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copyright ©1999-2001
DigsMagazine.com.
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Minor
MAKEOVER
Miracles:
KITCHEN
9 ways to spiff up your
kitchen
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continued from page 1
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For
a quick, somewhat temporary fix for laminate, just sand the surface,
apply a coat of good primer (ask at the hardware store for
recommendations; you’ll need something that’s specifically meant for
non-porous materials), and paint away. Need more detailed instructions?
Check out Christopher Lowell’s tips.
Note: Paint won’t stick to laminate as well as it will to wood – the
surface is just too slick and non-absorbent – so bear in mind that in
the long run (maybe two years or so), you’ll probably either have to
re-paint again, or just bite the bullet and replace the laminate.
3.
Top (with a) Shelf
Add some open shelving wherever you’ve got some wall space to spare
– next to the stove, above the countertops, by the kitchen table,
wherever. Open shelving is easy to install and fairly inexpensive, and
serves the dual function of looking nice (provided you keep the shelves
well-organized), and helping to get all that crap off the countertops.
Nice-looking brackets will make a big difference, so avoid those cheap,
strictly utilitarian ones, if you can at all afford it. You can find
reasonably-priced, decorative shelf brackets at Home Depot or IKEA –
everything from wood to iron to cheerily-colored painted metal. If
you’re up for a little more work, and have access to a saber saw, try
rounding off the ends of your shelves for a sleeker, more streamlined
look.
4.
Contact paper it!
This works best, obviously, if you’ve got a somewhat funky, quirky
look going on with your décor, since let’s face it: there’s nothing
about contact paper that’s going to make anyone confuse it with high
design style. But it’s an easy way to add some character to those ugly
laminate kitchen cupboards and drawers without going all-out to actually
replace them. And unlike paint, contact paper’s removable (although
it’s a good idea to test this on your surface in a small inconspicuous
area before you plunge into this project). Swath your drawer fronts in a
cute print, maybe, or go with a sassy little checkerboard pattern border
along your walls… but be forewarned: you may want to try it out on a
small section to begin, as it can take some work to figure out how to
apply the stuff without trapping huge air bubbles underneath.
5.
Store it on the outside …
In matching containers that is. So often, a kitchen isn’t inherently
ugly so much as it’s cluttered and disorganized. In a tiny kitchen,
unfortunately, there’s just no room to neatly stash everything back
into a cabinet once you’re done using it. Kitchen canisters can get
pretty expensive, so why not use your recyclables instead? Well-rinsed
spaghetti jars, stripped of their labels, make great containers. Flea
markets and thrift shops are also great sources for cheap containers.
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