My old kitchen was dated, the doors were swollen chipboard and the laminate peeling off. A peninsular stuck out opposite the fridge so when you opened the fridge door you bashed your arm on the cupboard. Time for a Reno.
Using a kitchen planner first is the best way to decide what cabinets fit where, what sizes were needed and what the final look could be. Accurate measurements of the walls and where the plumbing and existing power points are, as well as windows and doors makes the positioning and function of the cabinets more reliable when you fit them in the real world.
Think of the cabinets as just empty boxes and how many are needed to fit in a space. Flat-Pack cabinets come in a range of standard sizes that can be combined to fill a space. You can then decide whether they have doors or drawers and what function they will serve. Putting a carousel in the corner cabinet was my best decision to hold the pots and pans beside the stove.
I worked on one wall at a time and one section at a time so the kitchen was still functional. The sink and the appliances were still in good order so I was able to re-use what I had to save money on the most expensive parts of a kitchen. New appliances can be purchased and replace the old later on.
New paint on the walls is the cheapest and most effective way to make a clean, new look for any space. I went from a dirty cream colour, (could have been cigarette tar), to a light blue/grey. With the money I saved I spent on the tile backsplash to give a bit more impact on a basic kitchen design.
I’m very happy with the results. More room to move, better functional use of storage in cupboards and drawers and better useable counter space in a small kitchen.
Stuart.
