Throughout the 1970s, iconic, earthy colors like avocado green and harvest gold made up the vast majority of hues used in kitchen design, usually paired with shades of dark brown, rust or almond. Regrettably, these colours can make your kitchen look dated and dull. Even though a total kitchen makeover can cost tens of thousands of dollars, you can take some basic steps to improve your kitchen’s look without spending a lot of money.
Older Appliances
The first giveaway that your kitchen has been designed in the 1970s is the presence of appliances in average earthy colors from this age. If you are stuck with an old stove, fridge, dishwasher or other kitchen appliance that is still in working order, you can just paint it to give it a contemporary look. This is especially beneficial if you have a mixture of more contemporary appliances and old ones in dated colours. Paint them to fit in a colour of white, black or stainless steel. Use appliance-specific epoxy and remove all grips and other hardware before painting.
Dark Cabinets
Most kitchens in the 1970s included dark wood or laminate cabinets. A fast way to give your kitchen a facelift, without needing to replace these cabinets, is to cover them with a bright, fresh coat of paint. This is a job which may be accomplished in a weekend and also will not cost to undertake. Remove all the hardware in the cabinets, clean and sand them. Fill in any unsightly holes with wood filler and unlock them using a high-build, sandable primer to get a smooth finish. Put on the colour of latex acrylic paint of your choice, then let them dry. Depending on the cabinets, you may need more than 1 coat. You can either just reattach the hardware or replace it for a more contemporary look.
Ugly Walls
If your kitchen walls are painted an ugly colour of rust, gold or avocado or are covered in sticky 1970s backdrop, a coat of paint may be all you need to spruce up your dreary kitchen. You do not always have to remove the old wallpaper if it’s in great condition; rather, cover it with a coat or two of paint to save yourself the problem of removing and repapering the walls. Another option is to cover unattractive, old paint having short term curtain, an inexpensive option that isn’t labor intensive. You simply stick the self-adhesive sheets into the wall and trim off any excess. This is helpful, especially if you’re renting your home or intend on altering the pattern in a later time. Temporary wallpaper may also be used to cover old cabinets without needing to paint them.
Countertops, Backsplashes and Flooring
Laminate countertops and ugly backsplashes can date your kitchen and can readily be covered without needing to replace them. Tin ceiling tiles can be tilted over unattractive backsplashes to provide them a contemporary and attractive update. Another option is to paint backsplash tiles with ceramic tile paint to change a obsolete color scheme. Rather than replacing laminate countertops, spruce them up with different coats of countertop paint, that is watertight and isn’t easily scratched. Cover no-longer-groovy floors with waterproof snap-together or click flooring, which floats over most existing flooring materials. These flooring pieces snap together with a tongue-and-groove design and are manufactured from, or resemble, tile or hardwood. Typically, these floors can be installed in one to two days.
Factors and Warnings
Simple things like kitchen drapes can quickly and inexpensively be changed to a more contemporary look. Take precautions when sanding painted surfaces like walls and cabinets in a 1970s kitchen. Lead-based paint, that is toxic, was not outlawed until 1978, to ensure that paint on your kitchen may contain this toxic component. Wear a respirator with a HEPA filter and moist surfaces before sanding to reduce the paint dust, recommends the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Installing floating snap-together or self-stick shingles above your existing floors isn’t just cost-effective, but safer than pulling your existing floors. Those ugly vinyl floors in the 1970s may include asbestos, a dangerous carcinogen, which may be published by removing or disturbing them, according to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance.
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