Remodeling Your Kitchen Using Vinyl
Who doesn’t love the simple magic of redecorating your home? With just a few tools like a fresh coat of paint, a few new pieces of furniture and maybe some updated artwork to hang on the walls, you can completely transform a room you’ve been looking at for years. The room itself might be the same underneath, but you can completely alter the mood and character with just a little bit of work and dedication.
As much as many of us enjoy remodeling our homes, perhaps the kitchen is the one room we tend to neglect over the others. There are plenty of reasons for this. For one thing, our kitchens are often one of the most necessary and frequently used rooms in the house, making it disruptive to embark on a months-long remodeling project in that space. For another thing, kitchen makeovers tend to be expensive. Rather than just painting the walls and maybe redoing the floors, there are cabinets, appliances, backsplashes and countertops to think about.
For this reason, if we’re looking to redo a room in our house, many of us will sooner choose the living room or a bedroom. But what if we told you there was a solution that made it much easier to redo your kitchen? By using vinyl, you can transform your kitchen at a fraction of the time, cost and work an ordinary remodeling project might take. Today, we want to explain how you can achieve this vinyl wrap kitchen makeover.
What Are Vinyl Wraps?
A vinyl wrap acts like a thin second skin that covers the surface of a hard object. This vinyl comes in long rolls and sheets you can trim into the exact size and shape you need before applying it. Most vinyl will come with a backing that, once removed, reveals a sticky backside. By smoothing this sticky side onto place over whatever surface you’re looking to cover, you effectively change the appearance of that object. This vinyl layer is so slim that it adds virtually no bulk as it transforms the color or texture of the surface in question.
You can use vinyl wraps over almost any surface you can imagine. Whether that surface is flat, gently curved, or large or small, vinyl wraps are often just the solution to give that surface a new look. Some examples of objects and surfaces people might choose to cover with vinyl wraps include:
- Cars
- Musical instruments
- Furniture
- Laptops and electronics
- Doors and walls
You can vinyl wrap almost any type of surface you can dream up, apart from the following:
- Rough and rusted surfaces
- Unusually curved surfaces
- Surfaces that will experience extreme temperature changes
If the surface in question doesn’t fall into one of these categories, you should have no problem wrapping it.
How Can Vinyl Wraps Make a Difference in Your Kitchen?
We now know what vinyl wraps are and how they work. But how does any of this apply to your kitchen? It’s simple. Using nothing more than good-quality vinyl sheets and any necessary applicator tools, you can apply these furniture wraps to the major appliances and fixtures in your kitchen. The cabinets, the countertops, the fridge and even the dishwasher — almost everything in your kitchen is an ideal candidate for vinyl wrapping.
Here are the specific areas where we think vinyl wraps can add the perfect touch in your kitchen.
1. Cabinet Wraps
Cabinet wraps are a great place to start with your remodel. Because of their flat surfaces, cabinets are perfect for sticking to the vinyl and holding it in place. Vinyl wraps can lay completely flat along the cabinet’s surfaces, thanks to the simple lines and plain surfaces. You may even want to wrap the insides of your cupboards as well for a consistent overall appearance. To keep things straightforward, you may want to cut a separate panel of vinyl for each side of the cabinet. You’ll also need to plan carefully to work the vinyl around obstructions like hinges and handles. With a little preparation, cabinets are one of the easiest surfaces in your kitchen to wrap.
2. Appliance Wraps
Your cabinets may make up the bulk of flat surfaces in your kitchen, but they aren’t the only features that deserve your attention. While you're giving the cupboards a makeover, you may want to give a little TLC to the front faces of your major appliances as well. Your fridge is a terrific candidate for vinyl wrapping, for instance. Not only can vinyl help change the color of your fridge to make it better fit with your new cabinets, but it can also alter the appearance of the material. For example, are you tired of the look of your stainless-steel fridge? With the right fridge wrap, no one will ever know it’s still stainless steel underneath.
Other examples of appliances you can wrap include microwaves, dishwashers and even ovens. Appliances may be a bit trickier to cover than cabinets, as you’ll need to pull them out from the wall if you want to wrap each surface. However, the effort is well worth it for how fantastic they’ll look when complete. And if you’d rather not pull them out, another option is always to only wrap the fronts.
3. Countertops
Much like cabinets, countertops are an easy surface to wrap because of how flat and regular they are. In some cases, they may even be easier to wrap than cabinets because there’s only one surface to think about, whereas cabinets challenge you to think about multiple cabinet faces, as well as the inside.
Like fridges and appliances, wrapping your countertops is a terrific opportunity to change not only the color and pattern of your countertops, but the texture and apparent material as well. For example, have you always loved the look of granite or wood? Whatever your dream is, vinyl wraps allow you to achieve the same look, all without ever changing the original counter underneath the vinyl.
What Are the Benefits of Vinyl Wraps?
We’ve talked extensively now about how fantastic vinyl wraps can be at transforming your kitchen, but why should you pick a vinyl solution over replacing your cabinets, appliances and countertops altogether?
