Modernise your old kitchen with these tips
Woman painting her old brown kitchen to blue modern color. Improving home is the main hobby for lockdown days.
Well, as I always say to my clients, there are so many ways to modernise a kitchen to give it a new look without ripping it out.
When I start a renovation or redesign project, I always see if we can salvage areas of the kitchen - good for your pocket and the environment.
One key thing I always recommend to clients, is to ensure you choose reputable tradespeople who have done work like this before, or come recommended by an interior designer or someone who works with a reputable builder.
Here are some tips on what you can do to give your kitchen a new look.
Before you start, ensure the doors are in good condition and can be painted.
Hire a professional painter who actually paints kitchens (as it includes a lot more detail than painting walls). By painting your kitchen doors you will achieve a whole new look.
If you currently have a wooden look kitchen, then maybe consider painting your main units a neutral colour (beige or greige) and add a pop of colour in your island.
I recommend you talk to an interior designer or colour consultant to ensure you pick the right shade of paint to suit your space. For example, if you have a north-facing kitchen, a warmer shade of paint would be recommended.
Replace your kitchen doors and door fronts if your units are not in good condition. No point in throwing your good money away painting doors if they will not look good.
This is a budget-friendly way to add a new look to your kitchen doors.
There are a lot of options to choose from – chrome, brass, ceramic and even leather. Ensure you choose handles that will blend in with the aesthetics of your ‘new look kitchen’.
Before you do this, I recommend decluttering your current units, you will know the space you have then and need.
Add some pull-out larder units, I always recommend these as you can see what you have, the items are not hidden at the back of a press.
Add some floating shelves over your kitchen sink if you do not have over-head units there already.
Add a larder to a corner of your kitchen if it’s feasible space-wise.
By replacing your worktop, this will give your kitchen a whole new look. The budget-friendly options are laminate or formica, the more expensive options are solid wood, granite, quartz, Dekton, composite stone, and of course stainless steel.
Once again, I recommend choosing the work-top taking into consideration the look you are trying to achieve in your kitchen space. Ensure it is fit for purpose, so to speak.
I recommend investing in a good worktop as this area gets a lot of use.
There are so many suitable styles out there, this is a personal choice, ensure it blends in with the style of kitchen you are going for. Your kitchen tap is an accessory in your kitchen that can add great character to the space.
You can replace tiles or paint them, stainless steel or glass is used here also.
If your current floor is dark, I suggest going for a light coloured one, this will give it a whole new look. On the other hand, if you have tiles and want to replace them without digging up your whole floor (sometimes this manual labour would cost more than the new flooring), I recommend contacting a reputable floor supplier and asking about the Amtico, Karndean flooring that can be laid over your tiles, or a more affordable option is luxury vinyl tiles. I recommend all three.
Giving your walls a new coat of paint is such a budget- friendly option to give your kitchen a complete refresh.
Once again this option is dependent on your budget. If you are replacing, maybe wait for the sales, there are bargains there if you are prepared to wait.
Lighting is so important in a kitchen, this is often overlooked. I suggest adding some soft lighting, task lighting and dimmable lighting, or even add led lighting in kicker boards or under kitchen units.
Add soft pendant lighting over your dining area and brighter lighting over your island where you will be prepping your food.
Replace the pelmet over your kitchen sink with a colourful roman blind, one that will blend in with the blinds on the other windows.
These can be added or replaced for different seasons; add flowers, vases, vignettes, these items can be added to your kitchen island or dining table, shelving areas. Add some plants around the kitchen.
Add a runner by your sink and a large rug under your kitchen table, ensure you buy a rug large enough that the chairs are still on the mat when you pull them out.
Maura Mackey is founder of Maura Mackey Design based in Ballinhassig. She loves creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind interior designs for her clients.
If you are building a new home, doing a renovation, upstyling a room/rooms in your home, updating your commercial space, or selling your home, Maura is there to help.
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