We show you how to spruce up your kitchen without breaking the bank with sustainable ideas that elevate your kitchen aesthetic with minimal effort.
How to transform your space
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any house. The place where families come together, recipes are shared over generations and friends laugh over homemade hot chocolate. It’s only natural you would want to keep your kitchen looking as polished as possible. It’s easy to maintain the fresh appeal of your kitchen with a new coat of paint, unique tiles or some good old-fashioned elbow grease.
The first thing to look at is how much space you have to work with. Open plan kitchens generally have an advantage when it comes to the luxury of spacious islands and minimal clutter. And with some thoughtful changes, you can make the most of your space.
Share This Post
Update your cupboards
If you have wooden cupboards, it will be easy to refresh them with a shade of paint in your favourite colour or sand them down to achieve a white-washed, rustic look akin to classic beach houses. Want to update your cabinets but want to play with looks before you commit to one? There are a variety of wallpaper-type applications in different designs and textures for you to choose from. Switch between marble one week and pine next year. Recycled kitchen cabinets in inexpensive materials such as bamboo and salvaged wood provide sustainable, environmentally friendly alternatives.
You can also update your storage with repurposed shelving by using varnished wood or fun temporary plastic shelves you can find at any homeware or multi-purpose store. For those pots that simply look way too good to be pushed into the back of a cupboard, use hanging hooks over your hob to create a classic, yet contemporary chef-style kitchen that even Nigella or Jamie Oliver would be proud of.
You can also update the handles with stainless steel, gold or the ever-popular copper hardware to add a modern twist that uplifts the cabinets to centre stage. A good idea is to match your appliances to the cabinet hardware or choose a stand-out colour scheme as a base for most of your items.
Change your countertops
Your countertops are a focal point of the kitchen and where you prepare most of your food and proudly display your fresh fruit bowls and cake stands. While you may think changing these is one of the most expensive updates, think again. There are now countertops that can be simply installed over your old ones and provide a sleek, sophisticated finish. You can now prepare your meals on quartz, glass or granite tops that are scratch and heat resistant. The faucet features of today have also developed and you can install taps in your kitchen sink that save water by operating on a sensor basis. What more convenience can the 21st century offer a kitchen overhaul?
Terrific tilework
Most mosaic backsplash walls are a centrepiece behind stoves or countertops. They are easy to install and you can make a DIY project out of them with the necessary tools and a creative streak. Think of tiles on your walls as an accent wall on steroids. They provide texture and depth to otherwise overlooked spaces and can bring out the colour of your countertops or offset your stove perfectly. For an affordable alternative to ceramic or porcelain tiles, you can opt for self-adhesive backsplash peel-and-stick kitchen tiles.
Add artistic touches
More than the obvious rules of kitchen design and maintenance, you can let your imagination run wild and play with fun elements that are chosen purely for their aesthetic appeal. Add picture frames, mirrors, candles or a stack of cookbooks that add personality. You can also display your spice rack as a feature by decanting them into matching canisters and labelling them. A great way to ensure this hits the affordability factor is to source these items from thrift stores or second-hand bookshops. They add a divine air of homeliness while modestly showing off your organisational skills!
Let there be light
When updating the ambience of any room in your home, lighting plays an important role. You can install dimmer switches to set the tone for intimate dinners or eclectic lampshades for daily use. Spotlights are a great way to modernise any ceiling and they offer ample lighting for food preparation and eating. Energy-saving lightbulbs are a great way to minimise your electricity bill and are cost-efficient in the long run. Not to mention, these sustainable bulbs often last longer than the traditional options.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration to avoid spending excessive amounts of money or are already knee-deep in your kitchen project and looking for ways to make small, substantial changes, Seeff has exactly what you’re looking for. Contact us today to view our unique listings.
Related Articles
