Kitchen Makeovers: 8 Quick Tips

Giving your kitchen a makeover can seem like a daunting task, but it is definitely possible and can even be achieved within a reasonable budget. The trick to not getting overwhelmed is focusing on specific areas where you can make quick changes and see immediate results.

Here are 8 kitchen decorating tips to get you started:

Tip 1: Start with the kitchen cabinets

Rather than spending a fortune on replacing old cabinets, there may be an opportunity to salvage them and give them a whole new look. You can achieve this by sanding down the existing layer of paint and going for a whole new color. Make sure you wipe the cabinets clean before sanding. Here is a clear guide on how to repaint your cabinets.

When selecting a color, keep in mind the entire color scheme of your kitchen. If you have many stainless steel appliances, the trend has been moving away from lighter pale color schemes to darker, more saturated cabinet colors.

Tip 2: Upgrade your cabinet knobs

Changing the knobs on your cabinets is an easy and very effective way to upgrade your cabinets without replacing them. There are tons of sites online that allow you to browse through thousands of different shapes and sizes, ranging from ultra modern to country in a variety of metal or wooden finishes.

Tip 3: Paint the walls

Here is where you have an opportunity to be creative in a subtle way. Since there isn’t as much wall space as in other rooms, you can use the area available for painting to produce creative color combination that work to soften the kichen as well as bring out the cabinet colors. It is generally recommended to take a very close look at the color base of the cabinet color you chose and find a color for the walls in the same paint family. Don’t forget to repaint your trim around the windows and door frames. Here is a wonderful article with some great color combination ideas.

Tip 4: Replace your old curtains

Although a relatively simple step, replacing your current kitchen curtains with new ones can bring new life into your kitchen. There are many different curtain styles and textures specifically designed for kitchens which can do wonders for complimenting your new cabinet and wall colors.

Tip 5: Lighting

Kitchen lighting is an area of decor where you can really be creative. A popular trend is to have pendant lighting over your kitchen island, but you can add in track lighting, chandeliers and any number of lighting solutions depending on the look you’re going for. The style of lighting you’re going for should really be thought through since it can make a very powerful decor statement on its own, whether by its design or the type of light it produces.

Tip 6: Fun with Shelving

One little tip for shelving is to not be afraid of having open shelves in the kitchen. Placed strategically, sometimes having items exposed can automatically create decor accents. Don’t be afraid to experiment, especially if you’re used to very traditional cabinetry.

Tip 7: Trendy kitchen stools

Thanks to stores such as Ikea, there is an incredibly large supply out there of kitchen stools to match any color, style, or trend. If you have many steel appliances in your kitchen, you can try for bar stools that combine a bit of metal with synthetic leather to give a modern yet homey look.

Tip 8: New accessories

Little decor accents are a great way to bring a kitchen to life. Look into options such as adding a trendy wine rack, country style vases with beautiful flowers, small plants, old, warm-colored paintings, new spice holders, or pottery. These items can be picked up either second hand or from home decor stores and can be wonderful color accents. The goal is to use these items wisely; having too many accessories will only create clutter rather than adding life to the kitchen decor.

Kids Room Decorating Ideas: The Basics

Decorating a kid’s room can be a fun and creative experience while at the same time presenting several challenges. A child’s room is a place for sleeping, playing, and letting their imagination run wild. The goal is to channel that creative energy by creating a room that’s practical, safe, organized, and with an enjoyable theme.

With that in mind, there are some basic ideas and decor concepts we need to go over: choosing the right type of furniture, keeping things organized, and creating a flexible theme.

Basic Furniture Tips:

Though every kid’s room needs a bed, desk, and storage items, the most important aspects of choosing the right furniture are selecting basic colors that can adapt to a changing room theme while at the same time selecting durable, well made pieces from the right materials. Popular materials are aluminum, plastic, MDF, and hardwood. In terms of safety, it’s important to do your research because materials such as MDF can cause irritability due to formaldehyde. There are definitely stores that do offer chemical free and eco-friendly kid’s furniture if you’re interested in moving towards organic decor.

In any case, make sure that the furniture you select has rounded edges, is easy to clean, can survive all sorts of “wear and tear,” and sits well on the ground. Lighter pieces of furniture have a danger of tipping over, so it’s crucial to secure them well. Versatile kid’s furniture can also be a great idea depending on your style. This type of furniture can transform as your child grows, such as cribs that turn into beds or multipurpose desks and dressers. There is no substitute for good furniture that can be passed on through the family line!

Organization Ideas:

Keeping toys and accessories organized is of vital importance to any kids room. Although it’s easier said then done, there are many creative ideas to help keep things organized and tidy.  The best way to do this is to look at things from a child’s view point.  Kids have a hard time reaching high places, so only keep things out of reach that they aren’t using on a regular basis.  Hooks are great for holding coats, jewelry, bags, umbrellas and more and are kid friendly if they aren’t too high!

You can also try clear storage containers (kids use what they can see!).  Kid friendly closets have low hanging rods and minimal clutter.  Beds with compartments underneath such as captain’s beds are great storage solutions.

Flexible Theme:

Having a theme your kid will love is another important aspect of kid’s room decor.  There are many great theme ideas out there like fairy tales, sports, the jungle, ballet etc.  The most important thing is that your child’s room can be modified with his or her ever-changing hobbies and interests.  It’s therefore a good idea to keep walls and furniture neutral colors. To add color and style to the room, try using less permanent accessories such as: area rugs, bean bags, posters and wall stickers.  These fun decorating objects can be found in many colors and themes. And who knows…you may enjoy decorating the room as much as your kid will!

Budget Paintings for your Home

We all know how searching for paintings that match your walls, furniture, carpets, and most of all your personal style is a very time consuming task. For those of us who can afford it, looking for wall paintings can be wonderful and fun, but what do you do when:

a) you don’t have a lot of time or money
b) all the cheap paintings in the stores just don’t match your home/style
c) everyone seems to already have them
d) that blank spot over your fireplace is really starting to depress you!

After a long conversation with my interior designer sister-in-law, she let me in on a very important decorating tip. Whatever you can’t find ready-made within your budget, just do it yourself. There are tons of ideas out there on creative wall art ideas, but if you’re interested in hanging up more traditional canvas paintings around your home, then here’s what you do:

1) Go to your neighborhood art store or do a search online and purchase a couple of blank canvases (not a roll of canvas - you should get it already stretched and primed). You don’t need to purchase the highest quality canvas, so they should run very cheap.

2) Buy acrylic paint and brushes. Now here’s the important part; make sure that the acrylic paint colors you purchase match the color scheme of your home, but include one or two extra colors as unique accents. You’re already half way to creating your modern art masterpiece.

3) Make sure you set up the canvas on some sort of drop cloth. Once your floor is protected, you can drip paint onto the canvas, spray it, use cups or any other tools to make interesting designs. You can also paint the canvas a solid color first depending on what look you’re going for. Be creative; there are no set rules when it comes to creating your own canvas art!

4) Let it dry. You can hang your paintings up on the wall as they are, or if you like, add a small frame.

Stay tuned for more budget decorating ideas. Next we’ll be discussing creative wall art by covering canvas with fabric for a unique effect.