Fixing up the house

In these days of compulsory austerity, it is not always an alternative to go out and buy a ‘new one’, whatever it is. It is the time when most people are attempting to work out means of making their capital go further. This could be anything from getting spare parts for your old cooker instead or replacing it to painting the kitchen cabinets instead of buying new ones.

In fact, painting the kitchen cabinets is also an excellent way of giving your kitchen a quick makeover. Kitchen cabinets, especially the doors, take quite a beating in their daily lives. Often the veneer or the finish on the doors can wear thin or even wear away making your whole kitchen look a little shabby.

As mentioned above, in former years, we might have just gone out and bought new ones, but these days, it is different. You could just renew the doors, if you want, or you could simply repaint the whole cabinets or just the doors. It is a quicker option too.

If you want to get the job done very quickly, you could get the whole family involved in the project and have a bit of fun together because painting the kitchen cabinets is not hard and is not demanding. The most difficult part of any decorating job is preparation. Without suitable preparation, you will never get a good finish.

So, the first thing to do is clear out the cabinets and put everything well out of the way. Then cover anything that you do not want to get dusty with sheets especially food and crockery. You might want to take out drawers and take down your wall cabinets, but if access is easy enough, there is no need.

The majority of kitchen cabinets have a laminated surface which is not an ideal surface to paint, so rub them down lightly with fine sandpaper or emery paper. If you have to use medium grade sandpaper (rougher) to get rid of old materials, give it a light rub down with fine sandpaper afterwards. Then rinse the surfaces with sugar soap. When they are dry, you can start painting the kitchen cabinets.

You have a couple of decisions to make when deciding on the paint. First the colour. If the original surface is dark, you will need to undercoat it in a light colour before applying the gloss, satin or matt top coat. This technique provides the best finish by far. It is stronger, better-looking and more hard-wearing.

However, if you simply want to get the job done, you can get an all-in-one paint that does not need an undercoat, but then you will be restricted with colours. A light all-in-one will not usually cover a dark surface well and you may have to give it two coats anyway.

One word of caution here is that it is easier to make a kitchen look bright and airy and even larger, if it is painted with bright colours. Therefore, if your kitchen was looking a bit dismal and dark, do not repaint the kitchen cabinets a dark colour again just to save having to put an undercoat. When painting the kitchen cabinets it is often the undercoat that makes the finish look better.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is at present involved with cooker spare parts. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Electric Freestanding Cooker.

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The kitchen is primarily where food is made in the home. In order for it to best serve its purpose, it must be kept functional. There are times when the kitchen can be a social place or a place to enjoy entertainment but for all intents and purposes it is the place to store, prepare and make food and this should be remembered above all else.

Sometime in the midst of our collecting things to decorate with we forget about clutter. The kitchen should be kept free of any clutter or extraneous items. This means that all countertops and work areas should be free to use to prepare food and nothing should interfere with this purpose.

Some kitchen appliances can be left out, but only if they are used regularly. Items such as blenders and toasters can be left out but they should not interfere with the preparation of food items.

Many times the kitchen walls can be used for decorating purposes so long as there is room and they are not taken up by cabinets and shelves. The walls are ideal for decorating items such as pictures, novelty signs, and other artwork that matches your personality and adds to the beauty of the kitchen.

Another ideal surface to work with in the kitchen is the floor. You can add area rugs or carpeting to the floor to add beauty and style to the room.

You can decorate the floor with rugs and carpet that match the color theme you are working. There are stain resistant types of rugs and carpeting and make sure that you select these types because of accidents that can occur in the kitchen.

Another decorating technique is to purchase utensils that match the overall room decor and add an element of functionality and beauty to the room.

Remember the main purpose of the kitchen is for food preparation. Make sure that your decor does not interfere with this purpose by limiting it to the walls and floors. Keep all work surfaces free of clutter and other non-useful items that do not add to the overall purpose.

Besides interior design, this author also frequently shares knowledge about retail POS software and school management system software.

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