Those who think and say that the kitchen is actually the heart of a home are absolutely not mistaken. Irresistible smells always spread from this part of the flat or house, you can hear the cheerful clanking of dishes and cutlery, while the latest culinary creation is sizzling in the stove… With a little Latin or jazz music, a glass of wine and a super cute apron, the afternoons spent like this always remain in our thoughts and hearts. Of course, in order for everything that comes out as a product from there to be prepared with love and will, it’s essential that the space in which we cook, create, bake, knead, chop and mix is pleasant to stay.
Let’s say that right now, while reading this text, you’re looking at your old, slightly dilapidated kitchen with the broken drawers, a scratched dining table and the walls splashed with oil drops. You’re probably thinking: but how nice this all sounds! But how to get to all this? The reasons that hinder this are many – lack of money, time, and often ideas. Children, family, obligations… But oh how bad you wish to make your kitchen a tiny, comfortable, warm corner where the time spent cooking and preparing delicious desserts will be a real pleasure.
We have good news – ideas are here. You may not even be aware of how much redesigning and refreshing the regular look of a kitchen can shed a whole new light on its purpose and application. Today, we decided on the four simplest and most effective moves with which you can bring a fresh breath of change to this part of the house. Basically, so fresh that you want to stay in it all day.
Contents
1. Shelves instead of upper cabinets
Source: NONAGON.style
Cabinets and cupboards are indispensable parts of a kitchen since they hide all the most necessary things, objects and appliances that are essential for all magic there and for its maintenance. This is the case almost everywhere – but why not set a precedent and opt for a slightly more unusual option?
Instead of bulky upper cabinets, you can buy and install wooden shelves on which you can stack plates, dishes and kitchen appliances – and all that without spending bunches of money. And not only that, but they can also serve as storage places for jars with spices, coffee, sugar, salt and other similar additives that should always be at your fingertips.
Wanna unleash your creativity further? Put in a little more effort and make your own shelves as a simple DIY project. Appropriate and quality wood, reinforcement elements, sandpaper, a little varnish or paint… A few hours of dedicated work and sweet, DIY shelves are ready to beautify your kitchen space. Imagination has no limits, so you can draw on them, paint them with decoupage design… or just decorate them however your heart desires.
2. Renew the kitchen appliances
Source:Harvey Norman
You might think that this doesn’t have much to do with decoration itself, and yes, that’s right. But upgrading also means working on the enhancement of the area functionality.
Daily-used appliances that have been serving their purpose for a long time may need to be replaced or refreshed at some point. Reasons for this can be of a different nature – for example, when you think the design is old-fashioned, that it doesn’t fit in the overall style of the room, or if you’re thinking about some more eco-friendly options. We have several possibilities here – you can buy the second-hand ones, the new ones, or repair and mechanically improve the ones you already have.
While choosing, make sure that the units such as a coffee machine, toaster, microwave oven and so on, fit the design with the rest of the kitchen. This arrangement contributes to the feeling of harmony in the room and makes it more pleasing to the eye. If space is an issue, opt for a smaller low energy use refrigerator or freezer to free up the surface a little bit.
When it comes to eco-friendly units, keep in mind the appropriate types of filters and water purifiers, as well as special dishwashers, programmed to use less electricity as well as water. If your kitchen is tiny, and your family has only a few members, there’s no need for huge machines. There are also induction cooktops, washing machines and so on.
3. ‘Dress’ your old lower cabinets
Source: Houzz
Sometimes, in the shadow of their practicality, very little thought is given to the appearance of the lower cupboards, which are often quite monotonous and a bit boring. Having in mind the already existing characteristics of the room, these elements can also be completed and changed in a sweet and nice way.
You can easily transform glass-fronted units if they bore you by simply removing the glass and replacing it with a silly, colorful curtain. Or leave the cupboard without a door so that the dishes are visible – if you think it could be interesting to see. When you really like glass, but still want a change, replace the classic design with corrugated or matte panels.
Wooden cabinets, with a little sanding and varnishing, can be revived and refreshed without too much effort, and you can paint them in a color that dominates the concept of room design. Old, good decoupage techniques, various types of stickers and many other cute options are only an additional tip – choose what makes you happy and enjoy it.
4. Change or redesign your countertop and wall
Source: Lowe’s
Your countertop may be in excellent condition, but outdated in color or pattern. This happens – sometimes years go by without any redesign and purchase of new kitchen parts. New trends appear, and there you are – wishing for some fresh breeze in the form of a new panel to work on.
Replace the old countertop with a new one, which is quite an easy procedure, and also at an affordable price. You can also place tiles over the old board, which looks rather effective and nice but isn’t as simple to maintain as a classic work surface. A cheaper option is to apply special paint over the old top, but this solution is short-lived.
Oh, and you got some spare space on the wall above it? Well, don’t be lazy – complete it with sweet things that are going to hang there as perfect adornments and ennoble the room – cups, gloves, kitchen towels and so on. You might need a couple of nails, hooks or cups from suctioncups, but no worries, they’re not difficult to install at all – and things look lovely on them or with their help.
