Cabinets provide a perfect opportunity to express your personal style as you remodel your kitchen. You can add molding, a type of decorative wood piece, to your cabinets to enhance their appearance.
Molding comes in many styles, but the type of molding that you select for your cabinets can make a unique statement. Cabinet Discounters, your home remodeling wholesale distributor located near Annapolis, MD, can help you choose your new kitchen cabinets.
Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Kitchen Cabinets with Custom Molding
If your kitchen cabinets look plain or outdated, adding custom molding is an easy and affordable way to give them a fresh look. Molding adds decorative details that make your cabinets and kitchen look more polished. Below, we break down the different types of molding and how they can improve your kitchen’s style and function.
Crown Molding: A Touch of Elegance
Crown molding is a decorative strip of wood that runs along the top edge of your cabinets. It makes your kitchen look more finished by creating a smooth transition between the cabinets and the ceiling. This type of molding draws the eye upward, making your kitchen feel taller and more spacious.
Before installing crown molding, check how much space you have between your cabinets and the ceiling. If the gap is too small, the molding might not fit properly. Crown molding comes in many styles, so you can choose one that matches your kitchen’s vibe.
Base Molding: A Clean, Finished Look
Base molding is a trim piece that covers the gap between the bottom of your floor-level cabinets and the floor. Without it, this space can collect dust, crumbs, and dirt, making your kitchen harder to clean. Base molding gives your cabinets a complete appearance while also protecting the edges from damage.
This type of molding is especially useful if your flooring doesn’t go all the way under the cabinets. It creates a seamless look that ties the whole room together. Base molding comes in different designs, so you can pick one that fits your kitchen’s style.
Light Rail Molding: Hidden Lighting & Style
Light rail molding is a thin strip of wood attached to the bottom of wall-mounted cabinets (like the ones above your countertops). While it adds a subtle decorative touch, its real benefit is function. It helps hide under-cabinet lighting.
If you have LED strips or puck lights under your cabinets, light rail molding keeps them out of sight while still letting the light shine down onto your countertops. This makes your kitchen look more modern and gives you better task lighting for cooking and food prep.
Fillers: Fixing Gaps for a Seamless Fit
Fillers are narrow wood panels used to cover gaps between cabinets and walls or between cabinets and appliances. They help create a smooth, built-in look, especially if your cabinets don’t fit perfectly in the space.
Fillers also prevent cabinet doors from hitting the wall when they swing open, which can cause scratches and dents over time. Since they come in different sizes, you can choose the right width to match your kitchen’s layout.
Extra Tips for Choosing the Right Molding
- Match your kitchen’s style: If your kitchen is modern, go for simple, clean molding. For a traditional look, choose more detailed designs.
- Consider paint or stain: Painting molding the same color as your cabinets creates a seamless look, while staining it a different shade adds contrast.
- Think about lighting: If you want under-cabinet lights, light rail molding is a must.
- Measure carefully: Make sure you have enough space for the molding you choose before buying it.
Kitchen Cabinets and More in Annapolis, MD
Custom molding is a simple upgrade that can make a big difference in your kitchen. You can add elegance with crown molding, hide gaps with fillers, or improve lighting with light rail molding. These small changes can give your cabinets a whole new look. Best of all, many of these projects can be done as DIY upgrades without a full kitchen remodel.
Cabinet Discounters offers cabinets, countertops, and more hardware for your kitchen in Annapolis, MD. We help customers remodel other rooms in their homes as well with many designs available across our locations. Visit one of our showrooms, or contact us online today.