5 tips to freshen up your Kitchen and Bath

The summer is in full swing and the weather is gorgeous, yet you feel like your kitchen and bathroom could use a little TLC. Here are some great tips to get your spaces show ready for any last minute soirees that may pop up!


1. Fresh coat of paint or new wallcovering

This is the easiest and most inexpensive way to change a space that is feeling drab or tiresome. Dare to be different and add a bit of drama! You will be surprised at how the right color in a space can brighten your everyday life. 

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2. Change out existing hardware on kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity.

The hardware is the jewelry of the space. Base your choice on the style you want the room to embrace. Have fun with your decision -- it's just hardware!

decorpad.com

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3. New lighting and faucet fixtures

With the ever-changing trends and invocations in lighting and fixtures it's hard to stay on top of it, yet great lighting and fixtures can bedazzle the best of us.

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4. New Accessories

This can range from new towels and a mirror in the bathroom - to new rugs and a wine rack in your kitchen. Accessories are what make a space feel like a home, show off your style!

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This kitchen above is Gwyneth Paltrow's and Chris Martin's in their new $10.5 million dollar home.


5.  A deep cleaning!

Whether you hire someone to take care of this or do it yourself, there is nothing better for a drab space than a deep cleaning of all surfaces, nooks, and crannies.

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I hope these tips turn your kitchen and bath into the most fabulous spaces in your home!

Design the life you love.

Diamond in the rough: Have a piece of old furniture you are thinking of throwing out? Give it new life with these tips and tricks!

Maybe you have an old piece of furniture sitting in storage, maybe a family member or friend just got rid of a set and gave it to you but it doesn’t really go with anything in your place. Whether it is extremely dated or just not your style, there are a lot of different ways to revive a piece of furniture.

Here is an example of a basic dresser that was painted and had O'verlays applied to it. O'verlays are a great inexpensive product that you can apply to many different types of furniture that instantly add some unique style and personality to your furniture.

http://www.myoverlays.com/

Reupholstering furniture is another great way to update it. The dining chair image below shows a great before and after example of how to reupholster a dining chair. The frame was also painted.

There is a shop in Buenos Aires that refurbishes furniture. The chair below is just one example that shows how they reupholstered the cushions. While some pieces can be quite a task to reupholster, others are much simpler.

http://www.ravalwarehouse.com.ar/

The great thing about having old furniture that you have been thinking about throwing out, you can take a risk with a bold finish. Painting your furniture can be one of the most cost effective ways to revive a piece of furniture. This dresser below was painted with a beautiful cerulean blue color, and it looks like the edges were sanded down to give it a fresh but antique effect. Another great feature of this piece is that two different styles of hardware were used. This can definitely add more character to a dresser.

www.faceliftfurniture.com

Here is another example of how paint can transform your furniture. There are many different stencils that you can get to create artistic effects like the one below.

http://www.ravalwarehouse.com.ar/

www.coolknobsandpulls.com

www.coolknobsandpulls.com

Although small, don’t forget about the impact of unique hardware for your furniture. There are an endless number of styles, colors, and finishes to choose from. This can also completely change the look of your furniture so that you may not even recognize it after the transformation is complete.
 

Hopefully these tips and tricks will inspire you to take something you were thinking about throwing out, and turn it into your favorite piece of furniture in your home. Design the life you love!