Everyone knows that the kitchen is the heart of a home. As such, making your kitchen beautiful needs to be a top priority. Believe it or not, this does not need to be an expensive or difficult proposition. Take a look at the following tips that can change your kitchen from dreary to dreamy!
1. Be bold and use more than one stain on kitchen cabinets. When you look at designer kitchens in magazines, you will often see a lighter stain on top cabinets and a much darker stain on the lower ones. You can also add a third stain between the two for drawers.
2. Completely change the cabinet doors. Most people consider paint or stain, but what about fabric or tin? Cut out the center of some of your cabinet doors, leaving a frame. Inside the frame you can staple any fabric to add pizzazz to your kitchen. If you want an old timey country look, you can replace the fabric with tin. To really jazz up this look, punch holes in the tin in a simple Pennsylvania Dutch pattern. The best thing about this update is that you can change the centers easily. In fact, some people have different inserts for the seasons and holidays!
3. Another way to change the cabinet door is incorporate glass etchings as the center panel. Although a bit more expensive than fabric, this simple change can lighten up a kitchen and give it a whole new look.
4. Eliminate the doors altogether. A great way to create some storage space in your kitchen is to take off the cabinet doors and put in glass shelving. This now becomes the spot to display your china, glassware, or other items.
5. Change the hardware. Creating a whole new look can be as easy as changing the knobs and pulls on your cabinets. Nowadays, knobs and handles come in every size, shape, and color imaginable.
6. Paint the room, but not with a paint roller! Try one of the newer techniques like sponging or stenciling to give your room an added flair.
7. Add a border, but don’t be conservative about it. Instead of adding a border at the ceiling, try adding a border at your waist level, at chair level, or even at eye level!
8. If the walls need a change, consider adding wallpaper instead of paint. Lively wallpaper can make a bold statement in a kitchen.
9. Update the backsplash. This can be done with a bit of tile, a new coat of paint, wallpaper, or even beadboard.
10. Don’t forget the windows! Something as simple as changing the window treatments can make your kitchen look completely different. Be sure to create window treatments that go with your style. For instance, ruffles and pull back ties look great with a country kitchen, while a sleek valiance will look better with a modern one.
11. Add a pot rack over an island. This is a great way to save space in a small kitchen while adding an interesting focal point.
12. Add a few new accessories. Try a new breadbox or towel rack. Consider adding a collection of something like jars, plates, plants, or even books. All of these add color and spice to your kitchen. You might even consider buying unfinished pieces and painting them yourself to add just the right color or theme.
13. Update your appliances without buying new ones. You can do this by updating the panels to your dishwasher, stove, or refrigerator to match your new color scheme or even your cabinet door color.
14. Change the countertop! Laminate countertops are the cheapest way to make a change. And with laminate tops, you can find every color under the sun. If you have a bit more to spend, you might want to consider solid surface tops, quartz, or granite. Although more expensive, they do last longer and are less likely to be damaged during regular use.
15. Another inexpensive way to make a countertop change is with tile. Tile is especially useful on secondary surfaces and can be used to add spots of color.
Redecorating your kitchen does not have to be difficult, nor does it have to be expensive. Consider any of these ideas or use them as a jumpstart to one of your own. Why accept dreary when you can have dreamy?
Teri B Clark is a professional writer and published author. Her most recent book, 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home NOW and For More Money Than You Thought, explains these tips in more detail and offers many, many others. To learn more about Teri's latest book, visit http://staging-your-home.blogspot.com or sign up for a free newsletter
15 Ways To Update Your Kitchen Cheaply And Easily
How Much Will My Laminate Countertop Cost?
So you've decided to install a new laminate countertop in your kitchen. Whether your home improvement project is to increase the value of your home or to create the dream look you've always dreamed of, price is always a consideration. By choosing laminate for your countertop you're choosing durability, ease of maintenance and customized look and feel at an affordable cost.
Laminate sheets can range in price from $3 to $100 per linear foot based upon color, texture, manufacturer, design and location. First you must determine what type of laminate sheet you will choose for your countertop. You can then determine the material costs associated with your countertop.
Next determine the area of your countertop you will cover, one key point to this is to understand the difference between linear foot and a square foot. Countertop manufacturers build sheets that are customized to a depth of 24 inches the average depth of countertops. The average countertop is between 28-30 feet which means 28-30 linear feet if you measured by square foot your countertop would cover a 56-60 square feet. So measure the linear square feet of your countertop.
