Upcycling is a form of recycling, where instead turning waste materials into new materials, you can update an existing product that you were otherwise planning to get rid of. While both, upcycling and recycling reduce the amount of junk that goes into your landfill, and at the same time reduced the need for more production, upcycling turns the same waste into a better product, probably of more aesthetic value, while recycling slightly decreases the quality of a product.
So, what can we upcycle? You can upcycle glass, metal, fabric, wood, cardboard, tin, and packaging that would otherwise be thrown away such as plastic.
Now that we have a vision in mind, let us see how we are able to implement this in terms of kitchen design solutions, in just 4 simple steps.
One space that is always ‘bigger the better’ is our kitchen. Whenever we talk about our home extensions, we start from here. So before spending heaps in completely dismantling your existing cabinets, let us try to upcycle by DIY.
Step 1: Repairing your existing cabinets
Trust me, it is as easy as this. You can get rid of your old wooden look to a fresh modern finish by simply painting.
In case of a laminate on the cabinets, peel off old laminate using heating gun. Paint the MDF underneath.
In case of wood, treat the wood according to the type. You may have to sand each unit and then paint over it.
Step 2: Paint over your kitchen tiles (including or excluding grooves, as per your design)
Step 3: Finally, replace the cabinet handles from amazon, and voila! You can get all this done for under £100 GBP if you are smart with the material selection, rather than creating a huge hole in your pocket by replacing the entire cabinet.
Step 4: You can update your appliances to match your existing kitchen theme. Using gold or bronze faucets to give it more of an industrial look incase you use deep colours like black, green blue etc., or even updating your oven to a smart oven and your sink to a beautiful stone carved, highlight of the space.
An additional note, you can add extra design elements to your kitchen to elevate the aesthetics of your shell, for example adding shelves for decorative purpose or adding plants on top of your kitchen cabinets.
When you plan to upcycle, you can redirect the amount you have saved for completely renovating your space to something which can elevate your space a tad bit more, well within your budget.
While this concept we have applied in kitchen design, you can use the same concept in your other spaces in your home, see what materials you can upcycle, DIY, and do your bit to act sustainable towards the environment and your pocket.
