Revive, don't replace: 5 tips for how to give your existing kitchen a fresh new look.

If money was no object, what would your dream kitchen look like?

It's nice to dream of the future, and some are fortunate or have worked incredibly hard for a long time to be able to make this dream a reality. However, this may not be on the cards for many (particularly in the current economic climate), but that doesn't mean to say that there is nothing to do.

Good news! You don't have to rip everything out to enjoy a beautiful, refreshed space. With a little creativity and craftsmanship, renovating your existing kitchen could be all that's necessary to make your dream come true at a fraction of the cost - even if it's just for a while until you are able to choose to re-design and replace your cabinets.

Why renovate instead of replace?

Perhaps the bones of your kitchen are well-designed and work for you. Your cabinets could be structurally sound, but just look dated or worn. Instead of sending your old kitchen to landfill, updating it is better for not only the environment but also on your wallet!

Here are 5 steps to give your kitchen a new lease of life:

1: Add Open Shelving

If you have any empty wall space, consider mixing in some open shelving or even additional wall cabinets if your budget allows. With shelving, there are so many styles and finish variations available for you, from decorative brackets to floating shelves (do consider wall strength and shelf load here though). There is something available for any style of kitchen, whether it be country, industrial, modern... the choice is yours.

Adding shelving can create visual variety and make your space feel lighter and more open.

2: Re-organise your zones

Have a think about zoning your kitchen (take a look at our very first Blog entry 'Kitchen Re-design Part 1' for more information on how to do this). Try to divide your kitchen into zones such as:

Food Storage - pantry, fridge

Food prep

Cooking - oven, hob, microwave...

Plating up

Cleaning - sink, dishwasher

Then, re-organise the contents of your cabinets to fit better within each zone. For example, store all food in the same area, store cooking pots and pans in the Food Prep zone, store plate and bowls in your Plate Up zone... This will improve the flow of your kitchen so that you aren't running around all over the place every time you use your kitchen - I find this particularly useful during Christmas dinner preparation!

3: Upgrade interior storage

Once you have decided what items you'd like to store in which cabinets, have a think about how to organise the insides. There are many organisation solutions available (previous blog posts include 'Storage solutions!' parts 1 & 2) from pull-out shelving, baskets, drawer dividers, racking... there are so many options for you to choose from.

Re-designing your kitchen doesn't just have to mean the kitchen's cabinet layout. On a smaller scale, re-designing and organising the interior of your cabinets can have just the same effect, every time you open them!

4: Replace Handles and Hinges

Sometimes it's the little things that can have a huge impact. Swapping out old knobs and pulls for modern hardware, or even a change of style can instantly update the look of your cabinets. You can choose brass, matte black, brushed steel, nickel... There are literally thousands of choices!

Depending on your old hardware, you may need to fill in and re-paint old screw holes, which brings us nicely to our last step:

5: Paint or re-finish

A fresh coat of paint or a sand-and-stain job can drastically transform the look of your kitchen. Update the paint colour to go with the current trend. Go bold with deep navy or forest green. Keep it classic with soft neutral colours or a crisp white. For wood lovers, re-varnishing can revive the natural beauty of the wood's grain.

Bonus!

A few tips for painting yourselves instead of calling in a professional:

• If starting with wood and you're planning to paint, choose a discrete area where you can test the paint first - sand the area throughly, apply a good quality primer and then a test patch of coloured paint. If your existing doors used oil based varnish or wax, it maybe tricky to use a water based paint unless you have sanded the wood right back, removing all previous finish.

• Use wood filler to even out any cracks, holes or damage to the cabinets.

• Always sand your surfaces, nooks and crannies before painting to allow the new paint to adhere and avoid pealing or cracking. This is particularly important if you are painting melamine cabinets.

• Apply a good quality primer to any areas of bare wood. You can also use thicker primers to fill in any minor joint cracks to create a flawless surface. After drying, sand back to smooth.

• Apply your first coat of colour paint. Use a brush for corners and details, then use a roller to create an even coverage with no brush lines. Alternatively you can choose a paint sprayer. Either way, watch out for drips and paint runs!

• Repeat your colour paint until you have full coverage. We would recommend 2 coats minimum but prefer 3 or even 4. Depending on how drastic your colour change is (particularly going from dark to light), you may need even more coats.

Most importantly - have fun! It can be a big job, but believe me: it's worth it.