Turn even the most drab kitchen cupboards into custom-designed creations by dressing up the cupboard doors using molding. Frame the form of the door with flat or angled molding, or add an extra touch with details and faux-carved trim for the appearance of expensive cabinets at a fraction of the price tag.
Framing to Boost Drab Doors
Jazz up apartment, detail-free cupboard doors using molding around their perimeters to get a frame-shaped enhancement. Use apartment plank-style molding to get a simple or modern appearance, or select angled moldings for another effect. Sand the perimeter of each cabinet door, regardless of what it is made from, to create the adhesive stick better. Use a wood adhesive for wooden cabinets and trim, or even a multi-purpose construction adhesive suitable for laminates or even non-wood surfaces, even if either the cupboard doors or even the moldings are not wood. Cut the molding at 45-degree angles for the corners if using angled moldings; flat moldings might be cut at 45- or 90-degree angles, together with each piece butting up against its neighbors around the surface of the door.
Detailed Dimensions
Whether you have chosen angled, mitered moldings or a fundamental, flat frame for the door statues, upgrade them using detailed moldings. Details like braids, rectangular dentils or bands of olive leaves add an elegant touch for your handiwork. Adhere the narrow detail strips within the framework, selecting pieces of comparable thickness to get an excellent match. For best results, select both the outer molding as well as the in depth pieces from the exact same shop, positioning them up against one another prior to deciding on a final purchase.
Beadboard Makeover
Change the appearance of the door statues completely by inserting beadboard within the room framed by the molding. Cut the beadboard to match within the molding “frame” on each door, adhering it in place with wood glue or construction adhesive. Cover the space between the beadboard and molding together with thin curved or detailed trim strips for a finished appearance. Add beadboard into the exposed sides of wall and floor cabinets to give the entire kitchen a cohesive appearance.
Finishing Up
Paint the cupboard doors entirely, including the edges, after adding trim and molding to create the pieces look as if they were designed like that. Paint the cupboards also, if you prefer, to get a fresh cabinet makeover after cleaning, sanding and wiping down the exposed cabinet surfaces. Replace the cabinet door hinges, handles and pulls for another very simple update, or repaint the existing hardware so that it fits appliances if the shape of each hardware piece suits the type of your own kitchen.