Second Nature

Looking for quick updates for your kitchen? Don’t hire a contractor – there are easy things you can do yourself. Better Home and Garden’s Remodeling Center has a lot of ideas.

1. Add a splash of red in a white or neutral kitchen. Red stimulates the appetite, improves one’s sense of smell, and sensitizes the taste buds.
Jayme Tip: Look for dish cloths, an apron, rug, pot mitts or a red ceramic utensil holder for inexpensive solutions. Check out Ross, TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning.

2. Show off your dishes, glasses, and serving pieces with open shelves.

3. Create a family message center by painting kitchen pantry doors with chalkboard paint.
Jayme Tip: Be sure to open all of the windows and doors to ventilate the room while apply the paint. This is a toxic paint and you need to be sure to ventilate well after applying it.

4. Add casters to a small shelving unit for a rolling cart that goes wherever it’s needed.

5. Add an eye-catching chandelier over the kitchen island for a touch of glamour.
Jayme Tip: Check out second hand stores for gently-used pieces. I highly recommend Second Use (Seattle) or ReStore (Seattle / Bellingham).

6. Retrofit a silverware drawer with dividers and cabinets with stackable wire shelves.

7. Tile a backsplash. For low-cost customization, choose a simple 4×4 tile with just a few accent tiles to break it up.
Jayme Tip: Check out second hand stores for inventory. I highly recommend Second Use (Seattle) or ReStore (Seattle / Bellingham) as both of them receive donations from construction jobsites which have leftover products.

8. Cut off the toe-kick on a cabinet and add a bun leg on each corner or end so it looks like a freestanding piece of furniture. Then paint or stain them to match the cabinets.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com