Getting a new kitchen is always a big investment, yet it’s something we all long to do at some point. But if you don’t have the budget available to totally gut your existing kitchen and start from scratch, there are plenty of ways you can give what many would consider the most important room in the house a makeover and make it feel brand new.
Cabinets
Cabinets are part and parcel of a fitted kitchen and often dominate the room. They’re generally built to last for decades, so they don’t often need replacing. One of the easiest options is to paint the doors a new colour – if your kitchen feels dark, make it lighter by choosing a cream, white or pastel hue. If on the other hand, you have plenty of natural light in the kitchen, you might want to stain the wood a darker colour. To create a less enclosed feel, you could opt to simply remove the upper cabinet doors and have them as open shelving, with crockery and glasses on display. Another way to change the cabinets is to replace the hardware with contemporary brushed steel or chrome handles to bring them bang up to date.
A new place to sit down
Sitting down with the family at the same old kitchen table for years on end can have its charm, but replacing it is one easy way to add a new look to a kitchen. There’s a range of exciting products at Vivendo, which specialises in Italian furniture to add a colourful and contemporary feel to any dining or kitchen space. Changing the table and chairs also gives the opportunity to add space to a smaller kitchen, especially if you choose a table that can be extended and folded down when required and buy stackable kitchen chairs.
Change the flooring
You might think that putting a new kitchen floor down would be expensive and of course, it can be. But a DIY job with press-and-stick vinyl tiles can give an equally impressive overall result at a fraction of the cost of getting the flooring professionals in. There’s a huge range of different styles and designs available and it’s another way you can choose to either add colour into the kitchen, or go for something neutral, according to your preference.
Install new counter-tops
One part of the kitchen that takes a lot of wear and tear is the work surface, and changing this can give a radically different look. Most home improvement stores will have a wide selection of different counter tops available that can be cut to size and delivered to your door. Installing new kitchen surfaces is straightforward job and if you don’t feel confident to do it yourself, it will take an hour or two of a carpenter’s time at most.
All change on accessories
As for the plates, glasses, serving dishes and storage jars, with so many different crockery ranges in every supermarket and department store at such reasonable prices today, you could change the look of your kitchen every other week – if you could be bothered. If you have a mixed bag of crockery and glasses and want a more co-ordinated feel, then start again with everything. However, if you have some favourite older pieces, then you could edit out anything that doesn’t match and gradually build up a particular collection, scanning carboot fairs and flea markets for extra pieces.
With any free wall space that you have, you can make your kitchen feel homely and personal to you. Create a rogue’s gallery of photos of friends and family, or cover a noticeboard with postcards that you’ve received or collected on your travels.
A new look for your kitchen can be achieved with superficial changes or through bigger steps that take you half way to replacing the whole thing – the only limits are the budget you have available and the time you want to spend on the project.