Oftentimes an older kitchen only needs to accent its unspoken charm. If you recently bought a new house with an older kitchen or you want to make the kitchen you’ve been living with a bit more pleasing and bright, you can do it without exchanging the cabinets or becoming bogged down in stripping and refinishing. Here are some suggestions on how to love what you have, and have what you enjoy.

Dated Cabinet Facelift

An older kitchen with all white cabinets and old-fashioned black and white wall and counter tile can speak about the past with retro charm. Cheerful yellow paint can brighten up this color scheme. If you’re lucky enough to have curved corner shelves, outline the edge in a perky blue. You can add an open shelf trimmed in the same blue above the kitchen sink to display collectibles, coffee tins, vintage vases, and the addition of blue and white checkered curtains on kitchen windows adds retro polish. Keep the color going with brightly patterned ceramic canisters on the counter. A bare wall can be dressed up with a spice rack or a wooden shelf that is either painted blue or trimmed in blue. Whether you want to add roosters, cherries or Tuscan accents and sunflowers, this color scheme will work with a myriad of themes.

Wallet Friendly Fixes that Work

– Remember that it is much easier and hassle-free to paint cabinets that need a facelift than to strip away old paint or varnish and then refurbish the cabinet entirely. You will need to lightly sand the existing surface of the cabinet before painting. Remove all doors, drawers, and hardware beforehand and then you will be able to work on a flat surface. A roller makes the work go faster.

– Replace old cabinet fronts with glass for a quick facelift. Simply paint the interior of the cabinets with a deep shade that will allow you to showcase the contents of the cabinets.

– Perhaps the fastest and easiest update for kitchen cabinets is a quick and thoughtful change out of the cabinet hardware. This little stylistic change can inspire a whole new look and color scheme that you can continue throughout the room with changes in wall art, curtains, chair cushions and accessories. Glass knobs are ideal for hardware changes when you want to add some sparkle to a kitchen that is lifeless.

– Try a new backsplash to brighten things up. Green and white tiles add cheer to a dark kitchen. Open up the entire area and reflect light by making a backsplash from mirrors. You can have custom cut glass prepared at any glass store.

– Get rid of your upper cabinets and opt for open shelving instead. It is much more affordable to hang shelving than to buy new cabinets, and you can choose to paint new shelves or adorn them with scrolled wrought iron brackets to fit the retro theme. Open plate racks and storage let you introduce color and charm into a kitchen while also opening up the space. Bring decorative aesthetic appeal and practicality to the area by hanging cups and cooking utensils beneath the shelving.

– Be daring and go with an unexpected theme in an old kitchen: Try bold colors like yellow and mango as a backdrop for a tropical theme kitchen complete with palm tree wall art and tropical wall hangings.

Before rushing to replace or refinish cabinets look for other ways to bring color and brightness to the kitchen. Stylish wall art, wall paint, collectibles situated in different areas on the top of upper kitchen cabinets, and improved lighting can really make a huge difference in the overall aesthetic enjoyment of your kitchen.

Author Bio: Article brought to you by Elizabeth Carter who writes for Metal-Wall-Art.com; visit our site for palm tree wall art and wall decor art.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: home decor, interior design, home improvement, kitchen cabinets