Ideas for kitchen updating

You can paint most cabinet surfaces, but proper prep is key to success.

For laminate and melamine finishes, be sure to rough up the surface with 150-grit sandpaper, and apply a good bonding primer before topping it off with the color of your choice.

"Decorative glass takes stock cabinets and gives them a custom look,” says Anthony Longo, who sells glass panels.

Not all cabinet doors are candidates for a changeover, however.

And while you're welcome to hang on to subway tile if you like, why not try some intricate, handmade tiles on the kitchen floor and beyond?

Experiment with different countertop finishes like black marble, soapstone, and concrete.

This is also the year to throw out any notions of feeling like you a matchy-matchy look; mixing materials and finishes is strongly encouraged.

Natural wood cabinets (especially cherry) will darken with age.

Change the glass insert in a cabinet door, and you change the look and feel of your kitchen.

Knobs and pulls are kitchen jewelry that can upgrade kitchen cabinets.

Note that cabinet hardware can get very fancy and expensive -- costing and up for a single ornate knob.

Once, the only way to shed light on kitchen tasks was by hard-wiring -- an expensive and messy task.