Do you spend much time in the kitchen preparing delicious, nutritious meals? Perhaps you even love welcoming and entertaining guests in this room. If so, you’re not alone. As the New York Post reported, a poll found that the typical American spends about a thousand hours in the kitchen yearly. One in nine respondents also said it’s the “heart” of their home.

Still, after spending so much time in the kitchen, the beating of that heart may start to feel a little monotonous.

Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, you’ll learn DIY kitchen remodel ideas to spice things up and breathe new life into this part of your home.

So, join us today at Cabinet Corner as we share practical, creative tips to get a new kitchen look without breaking the bank.

1. Get Ready to Assemble and Save

Several factors, particularly material and labor, will affect the cost of your home improvement project. To give you an idea, a December 2024 article from USNews.com revealed that kitchen remodeling costs range between $14,593 and $41,521, with an average of $26,966. The project’s size and scope also matter; minor makeovers cost as little as $3,500, while major overhauls can top $100,000.

If you want to save money while ensuring your money goes to high-quality materials, opt for the easiest DIY remodels you won’t have a problem completing. For most new DIYers, these include projects that don’t require building permits, which, as Investopedia points out, can be expensive and time-consuming to acquire.

Installing ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets is a perfect example of a quick and easy DIY kitchen remodeling idea. As their name suggests, you’ll set them up yourself. Don’t worry; they come with complete assembly and installation instructions.

Plus, compared to pre-assembled furniture, top-quality RTA cabinets cost less.

2. Complement Stainless Steel Appliances with Gray Shaker Cabinets

Gray shaker cabinets are a perfect partner to stainless steel appliances as they:

  • Possess simple, minimalist designs
  • Feature clean lines
  • Have flat center panels
  • Offers minimal ornamentation, often with a symmetrical construction and square edges

So, like stainless steel appliances known for their sleek, timeless appeal, gray shaker cabinets offer the same benefits. Gray is also an ideal color option for a kitchen with lots of stainless steel, as its neutral color matches the metallic sheen without overpowering it.

Color aside, shaker cabinets are easier to maintain than cabinetry with more ornate detailing, making them excellent kitchen organization and storage must-haves.

Thanks to their minimalist design and flat surfaces, they’re less likely to catch and build up dust and debris (such as food particles from all the cooking and baking you do in the kitchen). A quick wipe with a sponge or cloth moistened with water and gentle dishwashing liquid should be enough for regular maintenance to keep your cabinets clean and looking good.

3. Create More Storage and Worktop Space with Transitional Cabinets

When planning and organizing kitchen cabinets for your remodel, consider the amount of storage space they’ll add and whether they can help increase your worktop space. A great way to achieve both is to use transitional shaker cabinets as part of a kitchen island.

A transitional shaker cabinet combines the classic, clean lines and minimalist design of a traditional shaker-style cabinet with more contemporary elements. It creates a look that seamlessly blends old and new aesthetics, such as a neutral color palette with even less detailing. However, the rest of the structure stays true to traditional shaker cabinets, such as the recessed panels, stiles, and rails.

4. Make Your Kitchen Look Bigger with White Surfaces

Have you ever heard of the term “irradiation illusion?” It refers to how light colors create the perception that they spread beyond their boundaries, making them appear larger than they are.

For instance, white objects reflect the most light, creating the illusion that the area where they are is more open and brighter. The effect is even more noticeable when something white sits alongside things of darker colors.

So, consider white-surfaced additions to make your kitchen look bigger and airier. For example, you can paint your kitchen cabinets white, or if you need new or additional storage, invest in white shaker cabinets.

Also, since white is neutral, it works fabulously with other tints and hues, making it one of the best kitchen cabinet color ideas. For example, you can match white transitional RTA cabinets with a black, deep gray, or another darker-colored countertop.

5. Install Roll-Out Trays for Better Organization and Convenience

As someone who spends much time in the kitchen, you likely have countless utensils, from spoons and forks to knives, spatulas, and pots and pans in all sizes and shapes. If so, you’ve probably found yourself, on multiple occasions, digging through all the stuff to access the back of a cabinet and find what you’re looking for.

Say goodbye to those stressful, time-consuming situations by installing roll-out trays or pulls. With these in your kitchen, you can:

  • Enjoy easy access to all contents by pulling out the entire shelf or drawer
  • Maximize storage space and store more items by using the cabinet’s full-depth
  • Improve organization using customizable compartments and dividers
  • Keep things tidy and less cluttered
  • Maintain clean cabinets by pulling out entire trays to clean all corners

With all those benefits, why not get roll-out trays and pulls for most of your cabinets? You can even get pulls specifically for trash bins or spice racks!

Implement These Creative DIY Kitchen Remodel Ideas

Opting for high-quality RTA cabinets, complementing stainless steel appliances with gray shaker cabinets, and adding white surfaces to make your space look bigger and airier are all creative yet simple DIY kitchen remodel ideas. Don’t forget to consider roll-out trays and cabinet pulls, as these can help make storage and organization super convenient.

If you’re ready to transform the kitchen of your dream home, Cabinet Corner is happy to help!

We’re a wholesale company headquartered in American Fork, UT, that has served our local community and customers nationwide since 1995. We offer high-quality RTA cabinets and matching accessories at wholesale prices. We also provide personalized assistance, from measuring to installation and design.

Contact us today to get your kitchen improvement project rolling!