<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Dramatically update your kitchen in six hours or less with six projects</font></h2><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">(ARA) – With the amount of time you spend in your kitchen, why settle for out-of-date features and decor – especially since it is easy to give your kitchen a 180-degree makeover? Try these six simple projects, and in no time at all you’ll have a kitchen where you will want to spend more time.</span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Home sweet kitchen</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">One of the easiest ways to make your kitchen feel warm and inviting is with updated lighting. And, luckily it can be an easy and quick project with the many conversion kits and lighting fixtures available today. Start by swapping any cold and unstylish fluorescent tube lighting with more decorative chandeliers or flush-mount lighting to flood your kitchen with ambient light. Next, fill in shadowy areas – or highlight objects you admire – with spot lights, such as recessed cans or dangling pendant lamps. Soon your kitchen – and your mood – will be glowing.<span>  </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Time: Two to six hours depending on the number of fixtures.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Update your sink with an eco-friendly faucet</strong> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">When it comes to your kitchen faucet, you may think – it’s not broke, why fix it? But as a workhorse and focal point of your kitchen, that shouldn’t be the case. Instead, update your faucet with a functional, stylish and environmentally friendly model. Available at Lowe’s, options such as Anabelle or Dorsey Eco-Performance kitchen faucets from Moen offer pullout/pulldown functionality with three unique settings – eco-performance stream or spray for tasks like washing dishes that require a constant, yet low-water flow, or a full-flow option when filling a pot or pitcher. This simple kitchen update can yield up to a 32 percent water savings – while also adding exquisite styling in to your kitchen. For more information about the Anabelle or Dorsey Eco-Performance faucets from Moen, visit <a href="http://www.moen.com/" target="_blank">moen.com</a> or call (800) BUY-MOEN (800-289-6636).</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Time: Ninety minutes.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><img src="../images/eco-friendly-faucet.jpg" border="0" alt="Eco Friendly sink faucet from Moen" title="Eco Friendly sink faucet from Moen" width="300" height="375" /></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Shortage of storage</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">With so many gadgets, appliances and, don’t forget food, kitchen storage can quickly become sparse. Start by organizing your current storage, purging any items that you haven’t used in years. Next, if you have room, add a kitchen island or additional cabinets to provide more storage and work room. Or, if space or cash is limited, search your local flea market or online at Craigslist.com for alternative options, like a vintage china cabinet or an antique overhead pot rack to house all your necessities and reduce clutter.<span>  </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Time: Six hours.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Add sass with a backsplash</strong> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Tired of cleaning food or grease splashes from your kitchen walls? Spruce up drab or dirty-looking kitchen walls with a dynamic backsplash on walls near the sink or stove top. Hundreds of styles, textures and patterns can increase the sophistication in your kitchen and make it easier to clean. Plus, with step-by-step video instructions on how to apply the tiles available at Lowe’s Creative Ideas Web site it’s as easy as one, two, three.<span>  </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Time: Six hours.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Getting a new grip on cabinets</strong> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Over time, cabinets made of wood or metal materials can deteriorate if they’re not properly maintained, making your kitchen look run-down or aged. Cleaning your cabinets with soap and water, then polishing, is the best way to make them look new again. To combat grime, fingerprints and other messy substances, apply cabinet cleaner such as Liquid Gold to a cloth and buff cabinets until they shine. Replacing old handles and hardware on your cabinets with a new stylish design and finish to match your new faucet will add the final polished look to your kitchen.<span>  </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Time: Two to five hours depending on the number of cabinets.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/2b.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/2b.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Advance the technology</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Don’t limit your technology to your phone and your TV – transform your kitchen with innovative appliances. Whether it’s a microwave that fits in a drawer, a refrigerator with a TV, an oven that you can program<span>  </span>or a customized wine and beverage cooler, adding new upscale appliances can take enjoyment in your kitchen to a whole new level. However, if these high-end appliances are out of your budget, upgrade your current appliances with new energy-efficient models in the latest finishes.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Time: Two hours shopping plus waiting on deliveries.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">In no time at all you can easily turn your kitchen from drab to fab with just a few simple projects. </p>  <p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdan
a’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>