Yesterday I engaged in a full-immersion cabinetry experience at a showroom in Virginia.
It can be a little overwhelming, even to a seasoned pro such as bossy color :) . So we understand the impulse to throw our magazine clippings in the air, turn on our heels, and run, screaming, “There must be a better way! There must be a shortcut!”
Well, Gentle Readers, there are little things you can do instead of renovating, as you know, but once you decide to go for it, there are no shortcuts.
Here are 3 so-called “shortcuts” and reasons to avoid them.
- Refacing the cabinets. Unless your cabinets are less than, say, 5 years old, paying money to reface them is a waste. The shelves will still be gunky, the drawers sticky, and the overall height too short. If you can’t afford to replace them with Ikea, sand and re-paint them – or at least replace the hardware.
- Replacing the countertop – and ONLY the countertop. First of all, if there’s a tile backsplash, replacing the countertop is impossible. You can’t rip it out without causing some damage to the tile AND to the cabinets below it. Second, a shiny new countertop on top of tired-looking cabinets will make the whole kitchen look shabby.
- Replacing the backsplash tile – and ONLY the backsplash tile. The same principle as above applies: it is impossible to remove backsplash tile without damaging the counter below it. (Kelly of Arte Styling told me about Making Arrangements‘ find: “tile tattoos.” Could be an option if your tile doesn’t already have a pattern on it.)
Are there any shortcuts YOU’ve been tempted to try – or worse, actually tried but failed miserably? Tell bossy color about it. We’re here for you.
Pictures of the grey, brown, green, and blue and white kitchens are from the marvelous xJavierx’s Flickr photostream. Still the best place I know for inspiration.
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.