You Don't Have To Paint Outdated Kitchen Cabinets To Give Them A Makeover

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Home decor trends are changing faster than Crumbl cookies. One day, a style is in, and the next day, it lands on the list of outdated kitchen design trends you should avoid completely. If you're staring at your outdated kitchen cabinets with a serious side-eye because they're literally begging for an update, you've come to the right place. While some people might opt for a full remodel or painting the cabinets to a more modern look, for others, that's just not an option. New cabinets cost money, and if you're renting, repainting the storage units is usually a no-go. You can, however, paint the walls around the cabinets in a matching tone so as to soften the visual impact of the dated decor, creating a uniform color corner that looks and feels intentional.

Most old-fashioned cabinets in older homes are made of dark wood, so look for darker paint tones that match them: coffee brown, dark orange, and mahogany red are all good ideas. You want to think about the kitchen like an accent wall; trust the process. The color uniformity will create a warmer space that will still feel old-fashioned but in a charming rather than outdated way. This hack also works with 1950s pastel cabinets, in which case, you'll end up with a fun, vibrant, and super colorful kitchen design.

Maybe painting just isn't in the cards for you. Don't worry, you can still upgrade the dated kitchen with one of the best design updates on a budget: peel and stick products. The first option is to simply put matching wallpaper around the cabinets to create a harmoniously colored space. We like the Cherry Wood Wallpaper from JSEVEM for dark wood cabinets and Silk Embossed Floral Pink from Lativo as a potential match for a retro pink kitchen. The great thing about utilizing wallpaper is that many come with gentle patterns and can add a dynamic touch to your monochrome kitchen.

A sore point can also be a large backsplash that's sticking out from the passé cabinets, but it can be fixed with peel and stick tiles. They truly come in a multitude of colors and shapes, offering a great temporary solution for renters. Smart Tiles Store on Amazon, for example, has self-adhesive tiles ranging from moody black to soothing teal.

But what if you just hate the cabinets and truly want them to look different? Brainstorm a design you want to go for (these are the kitchen trends that we're following in 2025), then browse the contact papers in that style. To continue with a retro look, we'd go with Vintage Floral Peel and Stick from Heroad, while Modern Leaf Peel and Stick from MelunMer would be our choice for a more contemporary-style kitchen.