How to Update Plain Kitchen Cabinet Doors in French Country Style

Add rustic furniture and French pottery to add authenticity to your French country cabinets.

Purchasing brand new kitchen cabinets can be very expensive. But there are ways to improve existing cabinets at a much lower cost. The French country kitchen decorating style is offers an old farmhouse feel with European flair. You can get a start on a French country design theme in your kitchen by renovating plain cabinet doors.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Beaded board sheets
• Circular saw
• Construction adhesive
• Caulk gun
• Caulk
• Wood stripper
• Scraper
• Sand paper
• Primer
• Paint
• Screwdriver
• Antiquing glaze
• Rags

Instructions

1. Strip or sand and prime the existing cabinet doors, depending on the finish you prefer. French country may be a rustic, stained wood or an aged paint finish. For a stain finish, strip and sand the cabinets. If existing finish is paint, it can be either stripped, or just sanded and then apply a primer/bonder product that is especially made for kitchen cabinets. Consult your local paint store for preparation instructions specific to your cabinets. Take a door with you when asking for their advice. Remove all hardware with a screwdriver.

2. Measure your cabinet door faces with a measuring tape to determine how many 4-by-8 sheets of beaded board to purchase. These are located in the same section as the sheets of plywood. They are the size of a sheet of plywood, but are usually finished with primer and have a plank-and-groove appearance.

3. Cut beaded board to the size of each cabinet door with a circular saw. Use the caulk gun and apply the construction adhesive product to the back of each piece of beaded board. Glue down each piece to the cabinet doors. You may wish to clamp the glued beaded board to the cabinet door until the glue dries enough to hold.

4. Apply white kitchen and bath caulk with the caulking gun to caulk any visible cracks and the edges of the doors. Allow it to dry and sand smooth.

5. Apply a primer/bonder product to cabinet doors with a paint brush in order to prime the wood. Allow to dry completely according to instructions.

6. Apply paint color. A nice vanilla cream or soft yellow would be appropriate for French decor. Some cabinet doors could be painted red or green as an accent color. Rub the edges of the paint down along the edges, or apply a light brown antiquing glaze with a rag, letting it settle into the grooves of the bead board.

7. Reattach hardware and hinges and put doors back on cabinets.

Tips & Warnings

• The beaded board looks best on a cabinet door that has a frame around it of flat wood, so the beaded board appears to be inset into the door

• Beaded board an also be used as a kitchen backsplash