Kelowna Carpenter: How to Update Your Kitchen Cabinets

Because they are at eye level, your cabinets are often the first thing that people see when they walk into your kitchen. Therefore, they are important to your overall kitchen aesthetics. When your cabinets are still functional but outdated, dirty, or no longer attractive, it can put you in a conundrum about whether to replace them. Fortunately, with the help of Kelowna carpentry contractors, there are ways that you can update your current cabinets without replacing them completely.

Install Under-Cabinet Lighting

Under-cabinet lighting can provide an accent that adds drama to your overall kitchen aesthetic. Nevertheless, it is not merely decorative. It also serves as task lighting for your kitchen counters. Good lighting in kitchens is surprisingly rare, but under-cabinet lighting allows you to direct illumination where you often need it most.

Retrofitting existing cabinets with under-cabinet lighting is fairly easy. The fixtures won’t draw attention to themselves because, when installed correctly by a professional, they are hidden from view. Only the light is easily visible.

Paint the Cabinets

Does your kitchen seem a little too dark? It may not be your imagination. If you have dark-coloured cabinets, they can literally absorb ambient light. Bright colours reflect the light instead, so painting your cabinets a new colour can make a huge difference.

Colours also have an effect on your mood. Bright, warm colours are cheerful and invigorating, while soft, cool colours are relaxing. There is no right or wrong when choosing colours for your kitchen cabinets; choose a colour temperature based on the mood you want to create in your kitchen.

In addition to changing the colour, there are also painting techniques you can use on your kitchen cabinets to produce specific effects:

• High gloss is produced with the application of transparent acrylic varnish over the final coat of paint. This gives the appearance of glass or metal in a modern kitchen. It reflects light and is easier to clean because it resists dirt and grime.

• An antiqued look is produced by lightly grazing the painted surface with a nearly-dry brush of a lighter colour than the base coat.

• Producing a distressed look involves hitting the freshly painted cabinets with a heavy object, such as a chain, and sanding down the damaged areas to reveal what lies beneath. It also involves ersatz fly specks with splatters of dark paint. This may be a good option if you can’t decide between painted and natural wood cabinets; this way, you have a little bit of both.

• Crackle is a painting technique that adds visual interest to your kitchen cabinets. This effect is created by applying a special glaze between the base coat and the top coat of paint. When it dries, it creates cracks in the paint.

Add Crown Moulding

In many kitchens, there is an awkward space between the ceiling and the top of the cabinets. It can be difficult for homeowners to figure out what to do with that space. One option is to cover it up with crown moulding. This decorative element gives the whole kitchen a more finished, cohesive look. It also gives the appearance that you spent a lot of money on custom cabinetry, even if you really didn’t.

Crown moulding is a classic element with a long tradition behind it. There are some interior styles that it probably wouldn’t work well with, such as a minimalist scheme. Nevertheless, don’t assume that you can’t have crown moulding in a more modern home. There are sleek, modern styles of crown moulding that would work in a more contemporary home in addition to the more ornate styles that match older, more traditional styles.

Hire Kelowna Carpentry Contractors From Handyman Connection

We offer carpentry contractors for home renovation projects, but we also provide other technicians that can help with other aspects of your cabinetry refresh, including electricians and painters. Learn more about all our services.