Only too often the kitchen is left out when it comes to house renovations and considering it is still thought of as hub of the home this is puzzling. It isn’t half as expensive or time consuming to redecorate your kitchen at you may think. To convince you of this here are a few current kitchen trends with ideas on how to achieve them.

Black & White
Unexpected yet, really effective, the combination of black and white or light and dark in any case works. If you have wooden cupboard doors you may be able to strip and paint them, or alternatively buy some replacement kitchen doors which reduces your outgoing spend enormously compared with completely ripping out everything and starting again. Matt black is a compromise between modern yet won’t date and is also accepted by most ages if you ever plan on selling your property. If your kitchen is a bight colour and you’re trying to tone it down this colour scheme also works wonders making it look very modern and clean and allows you to add accessories in other complimentary bright colours.

Farmhouse
The country cottage style kitchen featuring various shades of cream, warm wood cupboards and paisley or floral accessories has been a trend forever, yet it is a fail-safe option in terms of kitchen décor. You can find cheap paint in both your local DIY shops than usually have a section for damaged tins as well as the tip, would you believe. You might find the perfect vanilla cream shade to paint your walls, if you’re lucky enough to already have traditional pine cupboards. Alternatively, you might even strike gold and find some wood paint to enable you to transform those awful blue mdf doors and drawers to a more neutral colour. For the added extras charity shops and car boot sales are a treasure trove of traditional accessories that really will cosy up your kitchen.

Oriental Brights
This option can be implemented on any scale depending on how brave you are experimenting with bright, clashing colours. Orange, reds and yellows with black accents are the key to this theme. Think Chinese lanterns, red tasselled light shades and even fairy lights. Utilise the fact that these colours are very current in interior design and buy what you can that will last. For example, lighting, which can be expensive, however if you already have a shade that you can rework or replace or a few halogen lights where you can alter the shades then brilliant. There really is no need to buy everything in, as often the fixtures and fittings you have can be repurposed. As for paint, refer to the earlier advice about sourcing it cheaply. Tester pots cover more wall than you think so if you are only painting a small space, or are stencilling then that may be your best bet.

Botanics
Botanics is all about bringing the outside in by using various shades of green accompanied by leaf and floral prints. This look works best when it isn’t overdone so make changes gradually so you don’t regret them later. If you have a dining area then possibly recover those old cushions you didn’t know what to do with, using a bright and busy leaf print fabric (off cuts from your local haberdashery are usually available at a very low cost) and use them on the chairs in your diner. Painting one wall, in any shade of green, is also an easy yet effective way to transform that plain magnolia room into a warm, spacious and inviting room.