6 super ways to upgrade your kitchen

Being a homeowner, you’re going to spot the best trends and want to upgrade your home bit by bit over time. Whether you have a view to selling up or you choose to upgrade for yourself, you’re going to do much better in your home if you make sure that you give it a makeover from time to time. 

The kitchen is one of the most renovated rooms for most homeowners. It’s the social hub of the home and it’s where you cook your meals. It’s definitely a room that requires kitchen floor maintenance, upgraded cabinetry and better fixtures every now and then. Below, we’ve got six super ways to upgrade your kitchen and make the space work for you. 

Image Source: Pexels

1. Start with your cupboards. Whether you have both standard kitchen cupboards or a walk-in pantry, you know that these are one of the essential elements of your kitchen to make it look as good as it does. They are there to store everything from food to plates and pots. Reinventing your cabinets will immediately alter the look of your kitchen, as will upgrading from wood to other materials. Of course, a huge renovation can cost a lot but renovating just the cabinets? This will help you to take down the price.

2. Give it some style. The kitchen should be reflective of the rest of your home and your personality. It’s for this reason that you should consider upgrading it to be more stylish and modern. With good kitchen floor maintenance, you can ensure that your kitchen maintains a modern look, and you should consider showing off some of the most precious glassware and kitchen items. Open shelves, for example, add instant style.

3. Change up the lighting. Kitchens should be packed with light so that you can see what you’re doing while you cook/eat/work – whatever you choose to do! You could consider adding more lighting, or expanding the size of the kitchen windows to let in more natural light.

4. A lick of paint. Some kitchen walls are wallpapered and others are painted. If you don’t want to paint the walls or change the color from a plain one, think about painting your cabinets or door/window frames. Opt for brighter colors if you want to continue a theme, but gentle pastels also work really well for your kitchen.

5. Go with wood. Kitchens with scrubbed wooden tables and wooden cabinets are kitchens that are reflective of natural elements. Wood can, of course, scratch and dent. So, opt for porcelain for the floor to avoid dents and scratches popping up all over the kitchen floor.

6. Clean it up. The kitchen is going to look ten times better when it’s been professionally cleaned. You can call in the experts to come in and do it for you before staying on top of it all yourself. Kitchen hygiene is so important and you know how to keep on top of your kitchen so that it looks beautiful no matter what.

** This was a contributed post.

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rocky mountain decals wallpaper

Now that our basement renovation is complete, we can start to focus on our main floor once again. With baby arriving in just over three months, I am in serious nesting mode! I know that we will be spending the majority of our days in our living room, so Geoff and I decided to give it a quick makeover before she’s here.

I first came across Rocky Mountain Decals on Instagram. I instantly fell in love with their wallpaper and knew that I wanted to do an accent wall using one of their designs. They have beautiful and removable wallpaper that looked fairly easy to install.

After we narrowed it down to three, we ended up ordering Willow & Wings. It arrived quickly and I went about installing it. Even with a five-month pregnant belly and on a step-stool for a good portion of the morning, it was easy to put it up! Geoff came home with our children and couldn’t believe the transformation. It instantly made our living room walls feel so much taller, and we were able to transform a wall without several coats of paint and all of the time that it would take to do so.

Above is the before photo.

We love the way that our accent wall from Rocky Mountain Decals turned out! I would definitely order more for future room renovations.

Emory

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renovating our bonair pop-up camper

Last month we bought a vintage pop-up camper off of Kijiji. The ad seemed like we wouldn’t need to put a lot of work into it, and the pictures were few and shot from afar. After speaking with the owner, she made it seem like we would be able to pick it up and go camping right away! How misleading that all was.

My husband went and bought it on a day off and I stayed home in order to take Remy to a birthday party. It was listed for $2000. He told me not to negotiate a price until he arrived, so I didn’t. When he got there, he said that it needed work. He offered her $1000 and they settled on $1500. When I heard how much he paid for it I thought that she was getting the short end of the stick and I felt a little guilty. Then Geoff came home with the camper, set it up, and I realized that $1500 was a more than generous offer. 

The owner was not truthful about a lot of things. She said there were no leaks when there were leaks, that the fabric was all in good condition when really every cushion was ripped and had holes, that the canvas was in great shape when it wasn’t, and so on. On top of it all, it was missing the sink and faucets, the propane stove was in hideous condition, the furnace didn’t work, and there was no water tank, among other issues.

Above is a “during renovation” photo. In one month, this is what we ended up accomplishing:

– installed new screens

– curtains + hooks

– bedding

– wall plates

– furnace

– fridge

– cabinet knobs

– hinges

– lighting

– plumbing

– propane tanks

– water tank

– door handle

– stove

– sink + faucets

– countertop 

– table

– dinnerware

– rug

– peg shelf

– scraped the ceiling 

– mended the canvas

– ccclllleeeaaaannnneeeeddddd

I’m tired from just recounting and writing all of that! But in all seriousness, it was a lot of work. We certainly could never have just picked it up and gone camping with it. However, it was worth it. We were able to keep her vintage qualities and yet make her new again.

Emory

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4 ways to upgrade your outside space

Image credit 

Is your backyard ready for outdoor parties, barbeques, lawn games, and family dinners?