Now that you have your price per linear foot and total linear feet to be covered you can now determine your material costs.
[Price per linear foot * Total linear feet = Material Costs]
With your materials costs now known you must now make a decision, will you install the laminate countertop yourself or will you contract out the installation.
1. Costs associated with Installing the laminate countertop yourself
Tools & Supply Costs
Contact Cement ($50)
Wooden Mallet ($15)
Paint Brush w/roller ($8)
Power Sander ($30)
Work Gloves ($8)
Router ($95)
Router Special Grooving Disc ($19)
Sanding Block ($15)
Straight Edge ($17)
Utility Knife ($10)
Fine Toothed Hand Saw ($20)
Fine Toothed Back Saw ($20)
Power Saw ($50)
Power Saw Fine Toothed Blade ($15)
File ($10)
Sandpaper ($5)
Total costs will be around ($387.00) for tools and supplies, please note prices may range based upon region, manufacturer or customized need. Prices listed are the median cost of five different items researched online.
2. Contracting out the installation
Common rates are $20-30 per linear square foot this may differ based upon the rate that you agree on with your contractor or any additional costs associated to supplies or tools needed for your installation. To get a budget range for the installation use the following to get a rough idea of costs associate with contracting out your laminate countertop project.
[$25 * Total linear feet = Labor Costs]
So now that we've determined your material costs, tools & supply costs and labor costs you can now get a better idea of the cost that will be associated with your countertop home improvement project.
If you need any assistance please visit us at how to install laminate countertops. It's our goal to provide customers the best possible information regarding their home improvement project.
Article written by Richard L McCaffery,
Laminate Countertops Offer Beauty And Affordability
Laminate counter tops are the most popular, enduring counter tops on the market for a whole lot of reasons. Offering beauty and versatility, these counter tops come with some ups and downs just like their more expensive counterparts. Still, these counter tops are enduring for a whole host of reasons.
Laminate counter tops are generally made using formed plastic, or laminate, for the visible surface. These counter tops are more readily known as Formica, but can go both other names, as well. They are a popular choice due to the versatility they offer in appearance and their relative affordability as compared with others counter top materials.
The advantages of laminates are many and they include:
* Form. Laminates are made by putting a sheet of plastic over a formed fiberboard base. The base material is shaped and cut into the design that's necessary for the surface and the laminate is used to provide the outer, attractive surface. Because of their style of design, laminates readily adapt to a number of different shapes.
* Cost. Laminate counter tops are considered the most affordable of counters on the market generally. Due to their design, they can come in all sorts of different colors and surface textures, too. They tend to be more versatile in appearance.
* Cleaning. Laminates are generally the easiest of counter tops to clean, as well. Typically mild cleansers or soft abrasives can handle almost anything that marks up or dirties a laminate counter top. For tougher stains, lemon juice and baking soda often do the trick better than harsh abrasives.
While laminate counter tops are the most common and popular counters on the market, they do have a few downfalls. Many of these, however, are shared with almost every counter top style available. The fact is counter tops take a beating during the course of everyday use.
The cons of laminates include:
* Scratches: Unlike granite that can typically be buffed out to remove scratches, laminate counter tops do not offer this property. When cuts go in, they tend to stay in. This can be avoided by using proper cutting boards and avoiding direct contact with sharp surfaces.
* Burns: Due to their plastic natures, laminates can and do burn and scorch. It can be virtually impossible to remove the damage once it's done, too. The best way to avoid this problem is to use hot plates and hot pads. Never set hot pots or pans directly on laminate counter tops.
* Seams: Unlike formed counter tops, laminates tend to show very visible seams not only where the counter tops come together, but also on the edges. The look, when well made, can be quite beautiful, but if a slack job has been done, it will be evident.
While laminate counter tops do have their down side, the reality is they are loaded with more perks than pitfalls. Laminates can and do stain, scratch and burn, but so do most other types of counters. With proper care, they can be a beautiful addition to any kitchen or bathroom that needs flat surface work space.
Still looking for the perfect counter tops? Try visiting http://www.typesofcountertops.com - a website that specializes in providing counter top advice, tips and resources including information on laminate countertops.
