A few tips for your kitchen upgrading

Your kitchen needs a little freshening up? Great! This will be a wonderful opportunity for you to use your imagination and make this room into the ideal spot to begin and end your day. Here then are a few ideas to help you accomplish your project objectives, involving only a minimum of effort and very little cost.
Project guide service
Paint calculator
Wallpaper calculator
Ceramic calculator
Moulding calculator
Moulding design
Colour it!
Related Projects
Related Tips
Page 1/4
Kitchen cabinets: revised and corrected
A counter you can count on
The indispensable sink and faucets
The walls as a perfect backdrop
Two feet firmly on the ground
Windows wide open
Essential accessories
Lighting
What about the kids?
A few tips to make your projects easier

Kitchen cabinets: revised and corrected

    Different colours, new look
    Are you looking for a way to add some sparkle to your white melamine cabinets? An original touch for your wood cabinets? Everything is possible, as long as you’re willing to master the techniques and exercise some creativity! Indeed, you should realize that thanks to the new paints available you can now paint all surfaces, laminates included.

    Whatever your decision, it is absolutely essential to follow certain steps before starting to paint. After removing all handles, knobs and hinges:
    • clean surfaces with trisodium phosphate (TSP);
    • fill all scratches and holes with the appropriate product;
    • sand well;
    • apply an alkyd primer on all sides of the panels.

    Easy to use, latex paint can be applied with a roller or a synthetic bristled brush. If choosing the right colour doesn’t pose a problem, you may want to look at the range of glazes and stains available for creating weathered and antique effects. For a look both unique and personalized, you can use stencils to paint motifs onto your cabinet door panels, in the centre or the corners – a very simple technique that guarantees results.

    A renaissance in panel decoration
    With just a little work on your cabinet doors you can completely change the style of your kitchen.

    By replacing the centre part of a few panels with glass, you can breathe new life into your cabinets without affecting your storage space. To display your most beautiful pieces, choose transparent glass. On the other hand, if you want your cupboard contents to remain for your eyes only, opt for frosted glass. In fact, you can "frost" your own glass using a paint developed expressly for that purpose – just the project for someone with a crafts bent!

    As an excellent alternative to glass, you can use wire mesh for the centre of your door panels for a more rustic look. If it’s a modern touch you’re aiming for, sections of perforated sheet metal will do the trick.

    Add style and depth to your kitchen cabinets with decorative mouldings applied to your cabinet doors, painted in the same colour. For a subtle but eye-catching touch none the less, put wallpaper on the insides of the casings you’ve already embelished on the outside. Choose motifs that you find inspiring, and that combine well with the overall ambience you’re aiming to achieve for the room.

    An even simpler way to give new life to your kitchen cabinets is a change in hardware – handles, knobs, and hinges. There are a great many different models and styles available, and in a range of finishes and colours. To watch out for this year: exquisitely crafted and elegantly styled handles in brushed nickel, a material that blends in beautifully with stainless steel elements and appliances.

    Trims added to the tops of cabinets will make them seem very grand and give them the appearance of added height. An outright replacing of the cabinet doors is also a solution that bears consideration, though this project could turn out to be more costly and might be better off in the hands of a cabinetmaker. It could certainly be worth the effort, and the room would definitely be brought up to date.

    The current tendency is towards pure lines, arranged horizontally. To create this effect, remove all cabinet sections and opt for an open shelving concept instead. It works well and is ideal for displaying your most beautiful dishes. The effect is one of simplicity, with an airy appeal. Your dishes will be easily and quickly accessible, but take care to keep everything in order!

A counter you can count on

    Changing a countertop is generally not too complicated. Various countertops are available, in stainless steel, granite, Corian, quartz, ceramic and laminates. The words to guide you in your choices: easy maintenance and durability.

    As a short term solution, repaint the surface of a laminated counter. For example, you can find on the market products providing a granite, concrete, or even stainless steel imitation, all for an industrial look.

    If your dream is to have a centre island in your kitchen, you should consider using a piece of furniture such as a solid table, sideboard, or buffet. Other interesting solutions – ready for use islands and butcher’s blocks. Finally, in accordance with the décor you’re trying to create, you might think of replacing the lunch counter benches, or perhaps of changing their covering.
Page 1/4