Kitchens are the most expensive rooms to renovate.
It’s not only about the money. For most people, kitchen remodelling requires a lot of time and planning.
Indeed, a kitchen remodel is worth it and can fix many of the problems you are currently facing in your kitchen.
Nevertheless, there is still a lot you can do to spice up your kitchen without incurring high costs.
Below are some of the ten affordable kitchen upgrades.
Throw in a rug
Yes, it’s as simple as adding a rug.
You don’t even have to buy a new rug. It’s possible to repurpose one and make it look fabulous in your kitchen. The idea is to sprinkle some flavour on your kitchen floor.
With time, everything feels old. However, a nicely designed and patterned rug might be enough to rekindle the passion you once had for your kitchen.
Embrace open shelves
Open-shelves are slowly becoming the norm as more people consider looks when designing their kitchens.
In addition to that, open-shelves help prevent clutter—It’s easier for things to get messy behind closed doors.
Nevertheless, be careful with open-shelving. Simply installing open shelves isn’t enough.
First, you need to add some decorative and useful utensils. We advise you to stick to a small range of colour palettes.
You can have floating wood open-shelves, the utensils can all be creamy white, and finally, the backsplash should have a solid colour like blue, which contrasts but complements the furniture and cabinetry.
Coffee bar installation
Are you a coffee freak? It’s your time to shine.
When done right, coffee bars can be as sexy as traditional house bars.
The idea is perfect if you find yourself with awkward un-utilized space in your kitchen.
Ideally, a coffee bar should have a coffee maker, a small sink, some shelving, and a fridge. It’s a relatively new concept, but one that adds flair to your kitchen. Moreover, it will also help in decongesting the main shelves and sink.
Cabinet repainting
Repainting can breathe new life into your “old” kitchen.
Cabinets take up a lot of kitchen space—It’s the main reason why cabinet repaints can dramatically change the entire room.
Nevertheless, only repaint functional cabinets. It makes no sense to repaint faulty cabinets that are falling apart. While you’re at it, remove and replace all cabinet hardware like drawers, knobs, and pulls.
Cabinet repainting is so easy. You can do it yourself.
First, remove all your utensils, cabinet hardware, then sand all the surfaces until they look brand new.
Finally, paint a few premium coats of self-priming paint. Let it dry, then watch as your “new” kitchen comes to life. Remember, colour matching is crucial.
Click here to learn more on kitchen upgrade ideas and designs.
Tuxedo cabinetry
We’re still on paint-jobs.
We’ll now share some ideas on how you can play around with paint and unleash a stylish kitchen.
Have you ever heard of “Tuxedo cabinetry?” It’s the new cabinet trend. It involves contrasting your top and bottom cabinets using two different colours.
Just like a tuxedo, you can use black and white for the ultimate contrast. Nevertheless, you can also use the “calmer” colour combos like grey and white or white and blue.
Note: Lighter colours seem to work best on the top cabinetry. On the other hand, darker colours suit the lower cabinetry.
Art or furniture incorporation
This idea will work well for kitchens that have some additional floor or wall space. Some might even call it “establishing a focal point.”
Throw in a stylish piece of furniture that will “ace” the room. It should stand out from the rest and draw all the attention.
Sure, a piece of furniture like a stylish table will do the job. However, it’s still possible to realize the same effect with an art piece.
The art piece can be anything from a large picture to a hand-made DIY masterpiece. Nonetheless, it should be stylish and significant to you.
Window shades
We don’t know what it is, but window shades have their unique appeal.
Unlike other window treatment options, window shades aren’t expensive. We recommend woven bamboo blinds. They have a natural “woody” appeal that flares your kitchen.
In addition to that, bamboo blinds will keep you from committing the biggest mistake in kitchen window treatment—Covering too much.
Remember, lighting is crucial in the kitchen. Not only does lighting prevent accidents, but it also makes the kitchen appear larger and livelier.
The neatness upgrade
A little neatness and organization can massively transform your kitchen.
Neatness has a lot to do with how you arrange your things in the kitchen.
First, start by artistically labelling your cabinets or shelves.
It’s possible to make some stylish DIY tags. Our best picks were the chalkboard labels. We loved how unconventional they are. Plus, they are reusable.
Next, sort out all your cabinets into categories, each responsible for storing different items like grains, cereals, baking supplies, etc.
You can even take it up a notch and have matching containers for all your foodstuffs (Remember to label them). Matching storage containers are visually appealing and will “neaten” the room.
Replace the main kitchen faucet
“The sink and faucet area” is the natural focal point of the kitchen. It’s the first area that people see when they walk into the kitchen.
Why don’t you use that power to your advantage?
By simply changing the faucet, you can drastically change your kitchen’s appearance.
There are so many themed-faucets online. Just make sure its colour and design complement the entire room’s decor.
For inspiration, go online and take a look at some stylish kitchen faucet sets.
Use some wallpaper
Wallpaper can showcase the type of beauty that is difficult to achieve with natural paint. Therefore, it gives you more creative freedom.
There are so many wallpaper designs. Just make sure that the design and colour match the kitchen’s overall looks.
In addition to that, get a wallpaper that gives you that warm fuzzy feeling in your chest.
All in all, remember that the kitchen wallpaper is unique. It has to be water-resistant and scrub-able.
