Renovating on a Budget? 4 Low-Cost Ways to Upgrade an Old Kitchen
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
Just because your budget is small doesn’t mean you can’t do a terrific kitchen update.
Focus your attention on using the existing bones of your space and building on them to come up with something that will work until you can make a big change.
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Keep What Works
If your stove still works, keep it. If the old electric burners are looking beat up, take them apart. Clean the coils and replace the drip pans. While you’ve got the top open, vacuum out any food particles and clean up the spills. Clean the oven, change the grates and scrub the glass clean.
The same holds true for your refrigerator. If it isn’t broke, scrub it up and keep it.
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Paint Is Cheap
First, take everything off the walls and patch all the holes. Scrub along the backsplash to clean up any spatters or stains. When the patches dry, sand them lightly and apply a base coat of stain hider. Then go ahead and paint the kitchen in something pale, such as a light yellow or pale sage green. This is a great way to brighten the space.
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Clean the Cabinets Thoroughly
If your cabinets are painted, a good cleaning can really brighten things. If they’re a natural wood tone, use a degreaser on them first, then wash them with vinegar and water. Finally, apply a light coat of a natural oil polish to bring them to a shine. If you really can’t stand them, consider painting.
Be aware that your cabinets may be stick-built or constructed in place. If so, don’t try to remove them. The demolition will be exhaustive and messy. Finding replacement cabinets will be pricey and time-consuming.
If your cabinets are prefab, you can really change the look of them by emptying the upper cabinets and moving them down to create a soffit space or moving them up to make space for under cabinet lighting. This will be heavy. Remove the doors and get some help.
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Replace that Cast Iron Sink
A heavy cast-iron sink will take professional attention, such as the folks from Two Men and a Snake. Once it’s out, consider covering the old cabinet with a thin layer of good plywood or particle board, adding laminate and treating yourself to a new drop in stainless steel sink. If you’re not in a good place for a new sink, get the existing one resurfaced.
