Hello, Gentle Readers! Do you recall that the other day I started discussing kitchen renovations? Well, let’s pretend that you’ve done the “how long do I plan to be in this house” exercise, and you’ve grudgingly come to the conclusion that a full-blown renovation is NOT in the cards right now. Here’s a revised reprint of “3 Cheap Ways to Perk Up a Tired Kitchen” to tide you over.
1. Add a rug – a bold one.
Yes, it will get trashed over time, but it will bring warmth and character to an out-of date kitchen. Look for flatweaves, patterns, and darker colors. (If you’ve been nervous about ordering a rug online, this is the time to experiment. The kilim at right is from Rugman.com.)
An indoor/outdoor rug also is an option – and they seem to be everywhere now! Look for a super flat one. Ballard Designs has a great collection, including the Arcadian Indoor/Outdoor Rug below.
2. Address the windows.
First, buy a cheapie cafe curtain rod at a store like Linens & Things or Bed Bath & Beyond.
Next, using rings with clips, hang vintage or other colorful dishcloths. Hang the rod roughly in the center of the window, so that the fabric brushes the window sill.
The flamingos are through Etsy, and the beautiful tea towels below are by Ferm Living through Velocity Art & Design.
To illustrate, this is the “temporary” window treatment I put in our master bathroom. It’s been up for four and a half years. I’d just unearthed the 28th UNOPENED box of linen handkerchiefs my grandmother had squirreled away for, oh, forty years or so, and I resolved to put them to use. (You’ll be using more festive, colorful pieces in your kitchen, though.)
3. Hang photographs or plates.
No photographs smaller than 8 x 10, please, framed in lucite, and hang several. Kitchen walls are a fantastic place for your honeymoon safari pics or other of your artistic photographic endeavors (I do suggest pictures of things rather than people). If you don’t have a tile backsplash, hang pictures in that space instead.
As for plates, I’m talking about funky contemporary ones, not Grannie’s…Anthropologie is great for these. Hanging one or several over the sink looks especially great.
Are there any tricks I’ve missed? If so, I’d love to know about them. Remember: these are temporary measures to hold us until we bring in the wrecking balls and go crazy with the contractors.
Hopefully, that day is right around the corner.
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to The Seattle Times and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.