I’m about to start work on my DIY kitchen makeover. I say ‘makeover’ rather than ‘fitting’ because we’re keeping the kitchen units in place and are planning to give the whole room a facelift with a new worktop, some window treatments and a lot of paint. I shared the ‘before’ photos on the blog in December, and I thought I’d show you what we’re working with so that you can follow along on this decorating journey with me…
WORKTOP
My new worktop has been delivered! I arranged the delivery for the first week in January so that I had no excuse not to get started on the kitchen makeover straight away. And it was a lovely surprise to the full run of worktop when it arrived. Sure, I’d seen photos online and had ordered samples (I blogged about my choices here) but you never really know what a full length of worktop will be like until it’s in your home.
I ordered a sparkly quartz effect worktop from HC Supplies but, as it was a laminate finish, I wasn’t sure whether it would look a bit cheap when it arrived. Thankfully, the only thing cheap about this worktop was the low price; the quality and finish of the worktop is perfect – exactly what I wanted. It’s mostly white with a subtle sparkle. The little flecks reflect glints of aqua blue and copper, which will match the new paint for the kitchen cupboards perfectly.
BLINDS
I’ve owned my home for a year now but have never had any curtains or blinds in the kitchen. This means that we’ve been reluctant to spend much time in the kitchen after dark, so we’ve been having meals in the living room, in front of the TV. I’d much rather be sitting at our kitchen table while we eat so blinds are essential.
I’ve chosen some moisture-proof blinds so that they won’t warp if cooking steam reaches them. We have two windows in the kitchen, but each is a different size, so off-the-peg blinds were out of the question. I was able to order the same style of 50mm venetian blinds for both windows with Style Studio’s made-to-measure service.
LIGHTS
At the moment, there’s a garage-like florescent strip light in the centre of the kitchen. It’s old and, honestly, I can’t believe it’s still working. While it certainly does a good job of brightly lighting up the room, I’d prefer a more up-to-date fitting. And it would probably be a good idea to choose a light that’s suitable for a kitchen. I like the idea of multiple lights on a track that I’ve seen on Lights.ie, which can be angled to provide pools of light around the room, but I’m worried that this might not provide enough task lighting. I’ve also been admiring my in-law’s new kitchen down-lighters and might fit some similar LED strips beneath the cupboards to cast light onto the sparkly surfaces.
SINK & TAP
You may have heard me talk about the sink before because I’ve owned it for longer than I’ve owned my home. I bought it online and the price was so low that I just couldn’t leave it behind. It came with a curved tap and all the plumbing needed to fit it. It has a half-sink in the centre for rinsing etc, which my husband has always wanted to have. I liked the square design on the drainer – it just looks so much cooler than the usual straight lines – although how practical it is remains to be seen.
PAINT
I’ve mentioned in the past that we’ve done some paint tests on the cupboard doors to find a durable paint. We wanted to add a bright colour and cover up all the old smudgy beige colours of the existing cupboard doors. I’ve decided on Rust-Oleum’s MODE paint and primer, which gave great coverage and a very hard-wearing finish. I’m considering having turquoise base units then painting the wall units white. I’m not sure yet so watch this space.
I’ll be back with another update when we’re DIYing the kitchen and in the meantime I’d love to hear your suggestions for lighting in a kitchen. What’s your experience with those angled track-lights? Do they provide enough light or create shadows? Let me know, your advice is very welcome!
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
