From the Floors Up

Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets

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Remodeling your kitchen can be an expensive home improvement project but worth the investment! With flooring, appliances, countertops, backsplashes, and cabinets all contributing to expenses, it can add up rather quickly. However, there are some tricks you may consider using to help save you time and money. For instance, if you are not remodeling and just updating your kitchen, perhaps repainting your cabinets may be the best move. While the option to just replace your cabinet drawers and doors is still another choice, repainting them can be the best bang for your buck. In fact, this option will eliminate the wood grain and just give them a painted finish. To help you tackle this home improvement project yourself, here is everything you should plan on doing:

Preparation

Prep work is the most essential part of any project. Start by removing all belonging inside your cabinets. Next, remove your drawers and doors from your cabinets. You should give everything a good wipe down to remove any grease or debris. Take off all hardware to cabinets and store them in a safe place. Once your cabinet doors and drawers are removed, you should give everything a thorough sanding. You will want to use a 220 grit sandpaper and sand with the grain. You can sand one more time with 320 to give it a smoother finish. Next, remove all sawdust from the areas and wipe down thoroughly with a dry, lint-free rag or cloth.

Prime

To ensure the best results for your project, you should prime your cabinets. This step can take several coats. You will need to stain each side of your doors and allow each coat to dry properly. Primer can take 8-12 hours to dry, depending on weather conditions. Prime your doors, drawers, and cabinets evenly. You may want to apply three coats of primer. Your primer should have a clean-looking finish with no orange peel before starting each additional layer.

Paint

Next, use your paint to paint all your cabinets, doors, and drawers. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly as well. You should apply two to three coats of paint to your project. If your coat does not have a sheen, you may want to consider adding a clear coat. This look can add a little more shine to the pain and give a protective finish. Once your cabinets are completely dry, you can put them back together. This step is a great time to touch up any areas that may need to be fixed.

Painting your cabinets is a great way to improve your kitchen on a budget. With new countertops, backsplashes, and flooring, your kitchen will become the focal point of your home! Just remember, this project can take several days and can have your kitchen temporarily out of commission. Make sure to plan accordingly to accomplish this task!

How to Salvage Your Kitchen’s Existing Cabinets

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Let’s be honest; kitchen remodels can be expensive. In fact, budgeting to upgrade your kitchen is essential to make sure you prioritize your needs over your wants. Perhaps you are looking to renovate your whole kitchen from the floors and countertops to the appliances and cabinets. If you can save money in one category, you can free up some of your budget in another area. Recognizing what areas you can salvage can save you money. And since cabinets can be very pricey, salvaging them is a thrifty yet effective way to enhance the aesthetics of your kitchen. So if you are thinking of refinishing your cabinets, this is everything you should consider:

Fixing Any Damage

First, you need to recognize if your cabinets are damaged. For instance, can the scratches or dents be repaired? If so, you may decide that it is best to fix your cabinets instead of replacing them altogether. Painted cabinets have become more and more trendy and can make a stunning appearance when done correctly. Just make sure you patch any scratches, chips, or dents with epoxy or putty before painting.

Painting or Staining

Next, determine whether you are sanding or simply staining your cabinets. Stain can deepen and enrich the wood grain again, yet paint can also hide any flaws and give your kitchen a completely new look. First, sand the wood with the grain and remove any doors then paint intricate areas with a brush.

Just Replacing the Doors

If you hate your door and drawer design, consider just changing out the cabinet doors. You can purchase new cabinet doors and save money. Make sure that the wood or vinyl replacement is similar wood to your prior cabinets. Different woods, even the same color, will stain differently. If you are planning on painting them, you will not have to worry about this.

These simple tricks can allow you to save money in your kitchen remodel. Remodeling a kitchen is a significant investment that can increase the market value of your home. So, determine if salvaging your existing cabinets is right for you.

Six Different Types of Kitchen Layouts

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There are typically six different kitchen layouts used in homes today. Each one of these kitchen layouts can offer a different set of aesthetic appeal and functionality to your home. If you are preparing for a kitchen remodel, knowing these layouts can best help you create your optimal design.

Single or One Wall

The simplest layout would be a single or one wall design. These kitchens have one countertop directly on one wall, and this countertop can be the home to your range, dishwasher, and kitchen sink. It is a simple layout but works great in open layout homes.

Galley

A traditional style you can see in older homes is a galley kitchen. These kitchens can have a hallway feel by being enclosed with countertops on both walls running perpendicular with one another. This option is great for prepping food and has two separate areas of countertop space. You will see these in kitchens with long length dimensions, great for setting up buffet-style serving.

