The kitchen is often the main focal point of a home. If your kitchen is outdated, you might be thinking of a kitchen remodel. There is no need to hire an expensive professional, however. With a little time and patience, you can do your kitchen remodel yourself. If you are careful, you can actually remodel your kitchen and save a lot of money in the meantime.
Here are some tips and ideas for your do-it-yourself kitchen remodel:
Update Instead of Demolish
Instead of ripping out all of your cupboards and cabinets, consider updating the existing cabinets. Sand them down and stain or paint them and replace the hardware to give your cabinets a fresh and updated look. You might be surprised how much difference a fresh coat of paint can make.
Salvage
To save money and stay environmentally friendly, consider getting your cabinets and building materials second-hand. You could salvage some of the materials from a building that is abandoned or being torn down, or from a business or apartment complex that is closing or renovating.
To get that industrial look that is so popular, you could find a stainless steel island from a restaurant that is closing down, or you can use salvaged wood to build your own kitchen island.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a great place to find used or unfinished furniture and building materials. Clean up, paint, and update these pieces as needed for beautiful additions to your space.
Link: Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Space Savers
If you are remodeling your kitchen, there is no better time to add some great space-saving additions. Here are a few ideas:
- A pot rack can be hung from the ceiling to provide an extra space to hang pots and pans, utensils, etc.
- Build shelves into the sides of cabinets for extra space to keep spices, jars, or food wraps.
- Mount spice racks on the wall near your stove to free up cabinet space. Or make use of small extra space in cabinets to install a vertical pull-out drawer specifically for spices.
- Install taller cabinets to make use of more space in your kitchen. Keep items that you don’t use every day higher up to get them out of your way.
If you are updating appliances as well, invest in an overhead microwave. The amount of counter space you save will be worth it.
Countertops
Aside from appliances, the countertops are usually the biggest and most noticeable project for a kitchen remodel. Countertops can also be one of the more expensive upgrades, but that cost can be dampened a little. Consider countertops made of recycled materials or concrete. Or, instead of replacing the countertops entirely, look into countertop epoxy that can be poured over your existing countertops to give them a brand new look.
A do-it-yourself kitchen remodel is certainly a project that should not be underestimated, but is definitely an obtainable goal. Of course, with any do-it-yourself project, make sure that you are being as safe as possible and call a professional if you have any trouble or questions.
Does your microwave ever feel too hot? I wrote an article that talks about when your microwave is safe in the kitchen.
