We’ve all seen the multitude of home remodeling shows. The professionals make any task, big or small, seem like it can be accomplished with a snap of the fingers, especially since it’s all packed into one hour-long episode. But believe it or not, there are some home remodeling projects that really are that easy—easy as one, two, three! Don’t think you’re handy enough around the house to do a home renovation project yourself? Trust me, you can; Keep reading!
look at your kitchen
You’ve probably heard the phrase “home is where the heart is”. What the phrase should really say is “your kitchen is where the heart is”. After all, doesn’t most things happen in that same room? No matter how small your kitchen is, you and your family members spend most of your day eating, cooking, preparing food, doing homework, or coloring (depending on your age). It makes sense, therefore, that your home renovation project would take place here. Since it is used so often, it should require the most maintenance.
Trust your sense of touch
A recent commercial focuses on how much we touch things every day. Think about everything you touch in your kitchen. From pots and pans and raw meats to a child’s artwork, we constantly touch things without thinking to wash our hands between each activity. More often than not, we have touched our cabinet handles with greasy, sticky, and dirty hands. Don’t you think it’s about time you showed your cabinet knobs some TLC, love and care?
Evaluate your knobs and pulls
The first step in any home renovation project is to examine what you already have installed. Using your sense of touch, assess your cabinet units, handles and all. Are any of the surfaces rough to the touch, loose, off-center, or unsafe? Write down the number of cabinet pulls, hinges, and screws you think you need to replace. This will save you time and perhaps eliminate the chances of a headache later.
update your style
French, Spanish, contemporary or rustic, it doesn’t matter what style of kitchen you have, you should consider updating your accessories. Simply replacing a few pieces of home hardware instead of completely dismantling and renovating your kitchen will give the room a facelift without the exorbitant costs and overall inconvenience of a major renovation project. When choosing or updating your style, home hardware options for cabinet pulls include the following materials: chrome, nickel, brass, copper, pewter, stained glass, and stainless steel. Corresponding finishes include matte, polished, satin, weathered, iron, burnished, or aged.
mix and match
Instead of choosing simple cabinet options, consider going bold and mixing up a few styles to create one that is truly unique to your home. Choose a material and a variety of finishes ranging from dark to light for your cabinet knobs. Starting with hip-high cabinets and lower, install darker finishes. Working toward the ceiling, overlay the cabinet fixture finishes with the lighter, brighter finish closest to your light fixtures. This layered look can also be achieved with stained glass cabinet pulls. Stained glass fixtures allow you to seamlessly match your existing or new style. However, if you choose to decorate with multiple colors, limit your colors to two or three; too many colors can seem chaotic and annoying.
Show it
The best part of any home renovation project is completing it! Updating your kitchen design yourself has not only saved you money that would otherwise have been spent paying a professional, but also instantly increases the value of your home. Show your hard work by throwing a party to not only celebrate your time and effort, but also your newly designed kitchen and accessories. Invite friends, neighbors and family to admire your handiwork.