Kitchen Remodelling on a Budget

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Installing lighting in key work areas can improve your kitchen inexpensively

It is possible to update your kitchen without breaking the bank. Here’s how

Renovating your kitchen is one of the best ways to add value to your home, or to fall in love with your home all over again. However, many people simply don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a kitchen renovation. Thankfully, with a little ingenuity you can revamp your kitchen without breaking the bank. Here’s how.

Freshen Up Your Paint

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to breathe life into an old kitchen is with some paint. Paint can transform the entire look of your kitchen, making you wonder why it took you so long to grab a brush or roller.

Try these tips:

• Use White: White windows, doors, or base moudling will make any wall colour pop. Read more on how to decorate with white.
• Paint Your Cabinets: Transform tired cabinets with a coat of white, grey, light blue, or charcoal. If choosing to keep existing wood cabinets, a darker stain can create a contemporary look. You can also try out the two-tone cabinetry trend, with darker colours on the bottom and lighter colours on the top.
• Be Cohesive: Choose a wall colour that plays off of your moulding and cabinets. A lighter wall colour will work better with darker cabinets, while a dark accent wall would highlight lighter cabinetry.
• Use an Accent Colour: Try yellow, green, or black—to highlight a door or a small wall section.
• Use Paint as Tile: You can use paint to update worn out floors or in lieu of a backsplash. Try using stencils to create the illusion of a custom floor tile or intricate backsplash at a fraction of the cost.

Revamp Tired Cabinetry

In addition to spicing up your cabinets with a coat of paint, if you are willing to roll up your selves a little more you can add details to builder-grade cabinets to create a new look. Changing the hardware, industry speak for knobs and handles, will also have a big impact on the look of your cabinets.

Sometimes your best DIY efforts are not enough to mend poorly configured cabinetry. When replacing all the cabinets is not an option, taking out the top cabinets and installing open-shelving can restore function and style to your kitchen. There are many open-shelving options available at a fraction of the cost of full cabinets.

Keeping the boxes and replacing the cabinet doors can also give you the look of a brand new kitchen without the new kitchen price tag, although this option will be more expensive than simply painting your cabinet doors.

Upgrade Your Lighting

Lighting greatly affects the look and functionality of your kitchen. Plus, it’s difficult to cook in bad lighting. Think about how you use the space and then install lighting to illuminate key work areas.

Changing dated light fixtures and installing integrated lighting under counters, track lighting on the ceiling, or stylish pendent lamps in your key work areas will enhance the style and usability of your kitchen.

Pay Attention to the Details

Small design details like a small shelf to hang wine glasses or store spices and cooking oils can make your kitchen more functional. The key is knowing how you use your kitchen space and putting money toward the details that will make cooking in your kitchen a joy for you.