Whether your kitchen is simply a relic with a formerly trendy look or a full-blown fixer-upper, you can transform your dated kitchen and bring it beautifully into the 21st century. New design trends allow you to showcase your personal style with the latest appliances, smart features, and truly functional and beautiful design. Let’s explore some fun, creative, and functional ways to transform your outdated kitchen into a welcoming, joyful, dream kitchen!
Ideas for Transforming Your Dated Kitchen
Kitchen remodels can get expensive, but keep in mind, you don’t have to do it all at once if your budget simply won’t allow. Instead, consider these ideas which can be done as stand-alone projects or all at once as part of a full kitchen remodel.
Add New Flooring
While your floor is always underfoot, it is often overlooked or bumped to the bottom of the to-do list when kitchen updates are considered. The truth is your flooring is important in bringing your kitchen up to date! You may be looking at worn out flooring or simply flooring that has gone way out of style (linoleum comes to mind) and want to upgrade to a more timeless option. Wood and tile are great options, as are travertine, slate, and other natural stones, all of which promise to provide a resilient long-lasting surface, while increasing the value of your home.
Upgrade Your Countertops
More visible than flooring, countertops are a focal point in your kitchen which needs to deliver on function as well. If your countertops are past their prime in both style and function (maybe the old grout and tile or vinyl), an update is definitely in order. Natural stones options like granite and marble, as well as quartz, solid surface, stainless steel, and concrete top out today’s popular options and offer the needed resilience and longevity for many years of beauty and timeless style.
Add Open Shelving
One of today’s hottest kitchen trends is open shelving in place of upper cabinets. If your kitchen space is on the smaller side, removing upper cabinets and adding open shelving, maintains your storage capabilities while opening up the space and improving the room’s aesthetics as well.
Paint Your Cabinets
If installing new cabinetry is not in the budget right now, you can paint or stain your current cabinets to give them a whole new look. Colors are trending right now, particularly vibrant blues and greens, as well as classic black. Of course, you can add your own flair with glazes and stains, or techniques like distressing or color-washing.
Add Smart, Energy Efficient Appliances
Today’s kitchen appliances can not only help you go green but also help you accomplish everyday kitchen tasks smarter! Upgrading your kitchen with the latest energy efficient appliances is an ideal way to transform a dated kitchen, lower your carbon footprint, and save water and energy, as well as money. Plus, you get the added bonus of up-to-the-minute smart technology and make your kitchen more beautiful in the process.
Enhance with New Lighting
Don’t let lighting be an afterthought in your kitchen updates. Lighting is crucial to functionality and safety in the kitchen but is also important to ambiance and setting the proper mood to welcome everyone inside. You can choose from recessed lighting, accent lighting, pendant lighting, and even a dimmer switch to enhance the style of your space.
Complement Your Transformation with Hardware
Your dated kitchen is likely awash with metals that were popular ages ago, so don’t forget to complement your transformation with new kitchen hardware. You’ll have you choices of draw pulls, handles, faucets, range hoods, and even light fixtures with modern metals like stainless steel, aluminum, brushed copper, and more.