Kitchen Makeover Tips: Appliance Trim Kits

Tired of looking at those perfectly functional but outdated looking appliances? Trim kits can update their look at a fraction of the cost of buying new ranges, dishwashers and other kitchen appliances.

Trim kits attach to existing appliances and allow you to easily change the appearence and surface material of the appliances. Turn that gold fridge into a snazzy 'stainless steel' one, hide that ugly dishwasher under a panel that matches your cabinets, add a new skin to your microwave. If your appliances were made in the past few years you can probably order trim kits from the manufacturers. Check out their websites for availability, making sure you have your model numbers handy. There are companies like Frigo (see our Kitchen Resources List for their web site) that make custom trim kits for all kinds of appliances. Their stainless refrigerator kits even offer you the option of upgrading the handles to something more contemporary. And they wrap around the doors, giving the appearence that they are factory standard. Cool.
Trim kits consist of metal channels that attach to the doors of appliances. You can then attach cabinet panels, sheets of laminate or veneer and other materials to these channels. Tighten a few screws and you have an entirely new look.
Besides updating the appearence of your appliances, trim kits let you 'match' appliances from different eras or manufacturers, giving your kitchen a more consistent, planned appearence. This reduces visual clutter. With all the options available in surface materials adaptable to trim kits you can make some pretty wild changes or simply subdue the appliances' presence by dusguising them as cabinets.
For a homeowner seeking a quick way to bring a slightly dated kitchen up to date, trim kits offer a flexible and inexpensive option.