Quick & Easy Kitchen Upgrades to Refresh Any Space

This Old House Magazine

For many homeowners, a complete overhaul is out of reach. That doesn't mean you can't refresh your space with small upgrades. Here are Step-by-Step instructions for TOH's most popular quick and easy kitchen projects. Tackle one or more of them this weekend. -Tabitha Sukhai


Your cavelike kitchen feels that way because the dark cabinets have sucked all the light out of the room. But a brighter makeover doesn't necessarily mean replacing those gloomy boxes with all-new cabinets. As long as the frames and doors are structurally sound, you can clean them up and brush on some new paint-and within a weekend take that kitchen from dreary to sunny. As This Old House ­senior technical editor Mark Powers shows on the ­following pages, all you need is some strong cleaner, sandpaper, a paintbrush, and a little elbow grease. What you don't need is a whole lot of money, as the transformation will cost you a fraction of even the cheapest new cabinets. Get full step-by-step instructions, a shopping list, and a tools list for this project at thisoldhouse.com

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There's a missing element in most American kitchens, and it's not a $7,500 range or a 4-acre refrigerator. No, it's simply good lighting. And a well-lit kitchen begins with undercabinet task lighting. These hidden fixtures, which are fairly easy to retrofit beneath upper wall cabinets, bathe the countertop in bright white light-a boon for everything from dicing veggies to reading recipes. Get full step-by-step instructions, a shopping list, and a tools list for this project at thisoldhouse.com

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How to Hang a Pendant Light


If you're going for homey and cozy in your kitchen, skip the built-in cabinet-base island and instead make the central work area a furniturelike table with a butcher-block counter. Because these thick wood-slab tops have their edge or end grain exposed, they are stronger than wood laid on the flat. That means they resist warping and nicks better than laminate and almost as well as stone. This project will result in a portable food prep and/or breakfast-dining surface, with the added benefit of lower shelving storage. Get full step-by-step instructions, a shopping list, and a tools list for this project at thisoldhouse.com

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Removing Stains From Countertops



Make the most of your kitchen's existing storage space by installing a pull-out shelf in one-or all-of the base cabinets. The shelf resembles a shallow drawer that glides out for easy access to items stored in the back of the cabinet. Get full step-by-step instructions, a shopping list, and a tools list for this project at thisoldhouse.com

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14 Brilliant Kitchen-Cabinet Tweaks