DIY: Kitchen Cabinet Designs | eHow

Refinishing cabinets is an easy and inexpensive DIY project that makes a big impact. Paint your cabinets bright blue for an unexpected color. Drill small holes in the outline of a bird for an inexpensive accent. Finish off the cabinet with a handle that looks like a twig or branch to complete the look. Decorative painting with ornate gold scrolls adds a French feeling to flat front cabinets.

Add new materials to old cabinets for a custom look. Give glass front cabinets new life by placing gathered fabric on the back. This adds a feminine or country touch while disguising any items inside your cabinets. If you have Plexiglas cabinets, give them a natural update with prairie grass between the door and the glass for a Zen feel. Update kitchen cabinets with a woven look. Install stainless steel rods evenly spaced on the door front. Weave stripes of wood veneer through the rods; attach with wood glue. Seal the veneer beforehand so it can stand up in the kitchen. Cut a hole in existing cabinets and place a stained glass insert behind. Try a ginkgo leaf shape for a natural feel. This will show up well with cabinet lighting and is reminiscent of an arts and crafts kitchen.

The trend of cabinetry that looks like furniture makes the kitchen feel more like a living area. It gives a new home antique style while letting the kitchen flow with an open floor plan. Cabinetry can also hide appliances to make the kitchen feel more like a living area. Design a refrigerator to look like a pair of double doors. For a French or elegant kitchen build a cupboard that looks like an armoire. An large armoire can work as a china hutch or a pantry. Paint the piece a lighter color than the rest of the cabinets so it becomes a focal point and doesn't overpower the kitchen.

Design cabinets to look like a dresser. Use an old dresser as a kitchen island. Dressers give unusual style to a kitchen while providing extra drawer space. You can even place a range on top of dresser style cabinetry. You can add actual furniture to your cabinetry. Build in a small antique table to adorn the end of an island. The counter can cover both pieces. The console table adds interest with carved legs and an extra drawer.

Include practical items in your kitchen cabinet design. Build in a bookshelf to display cookbooks and add decorative corbels to a cornice range hood for added style.