help, what can i do about my kitchen?!advice please

clou19750

Yes u can get it for 2k minus the labour! As labour can add up to the final balance.

I would paint the doors deffo as its wood type and quite easy to do or find someone who can paint it for u maybe?

KT1985

If you sand and paint the doors and do the simple stuff like changing door knobs then they will be great! This is what I am doing with our upstairs built-in wardrobes, they were very 90's but are starting to look good

blushingbride_3

painting the doors is a good idea, however we want to make it modern as the house is only 4years old and i dont think that the cupboards are modern looking.
i dont want to spend loads of time painting and then not gettin the look we want, does anyone have any photos?

nixinix

I think you have a wonderful op. to do a 'cheap' makeover....why don't you try PAINTING one door to see what you think. If you hate it all you have lost is a bit of time/paint but if you like it you have potentially saved yourself £2K. I couldn't throw away your kitchen without at least trying to paint it... but I agree you need a lighter kitchen.

Doozergirl

If you are going to buy a new kitchen then you must ebay your current one and put "shabby chic" in the title and mention that it can be painted because someone will want to buy it. I sold a wood kitchen, starting price 99p, on ebay for £500 in the summer. The person that bought it was going to paint it up It will help towards the cost of your new one!

I don't have any pics of the kitchen we painted - the flat was bought to sell on but I can assure you that I have very high standards indeed, paint up a door and see if you like it!

PasturesNew

Look outside to see what you can paint out there that will bounce light back into your house. You'd be surprised just how much difference that makes. e.g. that shed ... any chance of painting that cream? Or any wall/fencing outside.

Fire_Fox

The first thing to do is have a really thorough clear out. My parents have a massive kitchen, but a lot of stuff. They have done a fairly major makeover, in the process chucked a third of the bits and bobs in the cupboards and clearing the worktops. That alone has made a major difference to how large and bright the room looks. I am a student too, so I know it's hard to keep on top of stuff - but throwing money at your kitchen won't magically give you more time or space.

Secondly do not be under any illusion that borrowing light via larger patio doors will mean you won't have to use artificial light in the daytime. Most modern flats have a combined kitchen and living area, and you still need good lighting. To be honest this is where I would spend the money - spotlights don't light the ceiling so there is no light bouncing off the surface. Also they create dark shadows in the corners - it's better to use several types of lighting, perhaps with natural daylight bulbs.

I think you really need to identify specifically what it is you don't like about your kitchen, in priority order. Take one cupboard door off and place it in a really light area. Do you still dislike it? Is it the design or the colour or both? If you hate both, then get some glossy light-coloured replacement doors. MDF warps if it is gets damp or suffers extremes of hot and cold, I would not go there. If it's more the knobs and colour, try painting the door in worst condition (not worth selling!) to see what the result is.

Definitely lose the worktops - this is the darkest item in the room. Something light and glossy is ideal. Don't re-tile unless you can help it - it's a massive job and unnecessary unless the tiles have been badly installed. Tile paint is very good these days, but sugarsoap before painting any surface to give a better finish.

In terms of space you could do with moving the fridge-freezer and getting rid of the central island, both of which are very intrusive and take up a lot of floor space. You might also rejig the wall units so they only run along one wall (ideally the shortest) which will make the room feel bigger at head height. This will also get rid of the dated open corner shelving. Put the microwave on a shelf/ runners/ wall rack (no idea what they are called!).