Five Easy Fixes for your Kitchen

Rebekah Zaveloff, designer at Kitchen Lab and Design in a Bag and contributor to A&E and HGTV, shares some quick and affordable kitchen fixes to add some oomph to your kitchen.

1. Give it some paint. Your walls and trim set the tone of the room, so try giving them a fresh coat of paint. Don’t be shy; kitchens are great places for something bold. I love painting the doors black and the trim white, or encouraging clients to try that fun bright color they’ve had their eye on. Replacing cabinets not in your budget? You can paint those, too, which will make a world of difference when replacing them isn’t in the cards for the near future. There are different routes available to you: hire a professional, research DIYing online or talk to someone at your local hardware store for advice on how to tackle it yourself.

2. Add personality with backsplash. In any kitchen, the eye naturally gravitates toward the backsplash, so I like it to really embody the room, whether that means using color or pattern, or keeping it really clean and sleek. People don’t realize how little square footage of tile is involved, and therefore how small the cost is. There are many amazing choices in tile for as little as $12 per square foot, so this is one place where you really get maximum impact for minimum cost. Once you’ve got your tile, either hire a handyman or tackle this as a DIY project (check out DIY Network’s website for how-to videos. Books at local home centers offer fantastic tips, as well).

3. Amp up lighting. Great lighting is key for making any room welcoming and functional. Try giving your light fixtures an upgrade–I’ve found the array of decorative fixtures on the market today is amazing compared to just a few years ago! I love to mix up finishes. Oil-rubbed bronze lighting fixtures look really high-end and curated when paired with polished nickel cabinet hardware or antique brass. Lighting is easy to install yourself, or you can call a local electrician to get the job done. Little fixes like this are worth the effort!

4. Upgrade cabinet hardware. Swapping out hardware can make older cabinetry look fresh and polished. Again, don’t be afraid to try a combination of finishes here, and I even love mixing it up with different styles of knobs or pulls. If you have a separate area with a china cabinet or desk, find something interesting and different for those fixtures, like a crystal or ceramic knob. Anthropologie is a favorite source for decorative hardware, and remember that knobs can be changed out again and again, but with pulls the drilling for the holes has to match up.

5. Take the design online. Need an entire kitchen revamp? The traditional full-service kitchen designer is no longer the only way to go. Take advantage of the amazing alternatives we’ve seen pop up in the past year or two that still deliver results while also simplifying what can be an overwhelming process trying to piece together a kitchen project on your own. A few design-savvy, budget-friendly resources include Ikea’s Kitchen Planner, KitchenDesignOnline eDesign services, and Design In A Bag’s readymade kitchen concepts.