A design writer suggests inserting chalkboards made from real slate into kitchen cabinet doors to give the room a rustic look. Moreover, it gives the homeowner somewhere to write their shopping lists or favourite recipes.

Writing for houzz.com, Laura Gaskill says that people can choose an even cheaper alternative and simply paint their cabinet doors with chalkboard paint to get the same effect.

She adds that although plain cabinets look fine in any kitchen, there are a number of ways homeowners can spice them up. For example, stained glass doors can look great on kitchen cabinets, especially when interior cabinet lighting is installed, as the light shines through the coloured glass.

Design blogger Melissa Michaels agrees that a glass-front cabinet can completely transform the look of an old set of cupboards, reports mycolortopia.com. It's also a very affordable way to get a new kitchen look, she states.

Not everyone wants to show off what's in their cupboards though, so Ms Gaskill says why not try having just one exposed shelf on top of the kitchen cabinets. This way, favourite kitchen pieces can be left on display, but the untidy contents of the cabinets are left hidden from visitors.

Alternatively, homeowners can simply choose to revitalise their kitchen by painting their cupboards in a bright new colour or two. Ms Gaskill recommends picking two bold colours, one for the upper cabinets and one for the lower ones. However, the two chosen colours should be the same intensity. For example, pale yellow and light green would go well together, she says.