If you read a lot of home decorating magazines, you will eventually notice that the "before" and "after" photos show a kitchen going from dingy to delightful in just one photo. This is fine for people with huge budgets (or more likely, huge debt), but what can people with modest budgets do? This kitchen is an example of how you can slowly improve your home by making a series of renovations as you can afford them. In the first picture, you can see that the kitchen was in a cramped "U" shape, with an intrusive breakfast bar that kept the cook from interacting with the rest of the family. In Phase One, we simply took out the intrusive wall and used an existing pantry to house the refrigerator. This made the kitchen "livable" until the client could afford to take the next step. In Phase Two, you can see that we have added simple cabinets below the left-hand counter and over the refrigerator. We also covered the old linoleum with nice "granite" flooring that is actually peel-and-stick tile. Last but not least, we built a simple custom kitchen island to extend the rustic feel of the kitchen. In the final phase, we replaced the laminate counter and cheesy white backsplash with nice, warm-colored tile. We also panelled over the dated "popcorn" ceiling and called in an electrician to install new lighting. Regardless of what home decorating magazines say, you don't have to do everything at once. Just make sure that you work with your handyman to make a good plan that fits your budget. Need a local handyman to help with your next home renovation? If you're in the Asheville area, give us a call!
Well, I've been meaning to write a new post for a while. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get Frontier out to fix my internet connection..? Sooo, until then, I'll just keep the posts brief. Okay, a handy tip: To get rid of minor squeaks in your floor, sprinkle area that squeaks with talcum powder. Operative word here is minor squeaks. If its in your sub flooring, it won't work. But its easy and worth a try. How many times have you considered a paint color from one of those tiny color samples? Its bad enough figuring out if you like it in the store under florescent lighting. And when you get home and tape it to the wall, it's still difficult to get a feel for whether you like it or not. Paint colors differ depending on the light in the room or the colors that surround them. I've chosen colors many times only to find them too orange, yellow or green.
Well, here's a plan to get a better idea of whether you like the color in the room or not, without painting a small section of the wall. Buy some 2'x3' construction paper, and several of those pint sized samples that Lowes sells in various shades of the color you're considering. Now you can paint the construction paper and tape it to the wall. You can move it to different places in the room or move it to another room that you're planning to paint. Hope this helps!
|
About
Connect!
Archives
April 2022
This blog is for entertainment purposes only. See our Terms of Use for details.
|
What Our Clients Are Saying
"Arthur is that rare professional handyman who is totally reliable; fairly priced; pro-active in communications; honest; punctual; skilled -- and a really nice guy." "Arthur is a great resource to have here in our area. He's prompt, professional, does great work and is cost effective. I'll definitely use him again!" |
Follow Us:Email US AT:Service Area:
In-town Asheville
Mars Hill and Weaverville Arden and Fletcher Fairview Popular Services |