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How To Breathe New Life Into A Kitchen Without Tossing Old Cabinets
By TESSA HAYLEY HELLBERG
If your kitchen is tired and drab, but you’re a tenant or lack renovation funds, there are many easy and inexpensive ways to brighten the room that's the heart of your home.
An obvious option is to paint the cabinet doors, but achieving a professional finish requires considerable time and expense. Plus, this choice might not be open to you if you rent.
One of the easiest ways to modernize dated kitchen cabinetry is to install new hardware, simply swapping your old-fashioned knobs and handles for a more contemporary design.
Take care to complement what you already have. Don’t go too modern if you have 1990s cabinets, and make sure the new knobs and handles don’t clash with other metal surfaces.
Older style kitchens often have a dark and cramped feel, so you’ll likely want to prioritize bringing more light into the space, and new backsplash is a great place to start.
Fortunately, there's no need for re-tiling — self-adhesive backsplashes are easy to install and available in a multitude of styles, including sleek white and faux stone.
Similarly, you can cover a shabby floor with adhesive-backed vinyl tiles. Opt for lighter, solid colors, or if you do love a pattern, pick one that's bold, like checkerboard.