Ideas for Cabinets

Freestanding

• Freestanding cabinets are one of the most widely available types of cabinets. They range from plastic storage cabinets to high-end glass cabinets with embedded lighting. You can also build your own cabinet or hire a local craftsman to customize a special cabinet to provide you with exactly the style and storage benefits you are looking for.

Built-in Vintage

• If you have built-in cabinets and you are able to match an existing vintage or antique door onto it, you can quickly have a fashionable cabinet by hinging the door to the inside of the cabinet. If you have an existing built-in, but no door, you can create a vintage look by getting a glass door and a stained glass kit and using dulled and pastel colors to make them appear old. You can also finish the door frame with a distressed finish effect by painting it, allowing it to dry and slightly chipping away and scraping areas.

Filing Cabinets

• You can update a look by adding magnetic panels of fabric, thin sheets of wood or other decorative material on it. These magnetic panels cover the top, sides and fronts of the drawers in separate pieces so that the drawers can open easily. There are options you can purchase online and in some stores, but you can also make your own. For a wood panel, you can cut out the shapes, which are usually rectangular or square to fit the cabinet's sides. All you have to do is sand the panel, stain it if you wish and glue magnets to the back of it.

Reclaimed Cabinets

• Check your local secondhand store for pieces of existing cabinets or furniture that you can combine to create a cabinet. For example, if you find a couple of different small cabinets, you can layer them on top of each other and screw them together to create a modern eclectic look. You can refinish the pieces to freshen up their appearance.