High-Impact Upgrades
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Stretch the life of dated or ho-hum kitchen cupboards by giving them a low-cost, high-impact cottage-inspired face-lift. These simple projects can be done in a weekend and pack enough punch to give the entire room a brand-new personality.
1. Open Shelving
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Ditch cabinet doors to create more airiness. Remove hardware from bottom to top, then pack screw holes with wood filler. When dry, sand smooth, prime, and paint.
2. Interior Curtains
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Mimic cafe windows by adding curtains to glass-front cabinets. Fold fabric in 1-inch pleats before stapling the top and bottom to the inside of the door. Cinch in the middle with matching fabric straps.
3. Painted Borders
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Make rails and stiles stand out—or create the illusion that cabinets have them—with a dose of bold color. For crisp lines, use painter's tape to mask adjacent areas or to map out a 1- to 2-inch border on slab doors or drawer fronts before painting.
4. Door Cutouts
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Delicate cutouts add handcrafted charm. Trace a design onto the doors and use a drill and a jigsaw to cut it out. Sand edges until smooth, then prime and paint. Or go bladeless: Get the look with paint and a stencil of your choice.