old country house blog

5 WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR KITCHEN FOR NOT ALOT OF $$$ – PART I

JANUARY

I always start THE NEW YEAR itching to take on a project. I have renovated bathrooms, tiled back-splashes, painted living rooms and created gallery walls…all in January. I find the focus and resulting busy-ness helps to fend off the Winter Blahs – and in the end – something gets done and then Spring comes!

The projects do not have to be HUGE…walls do not need to be ripped out and floors re-sanded. Nope – in fact, some of the biggest changes can be made by making little inexpensive IMPROVEMENTS and “tweaks” that serve to breathe new life into your kitchen.

Here are 5 OF MY FAVORITE INEXPENSIVE IDEAS!

1.ADD ART
Bring an unexpected piece of ART into your kitchen – Thrift stores, Yard sales and places like Goodwill have loads of funky old art or a framed MAP or scan and print up a cool black and white old photo. Target (hit those end caps!), Michaels, Marshalls and TJ Maxx have no shortage of great frames.  The surprise factor adds a bit of class and whimsy and color to your kitchen.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN HALLECK
DOMINO MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN HALLECK (note how the tea pot pulls the blue from the framed mat)
INSIDE OUT
INSIDE OUT – FRAME A COOL POSTER! PERHAPS SOMETHING VINTAGE OR A CONCERT YOU WENT TO ONCE!
TAVEL ART FROM ETSY - COCO AND JAMES
TRAVEL ART FROM ETSY – COCO AND JAMES
TIP JUNKIE - FRAME AN OLD FAMILY RECIPE
TIP JUNKIE – FRAME AN OLD FAMILY RECIPE
I LOVE THE OPENNESS OF AND LIGHT INHERENT TO THIS HOME. MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE
MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE – THIS “EAT” ART WAS MADE FROM RECLAIMED WOOD AND METAL LETTERS. FUN AND ADDS SOME “OLD”  LIFE TO A NEW HOUSE
BIGGER THAN THE THREE OF US
BIGGER THAN THE THREE OF US – I ALWAYS LOVE A HIGHLAND COW…ANYWHERE!

2. ADD A LEDGE

THIS IS A GREAT WAY to bring levels and texture and functionality to your kitchen. make them yourself, or try IKEA for their great ledges. Whatever direction you go, it will enable you to display a collection, or expand your visible storage.

LEDGE A PALOOZA!!! turbulences-deco.fr
LEDGE A PALOOZA!!! – YOU WILL NOTICE THAT ALMOST ALL THE KITCHENS YOU WILL SEE HERE HAVE SOME VERSION OF A LEDGE! – TURBULENCES – DECO-FR
oslo-design-fair
LEDGE WITH ART AND FUNKY COOL CHAIRS – THEY DONT HAVE TO MATCH – IN FACT, NOT MATCHING IS FUN!!!
COOL CHAIRS DOMINO
I ADORE THIS KITCHEN!!! THE COUNTER TOPS, THE DISPLAY LEDGES AND COOL CHAIRS –  DOMINO MAG
DISPLAY PLATES ON YOUR LEDGE
DISPLAY PLATES ON YOUR LEDGE – GO WHITE ON WHITE FOR A CLEAN FRESH LOOK
ATKINSON DRIVE
ATKINSON DRIVE
LEDGE - HONESTLY WTF
LEDGE – HONESTLY WTF – THIS KITCHEN IS PURE CLASS AND GLAM

3. ADD A RUG

– vintage rugs IN KITCHENS ARE VERY ON-TREND RIGHT NOW. BUT ANY RUG THAT BRINGS COLOR, AND DIMENSION AND SOFTNESS TO YOUR KITCHEN IS AGREAT IDEA. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT HERE! OLD RUGS, NEW RUGS…RUNNERS AND SMALL (4X6) RUGS MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IN YOUR KITCHEN!

RETURN ON INTERIORS
RETURN ON INTERIORS – THIS KITCHEN HAS ALL THE THINGS I LOVE, A COOL RUG, CLASSIC DESIGN THIS VINTAGE CONSOLE CONVERTED ISLAND  WITH A MARBLE TOP – IN SHORT IT IS DA BOMB!!!
MY DOMAINE - APARTMENT THERAPY
MY DOMAINE – APARTMENT THERAPY – PINK! AND LOVE THE METAL BASKETS!
rugs-in-kitchen-1
VENEER DESIGNS
hemtrevligt
hemtrevligt
HONESTLY WTF
HONESTLY WTF

4. PAINT

 STILL ONE OF THE BEST BANGS FOR YOUR BUCK!!!! ADD AN ACCENT WALL WITH A FUN SURPRISING COLOR – OR THE INSIDE OF A CABINET OR ADD AN AREA OF CHALKBOARD PAINT.

POPPY TALK - Photo styled by Julia Green and photographed by Armelle Habib
FEELING REALLY AMBITIOUS??? TRY THIS GEOMETRIC DESIGN FROM POPPY TALK – Photo styled by Julia Green and photographed by Armelle Habib
dulux
DULUX – LOVE THE VARIETY OF COLOR
 - Antonio Ballatore's Hot Pink Kitchen WallBethany Nauert
– Antonio Ballatore’s Hot Pink Kitchen WallBethany Nauert
FROM POP SUGAR - ADD A POP OF COLOR INSIDE A CABINET!
FROM POP SUGAR – ADD A POP OF COLOR INSIDE A CABINET!

house-and-home

COLORFUL DECORATING FOR SMALL SPACES- DOMINO
COLORFUL DECORATING FOR SMALL SPACES- DOMINO

5. UPDATE SOME HARDWARE

– DOOR KNOBS, DRAWER PULLS, FUN HOOKS TO HANG TOWELS….THE GOLD AND BRASS TREND IS STILL HOT BUT GO FOR WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART SOAR!!! I AM A BIG FAN OF POLISHED NICKEL. CLASSIC. TIMELESS. HAVE FUN!

MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE
MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE AND MY POLISHED NICKEL
I LOVE A WHITE KITCHEN - THEY STAND THE TEST OF TIME!!!
I LOVE THIS WHITE KITCHEN – THEY STAND THE TEST OF TIME!!!
THE IVORY LANE
THE IVORY LANE
COFFEE AND PINE
COFFEE AND PINE – GREAT KITCHEN, COOL HARDWARE , AMAZING LIGHTING AND A KILLER RUG!
DECOR PAD
DECOR PAD
HGTV
HGTV
BETHESDA STYLE
BETHESDA STYLE

SO ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR A LITTLE MONEY???

This POST just scratches the surface of ideas, but I think you get the gist of it. Writing it kind of made me want to do a regular post on these relatively simple (compared to BIG renovations) to make a BIG impact. It reminded me of how fun it is to get creative…even in kitchens that are “done” – you can always add a little “spice”. Try any of the above changes, or all if you are really gung ho – They can give a little boost to your mood and your kitchen. I call that a WIN WIN!!! ALL can be accomplished with very little investment – or if you are in the mood to splurge  – you can go more high-end….in either case the results will being welcome relief from the January blahs!!!!

XO

 

6 thoughts on “5 WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR KITCHEN FOR NOT ALOT OF $$$ – PART I

  1. Enjoyed this post….some great ideas! Going to look for some artwork to add to my kitchen this weekend.

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