Kitchen Makeovers: Before and After
Kitchen makeovers, updates, renovations, remodels …
Kitchen Paint Colors
Choosing kitchen paint colors seems an easy enough task, but once you start looking at the vast area of colors available, it can be a little overwhelming. The kitchen tends to be one of those rooms where people gather for conversation, family games, and holidays. The color of a room can make people feel happy or sad or anxious. Think of that dull green of hospitals that was so common years ago. This has been replaced in many hospitals with bright yellow because administrators realize that color plays a key role in illness and depression.
Home improvement centers and paint stores are full of color samples and cards to help you choose. But there are so many, so here are some kitchen color ideas to help you choose the right one.
First, begin by looking at the other kitchen paint colors in the room. For instance, if your cabinets are a dark colored wood, a bright yellow or green would not be appropriate. Other examples of things to be considered are the presence of stainless steel appliances, countertop colors, whether or not the room has wallpaper or chair rails. Are there windows or doors in the room? Do you want the same colors for those or would you prefer a contrasting color? All these things must be considered before choosing your kitchen paint colors.
The important part of choosing kitchen paint colors is to compliment the other items in the room, not take away from them. For some kitchen color schemes and ideas, first visit your local paint store and get some sample cards. Hold them against the cabinets and appliances in the room to get a general idea of what looks good, what kitchen paint colors you like and what seem to go best with your other furnishings. Ask yourself what exactly you hope to achieve with the new paint color. If you’re looking to make the kitchen seem bigger, choose a brighter color such as a birght yellow or green. If you want a cozier feel, choose a warm color such as tan or muted blue.
Wallpaper can compliment these colors, but choose carefully. Avoid stripes or dots and go for something that will blend in, not be spotlighted. You want people to feel relaxed and at ease during their meals and color can greatly influence this. Don’t choose anything too distracting.
The kitchen should be a peaceful yet happy place and the color you choose will be important. Also, remember that if you already have white trim around doors and windows, these will look great with your new wall paint colors so plan on sprucing these up at the same time. If they are not painted white, this may be a good time to paint them. Nothing looks better than bright white trim! Once you’ve done this, narrow down your choices to two or three colors that you really prefer and then revisit the paint store. Ask for or purchase a small amount of each of the paint colors and then paint a small area of the room with these colors. See the colors in different light situations and at different times of day. Get other family members opinions and ideas.
Once you decide the color, you must then decide what type of finish you want. A flat finish looks beautiful and smooth, but is not good for clean ups. The best paint for kitchens seems to be a satin or semi-gloss paint. This can easily be wiped down and cleaned which is important in the kitchen, where grease, smoke and odors can dull the paint.
Choosing kitchen paint colors can be overwhelming, but with the above tips, you will hopefully have an easier time. Remember also that the employees in the paint store can help you too!
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Kitchen Cabinet Colors
Imagine having a stressful work week, then coming home to a neatly cleaned house. With a great aroma of your favorite food cooking, windows open because of the great weather, birds chirping… but you have BLACK and ugly furnishings, countertops, curtains and designs – yuck!
Where would you begin fixing it? How would you update your kitchen cabinets? After all, they are a mainstay in your kitchen. One has to know how to accentuate every angle, and turn a nasty situation into something that you can enjoy. A theme of a house is the storybook to its eternity. Furnishings, carpets, drapes and extras – everything surrounds how the cabinets look. From the carpet, to the curtains, everything has to match.
Why don’t you start by making your cabinets look great? Stained Kitchen cabinets come in all shapes and sizes. Black, white, cream, pastel and bright colors. How will you represent yourself as a classy individual? Cabinets and colors must be coordinated with kitchen color schemes. There are various mixtures and patterns that one may choose from, but why not start by going to your local hardware store and seeing the kitchen color schemes that they have to offer? By the time you leave, you will see that there are many designs and a wide pattern of colors, but you want something unique. Something fresh and clean and a great representation of yourself and what you are proud of. Go to the hardware store, spend hours there-looking, trying and putting schemes next to one one another to get a feel of what your kitchen could look like. Find the samples, design a template and get your kitchen color ideas, come home, sit down and look at what you have to choose from.
Your kitchen cabinet colors should be something you should be proud of. You should have plenty from the day. They will represent you from the dining room to the kitchen and beyond. It will be a base to your foundation, make it count. Once you have the kitchen color schemes that you are choosing from, pick a good kitchen paint color to start with. Base everything around that. After all, painting and design is going to be a big part of your life.
Cabinets, countertops, floor, curtains, they all will flow evenly and it will be relaxing to feel how it will be like when you are finally exhausted, but done with the project when you are finally able to sit at home, enjoying a nice cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, with the birds chirping and breeze flowing through your house, with nice beautiful kitchen cabinets, followed by a beautiful color scheme and soft curtains accenting the masterpiece you have worked on so diligently. Be proud, you have put thought into what you are doing, and now are the envy of the town.
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Replacement Cabinet Doors
Remodeling your kitchen to make it more modern or to clean up any old or damaged fixtures can add both financial and aesthetic value to your home.
Kitchen cabinets are often one of the first fixtures to require attention, however replacing the entire cabinet unit can be very costly and time consuming. An alternative to complete cabinet replacement is to simply install replacement cabinet doors to your existing cabinets.
Replacement cabinet doors can be custom made to fit your cabinets and your desired look. Cheaper replacement cabinet doors are often made from laminate, which is often a fiberboard material covered in a durable and long lasting plastic coating. You can also buy unfinished cabinet doors that are ready for your primer and paint. Unfinished cabinet doors are often fiberboard or wood that have no existing coats of paint, varnish, or sealer on them so that they accept paint well.
Replacement cabinet doors are available online from wholesalers or from local carpenters. You can even visit large commercial chain hardware stores to order cabinets, although these locations often charge more for the product. Shopping around for the best price can really pay off!
Also wise is the decision to consider a variety of finishes (i.e. paint, stains, glazes, etc.) for the one that will last the longest and look the best in your existing kitchen decor. Finally, additions such as unique hinges can really bring an interesting look to your cabinets. Search online or in the hardware store for these, or be adventurous and look at junk yards or resale shops for antique pieces.
No matter what you decide, though, remodeling your cabinets is certainly a wise-investment in your home for both equity and look.
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