Easy DIY Kitchen Makeover for just £30

One of the quickest and easiest transformations I've completed in my home since moving in back in 2019. Changing the hardware in your kitchen can be the difference between country-style cabinets and a modern, monochrome kitchen. What's better, is that it's something that can take just 10 minutes, and for me, cost just £30. I picked up the new handles on ebay for just £15.99 for 10, and I needed 17 for all my cupboards and drawers.

Beginners have no fear! If you're just swapping out old handles for new ones, this won't require any power tools! Though as I always say, power tools were invented to make our lives easier, so grab your drill and Phillips head bit and speed it up!

If changing from a single doorknob to a handle, you will need to drill a small hole.

First Steps:

Decide on the style of handle you want to go for, and the size handle. If you're just replacing existing handles and using the same holes, you just need to measure the distance between the hole centers. For me, this was 128mm. Then just buy the appropriate size handles for that distance. They will always give the hole center measurement so be sure to check the total length of the handle when ordering to make sure you're happy with the size.

Adding the new handles:

Most handles will come with screws, some will come with a few different sizes for different thickness doors so you'll be all set to get started. If you need to drill a hole for a new handle that's bigger/smaller than the existing one, you'll need to use these screws to gauge the size wood drill bit you'll need.

DIY TIP: Wood dowel drill bits have a sharp point on the end and are usually black and silver.

Drilling a new hole - using the hole center measurement of your new handles, mark where the new hole needs to be, keep the drill steady, straight, put it on a 6 or 7 speed and brace the back of the door before pushing the drill through. Drill from the front for a neater finish. Little tip - add some masking tape to the back to prevent spilintering and drill through quickly. A great beginner drill is the Black and Decker Combi Drill.

Once you have the holes, have the screws, and the new handles, all you need to do is attach them! Pop the appropriate length screws in the holes from the back, line up the new handles, turn the screws so they bite into the thread, and then get your screwdriver and tighten.

If you've had to drill new holes after changing the size of handles you have and leaving old holes exposed, you'll need to fill them up. To do this, you can either use wood filler, sawdust mixed with wood glue, or another little tip - baking soda and super glue (add each little by little, alternating) to fill the hole. Once dry, give it a light sand and paint over. You can colour match your cupboards by either contacting the supplier and asking for the colour code, taking a drawer front into your local B&Q or Homebase to colour match, or buy one of these nifty colour matching gadgets - great for any interior project!

I love how different the kitchen looks, just by changing the handles. But hold your breath, because I've still got more planned for this space.

Let me know if you attempt this too, I'd love to see the before and after!