Get Busy With Fast and Easy Kitchen Decorating Ideas

Jan 25, 2012 by Frank Scherer

Just ask any realtor and they’ll tell you that when it comes time to sell, the most important room in any home is the kitchen.

It’s generally the first room that potential buyers will check out and the one room one that can really make or break a deal.

So what this means, is that if you have selling on your mind you might want to check out some clever kitchen decorating ideas that not only make your home more marketable but in the mean time also make it a better place to live.

Techniques that not only work to create more space in the kitchen in a literal sense but also for sure some of the more clever have to be the decorating techniques that create “the illusion” of a larger room.

Kitchen Decorating Ideas on a Budget

A window greenhouse is a fast and easy low cost upgrade that while it doesn’t bring added floorspace, it does work to expand your field of vision. Particularly if the window’s over the sink. They’re far less work to install than you may think too because you have your choice of models that involve removing and replacing the window or the labor saving option of buying one that simply screws to the outside window-frame in just minutes.

“Look through as many magazines, photos, websites (e.g. houzz.com), home improvement channels (HGTV)…whatever you can to find out what your style is and what you want. It’s very difficult to go to a kitchen design store and have them design something for you if you don’t know what you want.”

Then it’s definitely old news that crown-moulding is a sure fire way to bring an upscale look to a kitchen but what most people don’t know is just how affordable it is to buy.

It costs about $1-$1.50 a foot and if you have a ladder, hammer, and sharp handsaw you have all the tools you need for the job.

Do keep in mind though, that crown-moulding that goes on at a 45 degree angle can be tricky to splice together at corners, so you may want to go with the type that sits flat on the wall. Measure, cut, nail it up, caulk the edges and you’re done.

Now of course you’ll have to paint it too, so while you have the paint, brushes, and ladder out, and everything masked off you may want to consider giving your cabinets a fresh new coat of paint for a brand new look.

Not just a coat of any paint either but instead a color that works to make the room seem bigger and there are interior decorators posting free info online now who have broken that down to science. Then if you’re on a real tight budget don’t forget that it costs you nothing to unclutter your counters because this alone will work wonders to make your kitchen appear to be more roomy.

Small Kitchen Decorating Ideas

“Today’s modern kitchen is a place that serves many roles so it’s often the center of social activity, Functioning as a social gathering place as well as for food preparation.”

A small kitchen can present some of the biggest challenges and for sure the last thing you need is any changes that make it look even smaller.

So the trick here is to look at larger homes to skim off kitchen decorating ideas that you can transplant into your project for a larger look.

Now the good news here as well, is that smaller size means lower material costs which in turn makes it easier to splurge on more expensive products when it comes to something like a countertop backsplash for instance.

Kitchen decorating ideas like this are a surefire way to capture that “big home look”, and with a smaller counter you can go with, say polished granite and still stay under $100 on material costs.

Then when it comes to lighting, if you have a smaller kitchen odds are that you also have “small kitchen lighting” as well.

So check out light schemes that are more spread out to finally rescue you from the “one light in the center of the room” syndrome that just “screams small”. Layered lighting for instance, done with string lights that tack up under cabinets, and small affordable pendant lights that draw the eye up and out for a more spacious effect.

Country Kitchen Decorating Ideas

The country or vintage look in kitchens will no sooner go out of style then antique furniture will. So if you’re brainstorming for kitchen decorating ideas that make good economic sense this design motif is well worth taking a look at. No it’s not the cheapest but it’s not the most expensive either. The big plus here though, is that you don’t have to worry about your kitchen appearing dated ten or fifteen years down the road after you’ve poured your money, time and effort into it.

Painted wood paneling just “screams country”, and the secret is now officially out that it’s nowhere near as labor-intensive as it looks. “No it’s not installed one plank at a time” like you may have thought. You can buy country style wood paneling in 4′ x 8′ sheets down at your local warehouse hardware store, and it just tacks up against the wall.

“Nothing says country like the barn look of flat-board paneling”

Make sure you locate the studs in the wall first though, so you know where to drive your nails and add trim on the edges for a nice finished look.

Then when it comes time to paint you’ll for sure want to go with a “country color”. Paint stores have made that so much easier too by researching and blending paint colors specifically tailored for the country design motif.

You’ll be amazed to see what a difference colors alone can make in capturing the “country effect”. While your at it though, keep one thing in mind that fast changes to your cabinets may be in order to complete the total country look you’re after.

Glass windows on cabinet doors for example are one proven technique but if you’re on a tight budget or have other kitchen decorating ideas that are higher on your priority list changing handles, and knobs is a fast, and cheap fix.

There’s just loads of “kitschy rustic” handles available online but before buy make absolutely certain that they’ll pop right into the same holes that you have on your doors and drawers, so you don’t end up having to spackle the holes you have and drilled new ones to fit. Then finally when all is said and done, decorating with country style “wall and shelf” accessories is a definite must.