Ideas for Freshening Up Your Kitchen on a Budget

There really is no other room in the house which can benefit you so much from a little time being spent on its appearance and a relatively small budget. After all the kitchen is the hub of the home and it’s a room you spend time in every day, whether you’re microwaving a ready meal or cooking up a gourmet dinner for the family.

If you have between $500-$2,000 there are several ways you can add a touch of pizzazz to even the most boring and outdated kitchen. Here are a few ideas:

Affordable kitchen cabinets
If you’re prepared to do the assembly and installation yourself, then you’ll be amazed at the quality of RTA cabinets that are on the market today. For under $2,000 you can buy kitchen cabinets online which are manufactured to a high standard and specification, and which come in a wide variety of colors from black kitchen cabinets to oak kitchen cabinets and from shaker kitchen cabinets to country kitchen designs. Delivered direct to your door and in a handy flat pack form, they can easily be assembled using little more than a screwdriver.

Install a new backsplash
Many older style kitchens have a 4 inch band of tiles on the wall above the counter. You can make your kitchen look instantly more modern by filling in whole space between the counter and the upper cabinets. Try using glass tiled backsplashes which come in a handy 12′ x 12′ size, making it quicker and easier to tile your walls. With a wonderful selection of mosaic designs in iridescent glass, coupled with marble, or even in sleek stainless steel, a new backsplash will have a huge visual impact on your kitchen.

Refinish your appliances
Scratched and mismatched appliances can also make your kitchen design look outdated. Rather than go to the expense of buying new appliances, you can add a designer touch by getting a local contractor to add a new coat of enamel or a brushed steel finish which will make them look as good as new. Ideas you can do yourself include painting your refrigerator door to make it a work of art or adding a colorful stencil to it. Country kitchens could feature a large sunflower on the door or patriotic homeowners might like to see the American flag, perhaps with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Anything is possible and is only limited by your imagination.

Float an Island
Incorporating an island into your kitchen can give you extra storage, extra workspace and even extra room for seating. Buy some inexpensive kitchen cabinets and sit them back to back and add a counter top. If your budget allows you to have a sink, then you’ll have added functionality.

Revive your hardwood flooring
If you’re fortunate enough to have a hardwood floor that’s been hidden underneath a carpet or linoleum, then you’ll be amazed at how much warmth and character a wood floor can add to your kitchen. Remove the flooring that’s in place; fill all the nail holes, scrape off any old adhesive, and sand the floor. Seal and varnish with a quality hardwood varnish and you’ll have a gorgeous looking floor which will last for years. You can rent out the proper tools for the job at no great cost.

These are just a few ideas to bring your kitchen into the 21st century, but you could also add some stylish blinds to your windows, change your sink and faucets, or paint your existing cabinetry. In fact, being on a tight budget, adds to the challenge of transforming your kitchen, so be creative, be a sassy shopper and have fun.

Bio:

Sarvy is an Interior designer and has been writing on home improvement ideas from couple of years. Justin is a Designer as well as an Author who holds an Expertise in Kitchen Renovation projects and currently works as a product advisor for the RTA store.