Updating your Kitchen or Bathroom

If you are looking to sell your home, your kitchen and bathroom(s) are important rooms that buyers tend to focus on. Just updating those two spaces can increase your asking price, and, potentially your selling price. If you are not looking to sell, but want to update those rooms because they feel outdated, these are the three areas you want to address.

Lighting can improve the ambiance of any given space. You want your kitchen and bathroom spaces to feel light and bright. Windows letting in natural light are ideal, but you can replicate that mood with good lighting. Florescent lighting is affordable, and that’s about where the positives end. It looks inexpensive, dull, and does not provide sufficient lighting to make a space pop. The first thing that should be updated in any kitchen or bathroom is the lighting. Recessed lighting (with or without a dim switch), chandeliers, pendant lights, and floor lamps are all good options, depending on the size and decor of the room. There are a multitude of lighting options at your local hardware or furniture stores (including online retailers), so pick the lighting style that you like best. 

Flooring

Now that we’ve tackled lighting, let’s move on to the flooring. Floors take on the most wear and tear – more than any other part of a home - especially in rooms that are used as often as bathrooms and kitchens. If you’ve still got linoleum floors in those spaces, which are still found in older homes, it’s time for a revamp. Nowadays, there are so many affordable options that are also of good quality to choose from. If you want to splurge, marble, porcelain, or wood will elevate any space. Otherwise, materials like tile, laminate, vinyl, and stone are great options. New flooring will update the look and feel of your kitchen or bathroom, and can still look cohesive with the flooring in the rest of your home.  Any combination of materials, finishes, and colors you choose can be customized for your space. 

Color This is definitely my favorite way to update any room in a home. Whether it’s the color of the walls, cabinets, counters, floors, furniture, accessories and everything in between, color can transform and bring to life any space. Kitchens and bathrooms with outdated cabinetry and wall or tile colors can greatly benefit from this one change. Here are a few things you could try in your home. If you don't want to spend money on new cabinets (or, like the ones you have), paint cabinets, and walls, with more trendy or classic colors. Replace outdated tile with new neutrals, keeping everything monotone, or bringing in subtle pops of color. These changes will bring your kitchen or bathroom not only into 2019, but will make those rooms look brand new. 

What have you done to remodel your kitchen or bathroom space?