The Budget-Friendly Way HGTV's Erin Napier DIYs 'Wood' Kitchen Cabinets

For many people, the kitchen is truly the center of everything in a home. That means you likely want it to look good, even on a budget. If you're looking for ways to freshen up your kitchen, then HGTV's Erin Napier might just have an affordable DIY hack that will change the way you look at your cabinets. Whether you're trying to refresh what you already have or change it out for something new and affordable, this trick will help give new life to the heart of your home.

The idea is to take either existing cabinets or inexpensive new cabinets and make them look like wood. To do this, it's all about the paint choices, especially the color. Using warm brown tones, lighter shades of brown, and even certain shades of orange as a base color can help build up a finish that looks like real wood. When painted in these shades, in conjunction with the right wall color, kitchen cabinets look fresh and more natural.

In an episode of Ben and Erin Napier's HGTV show "Home Town" (via YouTube), Napier explained an easy trick to bring new life to cabinets and make them look like they're real wood, even if they're not. In the project Napier was working on, there was not enough money in the budget for real wood cabinets, so instead, she painted the cabinets with a caramel shade that almost looked orange. This actually made them look similar to real wood against a primarily white background.

Considering not only how popular real wood cabinets are in kitchens but also how stylish they can be, being able to make what you have look wooden can make a big difference in the space. However, it's not just about choosing a single color to make your cabinets look like real wood. It's also about considering the overall look of the room and adding texture and detail with the right products.

Erin Napier's suggestion is basically white walls with cabinets that are painted in a shade that can pass as wood. Some paint colors you might want to use for a more natural wood look include tan, caramel, pecan, and even a honey color. These shades will give you a similar effect without the price tag of natural wood. It's an easy DIY hack that doesn't require a lot of money.

If you're looking to follow Napier's hack, but you truly want the wood look, there is another easy option called Retique It, which is a type of paint that actually has wood particles mixed in. When you use this on your cabinets, it will give them a finish that looks natural. There is a variety of wood colors to choose from, including Cedar, White Oak, and Red Mahogany, and the company even offers this product in a kit specifically designed for cabinets. So if you can't afford new wooden cabinets in your kitchen, using Erin Napier's suggestion for painting what you have to look like wood might be the way to go.