Simple extras

To gain more bench space, put up microwave support brackets or a microwave shelf. When selecting the position for the microwave support, remember that all microwave doors are hinged on the left. 

You will need 600mm of space, sometimes more, so read the manual that came with your microwave. Where there is some spare wall space, add a timber shelf in a country-style kitchen or a glass shelf in a sleek modern style for canisters and other items. If you have a breakfast bar, consider making a feature of the back panel facing out into the living/dining area.

Change it to another colour or glue on a series of horizontal timber batons or PVC-edged melamine of a contrasting colour. Add a toughened glass panel, back painted in a colour matching the highlight colour in the kitchen. 

Not enough bench space? A movable butcher’s table with chopping board and drawer from Hafele could solve that problem. Add a basket on the open shelf below for a country cottage look.

Drawers and cupboards

If the insides of drawers and shelves are unable to be brought back to new with a good wash then consider lining them with contact paper or non-skid matting. 

If you have an older kitchen where the shelves have been edged with iron-on tape that has lifted or broken off, you can buy new edge tape and iron it on yourself.

Buy a new cutlery insert if the existing one is stained or damaged. Mitre 10 have a range of these, including one that will expand to fit a 600mm wide drawer and it has a matching utensil insert too. 

For those with modest DIY skills, sanding back your cupboard doors and repainting them in contemporary colours is a real option and reasonably low cost. Always take your time with the sanding and preparation, as this is what will determine a quality outcome.

Cabinet handles

Revitalise the kitchen cabinetry with a really simple exercise, replace the handles with more stylish, up-todate ones. Go for a more contemporary look to appeal to you or potential buyers. Older kitchens will have handles with 96mm between the screw holes. It is important to measure this before going out to buy replacements. This measurement can limit the choice but there are many options in the Sylvan range. Hafele also have longer handles available with modern and sleek designs up to 136mm long, but with screw holes at 96mm For a country or cottage look kitchen, you could choose an antiqued drawer pull, bronzed and brushed, in gold or black, which will add real character.

Wallpaper

Highly underrated and yet stunningly simple as a feature, covering a wall in an eye catching wallpaper gives you the benefit of easy installation and great cost benefits. Wallpaper can add class with colour and texture all in one.

Paint the walls

Choose a branded paint designed for use in kitchens and bathrooms. All the right information is available from your Mitre 10 paint advisors. A light colour from white through to light beige will give an up-to-date look for any style of kitchen, using a light colour will give small rooms a feeling of space and large rooms a background to add a splash of colour. Adding colour can be achieved in many ways, like painting behind the cook top or stove, or add texture with a splash back of tiles; try a touch of modern with a back-painted piece of toughened glass. Glass painted metallic silver looks stunning, as does a rich red and even black in the right room.

Centre of your home

It’s the heart of your home – where everyone congregates, where the kids drop their bags and make for the pantry and where great food is created and consumed.

Does your kitchen need a total transplant or just some tender loving care? Perhaps you want to enhance the look and feel of your kitchen because you plan to put your house on the market soon. This month we look at simple ways to modernise your kitchen with practical tips to maximise space and decorating ideas to blend in with the theme of the rest of your home.

There are many ways to freshen your kitchen and give it a new lease of life without it costing the earth.

Think about the general theme of your home; is it ultramodern, modern, country style, a cottage look, 1950s or something in between? You want to make the kitchen compatible with the style of the rest of your home and achieve a sympathetic look.

Consider your budget for this upgrade. How much you decide to spend will be affected by your reasons for doing this. For example, if you are planning to sell soon, think carefully about the return on your investment. If the kitchen is a blot on an otherwise good home, then make it look as fresh and new as possible for the minimum investment.

A good rule of thumb is: if you are planning to sell within two years (especially on the current market), do as much as you can to make it look good and stick to your budget, but do not replace the whole kitchen.

If you plan to be in your home longer, you need to weigh up the cost of revitalising your kitchen and compare that to getting a completely new kitchen. You could do the simplest and least expensive things for an instant lift and save your money for your ultimate dream kitchen a couple of years down the track.

Whatever the reason for a kitchen makeover, the first step is to de-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter.

Get rid of those old cake tins you haven’t used for years; cracked and chipped casseroles and crockery dishes can go; surplus plastic containers can be sold; the old dried flower arrangement needs to be binned; stained fruit bowls and baskets are history; duplicated utensils thrown out and old appliances traded for new.

If you can’t bear to part with them, then pack them in cartons and stow them.

As you go through each cupboard and drawer, wipe it out with cleaning product and give all surfaces includingcurtains, windows, light shades, shelves, stove and range hood a good clean then stand back and assess your kitchen.