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lorrayne

Ideas to update kitchen worktops

Hi I really need some ideas to update kitchen worktops, I can paint the cupboards after a good scrub, but the work tops are a dull brown, I cant rip them out - not just yet, have a new job, bungalow comes with it but have to work 6 months probation period, and funds are tight, no pay day until end Feb eek !
TIA
Lorraine
gardening-girl

Cheap tiles?
I understand your dilemma,we also have a tied house,our kitchen is 20 years old,and looks it!
RichardW

Live with it?

Cheap quick & easy.


You can get paint for formica but on a work top it wont last long. Tiling will work but not cheap. Might be cheaper to replace the work surface if its a nice & easy straight bit that any one can do. If its got joints then the cost of getting them done might alter its viability.
nats

Get some nice tiles and attach them to some board that is roughly the same size as the work surface, with edging (sort of like a large tray thing). Then it's portable if necessary. So the investment is worth it. Depends on how large the work surface is of course - it could be too large to make it work but you never know!
sean

Live with it, I think. Money spent on making it look a bit better will be wasted because you still won't be happy with it and you'll end up redoing it again.
(If you've got straight walls and the corners are right angles then replacing the worktops completely isn't *that* expensive unless your kitchen's huge. Better to save up a bit and do it properly once.)
Jamanda

For only 6 months? Live with it!
Chez

Get a couple of nice chopping blocks to go on the top, that you can either take with you if you move on or still use if you stay?

Ikea
Mustang

Tack on some nice wooden side battens, then pop concrete in. Burnish and polish the concrete loads to get a nice, smooth finish. You can embed pebbles, or use colouring for a different finish.

http://concreations.co.uk/polished-concrete-examples.htm for some pictures.
12Bore

Fablon Wink
earthyvirgo

Fablon Wink


With a BIG flowery pattern Smile
What the hell, if you're going to use sticky-back-plastic, might as well go the whole hog.


EV
cab

Depends what the worktops are made of I'd have thought, but if you've got an Ikea close by then you can probably get hold of one of their quite cheap beech worktops, cut it up, and lay it on top. And then when you're done cut them up smaller and everyone gets a wood chopping board for Christmas.
Angel

Cut out recipes, pictures, funky bits of paper, photos of family or great places you have been etc. When you have enough to cover one worktop glue them all down in a nice way. After you have your surface covered and the edges well tucked under give it a few coats of varnish, repeat with all work surfaces Smile
Chez

Cut out recipes, pictures, funky bits of paper, photos of family or great places you have been etc. When you have enough to cover one worktop glue them all down in a nice way. After you have your surface covered and the edges well tucked under give it a few coats of varnish, repeat with all work surfaces Smile


Oooooh! That sounds brilliant! Katieowl

One of my friends covered the kitchen units she had in really funky wrapping paper and varnished over the top. Looked great.

Think there is little you could actually attach to a work top though that would be very durable.

Kate Jonnyboy

Have patience, any weird 'home makeover' stencil b&&&&cks is going to look damp, and stained, in five minutes flat. Just wait and do it right as suggested above.

Focus on something worth doing in the mean time.
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