Like a lot of Americans, I’m obsessed with home design shows like “Fixer Upper.” Every time I see Chip and Joanna Gaines demo a kitchen, I imagine ridding myself of my stained counter tops once and for all.
Sixty minutes later, with the magic of television, my kitchen could be perfect. Brand new cabinets, quartz counter tops, shiplap and a farmhouse sink — I can see it now. Then reality hits. Unless I can find $50,000 in loose change underneath my couch cushions, remodeling our kitchen isn’t in the budget.
What can a kitchen dreamer like me do? Chip and Joanna aren’t showing up at my doorstep anytime soon. How can I make my kitchen better on my own without spending money?
Here’s the thing. When kitchen makeovers are shown on television or in the pages of magazines, they always have one thing in common: My family doesn’t live there. The refrigerator doesn’t have student artwork and there aren’t dirty dishes in the sink. Nobody has left half of the cabinet doors open for no apparent reason.
OK, Debbie Downer, that still doesn’t answer my question. How can a kitchen dreamer like me improve my situation? Two words: elbow grease.
Here’s my 10-step plan for freshening up a kitchen in one afternoon.
1. Open the window and let in fresh air. Clean the window while you’re at it.
2. Clear off your counter tops. This step is the hardest, but it will make the biggest impact. Is there an item that’s been sitting there for months and become invisible? Deal with it, even if it means throwing the item away.
3. Wipe down the cabinets with a soapy sponge. Clean the grime, and those cabinets will look newer.
4. Replace light bulbs as needed. Make sure the bulbs are the same color.
5. Glean your pantry for the food bank. Be honest, you’re never going to eat that can of jackfruit you bought at Trader Joe’s, but somebody else might really enjoy it.
6. Be ruthless about small appliances. If you haven’t used something in a year, donate it.
7. Harden your heart and remove 90 percent of kid art and/or random things from your refrigerator. It doesn’t mean that you are a bad person.
8. Attack the top of the refrigerator. It’s easy to throw boxes of cereal up there when you come home from Costco, but that looks junky.
9. Examine your dishtowels. If you find one that looks sad, add it to the rag pile.
10. Set up a beverage station. Chip and Joanna love a good coffee bar, and you can have one too. Find a pretty jar to hold tea, hot chocolate and sugar packets, and set it next to your coffee maker. If you have the space, add an electric kettle.
Voila! You’ve got a brighter, fresher kitchen — and it didn’t cost $50,000. Now all you need is a bouquet of magnolia blossoms.
Jennifer Bardsley is author of the books “Genesis Girl” and “Damaged Goods.” Find her online on Instagram @the_ya_gal, on Twitter @jennbardsley or on Facebook as The YA Gal.
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