Tag: paint

Green & White ‘80s Kitchen Makeover: Before & After Photos

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
FURNITURE

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Moving into an older house can add great touches of history and character to your day-to-day in your home. (Think: turning an original brass door knob to walk in to your apartment, treading up and down stairs with a 100-year-old banister, warming up next to an original marble fireplace — the dreamy decade-spanning list goes on!)  

However, moving into a home that’s decades or even centuries old can also mean contending with outdated designs and design “upgrades” made over time that are markedly less aligned with your dream home aesthetic. But as this kitchen renovation proves, with a little handiwork, it’s possible to pay tribute to your home’s history while giving a space some welcome modern updates.

DIYer Morgan Pinch’s (@pinch_mor) house was built in 1912. But by the time she moved in, thanks to updates from previous owners over the past 111 years, her kitchen was mostly ’80s-inspired, from its beige tile and granite to its cherry-stained wood cabinets.

There were parts of the historic charm she wanted to keep, and other parts that were less charming. “I liked the layout and was obsessed with [the] stained glass window above the sink,” Morgan explains. “I didn’t love how dark the kitchen felt, even with multiple windows and overhead lights.”

With the help of her parents, Vicki and Clayton Pinch, Morgan set out to bring her kitchen into the 21st century with some fresh paint colors to make the room feel brighter while leaving its original layout intact. 

To kick things off, the trio took the cabinet fronts off and removed all hardware. After deep-cleaning the cabinets’ surfaces, they de-glossed and primed

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‘It’s unbelievable!’ This $13 hack gives your kitchen cabinets a total refresh of a makeover so they’re good as new

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
FURNITURE
White kitchen with glass fronted cabinets and granite countertops

White kitchen with glass fronted cabinets and granite countertops

Metallic hardware makes a timeless accent in any part of the home, be it bronze handles on your kitchen cabinets, silver light switch plates in the living room, or gold-effect faucets for your bathroom sink. The problem with these metals, however, is that tarnishing is inevitable over time, and while some of us love the aged patina of antique hardware, others prefer a classic sparkly shine.

We hate to break it to you, but no amount of polishing, oiling, or buffing is ever going to restore a tarnished tap or rusted towel rail to its former glory. Worse still, these details aren’t cheap to replace, either. If you’re fed up with your tired-looking hardware but can’t afford to fit new fixtures, then fear not. We’ve found a budget-friendly DIY solution that’s suitable for all your needs – from your modern kitchen handles to your retro living room lighting – and it costs less than $13 at Amazon.

brass taps in a white bathroom sink

brass taps in a white bathroom sink

We’ve all had to endure doors with rusted hinges or taps with a discolored tinge at some point in our lives. After a certain amount of time it might be easy enough to overlook these imperfections, but, as the glistening jewelry of a room, our hardware does more for our spaces than you’d think, no matter how minor the detail, so keeping it shiny and bright is of vital importance.

There are plenty of preventative measures to keep your hardware in check such as polishing regularly with distilled white vinegar, but sometimes restoring it through cleaning is out of the question. That’s when this clever hack comes in handy, and it’s super cost-effective, too.

Liquid Leaf paint is a much-loved staple of the crafty community, and it’s

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