Have you ever wanted to do a kitchen remodel but didn't have the resources? I'm going to show you how you can do a Kitchen Update When a Full Remodel Isn't Feasible.
I think we all want fabulous, magazine worth kitchens. Due to budget or time, sometimes we don't have the option of a kitchen remodel. So does that mean you have to live with a kitchen you don't love? No.
How to Add Style to Your Kitchen when a Full Remodel isn't possible
There are many things you can do to add your style and personal stamp to a kitchen that are simple and budget friendly.
Paint
Paint is the number one best way to get a big band for your buck! A gallon of paint is quite inexpensive in the grand scheme of things. So a good way to update your kitchen is to paint your walls and/or your cabinets.
Paint Your Walls Wall Paint is a simple way to change the look in your home. You may be intimated by having to figure out what kind of paint and what tools to use. I know I was the first time. Just go to the paint counter and ask lots and lots of questions. There are tons of you tube videos and tutorials on line. In fact, maybe the next time I paint a room, I'll do a tutorial.
Paint Your Cabinets Cabinet paint is another inexpensive way to change the look of your kitchen. I painted my kitchen cabinets black about 10 years ago when I had 3 little kids running around. I used really good enamel paint from Sherwin Williams. I would paint during nap time and while my kids were watching a show. Then let it dry over night. Rather than take the cupboards doors off, I just painted around the hinges and it worked out perfectly.
Shelves
I'm a big fan of shelves and have them everywhere in my house. I've gone through several shelves in my kitchen.
- First I did this unfortunate cupboard/wall shelf which was wonky, but I learned a lot about building things, squaring them up, etc.
- When I took the wall shelf down, I built these shelves.
- Ultimately I took all of the shelves down and I also took down all of my upper kitchen cabinets on the window wall.
I installed 3 shelves on one side of the window and 1 shelf above the fridge on the other side of the window. We store our every day dishes on the bottom 2 shelves. I use the top shelf and and the shelf above the fridge for storage of tins, scales and cake stands.
To answer a few commonly asked questions:
- Do the dishes on the shelves get dusty? Not really. All of the dishes on those 2 shelves are our daily use dishes.
- Are your dishes really all white and gray? Yes. I spent several years changing out all of our mis-matched dishes to white. I found the inexpensive, gray dishes (that are plastic) at Target. I bought a few here and there until I had all that I needed. Also- I do have a large stack of white dinner plates in one of my lower cabinets.
Wall Décor
Wall décor is usually not something too popular in a kitchen mostly because wall space is at a premium. Kitchens are mostly utilitarian and almost every piece needs to function. For my kitchen, I made a Dish Rack to hold my ironstone platter collection, and a Peg Rack to hold my collection of wooden cutting boards. Both of these items are decorative and useful.
Flooring
About 10 years ago, shortly after I painted our kitchen cabinets, we replaced all of the flooring on our entire bottom floor. Having uniform flooring through out our kitchen, dining room, office and living room makes the rooms all feel connected. I would absolutely suggest that in a smaller home like ours.
Items I'd still like to change in my kitchen
Light Fixture. This will probably be the next thing I change in this kitchen. I've never done anything with electricity before, but one of these days I'm going to get brave and give it a shot. I know there are tons of tutorials for changing out lights. Or I can just wait for my dad to come visit and do it for me.
Back Splash. I have been looking at different options for back splashes. My idea is doing white subway tile. But I am also considering using brick wall paper, peel and stick subway tiles, a stencil, or maybe even sharpie shiplap, like the accent wall in my living room.
Countertops. I would really love to replace our countertops. Of course solid surface countertops are the standard that most people want. But I really don't mind laminate. I just want countertops that are more updated and don't have that lip that goes up the wall. These Formica countertops look like granite or marble, but are much less expensive and less fussy.
Updating your kitchen doesn't have to be knocking out walls and redoing major things. You can do just a few simple changes to bring about a different look for your kitchen. So I hope this has given you some ideas of how you can Update Your Kitchen in Small Ways when a Full Scale Remodel isn't Possible.
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