| Frugal Kitchen Spruce Ups | | | | a piece of remnant vinyl flooring you get at a home |
| By Kathleen Wilson | | | | improvement center for just a few dollars. Turn the |
| Most of us spend a good deal of time in our kitchens | | | | piece over to the backside, and give it a coat or two |
| these days, and it's not just for cooking. More homes | | | | of good primer, then a coat of any basecoat color. |
| are being built with the kitchen as the hub of the | | | | Then use masking tape, stencils, stamps, sponges or |
| home, and even if you're on a tight budget, that | | | | freehand painting to impart a design that fits your |
| shouldn't stop you from making it a pleasant and | | | | room. Be sure to seal it with a couple of coats of |
| personal place to be! | | | | water based polyurethane, and it will wipe clean for |
| If your cabinets are in need of a total overhaul, | | | | years! This is a great way to customize your kitchen |
| consider painting them. Nothing changes the look of a | | | | for little money...lets face it, rugs are expensive, |
| kitchen faster! Visit the library for info on faux | | | | impossible to keep clean in a kitchen, and are usually |
| finishing, or go to or and turn a simple paint job into a | | | | the same old boring thing. This is also a great way to |
| one of a kind kitchen. | | | | cover an aging or damaged floor, as you can make |
| If you don't want the hard work that goes into total | | | | the floorcloth to whatever size you need. |
| repainting, consider removing a cupboard door to | | | | Save empty bottles and fill with colored water to set |
| make a display cabinet. Paint the entire interior of the | | | | on the windowsills, or line up the bottles and fill with |
| cabinet a light or bright accent color, and put your | | | | one flower each from your garden. |
| prettiest on display. Or have someone good with | | | | Grow plants from seed on your windowsills! Even |
| power tools cut out the center panels of the doors, | | | | grass seed has become very vogue. (Don't tell |
| then shirr fabric over the inside to hide the contents | | | | anyone, because I usually shy away from "vogue", |
| of the cupboard...secure with a staple gun or Velcro | | | | but I really like the grass thing!J) |
| tape. | | | | Above all, invoke your family into the place where |
| Pick up inexpensive plate hangers from the hardware | | | | you spend the most time. I've heard some designers |
| store and hang the saucers from your good china | | | | say you should keep your refrigerator clear to |
| around the backsplash, or as a border. Don't have | | | | prevent clutter, NO MAGNETS! But honestly, what |
| any china? Visit garage sales and thrift stores this | | | | would my kitchen be without my kids drawings stuck |
| weekend to pick up a bunch of sweet little plates for | | | | all over the door? It wouldn't be the place I want to |
| a song. (No, they don't have to match, or be fancy!) | | | | spend most of my time. I even have a couple of |
| Hang tea towels on the diagonal over your curtain | | | | framed photos of my kids, right on the kitchen |
| rod for a fresh summer valance, and save some | | | | counter! So make your kitchen YOUR home, and |
| extra to stitch up into potholders and placemats. | | | | have fun doing it! |
| Make a floor cloth to perk up your tired floors from | | | | Copyright 2002 K. |