One way to update a kitchen is with hardware. A kitchen cabinet hinge upgrade is a way to change a look or even upgrade a style you already have. This post will show you how we upgraded our cabinet hardware by adapting our original hinge to a soft close hinge.
This post is in partnership with Hickory Hardware. Affiliate links are included in this post.
The mini kitchen makeover all started because I wanted to increase the height of the cabinets. This began the mini kitchen update that we are currently in. If you enjoy behind the scenes details follow along on Instagram. I have a saved story highlight for the kitchen.
I had considered changing out the door handles and pulls but decided they were still something I liked. They were added during a previous kitchen makeover for the one room challenge back in 2015. I may eventually change them to black.
We wanted to add the soft close door feature hinge for a while and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Removing the cabinet doors to paint would allow us the ability to replace the hinges then. There are lots of options for hinges so order exactly what you need. This post will show you how added soft close concealed face frame hinges with 1/2 inch overlay.
Supplies Used:
We were surprised once we received the hinges that the holes didn’t line up with the current hinges. While this was an easy fix it did take a little longer than we had planned.
Here are the steps we took to replace the existing hinge with the new soft close hinge from Hickory Hardware.
Kitchen Cabinet Hinge Upgrade Steps
- Remove current hinge from door.
- Plug existing holes with these plugs using wood glue.
- Allow to dry at least an hour.
- While the plugs are setting, prepare for attaching the hinges to the frame. The old hinge we removed had two screws to secure it to the frame. The new hinge had only one. Therefore, we had to drill a new hole. We took the hinge to the cabinet frame and lined it up in place, pre-drilled for new screw hole.
- Once hinges on the door are ready to attach use a center punch to mark for pilot hole.
- Pre-drill new hinge screw holes.
- Screw new hinges in place.
- Now attach doors back to cabinet frame.
You can see in the below photo how the plugged hole and the new hinge hold will line up. The plug made a hard surface for screwing into.
You will need two people when attaching the cabinet doors back on. One person to hold the door straight, the other to screw the hinge into the cabinet frame. To make all of the doors line up level with one another, Ray hung the first one, then cut a small block as a jig or guide. That block lined up with the bottom of the cabinet door and the face frame. The block was a huge time saver.
I’m excited with the overall makeover so far. The finished kitchen will be done very soon. I’ll be sharing all of the details of the painted cabinets, painted backsplash, and the added cabinet height all shortly after the reveal post.
I’m collaborating with other blog friends. Check out what they did with their Hickory Hardware.
It’s looking like 2019 is the year of room makeovers around our home. That means I need to update my home tour here on the blog. I’ve already completed the living room, built a new headboard for the master bedroom, and I have an idea for the dining room. We have changed out all of our boob lights and hung a new foyer light. It looks amazing.
Hinges can make all the difference in cabinets!!! Love this information. Thanks for sharing.
Not that many people think about hardware when want to make a cabinet makeover or any door makeover, however, simple hardware change can have a big impact on the overall function and appearance of the cabinet/door. Great post Sonya! Looking forward to seeing your room makeovers! All the best, Carolina at Ironmongery Experts.
I’ll admit, I wanted to change the front hardware at first because that is the pretty part but decided that function was better at this point. Thanks for your comment.
I definitely understand, not that many people say that hinges are aesthetically pleasing! Nevertheless, I quite like the brass cabinet handles with the little detailing, really simple and pretty. All the best, Carolina at Ironmongery Experts.