A strategic approach to renovation:

DIY kitchens with remodel-lite projects

(ARA) – If DIY kitchens are on your mind in today’s challenging economy, you’re taking a look at how you spend your hard-earned dollars. And while you may not have the necessary budget to tackle a major home improvement project, there are many homeowners who are choosing a more strategic approach to remodeling – by refreshing kitchens and undertaking small projects one at a time.

This new methodology toward the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement is something that is quickly growing, goes beyond quick fixes and simple decor updates and actually involves a completely new mindset. This concept is so relevant, in fact, that the researchers at Moen, the No. 1 faucet brand in North America, have identified it as a home improvement trend: “remodel-lite.” Read the rest of this entry

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(ARA) – While economic factors have slowed consumer spending in the home improvements category in recent years, new reports, including one from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, show homeowners are planning to invest in their kitchen renovation.

What’s more, data shows that these homeowners are looking to bypass the professionals when possible and take common kitchen renovation projects into their own hands. Read the rest of this entry

Technorati Tags: DIY Kitchen Renovation, DIY Kitchens, home improvement projects, Kitchen Renovation

(ARA) – If you’ve looked into kitchen renovation at all, you’ve probably heard some staggering numbers – it costs $15,000 or more, on average, to update one of the most important rooms in the house. In this economy, who has that kind of budget? Yet don’t we all deserve a kitchen we can love, not just live with?

Updates that will help you love your kitchen don’t have to come with a heart-stopping cost, or involve tearing out cabinets and replacing countertops. In fact, it’s possible to seriously improve the livability and lovability of your kitchen with some designer tricks that each cost $150 or less.

Here are five do-it-yourself ways to give your kitchen a whole new look for not a lot of money: Read the rest of this entry

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(ARA) – There’s nothing quite like the look of a new counter-top to give DIY kitchens style and personality. Perhaps that’s why countertop replacement ranked second only to cabinet replacement when homeowners considered a kitchen renovation project.

Unfortunately, with counter-top prices at $10 to $30 per square foot for laminate and up to $200 per square foot for high-end granite, counter-top replacement can be a real budget buster. But what if you could transform your outdated laminate counter-top without the time, mess or expense associated with replacing it? Now, it’s easy thanks to innovative, do-it-yourself coating systems like Modern Masters Countertop Transformations.

“Homeowners today are looking for counter-top materials that are durable and functional, yet appeal to their sense of style. Since the kitchen occupies a highly visible space in most homes, some homeowners would rather delay replacement than settle for anything less,” says brand manager Ashley Lehrmann. “Fortunately, now there’s an affordable alternative that gives old laminate counter-tops a premium designer finish without the expense or mess associated with replacement.”

Countertop Transformations replicates the look of today’s most sought after counter-top materials – like natural stone – and gives old laminate counter-tops a durable finish in less than a weekend – for less than $275. And, the system is so easy to use that anyone who can paint can get beautiful DIY kitchen results in three simple steps. Read the rest of this entry

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You can have that classic antique look without going to a great expense if your thinking of a DIY kitchen renovation. Many people believe that you need new cabinets to get that old time charm. This is simply not the case. With some paint, sandpaper and an antique glaze, you can easily create the same look for your kitchen cabinets.

Your local home improvement store carries a vast array of different glazes to assist you with you antique endeavor. An acyclic water based glaze is the easiest to work with as you can use a wet cloth to wipe off any areas that you mess up. Glazing is a pretty easy process, but you want to be careful how you apply the glaze.

Follow along as we explain how to achieve the look in the picture to the right. Read the rest of this entry

Technorati Tags: DIY Kitchen Renovation, DIY Kitchens, Kitchen Cabinets Design, Kitchen Renovation