Decor Portfolio

{mosimage}Improving the kitchen and bath to function at their best generally falls into the realm of remodeling, a subject that this book doesn’t address. But there are several cosmetic improvements you can implement in the kitchen and bathroom with minimal expense and disruption to your daily life.

Often just perking up these areas of your home can make them – and you – feel like new.  Making a kitchen lighter and brighter can help it seem larger and more functional.  If you’re tired of the look of the cabinets, consider covering the door fronts with a heavy-duty, vinyl-coated wall covering that matches or coordinates with one on the wall.  A slightly textured surface offers visual interest, yet is easy to keep clean.  Painting the rest of the cabinetry and the ceiling a color that’s close or tint or shade will provide continuity and make the room appear larger.  If the upper cabinets seem to close in on the space, remove the doors altogether in one section to put colorful pottery, mugs. Or china on display; a fresh coat of paint on all cabinet surfaces will tie together both open and closed shelving. Dark-stained cabinets can make a kitchen gloomy, so you might look into hiring a refinisher to bleach the wood.  The pleasure derived may well outweigh the cost.
 Finding enough storage and counter space in nearly always an issue in the kitchen.  A compact island on wheels can help ease the pressure providing a work surface on top and self-contained storage beneath.
 If a quick visual fix is all you have in mind, simply redecorate the background and introduce new accessories.  Create faux paint finishes on walls, ceiling, and floor; choose a completely different window treatment; cover chair and stool cushions with a cheerful, easy-care fabric; change the knobs and drawer pulls in cabinet fronts for hardware with a more updated look; buy new pots for your old plants and a canister set to match your new color scheme.
 Like kitchens, bathrooms can get a fresh outlook from a simple face-lift.  You may not be able to change unappealing outdated tile, but a clever paint scheme or a well-chosen wall covering can make it less noticeable.  Lackluster tile can be sparked with a new decorative tile border that echoes the wall coverings design of the colors of the flooring material.  Mirrors are an excellent way to increase the apparent size of a small bath.  Position them so that sunlight doesn’t hit the surface directly, however, or create uncomfortable glare.  Mirrors, too, are essential to the rituals of grooming, as is the presence of even, flattering light, ideally, mirrors are illuminated with a series with a series of small lamps around the perimeter; if that’s not possible, install a row on each side. (Artificial light from above tends to cast shadows that interfere with shaving and putting on makeup.)  If the bathroom lighting comes from a fixture in the center of the room, consider installing a small track system to shine light into corners and wash walls for more even general lighting.  In any event, convert to dimmer switches so that you can control the amount and intensity of the light. 
 You can disguise a homely shower-tub with new frosted and etched doors, or less expensively with an attractive fabric curtain hung over a waterproof liner.  If you have a little leeway in your budget, consider a new finish on the porcelain tub and sink – there are companies who specialize in resurfacing fixtures – or call in a carpenter to adapt the antique cabinet you recently acquired to house the existing sink.
 Most bathrooms have limited storage and not enough space to hang damp towels.  When several family members use the same bath, additional towel racks can be installed in a staggered pattern at different heights.  Foldaway wood or metal clothes dryers are another practical solution.  Or you can outfit the back of the door with dowels or a rack that pulls away from the door when needed and lies flush when not in use. You can create extra space to stash linens, grooming supplies, and so forth in out-of-the way places: storage cubes or rectangular baskets can be turned on their side for easy access to items and stacked in one or more corners; shelves that extend to the ceiling can be added over the toilet – and even over the window and door.