Here's something I hear a lot when I meet new people socially, and I heard it again last night.
"You're a kichen designer? Well, I don't want you to come to my house!"
Actually, you probably do.
Just about everyone who hasn't remodeled their kitchen or bath in the last three-five years would like to do SOMETHING different to it but, short of investing in a remodel, have no idea what they can or should do.
Like everything else, if you're too close to a situation it might be easy to overlook the obvious. That's where a second set of objective eyes might come in handy, especially if those eyes are connected to somebody who knows a thing or two about kitchens and how they're put together.
Sure, you could update the appliances, that's a good thing, especially if they're five years old or older, but that's a lot of money and you might not be ready for that.
You could replace the countertops. If you have laminate countertops that have been there for a while they might be aging and showing signs of wear without your even really noticing it. A new color, pattern, or shape might be just the thing to freshen up the room, and it's not too terribly expensive--or disruptive.
Sometimes you can even get away with putting a coat of paint on the old cabinets, but be careful. I usually don't recommend this because, well, people don't always make the best choice of colors.
If you want to paint your cabinets, as a rule of thumb, stick with a light neutral color, and stick with one color. Painting the frames one color and the doors another, or adding some sort of decorative accent or detail to the doors might seem like a good idea, but it usually isn't.
And remember, painting your cabinets and doing it right is no small project. Think sanding! And keep in mind the finish you want to end up with. It has to be protective and very durable.
If you're at odds with your kitchen and you don't exactly know why, here's my suggestion.
Reorganize the stuff in the cabinets.
The problem might just be that your dishes, flatware, cooking utensils, and dry goods are just not in the best place for optimum use of the kitchen.
First, take all the stuff out of the cabinets and stack it neatly and in an organized way on the table or other sensible place. My sister stacked it all in the middle of he floor, but whatever works for you.
Now, think it through. When you're cooking, what items do you use the most and what would be the best place for them? When you're loading or unloading the dishwasher, where would be the best place to store the dishes without having to hike across the room? Could some of the most-used items be stored in a lower cabinet so the kids don't have to call you every time they want something?
One day, take the time to think about how you use your kitchen. Is everything where it should be? Organize your kitchen for yourself and your lifestyle, not necessarily how your mother did it.
A simple rearrangement of certain items just might make your kitchen seem much more efficient and, therefore, less stressful. You might not even hate it anymore at all!
Brett Spottke talks about this in his e-book "Kitchen Remodeling Help." You might want to give it a read. Download it at http://www.aguidetoikeakitchens.com/.
