Renovating the Kitchen on a Budget
You sit enthralled by the designer kitchens in the latest magazines, wishing you could afford one. Well, perhaps you can, because there are relatively minor things you can do to your kitchen to give it a spruced-up look for very little money.
A sink replacement is a good way to upgrade your kitchen for less than £100. Stainless steel and acrylic sinks are the least expensive and will replace your old, chipped one in no time. Another quick fix for under £100 is to refinish the cabinets. This will require some hard work, coupled with paint and sandpaper, but the result will be worth it. Use the colour schemes from the magazine you were drooling over for inspiration.
For less than £50 you could buy inexpensive under-cabinet lighting to set off the newly refinished cabinets. Many styles of under-cabinet lighting do not require new wiring, they simply plug into any nearby power socket. If you are not into the more modern look of under-cabinet or track lighting, try a vintage hanging lamp or table lamp for a cosy, more traditional look to the kitchen.
Never forget the miracle of paint. You can buy metal hardware and give it a coat of shiny brass paint instead of buying the more expensive real brass versions. Why not consider replacing the tired old worktops with shiny new laminate ones, for around £90 and the cost of a rented power saw?
There are plenty of simple, fast ways to refresh and transform a lacklustre kitchen into something that looks good enough to appear in a glossy magazine.
