For most families, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. And it’s nearly always the busiest room when friends and family drop by. But if your kitchen is outmoded or looking just plain drab, some easy, cost-efficient upgrades can make it more inviting without undertaking a major remodeling job.

Walls

Wallpaper styles come and go. And if your walls were papered more than a few years ago, you’re probably living with a design that’s no longer in fashion. For a timeless look, strip the dated wallpaper and replace it with a bright new coat of paint. Be sure to choose a color that nicely complements the floors, countertops and cabinets.

For a modern take on wallpaper, look for mosaic tile collections that showcase beautiful tiles and patterns, providing texture for any wall in your house. Trend USA offers patterns ideally suited to give tired accent walls a fresh twist.

Countertops

Full kitchen remodeling work can create chaos in that heavily used environment. But you can update the overall appearance of the kitchen by simply redoing the countertops. Granite Transformations, a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company, can transform a kitchen in one day by replacing your countertops with heat-, cold- and scratch-resistant glass or granite. For an even more elegant look, consider mosaic tiles inspired by traditional Italian glass mosaics.

If you’re nervous about making such a drastic change, fear not: new technologies are making it easier for consumers to visualize potential refurbishments. A new iPad application, iGRANITE, allows you to upload a snapshot of your space and change the colors and textures of every surface of the room. More details about downloading the app can be found at www.granitetransformations.com.

Appliances

No appliance, however durable, will perform optimally forever. When is the last time you replaced your kitchen appliances? It might be time to evaluate if your products are really doing the job.

Replacing major appliances such as stoves and refrigerators might sound like an expensive prospect, but outdated products are not always as energy efficient as newer models.

– Courtesy of StatePoint