Dated Kitchen Cabinets Look Expensive, According to Designers

• Add some texture to your kitchen cabinets through crown molding or wallpaper to create some visual interest.
• Swap out your dull cabinet hardware for new ones. Experiment with different materials like brass and porcelain.
• Create a high-end look by installing some under-cabinet lighting to give your cabinets an elevated look.

If you’re wondering how to transform your dated kitchen cabinets without breaking the bank (or the rules of your rental agreement), professional interior designers are here to help.

Here, three experts chime in with five clever and useful tips for how to take so-so cabinetry from drab to fab without spending much along the way. Best of all, there’s an option for every style preference.

Add Under-Cabinet Lighting

Give your neglected kitchen cabinets a glow up with the addition of under-cabinet lighting in the form of stick-on LED strips, which Esther Ellard, the founder of Effortless Designs, loves to use in her projects when possible.

“This gives a little element of surprise that has a high-end appeal,” Ellard says. “Under the cabinet lighting makes cheap cabinets feel tailored and layered by giving them an ‘ooh la la’ moment.'”

For the best effect, lighting-wise, Ellard advises using warm white LED strips.

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Install Crown Molding

Whether you’re a renter or just are looking to fake a custom look on a budget, make a note that crown molding can make all the difference when it comes to your cabinets, Ellard notes.

“Crown molding draws the eye upward by creating visual interest and a little personality to otherwise boring and basic cabinets, which gives a more finished feel,” she says. The look, she adds, “mimics custom cabinetry and gives vertical dimension.”

Renters should keep in mind that there are many types of crown molding that can be installed with adhesive spray, making for easy removal prior to move-out.

Paint Your Cabinets

The addition of colorful paint can work wonders in totally transforming your kitchen, Jennifer Jones, the founder of Niche Interiors, says.

“All white kitchens tend to feel boring and builder-grade,” she says. “Amp up the drama by painting all the cabinetry in a bold, saturated hue.”

Paper Your Cabinets

If you’re not allowed to paint your cabinets due to rental policies or are simply looking for a different approach, try wallpaper.

Adnan Anwar, the founder of Adnan Anwar Design, likes to cut pieces of grasscloth style wallpaper and place them in the center panel of a shaker cabinet.

“It gives the cabinets texture and richness, making them look more custom,” he says. “It works better to use a faux grasscloth in a kitchen because of the moisture and oil.”

The designer adds that this DIY is quite simple; all you need is your paper of choice, an Exacto knife, and a smoothing tool.

Another approach that Anwar has taken and enjoyed in kitchens with flat paneled cabinets, such as his own, is adding a patterned vinyl paper on the fronts.

“It works best when you have a large-scale pattern that connects the cabinets, such as a chinoiserie,” he says. “I wrapped my kitchen cabinets in black vinyl paper to disguise the dated birch finish and make them fit my decor more; it does hold up and is very wipeable.”

Install New Hardware

Jones also highlights the difference that new cabinet hardware can make in majorly elevating a kitchen.

“For boring flat panel cabinets, add oversized architectural pulls in a contrasting finish for a more elevated look,” she says.

Anwar also praises the benefits of brand-new hardware.

“I also find dramatic hardware pulls can carry uninspiring cabinets; they’re like jewelry,” he says.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your hardware choices, either, the designer advises. Anwar has personally purchased vintage door knobs off of eBay and drilled them onto cabinet fronts. Anwar recommends brass, pressed glass, and marbled porcelain styles to create an incredibly chic statement.

Anwar appreciates that doorknobs are larger in size than standard hardware pulls, making for a more dramatic impact.

“Playing with scale is the key to getting a big transformation, such as extra-long pulls,” he says. “But even standard-sized upgrades can make a solid difference.”