5 swish hacks to zhuzh up your kitchen

Kitchen renovations may be exxy, but sprucing up your abode doesn’t have to be. Whether it’s popping fancy cabinet doors on your IKEA fittings or getting crafty with old knick knacks, don’t spend an arm and a leg trying to make your kitchen look fab – spy these nifty hacks instead.

DESIGNER CABINETS WITHOUT THE DESIGNER PRICE TAG It’s what’s on the outside that counts, right? That’s the attitude we have with our kitchen cabinets, anyway. Instead of forking out the cashola for a brand-spanking-new kitchen, snag some affordable flatpack cabinetry from IKEA or Bunnings and then spice them up with these schmick Australian-made doors, panels and finishes from Fliplab. They work a treat, are customisable and look fancy as heck!

SOMETHING OLD INTO SOMETHING NEW You no doubt have some random bits and bobs already gathering dust elsewhere in your abode. Before you go splashing cash on new kitchen knick knacks, get creative with the stuff you already own. Stretch your imagination and think about transforming things like unused door handles into recipe book holders on your kitchen wall or turn old shelves into open-display spice racks.

CHALKBOARD WALL What is life if not a series of forgetting to buy stuff at the shops? Noting the low supply of rice is not the same as remembering to pop it on the shopping list, but a chalkboard wall – or patch – might help. Chalkboard paint is cheap to snag from your local hardware store, and it makes for a handy place to write up grocery lists and to-do reminders. Bonus points if you have rugrats who already have a habit of decorating the walls – at least this one is designed for such mischief!

LET THERE BE LIGHT Chopping veggies in the dark is no joke. Even with the overhead lights on, the way that most kitchens are designed means that hanging cabinetry inevitably casts shadows over benches, and certainly over that one finger you don’t want to slice off before the pasta water has even boiled. Stick some LED lighting strips on the bottom of any overhead cabinets – these ones are dimmable – for ambient meal-prep vibes.

SOFT SPOT OK, this design hack isn’t one that’s visible to the naked eye, but it’s one that will certainly make your kitchen feel a little fancier as you’re pulling out drawers upon drawers in search for a spatula. Nab yourself some soft-close drawer slides from your local hardware store – some like these will do the trick – for that super-smooth finish to a calm kitchen environment. No more slamming or thumping – just peace and quite and soft, soft drawers.

After more abode-y things? Spy this list of fancy furniture bits or have a squiz at this springtime stuff. Plus, sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop.