Fast Fixes for Ugly Kitchens

Older kitchens often have their own charm, but some are blemished with outdated features that hide their assets. If that's the case in your kitchen, it's time to fix these "uglies.

Home decorators have identified five "uglies" that can be quickly fixed, even on a low budget, to rescue your kitchen from looking like a throwback to the mid-20th century. These "uglies" are: fluorescent ceiling lights, blocks of upper cabinets, boring white walls, no kitchen island, and ho-hum window coverings.

Get that cheap fluorescent light box down from the ceiling and patch the holes. Repaint it if need be. Then install track lighting in a U-shape around the kitchen, setting the fixtures about 12 to 18 inches in front of the cabinets. Ask the lighting store for advice about how many fixture heads to install for the size and shape of your kitchen. However, be sure to get enough lights so that you can illuminate any work space properly.

An older kitchen can always be identified by its upper cabinets that look like they fell off the cardboard-box truck. Pick one large cabinet with a pair of doors. Take the doors off, and remove cut out the center panel inset. If there's no inset, then cut out a center portion and leave a 3- to 4-inch frame. Sand the cut edges, then paint or stain them if necessary. You could also finish bare edges with molding if you'd like.

Next, take the doors to a glass store where they'll cut and fit the glass into each cabinet door. Consider getting glass with an interesting design. Some common patterns are called "seeded," which means it has bubbles, or "reeded," which has vertical lines or waves. It can take up to 2 weeks for the store to order and install your glass, so take that time to sand the inside of the cabinet and paint it a lovely accent color. Be sure the paint is thoroughly dry before replacing the doors and refilling the cabinet.

Get over your fear of color, because paint is the easiest and cheapest way to brighten up a room. What's more, wall space in a kitchen is typically smaller than in other rooms, since it's usually in the areas around cabinets. Be sure to protect the cabinets and countertops with blue painter's tape and plastic drop cloths. Then let your imagination roam free. Want something hot and spicy, or comforting like Mom's beef stew? The choice is yours, just be sure to get a paint that's easily wiped cleaned, such as a satin or semi-gloss finish.

This one's easy: A ready-made kitchen island can be purchased at home improvement stores. The trick is to get one that fits the dimensions of your kitchen, allowing a clearance of at least 30 inches in all directions. Don't worry about making it match your existing cabinets or counters. Contrast in the kitchen is cool.

Here's another fast fix: Get rid of those outdated café curtains and broken window blinds. Fill the holes in the wall, and then head out to deck your kitchen windows with wood blinds, some snappy shutters or an attractive Roman shade with a snazzy valance. Dust and vacuum your new window treatments regularly to keep them looking fresh.

Once you’ve got all these changes implemented, your kitchen will look like something that belongs in the 21st century!