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How to
Decorate Your Kitchen on a Dime
by Kathleen Wilson
As the holidays approach, I tend to spend more and more time in my
kitchen. In fact, my friends and family
spend more time there too, so I would really like it to be an expression
of myself, my family, and the rest of
my home. However, pick up any home remodeling magazine, and you will find
a minimum remodel of a kitchen to come in at over $10,000.00! Here are
some quick and easy ways to bring warmth and charm into your kitchen, for
just dimes! Visit my website and sign up for the free newsletter to
receive a free ebook on kitchen
decorating on a budget at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com.
The first thing that I usually suggest in decorating is to attack the
largest areas first. In the kitchen, this
usually means the cabinets. Now, if you have gorgeous wood cabinets, I
suggest you leave them alone. Light
them up, make them a focal point, enjoy them for their natural beauty, I
love wood! However, most of us are
not that lucky. Most of us have cheap pressboard oak "look"
cabinets, or white laminate, or just old paint.
Painting is a number one option, and can totally transform the look of
your kitchen. Use tsp on your
cabinets to remove grime, (and every kitchen has some!) lightly sand,
prime and paint with a semi gloss enamel
for best wear. You have a lot of options with your paint techniques. A
favorite these days is to paint the
cabinets creamy white, then after they're dry, to rub them with stain for
an aged look. This is not just a
country look, but very old world or traditional. Another is to leave the
bottom cabinets stained, but to
paint the top cabinets. Stencil the doors, hand paint vines, use your
imagination to put your own creative
stamp on one of the most creative rooms in the house! It is only paint
after all.
Other options for cabinets facelifts are available for us budget impaired
decorators. Remove the center panel
of the top cabinet doors, then staple shirred fabric panels to the inside
of the doors. Or, buy plexi-glass
panels to fit the opening, attach them to the back, then use glass paints
and faux leading to create
"stained glass" cabinet doors. Use a dollar store battery stick
on light to light from within. Other
options outside painting include adding small wood appliqués to the
doors,(can be picked up at craft
stores) or molding to the tops of the cabinets. Consider painting or
staining a different color. Handpaint or stencil a central design in the
center of each cabinet door, such as a cluster of roses over white
cabinets in a country kitchen, or a fleur de lis in a classic kitchen.
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The floor is the next major issue in most kitchens. I have mentioned in my
ebooks, books, and articles that
painting a vinyl floor is an option, provided you prime first with a
primer like BIN or KILZ, then seal after
with several layers of polyurethane to protect. Use painters tape to
create tiles or custom designs. Try
faux stove or wood, or even terra cotta. Remember to let dry at LEAST 24
hours after the final coat before
walking on it. You can use this method with countertops too, but remember,
don't cut on them! An even cheaper
and more creative option? I have a very natural home, with a very
unnatural vinyl floor. Not having the cash
to lay the slate floor I wanted, I took an idea from a faux leather lamp I
had made, and made a faux leather
floor! This is simply torn brown paper applied to a clean floor with
polyurethane, then sealed with several
more layers of poly. Crumple the paper before you lay it down for an
authentic look. This looks just like a
leather floor, wears well, and even if you do get a stain, because of the
variable finish, you are unlikely
to notice! Another option is to create individual tiles from plywood,
paint or faux finish as desired, seal
with polyurethane, then lay with tile adhesive and grout just like any
tile floor. This idea will give you
a one of a kind floor, and could save you hundreds in the cost of tile.
Don't neglect your wall color just because the cabinets take up so much
wall space. Since it is such a small
area, try a really rich version of your chosen color scheme on the cabinet
wall. I suggest solid colored
walls in a kitchen versus a wallpaper or pattern because there is already
so much going on in that room,
it can tend to make it look cluttered to add more pattern.
Finally, accessorize your kitchen! It isn't just a utilitarian space. Try
the old favorites like hanging
plates, bringing in the cookbooks, or filling glass jars with beautiful
foodstuffs. But how about some new
ideas such as small framed mirrors grouped on a wall for depth, or framed
antique postcards (they are really
cheap at antique stores!). Try framing your Grandmother's apple pie
recipe, or decoupage a whole
wall with recipes sent from family, or created by you. Show off your
talents, and give them the importance
they deserve. (Email and a printer helps move this idea along, and think,
you'll never have to search for a
recipe again!) Put magnet strips on the back of some simple dollar shop
picture frames, stick on the fridge,
and display with style your children's artwork from school or home. It can
be changed as often as you like,
and what better way to display the heart of your home, than with your
heart?
Always remember to bring that heart into the home, and no matter how tight
your budget is, you will find ways
to make your home a joyful, memorable place for you and your loved ones.
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