- It's amazing how much changing a single element can make a dramatic difference in your kitchen. Install a few lighting fixtures on walls or under cabinets to shed light on your existing decor. If you have the proper outlets, you can install your own under-cabinet fluorescent lights in a few hours, improving your work area lighting while cheering up the room overall.
- Instead of paying a carpenter to construct and install a kitchen island, try a do-it-yourself approach by buying and converting furniture pieces that can function as island. Attach a butcher block to a narrow table or cabinet and place it in the center of the room, or purchase and customize a rolling cart for a more flexible island.
- If you're short on space, use wall shelving to give yourself an open storage option. You can buy shelves and mounting hardware from almost any department, home decoration, or hardware store; select a style that complements your existing cabinetry and stain or paint it to match. When choosing what to store on these shelves, use your most attractive items instead of ugly food packages and avoid crowding items like you would in a hidden cabinet.
- If you're handy with tools, you can replace your existing cabinet doors with glass ones to give your kitchen a completely new look. This allows you to turn your stored dishware into decorative accents instead of tucking them away. Just make sure that the items inside the cabinet are kept organized and color-coordinated, or you'll end up with a kitchen eyesore.
- Another approach to kitchen renovation is to remove some cabinets altogether. While installing cabinets may be too complicated for most casual DIY-ers, detaching cabinets is much easier. Removing cabinets will change your kitchen dramatically by opening it up and giving you space to display wall art on or adding an extra seating area. The newly opened space can serve as a blank canvas for future DIY projects.
Install New Lighting
Make Your Own Kitchen Island
Add Open Shelving
Replace Cabinets
Remove Cabinets
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