A kitchen is often the heart of the home; the place where the whole family gathers for dinner, where you sit with guests for a cup of tea, and where potential buyers look first to discover the true value of your property. A rundown kitchen gives a poor impression of your home and visitors will assume the rest of your property is similarly outdated. On the other hand, a beautiful kitchen suggests not only value and wealth, but also good taste. It’s such an important area of the home that it’s important to get it right, whether you’re selling or just want a home to be proud of.
New kitchens can be expensive because there is simply so much to buy, from cabinets to countertops to appliances to tile to faucets. However, you can update your entire kitchen without buying all of these things; As long as your kitchen is structurally sound, you can give it a facelift. Believe it or not, relatively small steps can transform your kitchen.
First, prep your kitchen with a deep clean. Even if you clean your kitchen regularly after cooking, dirt and grime collect in hard-to-reach places and your kitchen ends up looking dull. A thorough cleaning will prepare your kitchen for the rest of the cosmetic work.
Give your kitchen a new coat of paint. Your paint is subject to becoming dull and dirty over the years, so a color change can instantly give it a fresh look. This is an especially good method if your kitchen is very dated – you can use modern colors and update the room. You can also paint over old tiles so that outdated patterns don’t show.
If you have dull, boring cabinets, strip them down and repaint them. Wood stains are available in all sorts of different colors and effects, from matte to gloss to eggshell. Choose a modern color that contrasts with your walls and in a couple of days your units can look brand new. Repainting is great for hiding old stains and is much cheaper than replacing units. If your units are plastic, you can simply replace the doors with another low-cost solution.
If you have some money to play with, one of the best things you can do to update your kitchen is to invest in new countertops. These are the first things you notice in a kitchen, so they can really make a difference. The cheapest option is to go for a laminate or veneer, but as long as your units are strong enough, you can go for premium granite countertops for a real wow factor. The great thing about a new countertop is that it really does make cooking a joy again – it’s the part of your kitchen you use the most, so you’ll really notice the difference.
Lastly, consider replacing your kitchen floor. Tiles are very inexpensive and you can get them in any color you need. A new, clean floor looks fresh and uplifting – it’s the perfect finishing touch for the rest of your work.