by guest author Shawna Feeley
My favorite space in almost any house is the kitchen. When it is well-designed, it provides an arena to cook, create, commune and to just hang out. Kids do their homework and families connect in this functional and well used space. Therefore, it imperative that you love this special room in your home and it makes you happy. If, this is not the case, here are some kitchen updates that will bring a smile to your face without creating a hole in your wallet.
Paint Your Cabinets
WHITE, BLACK, BLUE and GREY seem to be where it’s at, but if you have another color you can commit to and make your own, GO FOR IT. Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace OC-65 is my favorite white, Blue Note 2129-30 is my favorite blue and Grey Huskie 1473 is my favorite grey.
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Change Your Cabinet Hardware
BRASS BABY!! Silver Metals are not second place! Black is perfect for modern farmhouse. I love cabinet hardware and believe it is cabinet jewelry. Changing out tired or uninspired knobs and pulls is a huge improvement to your kitchen. It is fairly simple to do yourself if you are using the same size holes. Measure the distance between the holes and order pulls with the same boring hole spacing. If you are painting your cabinets, you can fill them in and choose whatever size you want. If you have knobs, you can always drill a second hole and get some 6”-10” pulls which will really give you that pop you need.
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Swap Out Your Backsplash
New tile, shiplap, or wallpaper can change the whole look of your kitchen. There are some amazing tiles out there and they range from $1-$200 s/f and you can decide what makes the most sense. Subway tile is never out of style and now you can do it in marble, handmade ceramics, glazed, matte and mirrored. Shiplap is clean linear and a modern farmhouse staple. Wallpaper is an out of the box alternative but can be a fun way to add loads of personality. Your backsplash will give you a huge payoff as it can add color, pattern and beauty. Check out my Pinterest page for more ideas.
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Don’t Forget The Lights
Kitchen island pendants, and wall sconces as well as over the table lights add amazing opportunities for inserting personality into your kitchen. Functional recessed lighting should be in place or opt to update that as well. Under cabinet lighting is a great kitchen upgrade. Have fun with your decorative lighting. It will bring you joy and literally light up your life.
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Counter Stools Rule
Counter stools can bring new life to an old island. The options have never been better for kitchen counter or island stools. Make sure you learn the difference between bar height and counter height so you know what you’re looking for. You can add color, texture, sparkle and interest with your seating.
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Kitchens are the most used part of your house and where everyone ends up. Love yourself and love the space you’re in!
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Working professionally for over ten years, Shawna has made her mark in Westport, CT where she has designed over 40 new luxury homes. Her homes have won dozens of CT Home Builder (HOBI) awards. Her strengths lie in kitchen and bath planning with a keen ability of weaving high-end amenities into beautiful spaces. She loves creating 3D renderings and sketches for her clients and the collaborative nature of the process. She is self-taught and skilled as a seamstress, painter, wallpaper installer, electrician, tile installer, landscaper, deck builder, comedian and badass handyman.
