People tend to spend so much money on kitchens. TV tries to make you think it’s the thing to do. Just throw money at the place where you occasionally cook. But a gourmet kitchen actually looks like people cook and eat in it. It’s a great way to make emotional connections and have fun.

But is it really necessary to spend tens of thousands of dollars to achieve a great look?

My answer is a resounding NO! With just 0 dollars or so you can do great things.

I have done things to ALL my kitchens that came in at a good price, but still made my kitchens better. I have even built cabinets. It’s not rocket science. Cabinets are just wood or MDF boxes with doors. And you can re-purpose other furniture in a kitchen for a “furniture” look.

It’s often the subtleties that make a kitchen look like a gourmet kitchen.

It takes MORE than granite counter tops and stainless appliances. They are expensive choices for those of us who are on a budget. And they may also have had their day. Fashions change.

And styles of houses are all different. What looks good in one house may look just weird in another.

But any kitchen can be improved with some small changes that anyone can do.

Counter tops can get really expensive. Try replacing yours with stone floor tiles or ceramic tile. It’s a job many people can do. Another option is to replace your counter tops with 2X12 wood stained whatever color you like or just oiled. This option looks great in old-fashioned houses. So does butcher block, though its a bit more money.
You can replace pulls for a little cash or a lot. But pulls can make things look different fast.
Paint can change everything. The color and mood and style of your kitchen can change radically with a couple of coats of paint on the cabinets and the walls.
Speaking of walls…get rid of the wallpaper or wallpaper border. Some papers will just peel off. Don’t put up with it if you don’t like it. Many wallpapers have a plastic layer on top the will peel away from the real paper on the back. This paper layer then becomes something you can get off with warm water solutions. Check with your local DIY store. Wallpaper can really date a house in a bad way. Paint will be cheaper and less horrifying for you.
Get some interesting pendent lights to go over your island, peninsula, and or table. It’s a nice new look for a little money. Your DIY store can help you with the details.
Build a pot rack or re-purpose something that you can use to hang pots. I built one out of a 4 foot piece of warped oak and some brackets. Look around for something you can get cheap and use for years as I have.
Build a wine pantry. Or have some closet space in the kitchen that will serve as a place to keep fine wine. Our earth-sheltered house has a perfect place for wine in one back corner of the kitchen. The wine always seems to be the right temperature. Nothing says gourmet like a stash of fine wine and it’s great with food, too. You need to keep wine cool, though so a conventional house may not have this advantage. A rack for reds might work just as well with some wine glasses on a rack nearby.

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There are an unlimited number of ways to make your kitchen your own. Make sure yours is a place where your friends and family like to gather. Cooking is a great way to connect with people. Even kids like it. And collecting recipes wherever you go is good, too. It has brought me some of my best memories. I’m particularly fond of my iron skillets. Only people who really cook have them. And they don’t cost a lot of money, either. And they cook great. It’s more good value for not a lot of money.

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Article by Paula Stone

People tend to spend so much money on kitchens. TV tries to make you think it’s the thing to do. Just throw money at the place where you occasionally cook. But a gourmet kitchen actually looks like people cook and eat in it. It’s a great way to make emotional connections and have fun.

But is it really necessary to spend tens of thousands of dollars to achieve a great look?

My answer is a resounding NO! With just 0 dollars or so you can do great things.

I have done things to ALL my kitchens that came in at a good price, but still made my kitchens better. I have even built cabinets. It’s not rocket science. Cabinets are just wood or MDF boxes with doors. And you can re-purpose other furniture in a kitchen for a “furniture” look.

It’s often the subtleties that make a kitchen look like a gourmet kitchen.

It takes MORE than granite counter tops and stainless appliances. They are expensive choices for those of us who are on a budget. And they may also have had their day. Fashions change.

And styles of houses are all different. What looks good in one house may look just weird in another.

But any kitchen can be improved with some small changes that anyone can do.

1. Counter tops can get really expensive. Try replacing yours with stone floor tiles or ceramic tile. It’s a job many people can do. Another option is to replace your counter tops with 2X12 wood stained whatever color you like or just oiled. This option looks great in old-fashioned houses. So does butcher block, though its a bit more money.

2. You can replace pulls for a little cash or a lot. But pulls can make things look different fast.

3. Paint can change everything. The color and mood and style of your kitchen can change radically with a couple of coats of paint on the cabinets and the walls.

4. Speaking of walls…get rid of the wallpaper or wallpaper border. Some papers will just peel off. Don’t put up with it if you don’t like it. Many wallpapers have a plastic layer on top the will peel away from the real paper on the back. This paper layer then becomes something you can get off with warm water solutions. Check with your local DIY store. Wallpaper can really date a house in a bad way. Paint will be cheaper and less horrifying for you.5. Get some interesting pendent lights to go over your island, peninsula, and or table. It’s a nice new look for a little money. Your DIY store can help you with the details.

6. Build a pot rack or re-purpose something that you can use to hang pots. I built one out of a 4 foot piece of warped oak and some brackets. Look around for something you can get cheap and use for years as I have.

7. Build a wine pantry. Or have some closet space in the kitchen that will serve as a place to keep fine wine. Our earth-sheltered house has a perfect place for wine in one back corner of the kitchen. The wine always seems to be the right temperature. Nothing says gourmet like a stash of fine wine and it’s great with food, too. You need to keep wine cool, though so a conventional house may not have this advantage. A rack for reds might work just as well with some wine glasses on a rack nearby.

There are an unlimited number of ways to make your kitchen your own. Make sure yours is a place where your friends and family like to gather. Cooking is a great way to connect with people. Even kids like it. And collecting recipes wherever you go is good, too. It has brought me some of my best memories. I’m particularly fond of my iron skillets. Only people who really cook have them. And they don’t cost a lot of money, either. And they cook great. It’s more good value for not a lot of money.