DIY Modern Innovative Kitchen Cabinets on a Budget

Use creativity to create interesting cabinets with less money.

If you go to a home improvement superstore, buy a ready-made set of kitchen cabinets and have someone else install them, you'll get what you paid for. They probably won't be very interesting, and the only part of you that will be in the cabinets is your money. If you have more time than money and are interested in creating something distinctive, try building modern, innovative kitchen cabinets on a shoestring and putting your own personality into them.

Things You'll Need

• Lumber
• Jointer
• Planer
• Table saw
• Measuring tape
• Drill
• Chalk line

Instructions

1. Draw a floor plan of your kitchen on a piece of graph paper. Draw the stove, refrigerator, kitchen sink and other amenities to scale. Draw an elevation of each wall where cabinets will go. You now have a visual representation of your project that will help you to visualize what you need to do.

2. Draw the new cabinets to scale on your graph paper, then figure out a materials list for what you will need based on their sizes.

3. Build the cases out of plywood, MDF (medium density fiberboard) or pressboard. Each cabinet will need a top, bottom, two sides and a back. Cut these pieces to the desired size and screw them together using 1 1/2 inch screws. Drill a pilot hole for the screws to prevent splitting. Strengthen the backs of cabinets that will hang on the wall by including a strip of solid wood across the back for mounting bolts.

4. Cover the visible parts of your cabinets with paint, stainless steel, wood veneer or plastic veneer. Attach these facings to the cabinets using contact cement.

5. Design the doors and drawer fronts according to your preferences. These two elements comprise most of what will be visible when your cabinets are finished, so their appearance is more important than the cases or the shelves.

6. Utilize modernist style hardware to give your cabinets a sleek and contemporary look. Long, brushed aluminum drawer and door pulls can give an elegant look to an otherwise ordinary cabinet.

7. Install your cabinets after you've finished with any other kitchen renovations. This reduces the risk that the cabinets will be damaged while you're completing other work.

Tips & Warnings

• Save money by reusing materials. Look around at architectural salvage yards and used building materials stores. You can sometimes find cabinets that are in good condition that you can modify to fit your kitchen. Design your own doors and drawer fronts to make everything look new for a fraction of the cost.

References

• Kitchen Cabinets Design: Clever Sources for Cheap Kitchen Cabinets
• RefacingCabinet.com: Building Kitchen Cabinets
• Construction Jargon: How to Build Kitchen Cabinets