How to Update Basic Cabinets With DIY Furniture Feet
March 24, 2023
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How to add decorative furniture feet to cabinet toe kicks with this DIY hack!
I've made so many small updates to our kitchen over the years, and this simple
DIY detail is one of my favorites!
I gathered a list of all of my smaller kitchen projects that pack a big punch here!
I love the look of furniture feet on bathroom and kitchen cabinets -- they add
a custom touch and make them look so much more expensive.
Years ago I came up with this hack to make them for much less, but never
implemented it. When I added trim to our end cabinet panels, I knew it
would be a perfect time try it out! I was
left with a straight edge on the sides of the cabinets that made this even easier to implement.
You can also add these decorative "feet" where your cabinets meet a wall or another cabinet.
Instead of buying expensive feet for the cabinets, or jigsawing them out of
wood (the jigsaw is my least favorite tool...I avoid it at costs 😂), I made
some easy changes to these wood corbels:
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All I had to do was cut them down to the height of our kitchen cabinets. More
specifically, the height of the toe kick.
I marked that measurement on the bottom of the corbel and cut it down with a
miter saw. Then I gave them a few coats of the cabinet paint color with light
sandings in between:
Wood glue or Liquid Nails would work as well (as long as you have no plan to remove them!). I checked the spacing before nailing it in -- making sure the depth of these back pieces were right on so the new feet would meet up with the cabinets perfectly.
This little addition prevents crumbs from getting behind them, and it allowed me to secure them even more by nailing into that from the front.
To secure them I nailed from the side (where I could), from the top through the cabinet (right up against the lip of the cabinet, so you can't even see the nail holes) and through that little stopper piece from the front.
They aren't going anywhere!:
You can only see where they meet up with the cabinet if the doors are open, so I didn't add any decorative trim along the bottom to hide that seam.
I took a door to the paint store to get a color matched to our
cabinets.
Do you see my vision here? They are now cabinet "feet!"
This could be be a super quick project -- just painting and
attaching the corbels. But I did one extra step that added a little
time.
I wanted to make sure no crumbs could get back behind them (it would be
a pain to clean back there), so I added a block of wood that closes it
off.
I cut pieces of scrap wood the depth of the open space behind the
corbels, and then painted one side the cabinet color:
Then I attached it to the base of the cabinets with a nail gun:
Wood glue or Liquid Nails would work as well (as long as you have no plan to remove them!). I checked the spacing before nailing it in -- making sure the depth of these back pieces were right on so the new feet would meet up with the cabinets perfectly.
This little addition prevents crumbs from getting behind them, and it allowed me to secure them even more by nailing into that from the front.
Because I did this I had to cut down the quarter round, but it was worth it!
To secure them I nailed from the side (where I could), from the top through the cabinet (right up against the lip of the cabinet, so you can't even see the nail holes) and through that little stopper piece from the front.
They aren't going anywhere!:
You can only see where they meet up with the cabinet if the doors are open, so I didn't add any decorative trim along the bottom to hide that seam.
Here's a view of the side of the cabinet (with the new trim) and the DIY
feet:
I'm thrilled with how they turned out! They add another detail to the
kitchen that doesn't scream at you, but does enhance the whole look of the
space.
These little projects layer on one another and are adding a lot of
character to our kitchen!:
I originally planned to put a set under the cabinets where our stovetop is, but I didn't want it to get too busy. I may still do it, because I love how they look!
I originally planned to put a set under the cabinets where our stovetop is, but I didn't want it to get too busy. I may still do it, because I love how they look!
For now I just went with the ends of the long set of cabinets:
I researched a ton of kitchens that have cabinet feet and they range from
this simpler look like this (just at the ends) to each cabinet having a
set -- so anything goes.
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| Find our kitchen runner here! |
It just depends on your preference!
I only spent $40 on this project! If you are skilled with a jigsaw you
could make them for even cheaper. I preferred the thickness of these to
what I could do on my own. This method is MUCH quicker too.
You could still do this if you have the standard toe kick at the end of your cabinets, but you'll either have a space behind them you'd see from the side or you'll want to add a back to them that closes off that area, if that makes sense.
If you have any questions let me know! I just love these DIY cabinet feet and the softer touch it adds to our kitchen! There are a lot of hard lines in here and I wanted to add some pretty, softer details.
I've also added these feet to a few more spaces in our home -- but I
gave them a more modern look by cutting off both detailed ends of
the corbels.
Here's how they look in
our mud/laundry room:
And in
our pantry makeover
as well:
You could still do this if you have the standard toe kick at the end of your cabinets, but you'll either have a space behind them you'd see from the side or you'll want to add a back to them that closes off that area, if that makes sense.
If you have any questions let me know! I just love these DIY cabinet feet and the softer touch it adds to our kitchen! There are a lot of hard lines in here and I wanted to add some pretty, softer details.
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Lovely!
ReplyDeleteWow .... nice !
ReplyDeleteLovely. Simply a great design
ReplyDeleteWow...such a small detail that makes such a big difference!! I also like to add small molding under the upper cabinets...just gives them that "finished" look!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic idea. They went from “blah” to “custom” with little effort!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty!
ReplyDeleteI love this! Did you add these feet to the front of the island as well?
ReplyDeleteNot yet but I think I may add one set!
DeleteThis does look cute, but I would probably stump my little toe a million times, as I do all furniture legs!
ReplyDeleteGirl! I am so inspired by you! Seriously!
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago I bought a house that was built in 1915 and I am slowly refurbishing it. We had to completely rebuild the bathroom - including the floor, which meant there was just a big hole there for a while. The kitchen will probably be the last room to get done. The cabinets were built in the house, and are made of solid wood. I would love to jazz them up a bit with feet like these. Thanks for the great idea!
ReplyDeleteSarah, how did you finish this project ? With caulk then paint? Has the caulk held up over the years? Your idea has been on my list for a long while now. Thanks for responding.
ReplyDeleteHello! I only painted these, no need for caulk. But if the small seams bother you, you could caulk those and then paint. :)
DeleteHi Sarah! I'm going to attempt this is my kitchen, but I have a corner in my cabinets. How would you account for that? Skip the corner, or have a corbel going each way?
ReplyDeleteI would try doing two, one going each way! I think that would look lovely. :)
Delete