Updating 80’s Laminate Cabinets To Sell

Mullets and feathered hair were wicked awesome in the 80's but thank goodness, we easily jumped off of those two train wrecks of fashion.  80's laminate cabinets haven't seemed so easy to shed though.  And, when you get ready to sell your house, they are a real problem.

But, fear not – updating laminate cabinets is possible!  Like a great new haircut, you can totally update your 80's swag for something that looks more modern and appeals WAY more to buyers.  The great news is that flat-paneled cabinetry (think Ikea) is very in right now with buyers.  So with some minor tweaks, these cabinets can feel more current.

Caution about this post–a lot of the images here are from DIY'ers sharing their work.  These aren't houses that I staged but, you can see how staging could have really helped these DIY'ers better showcase their work.  It can get a little lost among all of the kitchen mess but you just don't find 80's cabinets showcased on Houzz!

How to Update Laminate Cabinets

Update just the wood strip to something more modern

In this photo below, they painted just the wood strip white.  For staging, you really just need this paint color to be a close match as they did here:

Here in this modern kitchen, you can see what it might look like to paint the wood bar a modern grey/beige and leave the walls white:

Paint the entire cabinet white and add hardware

Here they painted the entire set of cabinets white–always classic and timeless–with Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformations and added bar handles for an updated look:

For selling, I would change the wall color.  Or, more specifically, the soffit color. In order to really make these cabinets feel more modern is to make them seem taller than they are.  Painting the soffit a lighter color will draw the eye up and not make them feel so squatty.

See the difference in the two images below?  In this case dark cabinets with a light soffit.  Once we painted the cabinets white and kept the wall color light, your eye doesn't stop and makes the cabinets feel taller.  For staging, I also wouldn't recommend having any art on the soffit.

Update everything else around it

This is a great update!  You can easily paint the cabinet wood strip white, add updated hardware and subway tile backsplash.  Done!  In this case, they updated the wood floors and the counter too which, if you have a small amount of counter space, could be a great option as well.

This is a modern kitchen but you can easily see how the tile backsplash, updated faucet, and stainless appliance could really help the look of 80's cabinets:

So what do you think of these options for updating laminate cabinets?  Do you have a clever update for these beauties?  Share it in the comments below!