10 kitchen remodelling quick fixes

6. Get creative with knobs and handles.
Changing knobs and handles is very easy. There are so many styles to choose from -- I've seen handles shaped like fruit, vegetables, knives, forks, spoons and even teapots. Be sure to measure the distance between the holes of the handles, as they are not all the same. There are backer plates available that will cover existing holes should you need to drill new ones.

7. Change the cabinet fronts.
There are several ways cabinet fronts can be embellished or totally changed. If the doors are flat, add moulding to give the illusion of a panelled door. This can be done very inexpensively using screen moulding. Draw a line around the door (1 1/2 to 2 inches in from all sides is pretty standard).

Cut the moulding to that length, mitre the corners and attach to the front of the cabinets with wood glue and 1/2-inch tacks. If you have panelled doors, remove the panel from a couple of the doors and replace them with glass. Consider coloured glass that is available in sheets. Cut the glass to size and secure in the same way as you would reglaze a window, using glazing points. Another alternative is to insert plain glass and use faux stained-glass paint and faux leading (available at craft stores) to really create a focal point.

8. Update appliances.
Are your appliances working great, but the colour went out years ago? Fronts of dishwashers and some refrigerators are easily replaceable. Most manufacturers offer several colours, or you can have fronts made to match your cabinets - check with your cabinet manufacturer.

Appliance paint can also bring you a new colour. Just remove the handles and use masking tape on any areas you don't want painted. Also, place the appliance in a spray booth to prevent over-spray. Hint: An appliance box makes a great spray booth (check with your local appliance dealer; they will more than likely have some empties).

9. New flooring.
There are so many types, styles, patterns and colours of flooring to choose from it will make your head spin. A couple of points to keep in mind when looking for flooring: Ceramic tile is thick and will make your cabinets lower (about 3/4 inches or more) than you are used to. For me that was a good thing - I'm 5'1" and standard cabinets are a bit too tall for me. Self-adhesive vinyl tiles have come a long way over the years and are very easy to install, not to mention they are much cheaper than some of your other choices.

10. Add accents.
The kitchen is a great place to display collections, and you can make inexpensive pine shelves and secure them with ready-made brackets. Or, you can sandwich each shelf between two strips of 1'-by-1' pine boards cut about 1/2 inch shorter than the shelf. The shelves should fit very tightly between the one-by-ones. Paint or stain them.

Another fun accent is colourful placemats. This is also great way to save some of your children's artwork, or dried leaves or flowers. Simply place a design between clear, self-adhesive laminate cut about 1/4 inch larger than the size mat you want. After the laminate has been adhered to front and back of design, trim off about 1/8 inch of the laminate. Leaving the small outside trim will seal the objects. The mats can be wiped with a damp cloth without disturbing the insides.