WebNovDec18

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If you’re looking to invest in a kitchen redesign,
there are experts on hand locally and you can
always pop into the Wee Kitchen Shop for
inspiration and expertise. Or, if your budget is tight
or you’re feeling creative, there are plenty of great
ways to make a big difference for a small output.
Start with a clear out. Do you actually know how
to use half the gadgets you have? When was that
juicer honestly last used? Go through all the tins
and jars and check the dates on the stuff at the
back. And have your plates and cups seen better
days? Clear the decks so you can see the space
freely.
Make sure not to waste anything. Odds and
ends can go to charity shops, or sentimental bits
and bobs can be made into something beautiful.
We have a mish mash of mugs that have
chipped and cracked over the years, but mugs
are something we always buy each other in our
family, so I can’t bear to throw them out as they
all have stories attached – my current project is
making a mosaic creation from the bits of broken
crockery. This would work well around a picture
frame or mirror for a simple statement in your
refreshed room.
We also have a huge big gravy boat which
is really colourful but I’d rather look at it than
use it, so this is now pride of place on top of
the cupboards with a plant now living happily
inside. Or put up a little shelf just for herbs,
paint it brightly and use your old cups and
mugs to house your basil and sage pots, great to
keep your favourite bits on view and handy for
keeping some fresh herbs close to where you’re
stirring the pot or brewing a mint tea.
Another craft I love just now is glass painting.
I had a host of old glass bottles and storage jars
that I’ve now painted in multicolours and filled
up with stones and fairy lights as eye-catching
book ends. Great on either side of your recipe
books covered in colourful fruit and veg, or
painted with stars and rainbows as a nightlight
for little ones. The recipe books are another
world of creative opportunity. For years I
struggled to resist buying them and I have a
ridiculous hoard of books that I will likely never
refer to so I plan to use them to paper a feature
wall in a future kichen refresh.
So once you’ve cleared away all the extraneous
matter, give everything a good old scrub and
see what state it’s in. Try and look with a fresh
eye to identify the weak spots. It might be the
most random of changes that make the biggest
impact, for example, have the years of teabags
taken their toll on your sink? Fresh taps and a
replacement sink can make a huge difference