If you have a mass produced suburban home, it was most likely built with few options available - especially custom upgrades.
Your kitchen is probably boring and looks very similar to the kitchens in your neighbors' homes.
Here are some tips, tricks, and ideas for how to give your kitchen a custom look without a total kitchen remodel.
photo courtesy of Susan Serra flickr.com/photos/kitchendesigner/3742319711Paint
Painting your walls or cabinets is the cheapest custom kitchen upgrade that you can do.
Since there are millions of colors of paint, whatever you select will be custom to your home.
Consider coming up with a unique color combination for your kitchen.
Remember that your upper and lower cabinets do not need to be the same color.
Knobs and Pulls
Add cabinet knobs and pulls to your kitchen cabinets.
They are functional in that they keep your hand from damaging the cabinets and are also jewelry for your room.
The upper cabinet knobs are usually near eye level, so make sure they are good quality.
Do not select a multi-pack of knobs and pulls from the hardware store. Opt for something more unique instead. Shop online for a greater selection.
Lighting
Lighting is a necessity in the kitchen, but it can also be decorative.
If your home came with a big fluorescent box in the middle, upgrading your lighting with recessed cans and perhaps a ceiling fan, pendant light, or chandelier would be nice.
For a light fixture that is more unique, consider using a vintage light fixture.
Also, don't forget about under cabinet and above cabinet lighting for a truly custom look.
Plumbing
Upgrade your sink and faucet to help customize your kitchen.
An stainless steel undermount sink with a stainless steel faucet is a good choice, especially if you have stainless steel appliances.
Consider a built in soap dispenser to minimize clutter on your countertops.
Appliances
Upgrade your appliances to create a custom kitchen.
Consider getting a cabinet front dishwasher so that it will blend in with the rest of your cabinets.
Stainless steel appliances are also nice.
If you have a refrigerator that sits next to standard cabinets, you may want to get a counter depth fridge so it doesn't stick out any farther than the base cabinet fronts.
Consider investing in a professional style gas range or cooktop. Most professional style gas ranges and cooktops come in 30", 36", or 42" wide. You might need to remove a section of cabinets in order to fit a larger range. If you do not plan on changing out your cabinets, make sure the range you select is the proper size (The average home has a 30" wide range).
Instead of a plain vent hood or microhood attached to cabinets above your range or cooktop, consider getting a professional style stainless steel vent hood (This may require removing the small cabinets over the hood).
For added customization, consider adding extra appliances that you might want in the kitchen. You can add an extra dishwasher, cooktop, or oven.
Upgrade to specialty appliances, such as a capuccino machine or wine fridge.
Countertops
Get new custom countertops to make your home one of a kind.
There are many different surfaces to choose from.
Select a countertop that was not an option when building your home, such as a large scale granite or a countertop made of recycled materials.
Backsplash
Install a unique backsplash to make your kitchen more custom.
Since the backsplash does not require large quantities of materials, so this would be an opportunity to use a more expensive product.
A unique natural stone, such as onyx, would be unexpected.
Classic subway tile is very affordable, but consider installing it in a unique custom pattern.
Flooring
Upgraded flooring in your kitchen would be a nice custom feature.
A natural stone tile is a good option.
Wood or wood-look laminate is not the best choice since they do not perform well in wet areas, however wood-look LVT (luxury vinyl tile) would function well.
Cabinet Fronts
If your cabinet boxes are in good shape, you can replace only the cabinet doors and drawer fronts with something more interesting. Contact the manufacturer of your cabinets to see what door and drawer styles are available in the finish on the front of your cabinets.
You can even have the cabinet boxes refaced to a new stained wood or painted for a new look.
For an easy update to some of your cabinets, simply remove a few doors for open shelving, but make sure the inside of your cabinets coordinates with the outside of your cabinets.
Also consider painting your kitchen island an accent color for a custom look different than all of your neighbors' homes.
Another option is to add extra moldings to the top and/or bottom of your cabinets, such as crown molding. If you are not refinishing your cabinets, you can buy the moldings from the cabinet manufacturer. If you are planning on refinishing your cabinets, you can buy unfinished moldings from your local hardware store and have them painted or stained the same color as your cabinets.
