Making improvements to your home can be daunting, especially when it involves the kitchen. There is the economy, home values and interest rates to consider, and then there is allocating funds or borrowing money; hiring the right help; and making a myriad of design decisions. Here is my List of No Reno Kitchen Improvements to make until you’re ready to remodel.
AGA Interior Design
Kitchen Improvements to Make Until You’re Ready to Remodel
Organizational Products are a Great Kitchen Improvement
Designing your kitchen and home via zones is a super-efficient way to get organized.
You don’t need Martha or Marie to tell you when you need to get organized! You know. What you really need is impetus and the best
impetus I’ve found for getting organized is to clear out all the clutter. Discard, repurpose or donate anything that drags you down
or that you no longer use.
Make a trip to the hardware and container stores before you begin and get pretty containers and handy tools. So. You may need to make a few trips but here is a check list to get your started.
Here are organizational products needed for most kitchen projects.
Baskets, bins and crates in different sizes.
Drawer dividers (bamboo is nice!)
Labeling gun for binders and labels.
Manila labels for labeling baskets.
Tote bags/kitchen pot rack hangers for hanging totes.
Ties for organizing electrical cords and wires.
Binders, pocket divider pages and a triple hole punch for organizing papers that can’t be stored digitally.
Lifts and pull-out drawers for inside cabinets.
Lazy Susan’s
A Good Cleaning Until You’re Ready to Organize
Aside from the huge energy boost you’ll get from cleaning your kitchen really well, is the fact that cleanliness begets cleanliness. Meaning, you and your family will be more likely to keep a kitchen clean that’s already clean.
This is factual and is based on the Graffiti Theory in which an offender may feel more inclined or justified to commit crimes in an area where crime hasn’t been confronted.
Resist the urge to clean the counters first. Because the counters will be a staging area as you clean, they will most likely need to be cleaned last. After organizing drawers, cabinets and pantry, clean surfaces in the following order.
Cabinet, drawers, pantry interior.
Cabinet fronts.
Windows.
Items displayed on counters.
Tops of picture frames and glass.
Counters/Backsplashes.
Floors.
Sink and faucet.
Natural Cleaning Products
I like Mrs. Meyers products including their Clean Day Glass Cleaner, Method, Murphy’s Oil Soap for hardwood floors and Dr. Bronner Sal Suds all-purpose cleaner for linoleum floors.
Style Your Kitchen with Things you Already Have
Remember this, styling with items that are useful looks more natural and less staged. Just choose items that have similar styles or colors as your kitchen design scheme.
Cook books.
Serving pieces.
Attractive dishes, matched sets.
Baskets.
Pottery.
Jugs and pitchers.
Potted plants and floral arrangements, fresh &/or faux.
Style Your Kitchen with New Things you Buy
On the other hand, buying new things will give you the added benefit of freshening up the look of not only the kitchen, but when done right will look great next to the things you already have. This mixing of styles and era’s gives you a look that evolves nicely and looks original.
Paint
Whether remodeling or not, painting your walls and cabinets can easily and affordably update the overall look of your kitchen. I love Dunne-Edwards high end paint for cabinets. Painting cabinets is best done by a professional with a sprayer.
One of my favorite affordable upgrades is painting the existing cabinet bases, doors and drawer fronts and replacing the upper cabinet doors (that have the outdated arched frame) with a ribbed or etched glass door or a door that has a matching frame.
Replace Door and Drawer Fronts and Pulls
Replacing the door and drawer fronts is the most expensive of the no-remodel kitchen upgrades and does require painting to provide continuity between the original bases and new fronts. It’s a fantastic way to get a whole new look for your kitchen affordably.
Purchase a Freestanding Island
The sweetest little addition to your kitchen is a freestanding island. Boos has some beautiful models and you can often find similar styles discounted at Home Goods and other discount stores.
Zero Budget
Cleaning, organizing and styling the counters and tables with things you already have are your only options when your budget is zero, but you can make get a lot of accomplished when you’re willing to do the work!
Deciding the Size, Scale and Budget of Your Kitchen Project
If a kitchen remodel is in your future, start preparing early with my Kitchen Budget Design and Remodel Starter Kit to help you manage your remodeling budget with clarity and confidence.
Simple, effective budgeting formulas for your kitchen remodel or makeover. In this complimentary download, you’ll get:
Grab the Kitchen Budget Starter Kit here.
Thank you for dropping by Joy of Nesting.
Shiree’ xo
PS – Don’t forget to check out my other kitchen articles like the 30-Day Game Plan for Your Next Kitchen Remodel too!
