Wondering how to update that plain, boring cabinet at the end of the hallway? Read on to find out how to complete a DIY hall cabinet door makeover, the easy way!
If you’re familiar with my blog, you know that I purchased my first home about a year ago. It was built in the 1970s and everything was BROWN! Which means all of the doors and trim were an off-white, almond color. The first year in our home we spend painting every wall in the house a beautiful cool gray color. Then the next mission became refinishing all of the baseboards and updating the interior doors with a bright white.
This cabinet is at the end of our hallway and was that basic, plain style painted in the same ugly trim/door color as the rest of the house. Here is a picture of the end of the hallway before any updating.
So, began the search of how to makeover this hall cabinet door the easy, affordable way!
Step 1- Design
When planning this project, I knew I wanted to give these cabinets the popular “shaker style”. However, there are many different styles you can create when adding trim to a cabinet or door. To get another idea check out my front door project.
Once you have the style in mind, you will need to pick a paint color. I decided to use the same paint as my baseboard trim and interior doors for a uniform look. I also think white at the end of a hallway can really brighten it up.
Step 2 – Measure
First, I measured the dimensions of the face of each cabinet door where I wanted to place the trim. Write down these measurements as well as the total length of all sides combined.
Step 3 – Gather Materials
This is everything you will need:
- Lattice Wood (or other Trim Moulding)
- Miter Box with Saw
- Construction adhesive or Wood Glue
- Finishing nails
- Wood filler
- Sanding block or paper
- Paint
- Paint brush/roller
There are so many options to choose from when deciding on the type of wood or trim moulding. However, the cheapest by far is lattice trim! This is the wood used to make lattice often found under decks and in gardens. It is usually thinner and more flimsy than standard lumber, but it works perfectly for this type of project… and is less than $1 per foot!
The miter box with saw is an affordable way ($15) to cut your trim pieces if you do not have an electric saw on hand. So far, I’ve used it for all my projects involving trim and small wood pieces.
TIP: When deciding on a wood filler, it’s easier to work with one that comes in a squeeze bottle with a tip like this one.
Step 4 – Prepare Hall Cabinet Door
First, remove the cabinet doors (and all hardware) and clean them.
Then, I recommend doing a light sanding and then wiping it clean again. This isn’t absolutely necessary but can only help to make sure your new paint adheres well and doesn’t peel! Especially since cabinets and doors are usually covered with a glossy paint or enamel.
Step 5 – Cut Wood and Attach to Cabinet
Using the miter box with saw, cut your wood pieces the desired lengths.
For the shaker style that I did, you will want to cut all the pieces straight so they make a butt joint. This is where the pieces simply meet together in the corner without any angled cuts.
Attach the pieces down using glue or adhesive and then secure using finishing nails using either a hammer or nail gun.
TIP: Double check that the length of your nails will not puncture through the back of the cabinet. I made the mistake of not accounting for the edge of the cabinet doors which are much thinner, so my first couple of nails went through and stuck out the other side! To fix this, hammer the tip of the nail sticking out so that it pops back up.
I also had a situation where one of my corners did not align perfectly once it was secured down. Don’t worry if yours is a little off as well, the next step shows how to fix these imperfections!
Step 6 – Fill in Gaps with Wood Filler
Use the wood filler to fill in the corners where the wood meets, the nail holes, and all edges of the wood. Don’t skip applying it along the entire outer and inner lengths of the wood where it meets the cabinet! This will make it look perfect once painted and remove the risk of there being any noticeable spaces or gaps.
I prefer to use my finger when applying the wood glue so I can smear it in all the areas needed. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Once you allow that time to dry, lightly sand down all areas where the filler was applied so that it is smooth with the wood.
Step 7 – Paint!
Now you are ready to paint!
To complete my hall cabinet door makeover, I used one coat of primer and two coats of paint. I used a brush to paint along the edges and a foam roller for the middle face of the cabinet. I also painted all edges and the back side of the cabinets.
While waiting in between coats I also painted the frame around the cabinet doors to match.
Foor the hardware, I refinished the same hinges and purchased new handles. I wasn’t able to drill in handles because of the way the doors get thinner on the edges, so instead I found these awesome peel-and-stick handles on Amazon! I’m really impressed by how great they look and how well they adhere to the cabinet.
View this post to see how I updated the hinges and the rest of the door hardware in my house.
Step 8 – Reattach doors and you’re finished!
Here is a photo of the finished project! I did this before painting the rest of the trim and interior doors on either side. You can REALLY see how ugly the color was before!
This DIY hall cabinet door makeover turned my old cabinet into a beautiful, bright white shaker cabinet, and I could not be happier! This is definitely a project that any newbie, such as myself, can pull off easily.
Let me know how your project goes in the comments below!
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