An “Invisible” Makeover Instantly Transforms a Dated Kitchen (for Under $100!)
If you have a dated kitchen — or just one you’re desperate to make updates to — you know that redoing it is much easier in theory than practice. Any no-paint or no-demo ways to upgrade your kitchen layout are worth their weight in gold, and a recent Instagram post showed that sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference.
When Erin Zubot installed soft-close kitchen cabinet hardware in her parents’ kitchen, she realized firsthand that while this “invisible” upgrade didn’t do much for aesthetics, it totally transformed her parents’ sense of peace and quiet.
“My parent’s no paint kitchen update was a fun little project, and this little invisible update might have been their favourite part!” Zubot wrote in a recent Instagram caption. “I was originally thinking of changing out all the hinges and drawer slides for them, but that was going to cost a fair bit and was so much WORK. I’m so glad I found these little gadgets!!”
She said in her video that installing the kitchen hardware only takes a few minutes per cabinet, and you don’t need to do much prep ahead of time.
“They work on any cabinet, no matter the hinge type, and they do not require you to change out the hinges,” Zubot said. “One screw, and you’re all done. This is an invisible update that makes a big difference on how the kitchen feels.”
“Caution: Once you go soft close, you can’t turn back,” one person commented on Zubot’s post. And it’s true. Soft close means quieter mornings, less hectic-feeling mealtimes, and just a more zen life in general.
Zubot used the Rok soft close drawer adapters and the Blum soft close cabinet adapters for her parents’ kitchen and ended up loving them as much as the other five-star reviewers on Amazon did.
“Forget replacing older existing drawer slides with expensive new soft close slides. When purchased in bulk, these drawer dampers are only about $5.00 per drawer, only take a few minutes to install for each drawer, and makes existing drawers operate like expensive soft, quiet drawer slides,” one person wrote about the Rok adapters. “You don’t even need to take the old slides off or remove what is in the drawer … Glad I found these before buying all new slides.”
Rok 10-Pack Soft Close Adapters for Wood Drawers
“This dampener works great to transform self-closing hinges into soft-closing hinges almost instantly,” someone else wrote about the Blum adapters. “Took about 30 seconds to install each one, including pre-drilling for the one screw. Adjustable to close at different rates. Works best for lower cabinet doors where they become almost invisible.”
Blum 2-Pack Slow Close Adapter for Face Frame Cabinet
Give yourself some peace and quiet and install these soft close adapters in your kitchen cabinets and feel the difference. No more slamming and no more startling — just zen.
This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: An “Invisible” Makeover Instantly Transforms a Dated Kitchen (for Under $100!)
