POSTED: Sunday, Jul. 13, 2008
How to ... remodel your kitchen
Easy steps can give new life to a home's look
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closeYou don't have to break your piggybank to remodel your kitchen, says Misty Thomas, owner of Home Artistry and a Bellingham resident since 1999.
"You can impact huge change just with paint and decluttering," she says. "Get rid of all the extra stuff on your countertops, like those appliances you never use, the pile of incoming mail and other things you're not really using."
Perk up the walls: Consider refreshing your paint color if you have not painted your kitchen for several years.
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'Inexpensive things can make a big difference'
"A new coat of paint can make all the difference," says Corrie Burke, 29, who bought an older house in Bellingham last year. "When we moved in the kitchen was painted a dirty color and the ceiling had that popcorn look," she says. "We scraped the ceiling smooth, tore down a wall and relocated the refrigerator to create a more open kitchen. Then we painted the kitchen a bright, cheery yellow, painted the cabinets white and added funky rainbow-colored hardware to the cabinets."
Burke, who has lived in Whatcom County for 12 years, advises those on a budget to be creative when it comes to giving kitchens a facelift.
"Use existing cabinets and either update them with paint or cut out portions and insert glass to create a different look," she suggests. "Buy a new accent rug, or paint your kitchen table a new color. Things like these are inexpensive and can make a big difference."
-LAUREN KRAMER
MMind your budget: "If you can afford it, update your cabinets, surfaces and finishes," says Thomas. There is a plethora of choices for transforming your kitchen this way, to suit everyone's budget. Go high-end with solid cherry cabinets or simply paint your old cabinets a new color." Alternatively, if your cabinet hardware such as drawer pulls and knobs are looking dated, you can give cabinets new life by simply switching to more contemporary fittings.
Weigh your options: Granite countertops are popular but they aren't the only route to a sophisticated kitchen. "Consider tiling your countertops with colors and patterns that look similar to granite, or use granite tiles instead of a solid surface, which will save you money," Thomas says.
"There are also laminate coverings that look like granite, allowing you to copy that high-end appearance. They are so convincing that you'll need to touch it to know for certain if they are granite or Formica."
Great Investment: Updating your kitchen is a win-win situation regardless of whether you're planning to sell your home or live in it indefinitely. "The kitchen is the heart of the home and everyone wants a clean, simple beautiful look that they don't have to update," Thomas says. "Renovating your kitchen is a great investment, plus you get to enjoy it."
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