easy kitchen updates with paint

Earlier this week, we asked our facebook friends, "if you had an unlimited budget which room in your home would you re-do?".  The winning room, by a land slide, was the kitchen.  Friends, I agree with you.  The kitchen is the heart of the home and cooking is so much more enjoyable when you are happy in your surroundings.  Many of you spend a lot of time in the kitchen creating sustenance for yourself and your families...  and while I can't help you all fulfill your dreams of stainless steal appliances and kitchen islands, I can teach you how to make simple, easy, affordable changes to your kitchen using paint that will transform the way your kitchen feels completely.  Just a little something until that unlimited budget comes through! 

Update #1: Paint your cupboards white

This re-do from creek bed threads shows just how effective this idea is.  Putting a coat of white on your cupboards instantly brightens the whole room and makes coming up with a pleasing color scheme for the rest of the room a breeze.  In this kitchen, they also used paint on the previously ugly brick back splash. 

Now I am not going to say that painting your cupboards will be an easy process.  It's time consuming and labor intensive.  But it is hands down the most cost effective way to transform your space on a budget. 

This space uses a color similar to our own Pool on the walls and Whisper on the cupboards:

  

Update # 2:  Paint your cupboards and remove the doors

  

If you crave that airy feeling in your kitchen, we recommend losing the doors of your upper cabinets. Taking off the doors is easy peasy (you just need a screw driver and then some wood filler to patch the holes).  Make sure you remove all doors before starting the painting process, or you will probably have a lot of touch ups to do. 

This kitchen used a light blue similar to breathe on the walls and a fun blue green like pond on the cupboards: 

  

Update 3:  Remove upper cabinets and hang free floating shelves

Why stop with the doors?  Remove the upper cabinets completely and hang shelves in their place.  Who doesn't love a little demo?  We also love how the owners of this space created some visual interest by using a contrasting color above the bright white.  It brings your eye up and makes the room feel very tall.  

To get this look try using whisper on your lower cupboards and vintage tux up high.  You can get shelves like this from IKEA. 

  

Update 4:  Be clever about color choices

These counters - by themselves - are not the most attractive.  Many times when we move into a house we are stuck with the previous owners decisions (many of them made long ago) until we have the means to change them.  But that doesn't mean you can't change simple things around these items to make them more appealing.  If you are stuck with a counter that you don't like, choose your paint colors wisely to make the counter either blend in, or become part of a color scheme.  

In this kitchen the pea green of the counters is off set by a light, airy blue.  That idea is carried around the whole kitchen with the window curtain, and even the accessories.  It makes the kitchen feel cohesive and purposeful. 

Update #5: Paint that floor

Many people feel dark wood floors are too heavy for the kitchen.  Or maybe your floors are in really bad shape.  By painting them, you not only create something beautiful and visually interesting, but you can tie the whole room together.  This kitchen has really dark, beautifully painted cupboards, so the painted floor really brightens the space up.  Imagine how different it would look with a dark wood floor?  

If you like this look try using Vintage Tux in Satin finish on your cupboards and a combination of Whisper and Shutter on your floors. 

    

So grab a paint brush and start making some changes!  We are always happy to help you choose which of our colors work in your space, so shoot us an email or order some samples today.