Want to give your kitchen a facelift, but on a budget?! Here are 7 helpful tips for you to update your kitchen, making it feel brand new again.
It’s completely normal to want change. We are human after all! Sometimes change can be scary, but wanting to update your kitchen shouldn’t have to be!
You are going to learn 7 very simple and useful tips that easily update your kitchen on a budget. It is amazing how a little paint, hardware, plumbing fixtures, appliances, a tile backsplash, lighting, and countertops will go a long way. And the best part is, you don’t have to do all of this in order to transform the look of your kitchen! You can pick and choose which ways you want to update your kitchen and decide what best suits you and your budget.
Let’s dive in and learn about all the ways you can update your kitchen and love your home again!
This blog post is all about how to update your kitchen on a budget.
Easiest Ways To Update Your Kitchen
1. Paint
Whether you want to paint your kitchen cabinets or just the walls in your kitchen. This is an update that will really pack a punch.
It can be extremely overwhelming picking out paint colors. There are SO many to choose from. Here are some of my favorite neutral go-to interior wall paint colors:
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Sherwin Williams City Loft
- Sherwin Williams Worldy Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- Benjamin Moore Pale Oak
I have an entire blog post about how to paint your kitchen cabinets here. Be sure to check out that blog post if you are considering painting your kitchen cabinets on your own!
2. New Hardware
Cabinet hardware is the jewelry of your home. Cabinet hardware are the knobs and pulls used on the doors and drawers in your kitchen, bathroom, built-ins, etc. Although they may seem like a small detail, they sure are mighty and make quite the statement. Their primary purpose is function, but they can change the entire look of any room by adding personality, which helps to define your home’s overall style.
There are many different styles and finishes to choose from. It’s also important to consider the size of the hardware you choose as that can change the entire look as well.
Choosing the right cabinet hardware for your home is like choosing the right pair of earrings for your outfit…they are the finishing touch and complete the overall look!
3. Plumbing Fixtures
This can be anything from a new kitchen faucet to a new sink. Like cabinet hardware being the jewelry of your home, I have to say that plumbing fixtures are another piece of jewelry to add to your home collection.
I love Kohler and Brizo, but have also used a lot of Delta plumbing fixtures in my projects. You really cannot go wrong with any of these plumbing brands, although Kohler and Brizo are going to give you more of that high-end, designer look that have more unique finishes and designs.
When it comes to choosing a kitchen sink, the options are also endless. Stainless steel is always a great choice. Just be sure to pay attention to the gauge of the stainless steel. An 18 gauge stainless steel sink is going to be the best option in your home because this will withstand all the daily wear and tear of doing dishes and such. The lower the gauge number, the better with stainless steel.
Another great kitchen sink brand is Blanco. These are a quartz composite sink. We have one in our kitchen and we absolutely love it. They are also very durable and come in a variety of colors. They also do not stain easily. If you do notice a stain, take a magic eraser to it, and poof! It’s gone and your sink will look brand new again.
4. Appliances
There are a lot of fun and modern options out there for appliances. Some favorites brands are GE, Subzero, and Wolf. The GE series for example comes in a couple of different product lines such as Cafe Series and Monogram.
You can customize these brands to fit your personal style and your homes aesthetic. Not only can you choose the finish, but you can choose the hardware selections.
Appliances have come a LONG way. Choosing the right appliance brand for your kitchen is so important to the overall design and they are sure to complete the overall look.
5. Tile Backsplash
Okay, this can REALLY change the entire look of your kitchen and really pull it all together. This is also where you can have a lot of fun with color, texture, shapes, sizes, etc.
The sky’s the limit, but of course you want to keep some things in mind such as size and scale. The size and scale of the tile you choose is very important. You don’t want to choose something that is going to be too small, too large, or even too busy.
Remember to consider the other materials in your kitchen, especially if you are planning on keeping them. Such as the paint color on your walls, the color of your cabinets, the color and pattern of your countertops, and the color of any window trim, especially if you have windows in your kitchen like above your sink.
So, if you have a busy countertop, you might want to go with something more simple on your backsplash. Even if you go simple with the color, you can still have fun with the pattern.
Let’s say you choose a simple rectangular subway tile. If you didn’t know this, there are multiple ways you can lay this type of tile depending on the look you are going for. Some ways you can lay this are brick, vertical stack, vertical offset, horizontal stack, herringbone, diagonal, basketweave…the options are limitless so have fun with this!
6. Lighting
There are SO many fun light fixtures out there varying in style, finish, size, etc.
In your kitchen, you can easily update the look by swapping out your pendant lights above your island or maybe even adding a sconce or a semi-flush mount light above the kitchen sink.
Some of my go to places to look for lighting fixtures are CB2, West Elm, Pottery Barn, Shades of Light, Lightology, Etsy, Amazon, Anthropologie, and Rejuvenation.
7. Countertops
And last but not least, countertops. There are many types of countertop materials such as laminate, quartz, granite, quartzite, marble, porcelain etc.
Quartz is a great option for a kitchen countertop. It is a man made material and will hold up very well and stand the test of time.
Adding a quartz countertop or some sort of stone countertop, will enhance the resale value of your home when you go to sell in the future. When you put quality products in your home, especially in your kitchen, since kitchens are one of the highest selling points of a home, it adds so much value to your home. Most people buying a home are looking for quartz or granite countertops, so I truly think it is a no brainer to add a stone material when you update your kitchen, as long as it works for you and fits within your budget.
When we were updating our kitchen, I knew I really wanted quartz countertops, but we were leary on the cost of the material and installation. We were actually leaning toward laminate because that is what we currently had and I was originally under the impression that laminate was the cheapest countertop material. Well, I wrong about that!
I quickly learned that laminate and quartz can be very comparable in pricing. I had them both priced out and to my surprise, they were just about the same cost!
The laminate countertop quote did not include installation. We probably would have installed the laminate countertop ourselves. And the quartz countertop quote was not that much more than the laminate, which included installation and a new sink.
Granted, we do have a smaller kitchen and this might not work for every project, but it did for us. And I am so happy it did, because the quartz countertop really enhanced the look and feel of our kitchen.
