How to Make a Flat Cabinet Into a Shaker Style

Remove the screws from the cabinet door hinges with a Phillips-head screwdriver where they fasten to the cabinets. Remove the screws from the hinges on the doors, and set the old hardware aside. Remove the cabinet drawers.

Measure across the top of a cabinet door. Measure a lattice strip to that length, and mark it with a pencil. Lattice strips are thin, straight millwork that will add the simple Shaker look without the bulk of dimensional lumber or thick molding.

Set a miter saw to zero degrees for a straight cut. Place the marked lattice on the saw’s platform with the pencil mark centered over the platform opening. Lower the saw blade without turning on the power, and adjust the lattice until the blade will cut straight through the pencil line. Raise the blade, turn on the power and lower the blade to cut the lattice at the mark. Measure, mark and cut another length to fit across the bottom of the cabinet door.

Sand the rough ends of the lattice by hand with medium and then fine sandpaper.

Lay one cut lattice strip horizontally across the top of the face of the cabinet door. Align the ends of the strip with the edges of the door. Fasten the strip to the door with brads, spaced approximately two inches apart, using a brad nailer. Brads are small finishing nails. A brad nailer is a small nail gun that operates like a staple gun. If your brad nailer does not countersink the brads, tap the top of each brad with a nail-set tool and a hammer until it is just beneath the surface of the wood. Fasten the other cut strip horizontally across the bottom of the cabinet door face in the same manner.

Measure the space between the top and bottom lattice strips on the cabinet door. Measure, mark and cut two lattice strips to fit that space, and sand the cut ends.

Set one cut strip flat on the left side of the cabinet door face, between and perpendicular to the horizontal strips across the top and bottom of the door face. Fasten the strip to the door with brads. Fasten the last strip on the right side of the door. You should have a square or rectangular frame, depending on the shape of your door, fastened to the face of the cabinet door.

Repeat the measuring, cutting and nailing steps to frame the face of each door and drawer with lattice strips.

Turn each door over. Drill through the back side of each original cabinet door pull or knob hole, continuing the holes through the new trim on the front of the cabinet door. Choose a drill bit that is the same diameter as the bolts that came with the new pulls or handles. If the new trim does not cover the original hardware holes, omit this step.

Slip the bolts for the new door and drawer knobs, pulls or handles through the holes from the back side, and twist them into the new hardware with a Phillips head screwdriver. Install the new hinges in the same manner as the original ones were fastened. Re-hang the doors and insert the drawers.