7 Ways To Update Your Kitchen On A Budget

If you visit Deliciously Savvy often, then you know that about two and a half years ago my husband and I bought a new-to-us home in The Pocono Mountains. We absolutely love it here and am making the house ours with updates throughout and this year the focus is on our Master Bedroom and also the Kitchen. I love the kitchen as is but want some updates to brighten the space and jazz it up a bit as the kitchen is my favorite space in my home and it is where I spend lots of time cooking and baking meals for my family. I am a foodie through and through so the kitchen has always been my favorite room in the home and making it the perfect space for me is important but it is also important to stick to a budget while making those upgrades. Below I will be discussing New Kitchen Ideas that can help to spruce up your kitchen and give it that much needed upgrade that you are looking for all while sticking to a budget and not breaking the bank.

Update Your Lighting

My home has a country style throughout and we feel in love with that when we originally did out walk though when deciding to purchase it. The perfect example is that we have a light above the kitchen sink that is a Tiffany style lamp shade and it fits the style and theme of our home perfectly. I don’t want to touch that lamp, as it adds so much personality to the kitchen, but I do want to brighten the space which is why we are purchasing some small recessed lights to go down the center of my kitchen ceiling. My brother is an electrician so I can purchase the lights and he will install for me in exchange for a yummy meal. That saves me money and he is excellent at what he does so I will have a nice bright kitchen anytime that I need it after he installs the lights for me. He is installing a dimmer switch too so that I can brighten the recessed lights when doing photo shoots in the kitchen and dim them when I just want a little ambience.

Now what is described above are ideas for my own kitchen but there are so many lighting upgrades that you can do if the recessed lights are not for you. By upgrading your lighting you can update your look overall and make the entire space feel completely different. You can find really modern looking lights for a very low price online too so make sure to do your homework and find the perfect lighting fixtures for you. One place I fell in love with when shopping online was West Elm and also Wayfair, but there are lots of online options to choose from when shopping, so browse around to find the perfect fit for you. If you have an island or peninsula in your kitchen, you can hang pendant lights over them and for added style you can even add a gooseneck sconce or a beautiful and dramatic pendant over your sink. I also love the idea of adding LED lighting or tiny white string lights under your cabinets to illuminate your counter and add that perfect pop of ambiance.

Open The Space

This is a cool step that involves removing some or all of your top cabinets and replacing them with some open floating shelves. This is a really pretty look and really opens up your kitchen space and brightens it which allows you to give your kitchen a completely different ambience. With the open shelving you can display stacks of dishes, rows of glasses, some herbs for a pop of color, cookbooks and anything else you need to place on them for storage and more. If you go this route it is important to note that you want to have matching pieces to stack on these open shelves as you want it all to stack together and look clean and streamlined and that can only happen if you have matching pieces to use throughout. Invest and purchase new tableware and glassware so that you can achieve this look if going with open floating shelves.

As mentioned above you can remove the upper cabinets all together and install floating shelves OR you can also simply remove your cabinet doors and hardware from the existing upper cabinets and leave them open. I am going that route as it will be the savvier option and will allow me to use the existing cabinets that I already have on hand and I will simply purchase matching dishes to ensure it looks clean and streamlined.

Update your Cabinets Hardware

 This tip is one of the easiest ways to give your kitchen a fresh new look. Simply changing your cabinet hardware and updating your faucet can make a huge impact without breaking the bank. You’ll be surprised at how much these two simple upgrades can transform the overall feel of your kitchen. The trickiest part might be deciding on the metal finish; whether you prefer black, polished chrome, bold brass, or brushed stainless steel.

You can also replace knobs, handles, and even cabinet locks and latches to match your chosen style. And if you are interested in maximizing space and ease of access, you can even consider modern kitchen cabinet designs that feature sliding doors or pocket doors. These doors can slide horizontally or vertically to reveal the cabinet contents, thus offering you a stylish and efficient alternative to traditional hinged doors.

Update your Counters

I am going to update my counters this year and am doing a butcher block countertop as it is the perfect fit for my farmhouse style kitchen. This will be an investment but well worth it and it will transform the look of the kitchen beautifully. If a rustic butcher block counter is not for you, you can do marble, quartz or any surface that you like. They even have resurfacing kits that you can use for your countertops to transform the current ones that you have on your cabinets and these kits are pretty inexpensive and easy to use too.

Add a Backsplash

Adding a new fresh backsplash is a super inexpensive way to update and transform the overall look of your kitchen. You can give a new modern feel with some clean white subway tiles on that backsplash or if you like more color you can find a fun patterned ceramic tile to use as your backsplash and add a fun pop of color to your kitchen. You can also use shiplap or wainscoting to add a beautiful touch to your backsplash without breaking the bank. Regardless of what you choose… a new fresh backsplash will do wonders on the look and feel of your kitchen.

Paint Your Cabinets

If you want a whole new look to your kitchen space but do not want to spend tons on new cabinetry to do just that… consider painting your cabinets. This is super easy to do with the right tools and can transform the total look of your kitchen. Wood cabinets are perfection for transforming with paint and you can go with a beautiful white, light grey which is wildly popular or a crisp matte black. Make sure to use the proper tools of painting your cabinets though… I recommend a paint sprayer which will make them look as if they were done professionally…. versus hand painting. I am picking up this one from WORX to get the job done easily.

Add Pops Of Color & Finishing Touches

Once you have done all of the above, you can now focus on finding those perfect pieces that will make the space pop and make it yours. You may already have some items on hand that you can use and maybe you can purchase a piece or two to refresh the space and make it feel new. Add a plant here or there in the space to add that pop of green, add some beautiful rugs to the floor and you can add decorative pieces too like a lamp on the counter, an antique mirror on the wall or a hanging rack for some of your copper pots and pans. Whatever you choose to dress up your space with, make it yours by adding those decorative touches that finish it perfectly.