The average American spends about 40 minutes a day preparing food and cleaning it up in the kitchen. If you want that time to be spent in an enjoyable atmosphere that you love hanging out in versus one that makes you wish you were somewhere else, updating your kitchen is a great way to accomplish that end.
Here’s the problem though… Full-on kitchen remodels can cost thousands of dollars.
If you don’t have that kind of cash laying around, the good news is that there is still hope. There are a variety of updating kitchen strategies that you can leverage which can turn up your space without turning down your wallet.
Here are 8 solid suggestions.
1. Throw Up Patterned Wallpaper
Wallpaper is cheap and it can completely revolutionize the way that your kitchen looks. Per that fact, putting up new wallpaper is a fantastic updating kitchen go-to.
Our recommendation when picking out kitchen wallpaper is that you go with something that features patterns. There are a lot of wallpapers out there today that let you throw a single image up on your wall but that mural-style approach is out of line with modern design.
Opt for a nice pattern that features either accent of white or white at its base and you’re going to love your final result.
2. Add/Reface Shelves
Your shelves are a prominent fixture in your kitchen area. Given that they’re elevated, they may very well be the first thing that the people who walk into your kitchen see.
Replacing your shelves can be a costly proposition so, in order to save money, we recommend trying to simply add some smaller DIY shelving or reface your existing shelving.
Refacing your existing shelving is just a matter of painting. Adding DIY shelving is as simple as getting a wood plank, finishing it, and then drilling it into your kitchen’s bare-walls.
3. Implement Pops of Color
A few pops of color on their own can make it appear as though your kitchen has been completely redone. Pops of color are easy to add as well!
Have a bar-area in your kitchen? Throw in some painted stools that feature different colors.
Does your kitchen feature a lot of white wall space? Throw up some paintings that are bright and contrast their backdrop.
We love pops of color as a means of adding character to your kitchen area because it doesn’t require any contracting skills to get done.
4. Showcase Your Snacks
Snacks not only taste good but they also look good when featured in your kitchen. Wondering how you can “feature” snacks in a space?
Wonder no more!
Featuring snacks just means pouring your chocolates, jelly beans and other tasty treats into jars or non-frosted Tupperware. Once filled, you’ll then want to put up your snack holders on open-faced shelving for the world to see when they walk into your kitchen.
5. Spruce Up Your Countertops
We all wish that we had the luxury of reading this manufactures guide because we were able to purchase brand-new granite countertops. Not all of us can afford that reality though so we’re forced to get a little bit creative.
Creativity when it comes to countertops could mean adorning your basic tops with things like oversized cutting boards, knife sets, and other eye-catching things.
It could also mean buying into countertop covers which give the illusion that you have expensive counters even though you don’t.
6. Try Under Cabinet Lighting
Lighting isn’t something that a lot of people think of when updating their kitchens and that’s a shame because lighting tends to be cheap and can have a huge impact on the way that your space looks.
One of the most creative ways that you can utilize lighting in your kitchen space is by running LED light strings under your cabinets so that they appear to glow.
This trick creates new levels of depth in your kitchen decor and also makes for a great nightlight if you make late snack runs.
7. Create a Makeshift Island
We can’t all afford to build an island in our kitchen. There are cheap, DIY alternatives though that you can try out.
For example, at many furniture stores, you can buy islands that are portable. While they don’t have sink hookups, they still look great and serve as a great area for food preparation.
These portable islands will run you a few hundred dollars (or less if you buy one at a discount store). Compare that to the thousands a built-in island would cost.
8. Add in a New Appliance
One of the fastest ways to make your kitchen look great is to buy a new appliance. While most people don’t go this route because appliances cost a lot of money, even splurging on a single appliance can make a big difference.
Buying a new fridge or stove is probably the most sight-impactful appliance purchase you can make.
You can also consider picking up a new dishwasher if your machine is prominently located.
Wrapping Up Our Cheap Updating Kitchen Solutions
Updating kitchen? Don’t want to break the bank? We recommend leveraging the tips that we’ve showcased above.
Anyone of them has the potential to transform your space and still leave you with enough money to pay your mortgage at the end of the month.
For more tips on how to get the most out of life while spending the least out of pocket, check out more of the lifestyle content that we have up on our blog now!
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