How can I spruce up my kitchen?

[joenali]

We live in a rental. It's your basic kitchen with nothing fancy. I would pip but it's not so clean right now. I just redid our bathroom with a few new items just to give it a different look. We have linoleum floors, brown wood cabinets, etc.What kind of items could I buy to spruce it up a bit without buying new furniture or painting.

Here is what I did to the bathroom. Excuse the wrinkled curtain, I should iron it, but I wanted to see what it looked like. I bought a $10 decal, a shower curtain from Marshall's, some new towels, soap and soap holder.

[anlo]

I have a small decorative plate hanging on one wall. Kind of like this:






A cute set of canisters for the counter might look nice. Is there room for a table?

[FastHands]

I would shout "I'm farting dandelion seeds!" every time I used your toilet.

I have no helpful advice. I suck at this stuff.

[joenali]

Jul 9, 2013 10:44:53 GMT -5 anlo said:

I have a small decorative plate hanging on one wall. Kind of like this:






A cute set of canisters for the counter might look nice. Is there room for a table?

We have a small table already, no dining room,

[anlo]

Wow, sorry that's huge. I don't know how to fix it.

ETA: For the table, a new centerpiece? Table runner/cloth? Place settings?

[joenali]

Jul 9, 2013 10:45:17 GMT -5 FastHands said:

I would shout "I'm farting dandelion seeds!" every time I used your toilet.

I have no helpful advice. I suck at this stuff.

Thanks for the constructive feedback.

[anlo]

Jul 9, 2013 10:47:41 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Jul 9, 2013 10:45:17 GMT -5 FastHands said:

I would shout "I'm farting dandelion seeds!" every time I used your toilet.

I have no helpful advice. I suck at this stuff.

My vagina is making a wish.

LMFAO!

[joenali]

Jul 9, 2013 10:47:41 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Jul 9, 2013 10:45:17 GMT -5 FastHands said:

I would shout "I'm farting dandelion seeds!" every time I used your toilet.

I have no helpful advice. I suck at this stuff.

My vagina is making a wish.

Awww! I'm feeling the love as usual!!

[leancuisine]

Do you have any color theme in the kitchen? You could get some cute hand towels to hang on the oven. There may be other matchy accessories, like the dish scrubber, soap dispenser or paper towel holder.

Decorative plates or maybe a fun sign could help. I have a sign in my kitchen with "There's always time for a glass of wine" on it and it has two wine pictures (that I scored for $5 each on craiglist) on either side.


ETA: Do you have a collection of fun coffee mugs that may be souveniers or something? Maybe diplay them somehow?

[FastHands]

Jul 9, 2013 10:47:41 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Jul 9, 2013 10:45:17 GMT -5 FastHands said:

I would shout "I'm farting dandelion seeds!" every time I used your toilet.

I have no helpful advice. I suck at this stuff.

My vagina is making a wish.

Shit, that was so much better. *snort*

[joenali]

Jul 9, 2013 11:04:04 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Could you talk to your LL about updating the kitchen or letting you update the kitchen?

They might let us paint, but would have to get the color approved I'm sure.Its currently a beige color. I would love it if they ripped out the linoleum and at least replaced it with better looking linoleum.

[Booze Raccoon]

A curtain in the window? (assuming you have a window). Some decorative hand towels, canisters, a large fruit bowl with a nice pattern? Does your landlord allow you to paint? One of those signs that have some kind of food related saying?

Clean it up and PIP so we can see it!

[papie]

In rentals, I always found painting the walls a nice bright yellow helped. Then a few colorful accessories on the counters, flowers on the table, pretty curtains. It would be easier if you posted a picture.

I like your dandelions ftr.

[joenali]

Jul 9, 2013 11:08:27 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Ask about the linoleum! That's how we got the vinyl tiles (which are stupid, don't get those). How long have you lived there? Maybe they are planning to do this stuff when you move out anyway.

4 years.

[RoxMonster]

Some vases with flowers?

Our kitchen is wood floors, white cabinets, white brick backsplash and gray paint, so very neutral. I have some hot pink faux flowers in vases in a few different places and the color really pops and brightens up the space.

I also have a teal rug in front of the sink that helps bring in some color. So my advice without seeing the space would be florals and colorful rugs.

[joenali]

Jul 9, 2013 11:11:02 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Oh, I had another idea - changing the hardware on the cabinets. I always meant to do that in our apt but never did.

Is it weird that there isn't any hardware on our cabinets?? I don't even think there is a place to put hardware.

[candreco]

If there's hardware on the cabinets and drawers, that can be changed out easily and inexpensively, and you can put the old stuff back when you move out if you want. I'd also ask the LL if they'd let you paint, with their approval of the color so you don't have to repaint when you move out.

ETA: nevermind on the hardware

[WOT?*]

Wall words.

I'd go with colors on a floor rug, coordinating dish towel on range door, utensil holder with utensils (you can get spatulas and gadgets and stuff in all sorts of fun colors), a picture or poster or two for the walls, maybe a window topper or covering. Hit up Ikea for some fun colors and designs, Costco for fairly traditional or one of the local shops for flavor. (Why do I have the feeling you're West of town?)

[Deleted]

In a rental where you can't paint, I like to do LARGE canvases of one or two colors ( think like a BOLD Mango & Pink or Turquois and Orange). Either 4 in a grid, or 3 with ombre across or just one large canvas. As big as will fill your largest wall stopping right above the furniture. I find that it gives the impression that the room is " painted" to the eye, when in fact it is not.

Also try black and white vintage photos printed in engineer prints at Staples ( for like 10.00) then put a " wash " of paint color across it (like one color) and modge podge to a large canvas. More graphic, and adds color.

Pick up that color in a pretty patterned table cloth, get some vases for flower and get a smaller pattern in a simmilar color for curtains (like a BIG floral that picks up the Mango from the canvas, and then a small mango and pink check on a curtain ruffle)

Also I have seen some cute kitchens on Houzz where they spray each chair a different color. You could do B&W photos ( LARGE SCALE ENGINEER PRINTS ) on the walls and then have funky chairs.

A big gaudy gold mirror spray painted a POP color ( like orange ) could also work to bring color and light in if the space is dark.

If you want to go " traditional art" go to your local art school on open house and browse. You can walk away with something totally unique for less than 200.00 and often LARGE scale ( art schools love to push working BIG). A big painting will make a HUGE statement, much more so than a ton of accessories or counter clutter.