Top 10 Ways to Update Your Kitchen on a Budget

If you need to change your kitchen's look but money is tight, you'll love these ways to update it on a budget. Highlight the heart of your home without breaking the bank with these ideas.

Paint the Walls
One of the easiest ways to make a big change in your kitchen is to repaint the walls. A new infusion of color may be just what the room needs, and can usually be done for around a few hundred dollars or less.

Refurbish Cabinets
Like walls, cabinets are a great place to create high impact with minimum effort. Refinish wooden ones, or remove the doors and drawer faces and have them re-lacquered in the color of your choice.

Hardware and Fixtures
New hardware and fixtures can give the room a whole new look too. Keep finishes the same for continuity. You can even add in soap dispensers with metal pumps in the same sheen as the rest of your metalwork.

Organize
Re-purpose bath accessories. A tumbler might hold small measuring spoons, or recycled glass soap dispensers can be used for hand sanitizer or dish soap.

Backsplash
The back splash is the jewelry of your kitchen. Don't be afraid to personalize it, but do use it to tie in all the colors in the room. Use tile or create a place for changeable artwork with chalkboard paint. Use soap dispensers that fit in with your look: recycled glass soap dispensers paired with chalkboard surfaces or colorful glass soap dispensers with shiny tile.

Sink
These days, plain porcelain and stainless steel aren't your only options. Sinks come in a wide selection of colors and are a fun way to add a bright pop to your kitchen. Don't forget to use soap dispensers with metal pumps that coordinate with your sink color and match your sink fixtures.

Flooring
New flooring doesn't have to break the bank either. Vinyl, linoleum and porcelain tile are all low cost options. Vinyl and linoleum come in a rainbow of colors while porcelain tile mimics the look of higher end organic materials.

Window Treatments
Revamping the window treatments in your kitchen can breathe new life into it. Try an online tutorial to create your own Roman shades, or opt for privacy enabling blinds. You may even want to add a small window plant or two or even some potted herbs to add additional style to windows.

Lighting Fixtures
You'll need three types of lighting in your kitchen: ambient general lighting, accent lighting that highlights your new sink and backsplash, and task lighting for specific functions like cooking or meal prep. Don't forget to match lighting shade details with your glass bath accessories.

Countertops
You'll get the biggest return on investment for your counter-tops, so investing here is wise. You can still do a few things to cut corners, though. Use lower cost materials like quartz instead of marble or granite, or see if a nearby stone cutter will sell you off-cuts at a discount. If you are handy, you can DIY tiles.


As you can see, there are many ways to update your kitchen on a budget. Choose warm, elemental tones to create a feeling of intimacy and invitation that will have your guests lingering long after supper dishes are cleared.