4 Easy ways to Update a Kitchen
As the heart of the home, the kitchen is one place where an update is necessary from time to time to keep it looking fresh.
22/04/2019
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As the heart of the home, you want your kitchen to be a place where the family can gather together each day. Over time, a kitchen can become dated and uninspiring and definitely not a room where you want to spend a lot of time. We put together a list of the top 4 easy and affordable updates that you can implement to bring a kitchen back to life.
1. Inject some Colour into a Kitchen
Adding some colour to your kitchen is an easy project that immediately offers results, whether you prefer to use paint or bring in a few colourful accessories. For little more than the cost of a can of paint, you can add colourful detail to a wall, to a kitchen island, or to furniture in the kitchen.
When choosing a colour to add to a kitchen, select one that ties in with your home decorating scheme, or if the kitchen is open plan to a dining room, choose a colour already used in this space.
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Bringing colour into a kitchen is an inexpensive project that you can do in a day. If you don't want to paint walls you can always grab a can or two of Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint to inject some colour into the room. Whatever colour you decide upon, make sure to tie this in with other elements in the room so that it doesn't stick out. For example the kitchen above is decorated in an all-white colour scheme. With the addition of two bold red stools, the kitchen takes on a completely new look. The red is then tied together with the use of rugs that bring the colour to the floor and lead the eye towards the end of the room where a bold red is applied to French doors.
Where a kitchen is open plan to a dining area or living room, it might be easier for you to bring colour to furniture and fittings already in these rooms, and then tie this together with a few accessories in the kitchen that incorporate this colour.
2. Add New Hardware to Kitchen Cupboards
One of the quickest ways to bring new life to a kitchen is to swap out the old hardware for new fittings. This method is perfect if you don't want to upgrade your existing kitchen cupboards and it instantly updates tired cupboards. Pop into your local Gelmar store to see the massive range of handles and knobs that they offer - at very affordable prices.
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More often than not, all a tired kitchen needs are some new handles and knobs to make it feel refreshed and young again. Whether your cabinets or stained and varnished, or painted, adding some new door hardware will make an instant difference. When shopping for new hardware at Gelmar, don't forget to check out their range of baskets and whitewashed storage boxes. Gelmar has a selection of basket and box designs in colours and sizes that you can add to your kitchen to update the style and add a bit of extra storage.
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3. Update Kitchen Lighting
Kitchen lighting is another project to consider if you want to bring life back to a tired kitchen. You may not think there is anything wrong with your kitchen lighting, but if it's been there for over 10 years - it's time to look at installing modern lighting that is energy-efficient and brightens up a kitchen.
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Your local Builders Warehouse have a lighting section that is filled with lighting styles and designs for all types of kitchens. You will also be able to swap out old fittings for more energy efficient lighting options that include LED, halogen or CFL - or a combination of all these.
Kitchen lighting is so easily ignored and yet this is one area where the lighting should shine. Nowadays kitchen pendant lights are designed to be functional and beautiful and it is a 10-minute job to replace old lighting with stunning new fixtures. Go shopping for pendant lights that complement your kitchen design and instantly takes centre spotlight.
4. Replace kitchen countertops
While you may not consider this an inexpensive project, there are countertops that cost less than you think and will immediately lift your kitchen. Formica countertops come in at under R1000 per 3.6 metre length - and that's more than enough to replace in an average kitchen and it's a project you can easily complete in a weekend.
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Having fitted Formica countertops to my kitchens for the past 20 years, I can definitely confirm that these countertops are tough and durable and will last, and they won't cost you a fortune.
While there will always be those that prefer a more natural or manufactured material for a kitchen countertop, there are still many other options available that you can look at, depending on how much you want to spend.