A Beautiful, New SpaceA Beautiful, New Space

Remodeling a kitchen can be a big, expensive job, or something less destructive. Even if you do not have an unlimited budget, there are still many ways you can turn your old kitchen into something new and exciting. When looking at pictures and making plans for what you would like to do, consider the following to save some money.

Cabinets

If the cabinets you have now suffice for your storage needs, keep them. You can always take off the doors, repaint the cabinets themselves and then either repaint the doors and buy new knobs, or buy new doors. If what you have is not what you need, take a good look and figure out which sections can be saved, which can be slightly altered, and which need to be replaced. Either way, it is going to be less expensive than ripping out all the cabinets and buying new.

Flooring

While marble or ceramic tiles may look great, they are also more expensive. You can use vinyl tiles and install them in a way that will give the appearance of marble or ceramic. You can also glue down some paper that has been crinkled, stain it the color or colors you want and then apply a few coats of polyurethane over it. This can give the appearance of a marble or granite floor. You can even paint a design or pattern on the paper making it look like a tile mosaic.

Countertops

Stone countertops seem to be very popular now. They can also cost a lot of money. However, you can remove the laminate from the countertop and paint the wood a stone color. Once dry, use a sponge and a different color to give it veins or the splotches you would find on marble or other stone. Apply a polyurethane sealant and your countertop will have the appearance of stone without the cost.

Appliances

While appliances can be painted too, they often do not come out looking the way you want unless you have experience in auto body painting or the like. However, since you have saved money on the rest of the remodel, you can afford to either buy new or buy used that are in very good condition.

Add finishing touches with curtains, wall decorations, and perhaps an area rug, and your kitchen remodeling will be complete. Once you have finished you will be surprised at how much you saved and how great it looks. It may just inspire you to start on the rest of the house.