8 Affordable and Easy Kitchen Updates You Can Work On

A new kitchen is wonderful, but new units and a fresh coat of paint can be costly.

Fortunately, there are ways how you can redesign your kitchen and give it a new look without having to spend too much money. These changes include simple changes such as restyling your shelves and large-scale changes such as tiling your backsplash to give your kitchen a new look and feel.

If you want to know how to remodel your kitchen on the cheap, these tips will come in handy.

1. Update Your Lighting

Choosing the right type of lighting for a kitchen is a great way to improve the functionality of a kitchen as well as its design.

If your kitchen is too dark or you find it hard to see when cooking, consider installing LED bulbs or under-cabinet strip lights.

For socializing or dining, you can install pendant lights above your table or over your kitchen island for a warm ambience. Choose warm-coloured bulbs for a warm and welcoming light.

2. Replace the Flooring

Floors are usually the last consideration in kitchen renovations, but they are very important for the utility and aesthetics of your kitchen.

If your kitchen flooring is already old or ugly, don’t accept it anymore. Ceramic tiles are one of the most common and cheap materials for flooring the kitchen. The variety of colours, patterns, and designs allows choosing the necessary style for the kitchen without any difficulties. Whatever your choice of a wood finish, a natural stone finish, or any other finish, ceramic tiles are durable, easy to maintain, and elegant in any setting.

Water-resistant flooring will not only be cheaper to maintain and clean because it is long-lasting but the fact that it does not wear out easily means that you will not need a replacement for many years.

3. Maximize Open Shelving

Open shelving is a cost-effective solution that can help make your kitchen look more spacious and free up your countertops.

Most common in small kitchens, open shelves provide a feeling of spaciousness, unlike the cramped appearance that too many wall-mounted cabinets may give. They also provide an opportunity to combine the practical and the beautiful for a better appearance of the items.

Open shelves are easy to maintain as long as they are cleaned and dusted often, but they must be arranged neatly to prevent the accumulation of kitchen dirt.

4. Install a Splashback

Splashbacks are useful in preventing water or other liquid from splattering on the kitchen walls and are commonly placed above the hob or around the sink. Apart from their functionality, splashbacks can also act as an eye-catching ornament and the centre of attraction in the kitchen.

Tiles are another common material used for splashbacks. Plain tiles are simple and elegant, especially the metro tiles while the mosaic tiles and patterned tiles bring out the extra flair. Glass is another great choice—it is easy to maintain, shiny and can give a more open look to your kitchen.

If you want to save money you can go for acrylic, aluminum composite or even PVC wallpaper murals.

5. Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets

The simple act of repainting your old cabinetry is an effective way of changing your kitchen’s look and adding some colour to it.

Cabinets will require multiple layers of paint and will require preparation in the form of sanding, washing off dust, and applying a primer or undercoat.

When selecting the paint, make sure that it is suitable for kitchen cabinets and compatible with the material you are going to paint. For laminate cabinets, use a multipurpose paint for wood, melamine, and MDF kind of paint. For solid wood or wood veneer cabinets, it is advisable to use interior wood paint.

6. Update Your Kitchen Worktop

Replacing or upgrading your kitchen worktop can refresh standard units and give an older kitchen a new lease on life.

The cost of your kitchen worktop depends not only on the material but also on the complexity of the installation. Granite and marble worktops are more expensive and challenging to fit than laminate ones.

For a budget-friendly alternative, consider using vinyl wraps to give your old worktop a fresh new look.

7. Replace Your Cabinet Handles

Updating your kitchen cabinet handles is a simple yet effective way to refresh your kitchen.

Modernize your kitchen with flat or T-bar handles, or add a vintage touch with arch handles or cup pulls. Brass, bronze, or gold handles can beautifully complement dark blue or green cabinetry.

For unique options, consider searching for second-hand or handmade cabinet handles.

8. Install a Water Filter Tap

A water filter tap provides easy access to clean, pure water and can save you money by reducing the need to buy bottled water.