Mood Lighting One of the best ways to add mood lighting to your kitchen is by keeping the bulbs hidden. If you have space between the top of your cabinets and the ceiling, consider installing some adjustable lighting fixtures. With a little hunting, you can also find some low-level fluorescent lamps that can be mounted underneath cabinets. Check for other areas of the kitchen and dining room that could use new lighting fixtures. A chandelier over the dining room table never hurt anyone, right? Pantry Makeover Chances are, your pantry is already overflowing. But you may not be using your space as well as you could be. Take a look inside and think about revamping the shelving space with new installations that make the most of your space. This could include basic additions such as door-mounted shelves, or bigger projects, like a multi-level cabinet with a lazy susan. Open Shelves Closed cabinetry is traditional and works for many kitchens, but open shelving is making a comeback. Try pulling out old cabinets and replacing them with open shelves to give your kitchen the feeling of more space. Even if you simply replace wooden cabinet doors with glass doors, you’ll add a feeling of openness. Customized Counters & Shelves Everybody talks about getting new counter tops, so why not make it happen? Popular materials include engineered quartz, which is resistant to scratches and stains, as well as polished granite or marble. For the budget conscious, laminate countertops can be made to look like stone, wood, or quartz. Or, to add a country cottage feeling, take a look at some sealed wooden countertops. Re-Sink After a while, every kitchen sink starts to feel small, get scratched up, or look boring. With a little cutting here and there, you can have a new stainless steel sink that will fit with your décor and last a long time. If you want to try something new, fireclay composites are scratch-resistant and easy to clean. Quartz is a good option if you already have quartz counters, and if you want something really unique, look into copper or natural stone. Make More from Your Space If your pantry is overflowing and you’ve really got no more room to spare in there, it may be time to look at new options in your kitchen workspaces. Find the areas that will least interfere with your workflow, and see if you can add more cabinetry or renovate existing cabinets to improve your use of space. These are just a few ideas to help you get busy in the kitchen before the fall season rolls around. None of these are major projects, but don’t let that stop you from going crazy. If you decide that it’s time for a complete overhaul, now is the perfect time. ]]>
