Quick fixes for an outdated kitchen~

I'm very excited to have a guest writer today!

 Rachel from re.SOLVE Interior Design Studio is here to give us some great tips about how we can dress up a boring outdated kitchen!  Please give her a warm welcome! 

  

Take it away Rachel:

Not all of us are Do-it-yourselfers. So, while we save up our cash for the dream remodel there are some quick and easy fix-ups.

 1. Cabinet knobs and pulls are to a kitchen what jewelry is to your every day casual outfit. What better way to dress up a t-shirt and jeans than to throw on a glamorous necklace?  

   

                                              

 There are several considerations to make when purchasing new hardware for an already adorned kitchen. Take a look at your existing hardware. Are they knobs (one hole in the drawer/door) or pulls (held on by two screws- two holes)? I am not going to tell you stories, pulls are not the easiest to replace. When replacing a pull, I suggest bringing your existing piece to the hardware store and ask for assistance. Measuring the distance between the holes can be trickier than expected and the specialist can show you what pieces will work best. I also recommend that you consider that future remodel that you may be saving up for. Can you reuse the hardware for your new cabinets? Will the style fit? While you may only be doing a     temporary touch-up, this is a good time to dream of the whole picture! 

2. While you may have heard it before, paint is a fantastic way to give any old space new life. Brighten up the space with a creamy white or light neutral color. Bring some life into the space by choosing a small accent area and painting it your favorite bold color. I have a bathroom in my own home with outdated bright aqua counters, and to top it off, they are trimmed in gold! The walls and cabinets were peach (ouch). To modernize the space until I was ready for a remodel, we painted the walls French grey with white trim. We painted the cabinets a dark, coffee brown. Now, the crazy blue and gold counters… okay they aren't gorgeous, but it's not nearly the eyesore it used to be! For kitchens, choose an eggshell finish so that your painted surfaces are easy to clean.

3. Another quick fix is to clean off those counters. Nothing makes a kitchen look small and congested like nick-nacks and small appliances filling up every flat surface. Try a magnetic knife holder for the wall to get the knife block off the counter. Store items that are not used daily in lower cabinets. Nothing gives a kitchen a "new" look like stainless steel. Try a metal container for those wooden spoons and dish sponges. This clean up is something that may need to be repeated from time to time. I just moved my cute spinning spice rack to my pantry after realizing that I only use it every few days, and it usually accompanies a trip to the pantry anyway. While it may be made for the counter, that doesn't necessarily mean it has to stay there and use your preparation space and sanity!

4. Paint your appliances. The first image that came to my mind was an white and light grey dated kitchen with white appliances. Why let those boring white appliances blend with the rest of the space, dragging it down? My make-believe kitchen received bright apple green paint on the appliances, for a look that has a fun and retro twist.

5. Lastly, open up an outdated space with outdated cabinets by removing the doors from your upper cabinets! This is not for the cook with cluttered upper cabinets, but for someone who has a nice looking set of dishes and is ready to have them on display. I also recommend this solution to those who move through their dishes regularly. We wouldn't want to exhibit settling dust and cobwebs.

{{Thanks Rachel!! It's been a pleasure having you!}}  

To see Rachel's work and get more of her fabulous ideas, hop on over to: