Beat Recession Depression Part 2- Update Your Kitchen

OK, you have oak kitchen cabinets... I'm sorry- it happens to good people all over America! Unfortunately, even in new builds of today, most stock cabinet companies still offer the oak kitchen cabinet as their standard or least expensive choice. When faced with so many other upgrades, the oak looks pretty good. Now they are in your home and you hate them. Oak cabinetry is quite outdated and any good designer will tell you this. This doesn't mean that you have to be stuck with them. There are tricks to removing the natural or ill stained oak look from your cabinetry and updating your kitchen, without the actual expense of a costly gut and remodel. However, I strongly advise that you seek a professional to do them, and I mean a REAL professional, not your neighbor down the street!

Espresso and milk chocolate are not just delicious... they are also HOT, HOT, HOT in the design world and are not just a trendy, but a timeless choice for a kitchen cabinet stain. In the pictures above, we took a natural oak cabinet and refinished the cabinet doors and frames in espresso- which is a dark brown. This option worked well for the husband- because he loves the wood grain, which is still slightly apparent; but masks the wild pattern and dull yellow and orange tones of a natural oak. This can also be done to any cabinet with a stain ( not just oak). The best part of this refreshing update, is it presents you with the best neutral backdrop for whatever colors you would like to add to your walls, counters and backsplash. Yes, your cabinets are still oak, but they are so updated that most buyers (if selling) will forgive the wood species for the overall look. if you are planning on staying in your space, this is a welcome look that you can enjoy and know you only spent a few thousand dollars to do it. The kitchen we show here was refinished for $3,200.00. That's a far cry from the $12,000 it would have cost to replace them. Not only that, but if costs are any issue- and when are they not lately, refinishing your cabinets can be done without ever removing your countertop, allowing you to save up for a new counter in the future yet still enjoy your cabinets now!

Happy with your cabinets but bored with their style? Update a few doors by replacing the centers with a funky glass. You don't even have to be able to see into the cabinet. There are many styles of glass like frosted or rippled that still obscure your wares but entirely change the look of your kitchen. Try a few today!

Now, what else can we do in our kitchen to improve our way of life and spend little dollars? How about...NO, I'm not going to say the obvious- update your hardware!- so overstated... look to the inside and reorganize your cabinets ergonomically for piece of mind! The first area you can tackle is the sink. get your sponges off the counter by installing tilt out sink trays in your false drawer front on your sink cabinet. Believe it or not, this is something you can do yourself and can purchase from the Big Box Store for little money- under $30.00. Simply pop off your drawer front and add these plastic bins and side rails to your drawer. Then move your sponges into this drawer to keep the clutter off your countertop.

How about that old faucet? Replace your standard faucet with two knobs and a sprayer with a single handle faucet with pull out sprayer and use the other two holes for a soap dispenser and lotion dispenser to keep your hands soft and subtle and get the soap bottle off of your countertop for a nice clean look!

Organize your pots and pans by purchasing a pull out rack that stores your lids on top and pots below. This can also be purchased at the Big Box Store for under $200.00 and while it's a pricier update, is probably the answer to one of the most frustrating problems cooks face in their kitchen cabinets. The other big frustration is the blind corner cabinet! You know, that cabinet that looks small but continues on and on into the abyss of your kitchen. What a waste of space; but there's a solution for this one too. Purchase a pullout rack that easily extends out from this cabinet for under $300.00 at... you guessed it, the Big Box Store!

I hope that these few ideas will help you to see the possibilities that exist beyond that old fashioned wood, that cluttered countertop, that unorganized drawer and gave you, yet another way to Beat Recession Depression... more to come soon!