kitchen thrifty lighten it up makeover
Julia Hudson
5 years ago
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rantontoo
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Considerations for kitchen makeover
Comments (24)My excellent handyman contractor made sure to upgrade my apartment's main electrical panel, which is located at the entrance to my kitchen, when we redid the kitchen. The apartment is 39 years old and he simply said that a newer one with more power was needed. Not something my KD thought of. I made sure to put 4 outlets in every cabinet that has electricity, e.g., the appliance garage and the cabinet where my network router now lives. My breakfast bar is where my phone is charged. I put one of these under it, on the outside of the pony wall. It has one USB outlet and one USB-C outlet, the new standard. Eliminates the need for something to plug the phone into. https://www.amazon.com/Top-Greener-TU21548AC-Receptacle-Interchangeable/dp/B01FREZ8VE When I bought my apartment 38 years ago, the kitchen had a clean lined white cabinets with black slate floors. People couldn't understand why I replaced it, because it still looked good. My new kitchen? Custom clean lined white cabinets with a grey printed black porcelain floor. Avoid trendy colors, like all the grey, beige neutrals around. Think about solutions that have become cliches - like subway tile. Yes, it is clean and inexpensive. But... waaay overdone. Be brave - get something simple in a shape or that is dimensional! When I was looking for handles I saw variations of the same modern handle everywhere, in every country. So I bought something different. Think about what might lock you into expensive solutions forever, like a counter depth refrigerator. Buy appliances in standard, common sizes so you can always find good quality replacements. Good luck!...See MoreKitchen makeover suggestions?
Comments (28)Maybe an island with seating is not such a great idea? No, it is not because you absolutely do not have enough room for it. For starters, any island in that kitchen is going to be a barrier island. You will have to walk around it getting from the sink to the refrigerator. No room for seating. Remember that you need to be able to open the refrigerator and have people space for using the refrigerator as well as seated people place at the island. No cornice. No point in it because the cabinets don't go to the ceiling nor are there cabinets above the sink where a cornice might make sense. A cornice in your kitchen would just be hanging in the open air and making a point of contact for spiders to anchor webs. IMO, the elephant in the room is the counter tops. I would not paint the cabinets nor change the floor. I would change out the counters for something with light colors. I would replace the microwave with an under cabinet hood (because I don't like the look of chimney hoods shoe-horned in between cabinets.) Small micro on the counter next to the refrigerator perhaps? I would prefer to find a way to fit it on an extended bottom shelf in the upper cabinet adjacent to the refrigerator. Would be easy to retrofit provided you can find shorter doors for the cabinet. Or remove the doors from that cabinet, fit in an extended shelf for the MW and just have open shelving above. (A proper cabinet paint job would probably cost as much as new stone countertops and a lot more than new laminate tops.) Change out lighting. Recessed pots or LED thin panel, recessed. Under cabinet lighting. LED strip lighting up top of upper cabs. Change the paint color. The cold blue/gray doesn't work with the warm cabinet & floor color. Floor runners to break up the 'woodiness'. Can you fit a trash can under the sink? The swagged pendant needs to be gone. I would prefer no pendant (I'm suffering from pendant fatigue) with just a recessed can above the table....See MoreIn need of a Mini Makeover
Comments (7)Are the dining table/chairs in view of the sofa area? I think that your stark white dining table is too much of a contrast with everything else. I would opt for a darker table and maybe a darker chandelier, too. Does your table have to be angled? I think that your living room rug works well with your sofa/chair, etc. I have never been a fan of cornices so I would remove them. I would prefer simple drapery panels instead. Is the " bar" used for a quick bowl of cereal or is it a booze bar? If it is used for drinking I would remove it completely. Again, it is something that I do not prefer....See MoreLOW budget kitchen makeover
Comments (9)Your kitchen is very spacious but the dark tones seem to make the walls close in. I would suggest painting your cabinets white or light colors of your preference. Corian, marble, or quartz would look nice for your countertop. These updates would definitely lighten up your space. Backsplash would look nice in your space also. For floors, any wood tones would warm up your space if you choose to paint your cabinets white. If your want a pop of color, you can paint the island a different color of your choosing. You can also replace the hardware for the cabinets and coordinate the finish with whatever pendant lighting you choose. You can pick and choose the updates that you think are most necessary and that wouldn’t break your budget. Good Luck!...See MoreJulia Hudson
5 years agoJulia Hudson
5 years agoJulia Hudson
5 years agoJulia Hudson
5 years agoJulia Hudson
5 years ago
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