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6 easy, dramatic renovation tips for the kitchen

We used a sky blue paint to take our walls from Oscar-the-Grouch green to a breezy color that adds much needed airiness to a small kitchen.

The original dark, poorly made wood cabinets sucked the light out of the kitchen. If we owned the place, we would rip them out. Painting the cabinets white was labor intensive, but inexpensive, and makes the kitchen feel twice as large. Online tutorials will lay out options and step-by-step instructions (like sanding and priming). Ask a friend or two to help. Plenty of cold beer is also a good idea as a reward for helping.

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Brighten things up with a backsplash. My $60 roll of self-adhering wallpaper from www.spoonflower.com gave me enough to cover the space between the countertops and cabinets, with some left to line the flatware drawer. Other options are faux-tin and tile.

I used a Rust-Oleum “Countertop Transformations” kit ($37.39) to change brown faux-marble countertops to a neutral gray. The paint rolls on thick and viscous, and fuses to the existing finish. After a year of heavy use, it has just a few tiny scratches. The same can not be said of Rust-Oleum’s “Cabinet Transformations” ($74.48). The top coat yellowed as it dried, and I ended up sanding it off and refinishing the outer facade of the cabinets with a less expensive, standard, high-gloss white paint. The fridge also got the Rust-Oleum treatment; I used a couple cans of appliance epoxy spray paint ($3.97 each). My landlord thought I had bought a new fridge. Work in a well-ventilated area because of nasty fumes.

Our freestanding wire rack, which stores glass jars and bowls, costs $99 at Home Depot.

Work with what you’ve got. Embracing the style you have is easier than working against it. I cleaned up the modern hardware on my ’60s cabinets and discovered very cute, original copper-plated handles hiding under years of grime. A ’60s-inspired wallpaper and retro bar stools are a nod to the kitchen’s heritage.

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The flooring — perma-dirty brown linoleum — was the most hated part of our kitchen. Now it’s a checkerboard of 1-foot-square black and white linoleum tiles (36 cents each, $65 total). I gave up a Sunday afternoon and finally, I enter the kitchen and smile.

CATHERINE SMART