Kitchen makeover on a budget - decorative accents

Now that you have made one or a few updates to your kitchen it is time to put on the finishing touches.  Important decorative items that will add beauty, comfort and style to your kitchen are fabric, paint color and artwork.  These choices will make your kitchen unique and inviting.

 Kitchens have many hard edges that can use some softening.  These can easily be softened with the use of fabric on the windows or furniture.  Window treatments add color on the walls and softens window frames.  Upolstered furniture mixes in with the wood cabinetry and tables in the same way.  Fabric is also used to bring in additional colors for accents.  When kitchens are designed many of the expensive surfaces such as granite counter tops, cabinets and floor are kept neutral.  This is done to increase the longevity of your kitchen.  Fabrics can be added and removed more easily and with less cost.  It allows you to take a risk with color in order to keep your kitchen fresh and updated.  Even small dish  towels can add a shot of color with very little cost.


I usually try to select the paint color after I have selected the fabric.  You hate to exclude a fabric you love, because it doesn't match the paint.   You can always find a matching paint color.  It can be done with paint first it just takes a little more effort to find the perfect fabric.  It is important to make sure the paint color coordinates well with your cabinetry.  If your cabinets are white then it makes sense to paint the walls with color in order for the cabinets to pop out and not just blend into the walls.  Paint color for a kitchen with wood cabinetry can be tricky.  The paint color on the walls should be a color that enhances the cabinetry.  The wrong yellow can make your cabinets look orange or drab.  Sometimes selecting one of the lighter or darker shades that exists within the wood creates a cohesive monochromatic color scheme.  Or pull a color from your counter top.  Putting test swatches of color on the wall in different locations can help identify the best color for your kitchen.

Once the fabric and paint have been selected it is time to move on to artwork.  This can include paintings or prints on the walls, as well as, dishes, baskets or vases around the room.  Plants also add an organic element (silk or real).  Mix things up, put decorative plates on the wall or rustic wood pieces in a modern kitchen.  Pops of color with these accents can add dimension and interest to your kitchen.

If you have any questions please comment below or contact me on my Facebook Fan Page at Facebook.com/dottywymandesigns. I would love the hear from you. I look forward to writing about more ideas for your custom kitchen.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Kitchen makeover on a budget - lighting

This is part IV of how to beautify your kitchen on a budget.  Lighting is an extremely important part of any remodeling project, especially in the kitchen.  Lighting is not only needed for cooking and eating, but it also creates the mood in the kitchen.  Kitchens today function as the workplace for the family, as well as, a primary room for entertaining.  Lighting adds dimension to surfaces such as the cabinetry, counter tops and decorative accents.  Updating the lighting in your remodeled kitchen can create a more dramatic change to the room.

Under Cabinet Lighting

 There are three primary layers of lighting within the kitchen space; under cabinet lighting, recessed light and decorative lighting.  When you are doing a kitchen remodel adding all of the light layers is ideal, but having two of the three can work well too.  Under cabinet lighting works well for tasks done on the counter tops, because the light is close to where the work is being executed.  Recessed lights should be place around the kitchen to accentuate the cabinetry and any artwork.  Both the under counter and recessed lights can have dimmers in order to act as accent lighting.  Decorative lights are usually the pendant lights over an island or peninsula, or a chandelier over the dining table.  These lights will have a finish that works with the other hardware in the kitchen such as cabinet pulls or appliances.  These fixtures help to carry through the decorative style of the kitchen whether it is traditional or contemporary.  Again dimmers on these fixtures give you more flexibilty for their use, which is important if you are not able to apply all three layers of lighting in your kitchen.

Recessed Lighting

The best time to add or change lighting fixtures occurrs when a repair is being done to the ceiling or counter backsplash.  When these surfaces are exposed electricians are able to more easily install light fixtures without damaging plaster and  tile.  Don't miss an opportunity to add lighting, even if the kitchen remodel is a year or so down the road.

Overall look for kitchen

If you have any questions please comment below or contact me on my Facebook Fan Page at Facebook.com/dottywymandesigns. I would love the hear from you. I look forward to writing about more ideas for your custom kitchen.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Kitchen makeover on a budget - flooring

Go from this...

This is part III of how to beautify your kitchen on a budget.  The flooring you choose can make a big impact in the feeling of your kitchen, since it is one of the largest surfaces in the room.   This may not be the first thing you notice when you walk into a room, but it adds important support to all the beautiful focal points in your kitchen such as the cabinetry, counter tops, and artwork

to custom vinyl.

