Work with what you have was the Remodelista editors’ mantra this week. For a new year, here are five of their favorite ways to make a space feel fresh:
Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets
![Photograph from Ikea Upgrade: The SemiHandmade Kitchen Remodel.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Smitten-Studio-kitchen-remodel-Remodelista.jpg)
“A new coat of paint on kitchen cabinets, when done well, can completely change the look of your kitchen—on a minimal budget,” writes Annie in 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Painting Kitchen Cabinets.
Start a Love Affair with a Vacuum
![A Remodelista favorite, the Metropolitan Professionals Canister Vacuum is pint-sized (it measures \2\1.\2 inches long by 7 inches wide and 9 inches tall) and looks decent with a chrome canister and black hose. It starts at \$85\1.49 through sellers on Amazon. For more see our post A Design-Worthy Hand Vacuum (Finally).](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/metropolitan-professionals-canister-vacuum-733x489.jpg)
Even in a small apartment, you can have a canister vacuum you’ll love to use. See Alexa’s favorites in 10 Easy Pieces: Best Canister Vacuums for Small Spaces.
Embrace the Fringe Fad
![](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/graduate-hotel-seattle-guest-room-fringed-chair-crop-733x607.jpg)
See more fringe in A Master Class in Art Deco at the Graduate Hotel in Seattle.
Hang a Well-Placed Wall Hook
![A A0\1 Wall Hook by Swedish designer Massproductions is made in Portugal and has two places to hang things: the knob and the “hood” above. It’s 300 SEK from Arket.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/massproductions-a01-wall-hook-arket-733x475.jpg)
See more clever ideas in Report from Sweden: Introducing Arket (the Next Muji?).
Remodel a Kitchen on a $4,300 Budget
![Delinia cabinet units from Leroy Merlin are faced with doors that architect couple Hélène Pinaud and Julien Schwartzmann cut themselves from birch plywood: “We drilled little holes as handles and protected the doors by rolling on a matte varnish; they’re hung with basic metal hinges.” Photograph by @hejustudio.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/heju-apartment-paris-diy-minimalist-kitchen-with-plywood-cabinet-fronts-1-733x1100.jpg)
See more in Kitchen of the Week: Two Young Paris Architects Overhaul Their Kitchen for Under $4,300.
N.B.: Featured photo from Curb Appeal: A Paint Makeover for a Stucco House, California Edition. Photograph by Leslie Santarina.
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