Have you just bought a house containing an older, less charming kitchen? It needs a thorough overhaul, but your budget thinks otherwise ... Don't panic, even without brand-new cabinets and worktops, you can transform the most used room in your house into a cosy and contemporary living space.
Interior stylist Anne-Catherine of CloClo.be shows how in 2 easy steps.
Step 1 A new floor on top of the old one
Step 2 DIY styling does the rest
We show how this works in the kitchen of a young Belgian family.
A new floor makes a big difference, both in look and comfort. If your old floor is in good condition, you can simply lay a new floor on top of it. And if you lay a thin insulating underlay first, it will be a lot more pleasant to walk on in bare feet.
Interior stylist Anne-Catherine: ‘With this Limburg family, we advised laying a warm laminate on top of the old, chilly tile floor. We suggested a water-resistant laminate with the look and feel of real wood. The family decided on Ocean 8 V4 laminate Gyant Natural from BerryAlloc, the ideal low-maintenance solution for the kitchen. This floor isn’t afraid of an overturned glass of water or a jar of mayonnaise hitting the floor. Moreover, this laminate has a warm and cosy look. A real winner.’
Once you decide to install a new floor, you have a huge choice. Stylist Anne-Catherine helps you choose:.
1. Do you go for modern or timeless?
Herringbone is still totally hot and happening. Anne-Catherine's tip: ‘When choosing a floor, think about what you can live with on a permanent basis. Trends are nice, though it's better to choose something timeless for a floor that you will still love years later.’
2. Devil in the detail
‘For me it's important that a floor doesn't look cheap, so that's why I pay attention to the markings in the wood, the colour, the sound when you walk on it, as well as the depth of the wood structure in the planks. Such details make a world of difference. Be sure to also pay attention to details like the grooves, which immediately take your floor to a higher level.’
3. Make your space optically larger
‘A light colour and/or XL planks make your room look bigger. This family's kitchen is big enough on its own, but the shade of the floor makes it look even bigger. The direction in which you lay the planks also plays a role. For example, is your kitchen long and narrow? Then break up the space by laying the planks widthwisewidthways. This will make as it will make your kitchen look a lot wider.’
4. Samples, samples, samples
‘Choosing a new floor is not something you do every day, so ask for samples of floors you like. Lay them in the room, look at them from all sides at different times of the day, in daylight and artificial light. So that your floor is totally your thing at any time of day!’
A new floor works wonders, but some fresh styling completes the picture. ‘Try to carry the style of the house through to your kitchen, which makes for a nicer whole,’ Anne-Catherine says. Anne-Catherine gives you these and more tips:
Anne-Catherine ‘Do you want your floor to really pop? Then opt for an accent wall. For this family, we chose a fashionable green colour to match the mood and styling of the rest of their home. Thanks to the contrast between the accent wall and the laminate, the floor stands out even more. To find the perfect shade, try out swatches on your wall. Make sure to look at them at different times of the day. After all, the colour on your wall evolves throughout the day.’
‘If you go for an accent wall, keep the rest of your styling simple. That way attention goes to your beautiful floor and wall. Don't add too many extra colours in the room, rather go for different textures.’
‘Make sure you mix & match materials. Besides the wood tone of your floor, choose some other materials. For example, in this kitchen we added glass through the lighting, a rattan stool and lots of plants. A space always looks best when you combine different materials.’
‘Want to give the kitchen furniture a makeover? That can be done on a budget by opting for new doorknobs, painting your kitchen cabinets or installing a new worktop.’
