If you want to update your beloved country kitchen, there are many things you can do without breaking the bank. The following ideas can help you dress up your kitchen and give it a little spice, without making major changes like flooring, new appliances, or even new cabinets.
Starting with a clean base, making repairs is key to any successful job. If your cabinets are in good condition, but you’re tired of the same old look, consider painting or repainting them; Or how about painting just the top or just the bottom cabinets? This style of paint lends itself to a country kitchen like no other design element.
Adding some hardware or changing existing hardware might be the most expensive thing you can do, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many attractive and inexpensive handles and knobs. You can think about mixing and matching different styles or going with antique glass.
Changing the backsplash is a bit more complicated, depending on what you have behind the counters now. A simple painted backsplash is the easiest to upgrade. You can use old or new tiles. The bead board is a tried and true field accessory. Plastic-like “tin tiles” are available at home centers that can be easily cut to fit and trimmed with wood trim to match your cabinets, painted or natural. You might think of sheet metal in the old diner tradition; also use a diamond pattern for a country look.
Depending on the style of your cabinets, if you have paneled door fronts, you can remove the panel and insert panels of cut-to-size glass. Your local window display or glass store will have a variety of glasses to choose from including, sanded, seedless, and ribbed, to name just three. They would all make a great statement in a country kitchen. I would recommend using this idea only on upper cabinets, for safety reasons.
If your cabinets are in bad shape, consider removing a door or two, leaving the cavity open, and adding baskets or buckets in a material that suits your style; the baskets and containers can be used to store tubers or anything suitable for an open container.
How about removing some upper cabinets all together? If you feel like your walls are too bare, add a bead board on the wall from the counter to the ceiling, then get some attractive iron brackets or rustic corbels and add some open shelving. Use the space to store your everyday dishes, for easy access, or to store serving bowls and platters up high, where they can be easily seen but out of the way for every day. If your dinnerware is colorful, displaying it is a great way to add color to your kitchen. If it’s white, try adding a dash of color to the backsplash.
Another easy solution for an updated look is to change the lamp. There are so many ingenious ways to make a country declaration. Take a colored strainer and turn it upside down; Or buy a hanging kit, available at the Home Center, and create a fun and colorful accessory over your sink. Let your imagination run wild here. Select a lantern or exterior accessory that is typically used outside of a barn; Clean and install it, and you have an instant country look.
