Tips for quick kitchen face-lifts
What is it about the fall and impending holidays that gets everyone rushing to tackle home renovation projects? Maybe it's the chill in the air that makes some want to make their nests a little cozier and prettier for the coming months they'll spend indoors. Whatever the reason, if doing a kitchen overhaul is out of the question, a weekend project that refreshes your kitchen is not only doable, but it can create a big wow with less effort.
A NEW FACE
Sure, you could hire a company to come in and reface your cabinets. But when you hire help with projects like this, be sure you can get a guarantee on the amount of time they'll take to do the job. If you don't like the prospect of hosting Thanksgiving in your half-complete kitchen, and you want greater control over the schedule, then doing it yourself is the way to go. Plus, giving your kitchen a face-lift is definitely a DIY-friendly project. Would a coat of paint and new hardware create a fresh look in your kitchen?
Painting cabinets is fast and creates a brand-new look easily. A whole kitchen could be painted in the weekend. Assess if changing that yellowed '80s coat of oak stain would bring your kitchen into the 21st century. Sanding and re-staining cabinets is another doable short-term project.
UPDATED STYLE
Adding new and more current hardware will help update the style of your kitchen quickly and easily. If your cabinets have plain fronts, a coat of white paint and long stainless-steel drawer pulls will put a cool contemporary stamp on your kitchen. Add in some new stainless appliances, and your kitchen will look completely refreshed.
Maybe contemporary style isn't what you're after. Some simple stock trim can be cut and applied to the front of your cabinets with glue. Add a new coat of paint, and you'll have a completely new style. Does your kitchen have a fluorescent box for lighting? This is another unmistakable time stamp that says tired. Remove the box and install track lighting, a chandelier or a new ceiling fixture. This will bring visitors' eyes up to the new lighting - but they'll be thinking how good the new lighting looks instead of how dated it is.
QUICK CHANGE
Another quick and easy change is cabinet lighting. You can add it above the cabinets, below wall cabinets to light countertops or inside cabinets with glass doors to add more ambience. Consider taking your cabinet doors to a local cabinet shop and having them cut out the panels inside the door frames. Or you can do it yourself. And while plain glass looks terrific, why not try a decorative glass, such as stained, frosted or etched glass? A quick search on the Internet for decorative glass will bring up a variety of styles that you can order from your local glass company.