Your outside space is an extension of your indoor living space and a wonderful place to spend time in the Summer. Keeping on top of your backyard duties in the Winter is not always very appealing, so it may need a little sprucing up! 

Your backyard should be a welcoming space to spend time with the family or entertain guests in the sunnier months. It can get expensive to renovate your backyard, but there are many cost-effective ways to upgrade your backyard, regardless of the size, without breaking the bank. 

#1 DIY canopy 

Why not indulge in some alfresco dining this Summer? Building your DIY canopy does not cost a lot of money and can add a stylish eccentric vibe to your outdoor space while protecting you from harsh sunlight and even rain! Add some curtains for extra shade and even add some fairy lights to brighten it up at night. 

#2 Sort or replace your grass 

The grass can make or break any theme you are trying to create with your backyard, regardless of how expensive your decking is! If the grass is not in good shape, it will ruin the vibe.

Consider spending some time nurturing your garden by removing any weeds, watering during dry spouts, and even adding a small stoned path to protect the grass. Another inexpensive option could be to completely replace the grass if it is too far gone, or if you don’t have any already. Surprisingly, there are different types of grass that you can choose for your garden, but it is best to do your research first, so you can decide which is best. The most common debate for best lawns is bermudagrass vs tall fescue

#3 Build a seating area 

The best (and cheapest) seating areas are the ones you build yourself. All it takes is some old wood, food palettes, or even old bricks and concrete slabs and you can build a customised seating area. When you build it yourself, you can make it as big or small as you want, as well as decorate it in your unique style. Building your own creates that trendy rustic look. 

#4 Outdoor cinema

Once you have your DIY canopy and seating area set up, a fun addition to your backyard is an outdoor cinema. This can easily be achieved on a budget, with the only investment being a small projector to hook up to your laptop where you can log in to your favorite streaming service or watch old-time DVDs. Bring things you already have in the house, like a bedsheet for the screen and cushions and blankets to cozy up with, get some popcorn and enjoy a warm summer’s evening with your cinema! 

There are so many ways you can upgrade your backyard in preparation for summer fun, without breaking the bank. It just requires you to think outside the box and get your hands dirty. If there is anything this past year has taught us, it is that we need to spend more time with friends and family, and in nature! So make sure your backyard is up to scratch!

** This was a contributed post.

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6 tips for planning a summer home renovation

A summer renovation is just the thing that a home needs after a long winter. People can fix things outside and inside their home as people enjoy the fresh, clean, summer air. If you are planning a renovation, they are probably looking for some tips on the best way to get things done. 

Here are 5 best tips for planning your summer home renovation. 

Start in the Early summer 

Upgrades and renovations that take place outside are ideal for summer renovations. People can soak in the sun and fresh air while crossing some things off of their to-do list. The earlier in the summer people start, the more motivated people will be to complete their list. 

It is also important to have a comprehensive list of things to do. The best thing to do is to check your home thoroughly to spot any unsatisfactory parts. Before making any additions or improvements, you can even fix the lasting problems you have been procrastinating on. For example, the leaking faucet, noisy fridge or shaking dryer. Simply give a local appliance repair company a call to fix any issue right away.  

Consider the Style 

Making changes to your home is exciting, but you also need to make sure that any new changes are consistent with your current style. Or if you want to completely change your home style, you need to make sure that everything matches it. For example, the color is the one of the most obvious factors you can think of. If you plan to get a custom drape for your living room, you want to make sure it matches your new flooring or ceiling tiles. So does other furniture in your living room.  

Order Materials and Labor in Advance 

Renovations take place across multiple stages and the earlier people start planning, the more prepared they will be. It takes time to pick out a contractor and get materials delivered. To make sure people have everything set up and ready to go by the time they want to start their project, people will want to book these things months in advance. The good part is that there are promotions or deals from all kinds of stores like flooring stores or window companies. You can take advantage of them before they go away.  

This is also important when it comes to permits. For example, if people want to build a fence, they might need a permit from the city. These take time to get approved, so file in advance. 

Research Contractors 

We’ve all heard stories of people hiring contractors that take their money and do an awful job, or completely flake. To avoid this, homeowners will want to spend plenty of time researching the person people are going to hire. Read reviews of other people who have hired them to get a feel of how they work.  

Consider Return on Investment 

When people are thinking about any kind of renovation, it is important to consider the return on investment. Even if selling their home is not on their list at the moment, people should consider how the renovation will increase the value of their home. 

Consider Budget 

Budget is extremely important to consider before people start their renovation. people will need to think about every task that will be completed so people can create an accurate budget for the project. Keep in mind that people might want to paint, replace doorknobs, or resurfacing their cabinets.  

Another point that people may ignore is that the budgeting is only related to the projects itself, and it is more related to the overall expenses of the family. You need to take into account any possible big expenses like family vacations or clear teeth aligners for kids, etc.  

Taking on projects by themselves will save people money, leaving people more room in their budget for the actual renovations. 

** This was a contributed post.

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  • Hello! My name is Emory. I am a wife, mother of four (three on earth in heaven). This is our life on the Canadian prairies.
    email: helloscarlettblog@outlook.com

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