Kitchens are the hub of our homes, a place to kick back and enjoy morning coffee, cook and eat meals with loved ones, entertain friends, open mail, and pay bills, and help kids do homework or more. To be unhappy with a kitchen space is a mood buster. Here are some quick and clever ways to refresh that all-important room.
- Clear the countertops – This is a no-cost way to improve the look of one’s kitchen. Today, many of us own an array of gadgets, knickknacks, and odds-and-ends that can make the spaces of our homes look chaotic and messy. Two tell-tail signs of counter clutter are keeping more than five items on your countertops and taking a long time to wipe them down due to having to move things. Countertop spaces should mainly be reserved for prepping food, such as rolling out pie dough and essential appliances used daily, such as a coffee maker. Everything else should be neatly stored away in an easy-to-reach location. A cutlery set and paper towels are also important to keep accessible, whereas non-kitchen items, such as mail, and lesser-used appliances, such as mixers, should be kept out of sight.
- Go brighter – Very dark Kitchens can feel smaller or gloomy. Search for ways to increase the brightness in your room, such as removing or replacing dark window treatments, hanging a cheerful painting to a drab wall, adding bright under-the-counter lighting, or painting a vivid splash of color to kitchen walls or cabinets. Another simple option is to create a bright DIY arrangement by filling a glass bowl with yellow lemons or a vase with flowers cut from your garden. Place the arrangement on your table or kitchen island to brighten your space. Be sure to keep other elements in the room minimal to maximize the drama of your focal point.
- Change your style – As we grow, our tastes mature. To avoid being stuck with an out-of-date kitchen style, find inexpensive ways to change things up. Rather than pay a kitchen designer, use an image-sharing media service, such as Pinterest, to gain ideas on what styles appeal to you the most. Then, create your own board based on what styles you like, whether it be a contemporary farmhouse, Spanish style, industrial, or more. Or search through magazines or online decorating websites for inspiration on how to incorporate elements you like into your kitchen design. Whether you reface upper cabinetry, update your cabinet’s hardware, repaint your kitchen island, get a new countertop, reupholster chairs, add a new backsplash, add wall storage, or new shelving… the choices are endless.
Since many of us lack the resources for a complete kitchen overhaul, consider making smaller changes that avoid stressful demolition and save on costs. Working in baby steps to create the ideal space for you can deliver the kitchen of your dreams.