If you want something a little more durable or “fancy,” there are other alternatives:
- Furniture touch-up pens: Made to repair cabinets, they last longer than basic crayons and come in a range of wood tones.
- Cabinet fillers or trim: If you own your space and want a permanent solution, thin trim pieces can be added between doors. It would take a little longer, but the more constructed look would be real.
- Paint instead of marker: If you have matching cabinet paint and a small brush, this will last a long time. It takes more time, but in the end, you only have to do it once.
Advice from the Real World
Some things I learned the hard way:
- Test first. Each cabinet finish is different and some don’t respond well to ink.
- Don’t skip the tape. You think it’s faster, but unless you’re a surgeon, you’ll end up upset with yourself.
- Don’t use washable markers. In a moment of desperation, I grabbed the kids’ marker, and it rubbed off every time I opened the cabinet. Permanent is the only way.
Small Fix, Big Benefit
Funny how the smallest things make the biggest impact. It’s not until the counters are clear of items and you’ve wiped the floor spotless that the small nuance you added elevates the kitchen from “nice” to “wow.”
This isn’t glamorous and it won’t go viral as a big makeover, but it works. When you have guests on the way or you just want to feel like the space is complete, that’s all that matters.
Just grab a marker and see how it feels to fix a cabinet gap you may have. If you end up impressed like I was, go ahead and take the “before and after” shot. You might finally inspire a friend to actually do something about all the cabinet gaps they’ve left empty.
