Ugly Kitchen Lighting and Cabinets

• Fast Fix:
  Remove the light box and repair any holes in the ceiling, repainting if needed. Install track lighting with enough light fixture heads so you can light each work surface from above. Position the track in a U-shape around the room, about 12-18” in front of the ceiling cabinetry. Get advice when you purchase for your room’s specific dimensions and configuration. Putting lights on a dimmer will give more lighting options.
  

  See More:
  Lighting Fixture Sources
  Lighting Kitchens

#2 No-No: Solid Blocks of Upper Cabinets
Older kitchens generally have long stretches of boxy wall cabinets that are about as interesting as a cardboard carton. Spark up the look with our fast fix and you’ll have a more interesting kitchen in a week or less.

• Fast Fix:
  Select one upper cabinet with a pair of doors. Remove the doors and pop out or cut out the center panel inset. (No center inset in your doors? Cut out a center portion, leaving a 3-4” frame around the edges.) Sand, then paint or stain the cut edges if needed, or finish bare edges with strips of molding. Take the doors to a glass store where they can cut and fit glass and insert it into the center of each door. Look for interesting glass such as seeded (with bubbles), reeded (with a vertical design), or even glass with chicken wire (perfect for a French Country look). Since the glass can take up to 2 weeks to order and install, use that time to sand and paint the inside of the cabinet a beautiful accent color. Let the paint dry thoroughly before filling with decorative dishes, glassware, or serving pieces, and reinstalling the doors.

  See More:
  Frosted Glass Projects
  More DIY Project Ideas

Read Page 3: Walls and Islands
See more on Page 4: Windows and Hardware

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