Sunday, January 25, 2009

5 Cheap and Easy Ways to Update Your Kitchen

By Paul Cameron

Completely remodeling your kitchen is not a cheap undertaking. Not only is it expensive, it's also very time consuming. In addition, there are lots of possibilities for things to go wrong. Therefore, the amount you end up paying might be considerably higher than what you anticipated.

However, there are lots of kitchen remodeling ideas that will update the look of your kitchen for a much lower expenditure of money and time. All it takes is a modest amount of cash and some time and effort on your part. Take a look at these five ideas for upgrading your kitchen on your own.

1. Change the lighting. Installing a new light fixture can make a surprising amount of difference to the appearance of a kitchen. Go for something unusual that can be a distinctive feature in the room. A fixture that incorporates a fan will be both practical and a focal point of the kitchen.

2. Grab a bucket and a brush. A fresh coat of paint is the easiest way to transform your kitchen. The look of the room will be livened up considerably with a change in color. By selecting the color carefully, you can also enlarge the appearance of the room.

3. Install tiling. You can find tiles in a huge assortment of patterns, colors and materials that will add instant style to your kitchen. Tiles can have a big impact when positioned on the walls between the upper cabinets and the countertop. You can also use tiling on your floor. If you can follow instructions, it's not that hard to put in flooring tiles by yourself.

4. Spruce up your cabinets. The cost of replacing kitchen cabinets can be prohibitive for most people. However, you can achieve a similar effect and shell out less money if you just refinish what you already have. Some paint and new hardware can make an unbelievable difference. Make sure you use the correct type of paint for the material your cabinets are made of.

5. Buy a fridge. New appliances aren't cheap. However, they can make a major improvement to the attractiveness of your kitchen for considerably less money than a complete remodel. Also, if you purchase energy efficient appliances, you might recover some of your money through lower utility bills. Try a completely different finish, like stainless steel. Or just change the color scheme from white to black.

With these easy changes, you will achieve the look of a remodeled kitchen. No one will know how simple and inexpensive it really was.

About the Author:

No comments: