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15 Quick Kitchen Fixes
Little Changes Will Help You Love Your Kitchen All Over Again
Rebekah Zaveloff, owner and principal designer of KitchenLab, co-founder of Design in a Bag.com and Houzz contributor. I'm a self-professed tile nut and believer in good design for all! You can also visit me at: http://kitchenlabdesign.com and http://designinabag.com
Rebekah Zaveloff, owner and principal designer of KitchenLab, co-founder... More »
So many people think that kitchen remodeling is an all-or-nothing proposition. Not so! There are so many things you can do to spruce up the kitchen you have if you're not in the market for a full-blown remodel — or if your kitchen is just fine, but needs some extra love. These ideas range from an afternoon commitment to a weekend warrior project. Which one can you do right now?
| 1. Throw down a colorful area rug. Don't think practical and boring just because it's a kitchen. |
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by Amoroso Design
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| 2. Update your bar stools. In this classic black and white kitchen, the texture and pattern of the wicker stools makes a huge statement. Or set yourself on a mission to track down some vintage stools. The addition of something vintage to a kitchen make all the difference. |
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3. Change out your cabinet hardware. Count up the amount of pulls and knobs and check the center to center (screw hole to screw hole) dimension and go find some new, interesting hardware. A screw driver and an hour are all you need.
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4. Glam up your kitchen table area. Add artwork, fancy chairs, a new light fixture and even floor length curtains.
Tip: To add drama to your kitchen, hang curtain panels up as tall as the ceiling like shown here. (I'm not even sure there's a window behind those, but who cares, it adds drama and bit of glamour). Repeat details like the black border on the curtains, on the cabinets, and the black framed artwork.
Tip: To add drama to your kitchen, hang curtain panels up as tall as the ceiling like shown here. (I'm not even sure there's a window behind those, but who cares, it adds drama and bit of glamour). Repeat details like the black border on the curtains, on the cabinets, and the black framed artwork.
5. Go really bold with the wall color. A rich turquoise, bright pink, or deep navy. Try something completely unexpected.
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6. Add a vintage chandelier table lamp to an unexpected spot. Lamps in kitchens are great ways to add a little character.
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7. Channel your inner photo stylist. Go buy a bunch of matching Ball jars or glass containers of your choosing and transfer all your food such as beans, rice, pasta, cereal, dried fruit, nuts, etc. Display your jars on open shelves or behind glass doors, or if you don't have either, even behind closed doors. Organization that looks good gives us a sense of calm.
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| 8. Hang a pot rack or two on a blank wall. It'll free up cabinet space and make your kitchen feel more like a real, working kitchen.
9. If you're in a for a bigger purchase, upgrade your hood. This hood is THE focal point in this kitchen. This is the sort of thing you can hire a handyman to do if you're not handy yourself. Don't wait until you can afford to do it all — a few little changes may make you love your kitchen all over again. |
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| 10. Paint your doors black. For an immediate transformation, forgo the white trim and white windows. If black isn't your thing, try a color. |
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by Sixzero6 Design
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| Or paint your windows black. To avoid a look that's too heavy, you can keep the trim and casing white and paint just the window sashes. |
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| 11. Upgrade a light fixture. Again, don't put it off! Hire an electrician for a few hours. Whether it's modern or vintage, a single light fixture of interest can transform a room. |
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| 12. Accessorize. Add colorful or patterned cushions to your chairs. Put collections and beautiful objects on open shelves.
Tip: Think of your kitchen the way you think of your living room. How can you add fabrics, accessories and artwork? |
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13. Tile your backplash. Adding tile is the surest way to add personality to a kitchen — and function, too. No more splatter marks on the drywall behind the stove.
by Filmore Clark
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14. Tile the back of your island. I'm a huge fan of this treatment. If you have an island or peninsula that's just painted drywall, tile can take it from ho-hum to stunning. Go with a patterned tile or classic subway — anything goes.
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| 15. Paint your wood floors. Whether you want to go with a solid color or a pattern, this is a sure-fire way to add interest to a boring space. |
by Maureen Stevens
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And if you're planning on remodeling some day and don't want to throw good money after bad by tiling the backsplash, painting your floor adds graphic impact for much less cost.
Next: See more kitchen photos
Next: See more kitchen photos
Ideabook published on Feb. 13, 2011.
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Even with Ikea it's a $9000 fitout. One day……..
We are, for now, staying with the existing parquet flooring: not my favorite, but just too expensive to do bamboo. But I love the idea of runners: we have an island front and center, so I'll go with a runner on either side!