You may be wanting to update your outdated kitchen, but may it be the costs or wanting less impact on our landfills, you've decided to opt-out of a full renovation. To that, I say Welcome! In this blog post, we'll discuss the aesthetic updates you can easily do for a BIG impact.
Now, the kitchen I will be using as an example is not Hobbs Home Designs' client, but my best friend's house. (Pictures posted with bestie's permission) She also has quite the design eye and selected all her finishes and fixtures herself, and I want to break down the changes she made that made this kitchen update so significant.
1) Paint: Chances are, the cabinet color was probably one of the first things you noticed in the before-and-after pictures. Showing how much of an impact color can make. For the DIYers out there, you can find a great post on painting kitchen cabinets here. The cabinet color used here is Behr "Starless Night" (PPU14-20). All these cabinets took less than a gallon of paint. But, what might not be as noticeable is the new paint on the walls as well. They updated the background from light green to a cool white, which also helps make the space feel bigger. 2) Countertops and Backsplash: Yes, it's always "use what ya have," BUT I cannot express enough how much ease replacing those Formica countertops with Quartz will add to your life. It's like turning your kitchen into a spa, simply for the fact Quartz countertops are heat safe, waterproof, stain-resistant, and scratch-resistant, while Formica stains if you stare at it for too long. Just do yourself a favor and properly recycle those ol' countertops. While they installed a classic subway tile backsplash, a renter-friendly alternative is peel and stick tile, one option can be found here. Find out how to install the peel and stick backsplash in this video.
3)Hardware and Fixtures: If your kitchen is an outfit, the cabinets would be the clothes, and your cabinet hardware is the much-needed jewelry to break it up. Except this jewelry is like those flask bracelets that were popular a couple of years ago, being they also provide a great service. (RIP flask bracelets) Anyways cabinet pulls make it easier to get in and out of your cabinets and drawers, keeps them clean, and instantly add dimension/interest to your kitchen. They don't have to be expensive either! These cabinet pulls can be found here.
(Pro Tip- if your cabinets already have handles you want to switch, without having to use a drill, measure on the inside of the door from screw to screw. DO NOT MEASURE THE LENGTH OF THE HANDLE/PULL, often the handle is longer than the "hole center" aka where you drill)
4)Minimizing Horizontal Lines:
Now you may be wondering, what in the hell is she talking about, but just follow me on this okay? The previous light above the sink, created a hard horizontal line, making the kitchen ceiling feel shorter than what they are. Removing this and adding a new vertical line with the pendant fixture, helps draw your eye up and make the ceiling feel taller.
Now, unless you are an electrician you should always hire a professional to add electrical boxes for the lights. But as you can see, HUGE impact.
So I know we covered a lot in this post, and any renovation can feel daunting. But alas you are not alone. If you need help choosing a cabinet color, or specific tips to maximize your kitchen refresh, you can always book an in-person consultation. To find out more about consultations, below is a link for a free 15 minutes discovery call.