Most of us spend a good deal of time in our kitchens these days, and it's not just for cooking. More homes are being built with the kitchen as the hub of the home, and even if you're on a tight budget, that shouldn't stop you from making it a pleasant and personal place to be!
If your cabinets are in need of a total overhaul, consider painting them. Nothing changes the look of a kitchen faster! Visit the library for info on faux finishing, or go to www.paintedhouse.com or www.fauxlikeapro.com, and turn a simple paint job into a one of a kind kitchen.
If you don't want the hard work that goes into total repainting, consider removing a cupboard door to make a display cabinet. Paint the entire interior of the cabinet a light or bright accent color, and put your prettiest on display. Or have someone good with power tools cut out the center panels of the doors, then shirr fabric over the inside to hide the contents of the cupboard secure with a staple gun or Velcro tape.
Pick up inexpensive plate hangers from the hardware store and hang the saucers from your good china around the backsplash, or as a border. Don't have any china? Visit garage sales and thrift stores this weekend to pick up a bunch of sweet little plates for a song. (No, they don't have to match, or be fancy!)
Hang tea towels on the diagonal over your curtain rod for a fresh summer valance, and save some extra to stitch up into potholders and placemats.
Make a floor cloth to perk up your tired floors from a piece of remnant vinyl flooring you get at a home improvement center for just a few dollars. Turn the piece over to the backside, and give it a coat or two of good primer, then a coat of any basecoat color. Then use masking tape, stencils, stamps, sponges or freehand painting to impart a design that fits your room. Be sure to seal it with a couple of coats of water based polyurethane, and it will wipe clean for years! This is a great way to customize your kitchen for little money lets face it, rugs are expensive, impossible to keep clean in a kitchen, and are usually the same old boring thing. This is also a great way to cover an aging or damaged floor, as you can make the floorcloth to whatever size you need.
Save empty bottles and fill with colored water to set on the windowsills, or line up the bottles and fill with one flower each from your garden.
Grow plants from seed on your windowsills! Even grass seed has become very vogue. (Don't tell anyone, because I usually shy away from 'vogue', but I really like the grass thing!J)
Above all, invoke your family into the place where you spend the most time. I've heard some designers say you should keep your refrigerator clear to prevent clutter, NO MAGNETS! But honestly, what would my kitchen be without my kids drawings stuck all over the door? It wouldn't be the place I want to spend most of my time. I even have a couple of framed photos of my kids, right on the kitchen counter! So make your kitchen YOUR home, and have fun doing it!
About The Author: Copyright 2002 K. Wilson
Kathleen Wilson is the editor of a free ezine and website called The Budget Decorator. When she's not decorating or gardening she's caring for her 5 kids, 3 stepkids, and wonderful husband. You can get more info and free projects at her website http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com
I was looking for a caserole for my Christmas dinner and came across a very pretty one, that is actually too big and I've never used. While I was looking at it I thought about using it on top of my refrigerator to replace the basket of lunch chips that's there now! It was such a revelation that I was embarrassed that I never thought of it before! And, bonus, it may make my son proud to see it, since it was a gift from him. Sometimes you just have to step back and stare/daydream and let those "a-ha's" happen!
My "after" kitchen with painted cabinets, new drawer pulls and cabinet knobs, two new ceiling lights (only $9.00 each at the home improvement center!) and the garage sale ceramic tile for the counter top. My kitchen isn't very fancy, but I am happy with how it turned out; it is so much brighter now.
My "before" kitchen was very dark, had linoleum counter tops, and plywood cabinets. Originally, I was going to paint the counter top but I found some ceramic tile at a garage sale for 15 cents each!
My fridge is completely full of my dd's "art", and important info i need to refer to, including both sides (dh says i need to put more on there, lol, they keep falling off when we walk by). And now I have an idea for old jeans, instead of throwing them into the garbage.
Excellent ideas :-) I have always wanted to do a floor cloth.. you make it actually sound doable :_) One easy perk up .. if you sew.. is to recover pot pads in a color you love. I am redoing mine in red.. my new color in the entire house :_) Making denim ones is easy too if you have old jeans around, several layers is just enough for a good hot pad.
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