7 Simple Ways to Transform any Tired Kitchen
No matter the size of your budget, the cost of replacing an entirely brand new kitchen is a sizeable investment. When you take into consideration to cost of the units, not to mention worktops, professional fitting plus necessary electrical and plumbing work, the final bill can reach well in excess of five figures. Money most people do not have to spend.
In most cases, the existing kitchen is reasonably functional but feels outdated, tired and most likely damaged and deteriorated from excessive use over many years. Do not despair however, as there are numerous ways to give your kitchen a new lease of life without breaking the bank.
Update Your Hardware
Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that can make a difference. You may find that the actual doors in your kitchen still look reasonably good yet the hardware is dated, old fashioned and showing signs of age.
By changing the hardware to compliment the existing doors, you will be surprised just how much this will give the kitchen a different look. By tossing away old fashioned brass, wooden knobs or handles and replacing them with more modern chrome or brushed nickel hardware, any kitchen will look a million dollars.
To complete the simple makeover, try replacing the hinges to brand new soft closing mechanisms and suddenly, you have a kitchen you can love again – all on a shoestring budget.
Repaint the Doors & Drawers
Most DIY stores now stock specialist paints to recolour kitchen cabinet doors. It’s a little bit of a messy job but if you have the means and patience, repainted kitchen doors and drawers will look practically brand new with a lick of paint.
By choosing a simple colour palette such as whites, greys or pale creams, you can virtually make any style of doors look as though it was purchased last week. And the great thing is, its very quick and cheap to achieve.
Replace the Doors & Drawers
If your doors are badly damaged and are ready for the scrap heap, your next best option is to replace just the doors and drawer fronts, rather than the entire units. Again, this route costs a lot less than you may think and by replacing the doors, you can literally make your kitchen look as though it was professionally refitted.
What this option does is gives you infinite options without interfering with the existing kitchen, so there’s no mess and no hassle. You don’t even need to empty the cupboards!
You can go from having an old fashioned, outdated kitchen to a modern, sleek design in no time at all. Or you can stick to your preferred styles whether traditional, country or contemporary and have a kitchen that feels just a little bit more up-to-date than before.
Change the Worktops
Sometimes your kitchen units aren’t the main cause of the kitchen feeling dated and unloved. Cheaper laminate worktops can start to peel away and chip with age and over time, this will start to look so bad that the final kitchen feels like it’s been neglected for a considerable time.
Nowadays, you can replace worktops by using cost effective quartz overlays which look stunning and will make any kitchen look incredible. Quartz is a man-made material that is hard and looks as good as granite, at times better and will remove the cheapness that laminate worktops tend to achieve.
This change alone can transform a kitchen and really bring it back to life!
Fit a New Backsplash
Old tiles that have discoloured over time will always cheapen and date the finished look of your kitchen. But with a small investment in some good quality tiles, you can give it a big lift.
Lower cost options such as subway tiles are very popular as they look great in practically any kitchen and with their timeless design, won’t date like some trends from the past. Choose tiles that compliment or contrast in colour with your cabinets and worktops and you’ll be onto a winning formula that will make your kitchen pop.
Repaint the Walls
When’s the last time you actually gave your kitchen a fresh coat of paint? If it was several years, then it’s time to get the paint rollers and trays to the ready!
A fresh coat of paint will do wonders to your kitchen and by choosing the right colours, will bring it back to life for sure. If your cabinets are light such as white or pale grey, perhaps choose a wall colour that is darker to contrast with the units and make them really jump out. Don’t go crazy with colour. Stick to a simple palette with just a few shades and your kitchen will achieve a look that is coherent and will last for many years.
All of the Above
If you have the means, try any or all of the above suggestions and you will undoubtedly take your kitchen from the dark ages into the modern era. All of these suggestions require a little elbow grease and some expense but overall, they are a far cheaper route than replacing your kitchen entirely and will achieve the exact same results.