Ten Easy Kitchen Projects to Spruce Up Your Home

For most homeowners, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. It’s a place to cook meals, bond with the family, entertain guests, you name it. This can also mean that there’s a lot of stuff to fix, replace, organize, and clean! And you need to stay on top of what needs to be done. Here are 10 simple projects for your kitchen:

Get a new kitchen sink. This is probably the stuff that gets used the most so it’s very important to get the right one for your space and replace it if necessary. These easy tips will help you choose the right sink

Replace your kitchen faucet or pick a new one. If you have a broken faucet that can’t be fixed, you can replace it or pick a different type to help define the style of your kitchen. Take a look at this guide on getting a high quality faucet

Install a kitchen backsplash. This can either be a relatively simple DIY project or a work with the help from a professional contractor. This is a great way to change the look and feel of your kitchen. Here are a few tips to help you navigate through the process

Add storage to your backsplash. Now that you’ve got a new backsplash installed, you want to make better use of it by adding storage for hanging pans, pots, and utensils.

Reface or paint your kitchen cabinets. Refacing is an affordable way to give your gloomy cabinets a new life. Or if refacing isn’t your style, clean them and brush on some new paint. This is another budget-friendly option than replacing.

Get new cabinet knobs and pulls. There are a variety of styles to choose from and a new kitchen hardware can make a big impact on the look and feel of your cabinets and the entire room.

Organize everything. This is an easy weekend task that you can accomplish. Arrange the pantry, shelves, drawers, counter, and appliances and keep everything in order. That way, you can maximize your storage space.

Clean tile grout. No one enjoys cleaning grout. It can be a tedious work especially when it contains hard-to-remove stains. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. A store-bought tile grout cleaner offers good results, or you can use something homemade.

Make a stand for tablets and cookbooks. If cooking apps and recipe books are a must-have for your kitchen, making a stand or purchasing one is a practical solution. This little accessory can make your life in the kitchen a breeze.

Put a fresh shine to old counter. Give your countertop a new sparkle by cleaning the surface with soapy water and a dedicated cleaner. For an instance, you can keep your granite in tip-top shape with these tips.

If you are looking to replace your countertop, visit www.milanstoneworks.com or give us a call for your free estimate today!

2014 Kitchen Trend: Open Shelving, Glass-Front Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets used to be a place to tuck away dishes and hide boxes behind solid doors. But this year, the latest kitchen trend is open shelving, according to the Zillow Digs Home Design Trend Report for 2014. If you don’t want to be left out, here are some tips from Kerrie Kelly, the principal designer and owner of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in Sacramento.

Match your kitchen style

The glass-front cabinets aren’t just for modern spaces; they work well in any kitchen style. According to Kelly, you should focus on using only one or two materials and be creative in your installation with whatever materials you choose. Painted cabinets with glass fronts and statement knobs would look great in traditional or country-style kitchen, while sleek, flat-front cabinets will make a contemporary space stand out.

Display kitchen items

Aside from picking cabinets to match your kitchen, choose accessories and kitchenware that will go with the overall look. Since glass-front cabinets will showcase your items, Kelly suggests you curate statement pieces and let your collection grow with you and your space. Try spices, olive oil, cookbooks, and glass jars filled with oatmeal or dried fruits.

Try experimenting with DIY shelving

Updating your cabinets to match these trends could be an easy do-it-yourself project that can be done over the weekend and provides great versatility. Kelly recommends removing doors on one of your cabinets, and painting or adding wallpaper inside the open-shelf walls to create a unique touch.

Add the look elsewhere

Open shelving is not exclusive for the kitchen; you can have this throughout the entire home especially in the bathroom vanities. Kelly reminds homeowners to get creative with shelving units and try incorporating vintage pieces with sleek colors for a chic storage solution in any living space.

Would you try this out in your own kitchen? We’d love to know!