1. Do your research
Still undecided on your new kitchen style? Flick through a few interiors magazines and pull out some kitchen styles. From your selections, you’ll get an idea of what you like – and dislike!
Check out our huge range of kitchen designs
2. Create a budget
Knowing what you want to spend and your limits are essential when updating your kitchen. Don’t be tempted to overspend on things that won’t make much of a difference, like grooving and moulding, if it takes you over your budget.
3. Choose between off-the-shelf or custom made
Unusual kitchen? You may need to consider custom-made cabinet doors. This can seriously up the amount you need to pay for your cabinet doors, but on the plus side you can specify everything you want or need and achieve an original look.
Standard size cabinets? You can get equally good quality and style from off-the-shelf cabinet doors. As they are made in bulk they’re likely to be a lot friendlier to your wallet too, plus they come in all the latest finishes to match current trends or classic styles.
4. Pick a material
There are lots of factors that can affect the material you choose for your kitchen cabinet doors:
Are you updating for you or to sell your home?
Quick resell: choose a laminate door that’s reasonably priced and provides impact, like our ÄDEL range.
For you: wood or stainless steel are long-lasting options. If you choose wood, make sure your kitchen is well-ventilated as humidity can cause wooden doors to expand and contract. And be aware that while stainless steel doors are hardy, they need lots of cleaning to keep fingerprints at bay.
TIP: use a dab of baby oil on a cloth to keep stainless steel doors and drawers sparkling
Check out IKEA’s solid oak ULRIKSDAL cabinet door range
The size of your kitchen
Small kitchen? It’ll seem larger by using glass doors that give the impression of more depth to your kitchen. IKEA offers a large range of glass doors, like this glass door cabinet, available in a range of finishes
Get more tips on how to make a small kitchen look larger
The kitchen cabinet door colour you want
Want colourful kitchen cabinets? You can go for laminates, plastics, painted wood or glass in a variety of colours to match your scheme. Create instant drama with ABSTRAKT high-gloss red kitchen cabinet doors in red.
See our FAKTUM base cabinet in a variety of finishes including Rubrik green glass
5. Choose hardware to add the finishing touches to your new kitchen cabinet doors
For a unified look to your kitchen, accessorise your new cabinet doors with door knobs, handles and hinges that will bring the entire look of your kitchen together. Don’t be tempted to stick with what’s there already if it doesn’t go with your new theme – brass hinges can really take the shine off a modern stainless steel look! Think about:
- worktops: you could match the material of door hardware to your worktops
- style: if you have a country kitchen, choose wooden hardware, or if your kitchen is sleek, buy hinges that are designed to be hidden completely from view
Top 10s
See the full range of top tips from around the site