G-Shape

The G-Shape kitchen can also be referred to as a peninsula kitchen layout. This design is a large kitchen layout with plenty of countertop space. It has countertops on all four sides with an opening at one point to enter. This option can offer some of the most countertop space an allow you to access all countertops directly from the middle.

L-Shape

An L-Shape kitchen has two countertops running off each other at 90 degrees. This two-countertop layout is simple but offers more countertop space than the single or one-wall layout. It also has the countertops touching, unlike the galley layout, which may be preferable depending on your needs and wants.

U-Shape

The U-Shape is a wide access kitchen. With three of your four walls having countertop space, this design works great in open layout homes while offering plenty of countertop space.

Island

The last style is island kitchens. These kitchens can be the shape of a U or L and offer a disconnected island of countertop space. These islands provide countertop space that doe not impede the rest of the kitchen. Set out food for your guests to grab and hang out while you can freely maneuver the kitchen.

These six kitchen layouts are all very common. They do not all work in every home, but several can. Decide which is best for your home. They can all add different levels of aesthetic appeal and countertop space. For more insight on kitchens and countertops, make sure to subscribe.

Should I Match My Kitchen Cabinets to the Floors?

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You may be pondering the question, “is it best to match the kitchen floors with your cabinetry?” This is truly the million-dollar question. The answer all depends on personal preference and what type of style you desire your kitchen to reflect. By installing flooring that does not match your cabinetry, you create contrast. When used appropriately, contrast helps make things more visually interesting. For instance, if you already have hardwood flooring, you can create a visual contrast by having white cabinetry. To further explain, we are going to dive deeper into the topic. Let’s get started!

Expert Suggestions

While the decision is ultimately up to the homeowner, some design experts feel that using colors that are similar in nature on the cabinetry and flooring will result in material confusion. Going at least three shades lighter or darker than your flooring will prevent your kitchen from becoming aesthetically-confusing. That being said, if you are set on using a wood material on both your cabinetry and flooring, you might want to consider using different grains to contrast the tones. For example, if you have dark, rich cabinetry, you would use a light grain on your floors such as maple or hickory.

Matchmaking Flooring to Cabinetry

Matching your floors to your cabinets can create a unified look. On the other hand, achieving an exact match is nearly impossible. If you were to select oak flooring to match your oak cabinetry, the chances are high that the grains will not be identical. A single wood type can have small variations in color and grain. The finishes used also gives the material a different personality.

If you are installing new would cabinetry to match your existing hardwood floors, you have to take into consideration the quality of the existing floors. Do they show visible or excessive signs of wear and tear? If so, having already aged floors can further complicate things.

In conclusion, before purchasing anything, you should get samples of your floors and cabinetry. This will let you see how it all looks in the light and determine what looks good for your kitchen. All in all, it is the homeowner’s decision, and oftentimes, homeowners change their minds once they see the samples in their actual space. Therefore, the answer to the beginning question is it depends on your space, your design preferences, and your style flexibility.

Ideas for Designing a Small Kitchen

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Breathtaking Backsplash

Do you like things that sparkle? How about adding your own sense of glam to the kitchen by creating a custom, showstopping backsplash from glass tiles. Experiment with color and patterns when installing glass tiles. In a small kitchen, even a small glass tile while behind the kitchen stove can bring loads of personality to the space while not overwhelming the decor.

Display Dish-Ware

You know that special dishware you have been collecting for years that you only bring out on holidays? You can implement it into your kitchen’s decor by displaying the collection on an open shelving unit. Do something different by putting your collection on display in front of the kitchen window on a built-in shelf. Just imagine how beautiful your dishware will look when the sun hits it.

Accessories

Like any other room in your house, you can add accessories in your kitchen design. You can create an art gallery right in your kitchen by dedicating a wall to a mix of different prints and framed artwork then add pops of color to your kitchen furniture. For instance, bright red tables at your kitchen table make the environment feel fun and lighthearted.

Color on the Wall

Apply a bright and cheery color on your kitchen walls for a contemporary look. Colors like kiwi green or muted yellow are ultra-modern and exciting. Not to mention, bright colors can make your kitchen look bigger.

Bold Window Treatments

Steer clear from your standard white roman shades and opt for something festive. Bold window treatments featuring a vibrant textile is likely to be an attention grabber.

Functionality

Of course, your small kitchen needs to be super functional so that you can get the most out of it. Use pot racks to hang your pots and pans since cabinet space may be limited. A tool basket to hold your cooking utensils can also be stylish and functional. Additionally, you can glam up your kitchen with countertop storage solutions that add to the overall while incorporating functional elements for your small space.

What are your thoughts on the ideas we listed? Have you implemented any of them in your home? Let us know your thoughts below in the comment section.

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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