The most popular flooring options are tile, hardwood and vinyl.  Hardwood floors usually have a warm neutral color and texture.  They blend well with both contemporary and traditional designs.  Hardwood is easier on your legs, hides dirt and is durable.  If you already have wood flooring, but the floor is looking a little warn, then you may want to have them buffed and add a new coat of polyuraethane. This is your most economical option.  Floors that are more heavily damaged may need to be sanded down to the bare wood.  This allows you the opportunity to stain the wood floors a new color prior to applying the 2-3 new coats of polyurethane.  Tile floors are extremely popular, because of their durability and wide range of colors and styles.  If the existing tile floor in your kitchen is a neutral color and you are not changing the layout of your kitchen, then you may consider leaving the floor in place.  You may want a professional cleaner to get any grime off the tiles and out of the grout lines.  Finally, vinyl flooring is the most economical option.  It can be purchased in sheets or tiles.  Both are durable and can withstand heavy use in a kitchen.  The tiles allow you to be creative by mixing patterns and colors.
 

to hardwood.

to tile.

If you have any questions please commnet below or contact me on my Facebook Fan Page at Facebook.com/dottywymandesigns. I would love the hear from you. I look forward to writing about more ideas for your custom kitchen.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

kitchen makeover on a budget - counters and tile

This is part II of how to beautify your kitchen on a budget.  I will be focusing on counter tops and backsplash options.  Many times kitchen cabinets are in good shape, but the kitchen needs an upgrade or a change.  An excellent way to add glamour and value to your kitchen is to add natural stone, solid surface or butcher block as your counter top and tile to the backsplash. Upgrading the surfaces in your kitchen can make an ordinary builder kitchen take on a custom designed look.

Granite counter top

Natural stone, such as granite, marble or sandstone are beautiful and they add an organic element to a kitchen.  Granite is the most popular, because of its durability and the varied colors that are available.  Marble and sandstone have unique looks, but are more porous and suseptible to staining.  I don't think that means you shouldn't use them.  It means you should place them where there isn't as much wear and tear.  The final option is butcher block, this wood surface will add warmth and richness to a kitchen.  The best use would be to mix the butcher block with another more durable counter top surface.  Possibly saving the butcher block for a breakfast island or pantry area.  Another money saving option is to put the pricery counter tops where it is most visible.  For example, placing granite on the center island and using a neutral formica on the remaining counter top around the kitchen.  All  the attention is drawn to the island and the surrounding counters become less important.

Butcher Block Island

Solid surface counters are another sleek alternative to natural stone or wood.  They are made of ground quartz mixed with a resin.  It can be created into many colors and the counter is more uniform in color and design.  Colors vary from bright solid red to natural stone looks.  The material is durable and requires little maintenance.

Once the counter top has been selected a tile backsplash adds detail and interest to your kitchen.  There are many tile options in varying price ranges to suit your budget.  It is also an opportunity to add decorative tiles or interesting patterns and designs.  It is important to get samples of your counter top and tile selections and try them out at home.  Colors can appear very different at home than in the showroom.  Make your decision with all the elements sitting next to each other to ensure a cohesive decision.

  

Decorative tile backsplash

If you have any questions please comment below or contact me on my Facebook Fan Page at Facebook.com/dottywymandesigns. I would love the hear from you. I look forward to writing about more ideas for your custom kitchen.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

kitchen makeover on a budget

Is your kitchen looking dated or doesn't reflect your current style? There are many ways to update your kitchen without ripping everything out and starting from scratch. Over the next several blogs I will provide some budget friendly ideas and insight for updating your kitchen. I will provide options for the cabinetry, counter tops, back splash, lighting, floors, appliances and decorative accents. The first area I will cover is kitchen cabinetry.

Many times clients want to remove their outdated cabinetry even though it is still in good condition.  They either don't like the color, wood grain or want to add decorative molding to the top or bottom of the cabinets.  Their structurally sound cabinets can now be the base for a dramatic new look to their kitchen.  By adding crown molding to the upper cabinets, base molding to the lower cabinets and decorative molding to the sides of plain cabinet boxes, you can easily transform your kitchen cabinetry.  Carpenters are even able to add feet to the lower cabinets to show like the latest kitchens in magazines.  Once all of the decorative woodwork has been added the painted finish can be applied to make it all uniform and enhance the newly added details.

 A carpenter can also improve how seamlessly your appliances fit into spaces and fix unsightly problems. Many times the space for the refrigerator is too big. There are gaps around the sides and the top and it keeps the kitchen from looking seamless and custom. These spaces can be built up and filled in with moldings. Another idea is to build in your microwave. A microwave sitting on the counter also doesn't have that new custom look, most are built into a cabinet. Another way to beautify your cabinetry is to fix corners that have cracked or side panels that have discolored from floor cleaner. These are small, but important details that can be corrected with the addition of trims, moldings and paint.



Finally, the paint finish. There are endless combinations of paint colors and glazes that can be used to create the exact finish you desire. You are able to create a traditional white glazed finish or a contemporary look with a bold color. The painted finish works to enhance the architectural details that have been added. Once you have transformed your existing cabinets with trim and paint, friends and family will not believe the cabinets aren't new.
If you have any questions please comment below or contact me on my Facebook Fan Page at Facebook.com/dottywymandesigns. I would love to hear from you. I look forward to writing about more ideas for your custom kitchen.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.