What to do with Ugly Countertops

Ugly Green Kitchen Counters

Dear Design Diva,

I have ugly green laminate countertops in my kitchen that I can’t afford to change. My cabinets are a light wood color. What can I do to make the kitchen look better?

Nancy

Dear Nancy,

My recommendation is to work on making the rest of your kitchen so utterly beautiful you don’t even notice the countertops. Select a dramatic paint color that you absolutely love and paint your walls. Then buy placemats, towels, and other kitchen accessories so that the color is evenly dispersed throughout the room. The goal is to put enough of the color around the room that your eye goes from accent to accent without resting on any of the ugly countertop. Add enough beautiful things to look at and your ugly countertop will disappear.

If you really want to transform your kitchen on a budget, I would also recommend updating the hardware on your cabinets. If you are feeling really industrious, I’d also suggest sanding, priming, and painting the cabinets. It won’t cost you more than $50 and a couple of weekends, but you will feel like you have a brand new kitchen.

Good Luck!

The Design Diva

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Check out our other blogs Save or Splurge and High End Looks for Less.

Barbara Green is The Design Diva and owner of Sensibly Chic Interior Design and the host of “Ask the Design Diva,” a weekly radio show that answers all of your decorating questions. Listen to the live stream Saturday mornings from 8 to 9AM at AskTheDesignDiva.com or listen to the podcast anytime.

Best Floor for the Townhome

Dear Design Diva,

I need new flooring for my townhome and don’t know what to do. The first floor has one long, open area with the living room at one end, the kitchen at the other end, and the dining area in the middle. Also off of the kitchen is the master bedroom. The rooms are a patchwork of wall to wall carpeting and ceramic tile. The carpet is really beat up and needs to be replaced. I plan on putting the place on the market in a couple of years, so what would be the best floor for resale?

Floored in Pennsylvania

Dear FIP,

My first recommendation would be to get rid of the variety of flooring and stick with one type throughout the first level.  It will make the home feel more spacious without all the divided areas. Hardwood floors are the flooring of choice these days, and will give a good return on your investment. They work well in both traditional and contemporary interiors, and the new floors are really durable. Carpet and tile come in so many different styles and colors, personal preferences could become an obstacle, while wood floors have a broader appeal. They have stood the test of time and have only gotten better. Go for it!

The Design Diva

If you like what you’ve read, please share it with your friends and followers.

If you have a decorating question, please leave a comment below or email us at askthedesigndiva@gmail.com.

Check out our other blogs Save or Splurge and High End Looks for Less.

Barbara Green is The Design Diva and owner of Sensibly Chic Interior Design.

Follow on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/thedesigndiva.

 

Removing Popcorn Ceiling in 5 Easy Steps

Popcorn Ceiling

Dear Design Diva,

I have “popcorn” ceilings and I hate them. Is it hard to get rid of them?

Popcorn Anonymous

Dear PA,

I don’t know anyone who really likes popcorn ceilings, other than the builders who install them. It’s not hard to get rid of, but it is a very messy job. Also, some of the older popcorn ceilings contain asbestos, so if that is a possibility,  take the precautionary step of having a small chip tested before contaminating your home. The supplies you need are a ladder, a garden sprayer, a four inch scraper, a face mask, and goggles. Here are the 5 easy steps:

1. Remove everything from the room, or if that isn’t possible, cover everything with drop clothes. Also be sure to seal off doorways because this stuff will get everywhere.
2. Use the garden sprayer to wet the popcorn ceiling with water. Since you will be standing on a ladder, only wet as far as your arm can reach.
3. After it is saturated, scrape it off with the 4 inch scraper. It will fall off very easily when wet. Be sure you have your mask and goggles on.
4. Keep moving your ladder around the room, scraping the ceiling off in sections.
5. After the popcorn is gone, you may have to go back up and re-spackle or sand the taped joints. If you re-paint your ceiling before you have a smooth surface you will be praying for a popcorn ceiling again!

Extra note: Consider selecting a color other than white for the ceiling. You’ll love how it looks!

Best,

The Design Diva

If you like what you’ve read, please share it with your friends and followers. If you have a decorating question, please leave a comment below or email us at askthedesigndiva@gmail.com.

Check out our other blogs Save or Splurge and High End Looks for Less.

Barbara Green is The Design Diva and owner of Sensibly Chic Interior Design. Follow on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/thedesigndiva.