How do you liven up kitchen cabinets in a rental apartment?
Answers:
Ok you hate the cabinets, but cant get rid of them and don't want to pay a big deposit at the end of your stay. So here's what you do.
1)clean them thoroughly, and let dry.
2)While they dry measure all cabinet doors and write down measurements to take with you.
3)Now collect the following, a pic or a fabric you love. If you choose a pic, take it to your nearest copier store to get enlargments(this works best if pic covers all or most of cabinet so the simpler the better). If you choose a fabric you will need enough to cover the front of all doors.At fabric store buy light weight plastic. You will need enough to cover each cabinet plus 4"in width and 4" in height. (The sales people can help you figure fabric and plastic needed, IF YOU TAKE THE MEASURMENTS WITH YOU!) You will also need clear packing tape.(scotch is not strong enough)
4)When you get home cut pics or fabric to fit doors covering all or most of door. Cut plastic to fit with the extra 4" on width and height, then cut out 2" squares from each corner.
5)Lay plastic flat and center fabric/pic on it, then center door over both. Gently fold plastic over door top then 1 side and tape together keeping plastic taut. proceed around taping only the plastic. No damage to door but a whole new look..
Other answers:
lemon oil. generously applied, rub in with a clean cloth.
lemon oil. generously applied, rub in with a clean cloth.
try covering them with contact paper.....it should peel off easily when you move out
New knobs, handles and/or hinges
also try a product called "cabinet magic" we own a custom cabinet shop and we always shine ours up with this before they go out
Have a word with your landlord.
I think the lemon oil is your best hope.
change the doors keep the old ones put them back when you leave or you can use wall paper and then varnish this will protect them
just change the hardware, go to Home Depot - they have so many different choices, find ones you love and get them but don't throw out the old ones, so that when you move out you can change them back.
First of all, don't do ANYTHING that would alter the appearance in such a way that you'll have to reverse it later when you move out. The reason is this: the apartment managers may try to find any reason they can to charge you with damage so they don't have to return your security deposit. Don't even think about sticking contact paper on the cabinets (yuck!), or removing the doors and replacing them until you leave. If you plan on staying in the apartment for many years, have a discussion with your landlord and ask them if they plan on upgrading the cabinets to something more appealing. However, if the cabinets are still functional and in overall good condition except for the dark brown color, they probably won't replace them. Your best bet is to forget about the cabinets and focus on planning to buy a place of your own so you can decorate as you please. Hope this helps!
Just clean em up and make other things in your kitchen draw attention like red small appliances!
Find ways to deflect the color by bringing your eye to accent areas that you can control. You can try hanging pictures or interesting objects on the backsplash. If there is space above the cabinets you can also put some decorations above. If there is wall above (and the backsplash wall) perhaps painting a bright, contrasting color in counterpoint to the brown wood.
As mentioned above, if you have cabinet hardware you can always change it out (some cabinets have a handle strip - can't do much with that). Amerock (sold at Lowes and Depot) has a slogan, "small change, big impact" - which can be very true. Try a oversize knob - really big - and a funky color perhaps, to help with that counterpoint. Good luck!
New knobs or handles work great!