By Shad D. Johnsen, CKD

Scenario-  It’s November 2nd, and your brother calls to let you know that their home is not available for Thanksgiving.  Now, the burden of hosting the family gathering is on your shoulders. What is your first thought?  The Kitchen. You think through the twenty discussions you have had regarding remodeling your 1980’s kitchen.  You didn’t really like it when you moved in, and always planned to improve the materials, not to mention the layout and usability.  Unfortunately, you don’t have the time to design, plan, and implement an entire kitchen remodel in the next three weeks. But, to think about hosting a group of 13 adults and 18 children would be so much more pleasant with at least a facelift!

Here are some ideas commonly and uncommonly used as a quick way to get a nice change without all the cents:

1. Paint:  What a dreadful thought right?  Yes, it can be, especially when you decide to put on the painting gloves all by yourself.  So, I highly recommend to have a professional do the work. Usually, it will take about 1-2 weeks for a painter to liven your old, aged oak, alder, maple or other wooden cabinets.
2. New Appliances:  As long as you stick with an appliance in the same dimensions as your existing you should be fine.  Don’t forget to check for electrical demands, water line needs, location requirements of your connections and the such.
3. See Through:  If you have doors that are made from five pieces of wood (five panel), a flat panel or raised panel, then you can have glass inserted in them.  Simply have a carpenter remove the center panel from the back of the door, then have a beautiful piece of glass added for that extra touch of class.  Just keep in mind if you want the contents and inside material of the cabinets to be visible or not.
4. Easy Access:  There are plenty of aftermarket accessories to choose from to enhance the usability of your storage items.  Items such as roll-out shelves and recycle bins, spice racks, cutlery dividers, drawer organizers, cutting boards, and more.
5. Fancy Flow:  Certainly replacing the faucet with something not only better, but more beautiful, can be a quick fix.  Plus, if you purchase the faucet that you really want, it is quite easy to use it in your future kitchen remodel.
6. Top it Off:  Crown molding was not very popular in the 70’s and 80’s, primarily during the drop ceiling era, when cabinets were flush with the ceiling.  If you have the space, it is a beautiful way to finish the cabinetry. It may be difficult to match the existing finish, so may have to be creative in coordinating.
7. Floating Floors:  There are some great floating wood floor products on the market now that can be installed over existing flooring.  Some of these products are very good quality, and again can be reused upon actual remodel of kitchen.  Some of them include floating luxury vinyl tile or planks, engineered wood or laminate, and even the heavier floating vinyl sheet option.
8. Handle It:  Most cabinetry 20-30 years old did not have any hardware.  If you are not sure if you want knobs or handles, try using a knob to start with on the doors, and it will serve as one of the two holes if you choose to change to handles later.
9. Add Some Splash:  A backsplash can add artistic flair and interest to the space.  Whether it be with tile, brick, faux painting, embossed tin, stainless steel, or more, it is an easy way to draw attention and make a statement.
10. Let There Be Light:  There are some undercabinet lights on the market that are battery powered.  Easy to install and inexpensive. Also, if you have a home that was introduced to the can light world, and contains incandescent light bulbs, try changing to LED (Light Emitting Diods).  They will burn longer and brighter. Also, they will fit in the same socket as the other bulbs.

Most homeowners that remodel their kitchens go through an assortment of the above steps and usually much more.  However, if you are looking for something to make a difference for a few years, an appropriate selection of these just may do the trick.