7 Tips for Refreshing Your Kitchen Without a Full Remodel

Tips for Refreshing Your Kitchen For Less

Interior design by Karen Mills
  1. Reface or repaint your cabinetry – When your kitchen is refaced the contractor replaces just your kitchen door and drawer fronts, plus adds panels over the cabinetry for a fresh new look while leaving the insides intact. In this kitchen our client opted to repaint their wall cabinetry to give it a fresh new look. Our interior design firm also helped them remove existing cabinetry and layer in shelves, along with adding new counter/backsplash material and new light fixtures.

2. Upgrade Your Countertops  By upgrading the countertops in this kitchen we were able to give it a fresher lighter look overall. A mitered (thicker) island counter and wall counters that continue up the wall behind live edge shelving add to the dramatic look.

3. Update your backsplash In this completely renovated kitchen we replaced a dated backsplash with new beveled white subway tile to lighten up the space and bounce light throughout.

4. Install new hanging light fixtures such as pendants, chandeliers, or sconces along with layering in undercabinet and inside cabinet lighting as shown here in this kitchen remodel we did. By adding work and accent lighting to your general lighting overhead you can create an ambiance that’s warm and inviting like this kitchen shown. Lit glass upper cabinets add to the ambiance.

Interior design by Karen Mills

5. Replace pulls and/or knobs on your cabinetry. New pulls in this renovated kitchen stand out, adding to the fresh new look.

6. Paint your walls. In this kitchen we not only painted the dark walls and cabinetry white, but also redid the wood floors, replaced the backsplash, upgraded the counters, replaced the light fixtures over the table and slipcovered the chairs to create a more updated look.

7. Add a small island – with wheels ideally or a bar height table for more work space in the center of your kitchen, if needed. If you don’t have room for a permanent island and need more work space, a tiny island on wheels to hold your extra items might be just what you need. And when not in use, you can roll it off to the side out of your way.

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Karen Mills

Interior Designer Karen Mills believes everyone should have access to beautiful design and loves to inspire people around the globe by sharing the latest design trends through different venues including her radio show "Living Large", her green show "Living Green with Karen Mills", in her nationally published work or Designer's Eye columns.

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