Five Easy Ways to Give Your Kitchen Designer Wow!

A beautiful kitchen is the heart of any home (even for those of us who spend most of our cooking time around the microwave!) Time spent together in the kitchen can bring a family closer together and make wonderful memories (although my own memories of doing dishes as a teenager are less than pleasant - something about dishwater being *disgusting!*) Turning your plain kitchen into something special isn*t as hard as you might think. Here are a few simple ideas which can make your kitchen a designer showcase.

1. To give your cabinets a special flair, use three different stains. Use one lighter stain on the upper cabinets, one slightly darker on the drawers and an even darker one on the bottom cabinets. Add a little pigment in a primary color (red, blue or yellow) to add an additional dimension and a little *pop.*

2. To add a little flair, take out a few drawers and insert low baskets in their place. You will probably have to remove the middle drawer slide or side slides, but that is easily done with a screwdriver.

3. Want to update your backsplash? Use beadboard! Have your local home improvement store cut it to length and attach with nails or adhesive.

4. Tired cabinet doors? Cut out the middle of the doors, leaving a two inch edge all around. Stale fabric panels to the back of the doors. Cover the staples with fabric trim glued with a hot glue gun. You can use any fabric from elegant to country, stripes to plaid, or gingham to quilted.

5. Update your cabinets with special memories. Attach frames painted or stained to match the cabinets to the front of each door. Fill the frames with family photos or your children*s artwork. Or highlight a special collection such as vintage handkerchiefs or postcards.

Try one of these ideas or use them to jumpstart your own creative imagination. Remember, there is a designer in each of you! It*s just very well hidden in some - VERY well hidden!

About The Author

Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer for over 35 years (Yikes! Has it been that long? Her fun, tongue-in-cheek approach to decorating has made http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com one of the most popular décor sites on the net. She brings the same spirit of fun to cooking at http://www.thewellfedtraveler.com and running a home business at http://www.pajamabusinesses.com.

More resources:

RELATED ARTICLES

Cleaning House and the 80-20 Rule
Cleaning house is one of those things that needs doing again..

An Interview with Design Psychology Expert Jeanette Fisher
Interview with Jeanette Fisher by Gary Anderson, of www.abciowa.

Create a Luxurious Laundry Room
Give your home a luxurious feel with a beautiful laundry room. Even if you hate doing the laundry, you cannot deny that there IS a certain amount of satisfaction from transforming a bunch of dirty things into fresh and fragrant clothes! Put these items in your laundry room and feel the difference!-a few plants-adequate shelving-a rug or piece of carpet to stand on-an ironing area-large folding table-music-framed art or prints-a pretty dish to catch clutter and extraneous pocketed items-a trash can (continually clean the lint from the dryer)-GOOD LIGHTING, lamps, etc.

Get Your Home Ready To Sell
Have you been considering selling your home in the near future? If you have, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a good long look at your home, using an unbiased eye.After all, a clean, appealing, well maintained home has much better odds of selling, selling for more, and selling faster.

The Different Roofing Materials Used for Flatroofs, Their Advantages and Disadvantages
The roof has had many different innovations in regards to the materials used to make them. Different designs through the years have made it a necessity to find newer, lightweight and more durable roofing materials.

3 Kinds Of Wood Used In Real Wood Furniture
Real wood furniture is the most popular furniture in existence. It's been around for hundreds of years and probably existed when the cave people got tired of squatting on the dirt floor of their caves and looked around for a better way.

Feng Shui Tips For Your Home Office
Did you know that over 50% of women now run their own home business or work from home? Get your compass out and find the following directions because we are going to try and make things run a little smoother for you using the ancient art of object placement - Feng Shui.The most ideal locations to situate a home office, in order of best to second, third ad fourth best are the North (the Career Sector), the Southwest (the Wealth sector), the Northeast (Skills and Talents sector) or the South (the fame and recognition sector.

Clear Wax Candles vs. Gel Candles
In the last five years a new type of clear candle has emerged - freestanding resin-based (aka clear wax) candles. Using a base of mineral oil, the candle uses a patented resin as the stabilizer, creating a candle that outshines both traditional paraffin and gel candles.

A Carefully Planned Outdoor Kitchen is Worth the Investment
Do you have any idea how popular outdoor kitchens are becoming? We spend more time at home than ever before and we are fixing up those homes instead of buying new. Homeowners are opting for an outdoor kitchen over other types of remodeling projects because they extend the size of their living space.

Planning Permission Tips Uk - How To Select A Property to Extend or Develop
Many people purchasing a property for their main home actually look for a property with a view to extending it. This is a very common theme that I have come across time and time again.

Window Dressing from the Outside Looking In
Window coverings are important to the overall look and feel of a room, of course, but when designing window treatments, don't forget to take into consideration what your overall design will look like from the outside of your home.As a general rule, window coverings should all be of a similar coloring, which will significantly improve the look of your home's exterior.

Interior Design For Couples
Interior design for couples is one of the hottest, most popular types of design these days. In the past, men have not taken the initiative to actually be involved in the interior design of their homes, often resulting in very female orientated, elegant designs that are beautiful although not exactly appealing to the Saturday afternoon football crew.

Deck Decorating
On my blog, I once wrote about life on the Veranda - a favorite Southern, summer pastime.Picture a Charleston side-porch house, facing the obligatory magnolia tree, refreshing gin and tonics or the standard mint julep.

A Few Concrete Suggestions
Up until a few years ago, my professional experience was in industries including retail, energy, health care, and fast food. In 1996 circumstances and opportunity led me into the manufacturing, marketing, and installation of products used for Floor Warming, Total Space Heating, Roof Snow and Ice Melting and Snow and Ice Melting of driving and walking surfaces.

Log Homes - Is a Log Home In Your Future?
Many people dream about a log home in their future but never get around to making their dream come true. Here's how to get past the hurdles and start living your dream.

The Right Bathroom Accessories Will Make Your Bathroom Unforgetable
Bathrooms aren't just about the basics but are about the bathroom accessories! Bathrooms have become places to relax and unwind. They are not just for doing your business and leaving.

Spring Chores at the Cabin
Whether you live in your cabin year round or it's been closed up for the winter, it's time for spring cleaning. It's hard to get motivated.

Brighten Up Your Patio With Sun Catchers
Sun catchers add sparkle and beauty to any room in your home. Far beyond the paint-n-bake sun catchers of childhood, sun catchers come in a huge variety of styles that dazzle the eye.

Laminate Flooring - Cleaning & Maintenance
One of the biggest advantages of laminate floors is that they are made to look good for many years with a minimum of effort. Most laminates come with a 10 to 25 years residential warranty against staining, wearing and fading, depending on the brand.

Concrete Cutting: The Unknown Niche
What is Concrete Cutting?Concrete cutting is a process of controlled sawing, drilling and removal of concrete performed by skilled operators using special saws that use diamond impregnated blades. Unlike the old- fashioned dusty "jack hammer" method, modern concrete cutting leaves a smooth attractive finish and utilizes water so as not to create any dust or mess.