While changing your fixtures or your entire kitchen can sometimes be the right answer, many benefits are exclusive to redoing your kitchen with vinyl. When you choose vinyl wraps for your kitchen remodeling project, here are a few of the major advantages you can enjoy.
1. Price
Did you know replacing your cabinets is easily one of the most significant expenses of any kitchen renovation project? When you choose a vinyl wrap instead of a full replacement, you can save money. Doing complete installations often involves buying entirely new cabinets, countertop materials and appliances, in addition to extra costs like delivery and installation. These typical expenses add up quickly. While these replacements are sometimes worth it, it can often be more convenient to search out different upgrade options.
Compare this with a vinyl wrap project. The only things you’ll need to purchase are the vinyl sheets themselves and any necessary application tools, such as tape, knives and scissors, many of which you probably already have on hand. The cost of the supplies you need to purchase is typically far less than the price of a new set of cabinets or new countertops. On top of potential savings on material, applying vinyl wraps is also a project you can do yourself. If you DIY, this allows you to save on additional costs like installation expenses and labor. Because vinyl comes in sheets and rolls, you can also likely avoid delivery costs.
If your appliances or countertops have served you faithfully for many years, but are beginning to look their age, it may be worth the price of installing completely new fixtures. If the surfaces themselves are in good shape and you are happy with them, but you’re still interested in getting a new appearance, adding some vinyl wraps is a practical solution.
2. Temporary Nature
Because new countertops and cabinets are expensive, most of us find it impractical to replace them frequently. When we do replace them, we often feel compelled to choose something neutral that will stay in style for at least a few years and won’t clash with any changes we make in the meantime. While this choice makes practical sense, sticking to this guideline often forces us to avoid the options that truly allow us to express our style.
Vinyl wraps present a solution to this dilemma. Because vinyl is so inexpensive and straightforward to install, it removes the pressure to choose something you’ll want to keep for years. Instead, you can feel free to pick any style or color you want, knowing that in a year or two, or even a matter of months, you can easily swap out one color for something else. If you’re someone who values flexibility and loves to constantly change your surroundings, vinyl kitchen wraps might be the right choice for you.
3. Ease of Installation
When it comes to ease of use, it’s hard to compete with vinyl wraps. Installing new appliances or cabinets requires you to haul out the old pieces, dispose of them responsibly and usually hire professionals to put the new fixtures in place. As we’ve already mentioned, this can run into a bit of money, but it’s also worth noting it can be a complex process. Hiring installation workers to be in and out of your home for weeks creates an extra layer of complication, and so does having your kitchen fixtures removed and replaced.
When you choose vinyl wraps for your kitchen, you can take advantage of the seamless installation to streamline and simplify the entire process. You can easily complete your remodeling project in a single day, as well, preventing any unnecessary disruption from daily kitchen activities. And finally, because your original fixtures are staying right where they are, you don’t have to worry about disposing of them, either.
Design Ideas for Your Vinyl Kitchen Makeover
Are you convinced of the merits of using vinyl to upgrade your kitchen? One of the best things to realize about this type of makeover is the sheer level of versatility and diversity to explore. Here are just a few of the design elements to consider as you plan for your kitchen upgrade.
- Color: Vinyl wraps come in every color of the rainbow, with plenty of shade variations of each color. Whether you’re looking for more traditional neutrals or interested in trying something a little bolder that makes a loud statement, you’ll be able to find any color you’re looking for in vinyl. Choose a sleek gray to give your cabinets a modern and minimalist look, or be a little more adventurous and choose a bright turquoise to make your cabinets pop.
- Texture: In addition to the range of colors available, vinyl comes in a variety of different textures. Some vinyl might be smooth and shiny, while others might be matte. When adding a new fridge wrap in your kitchen, why not go for a matte black vinyl? Or, switch things up and go for a more metallic shade. Browse through the variety of textures and finishes available to you until you find just what you’re looking for to complement the rest of your kitchen.
- Material: All wraps consist of the same material — vinyl. But one of the fantastic things about vinyl is that designers can style it to look like many other things, giving you the freedom to experiment with different materials at a fraction of what it might ordinarily cost. Have you always wanted stone countertops? What about wooden cabinets? With vinyl, you can experiment with these different design elements.
Choose the Perfect Vinyl for Your Kitchen Remodeling Project Today
Ready to give those cabinets the makeover they’ve been waiting for? Are you considering upgrading your appliances with a new look? Is it finally time to give your countertops their latest lease on life? Or are you embarking on a major remodeling job that involves tackling all these areas simultaneously? For these and more needs, you’ll want to stock up on plenty of vinyl.
For all your vinyl shopping needs, we invite you to explore our selection here at Rvinyl. We proudly stock the top brand names in the business, providing our customers with the very best vinyl available today. And with our wide variety of different colors, textures and materials, we feel confident you’ll be able to find just the thing to take your kitchen into this next phase of its life.
Ready to get started with your big kitchen remodel? Browse our full selection of home decor wraps today to pick the ones that are just right for your project.