7 Budget-Friendly Ideas To Revamp Your Home Kitchen

Those wine-fuelled, candlelit tapas nights with your girlfriends, the smell of a roasting chicken on a Sunday afternoon, sunlight streaming in through the window as you’re washing up… No matter how big or small your kitchen is, it’s the little details and moments like these that make it your own.

Admittedly, many of us have encountered a lifeless kitchen that seems beyond saving – and it’s tempting to pick up the phone and ask the professionals in for a complete makeover (until you realize, that’s really only realistic if you have thousands to spare). The good news is, it can actually be relatively easy to transform a tired kitchen – with minimal budget and effort required – and the kitchen cupboards are usually a good place to start.

Want to breathe new life into your kitchen? Here are some ideas…

1. Insert Some Shelves

Is there any space among your kitchen cabinets? Why not utilize it and install a few shelves. This is a great way to free up your worktops, providing somewhere neat and tidy to store utensils and other items – while giving you more room to prepare meals. The shelves could become a style feature in themselves – think about displaying a few carefully chosen plates or a cherished teapot, or a stack of favorite cookbooks.

2. Update the Kitchen Lighting

Kitchens are often dingy. Changing the lighting, the bulbs or the number of lights can rid this problem. LED lights to use a fraction of the electricity (usually just 10 watts) of conventional down-lights, and generate almost no heat. If you decide to employ an electrician this could be the time to replace/add sockets. The latest versions come with USP slots, which, if nothing else, will impress your friends.

3. Choose the Right Color

Too much color can close in a small space. The combination of a neutral base with citrus accents opens up this small kitchen. A bold orange stripe around the kitchen adds a pop of color without being overwhelming and also highlights items in the kitchen, such as the family calendar. Hints of green on the stools and the kitchen appliances add to the room’s overall zest. 

4. Refresh Kitchen Sink

Sinks add distinctive character to a kitchen and you can change the feel of yours in a jiffy by adding a white butler sink for a country look, a stainless steel design for a contemporary feel or a distinctive copper one to make a real statement. Think carefully about how you use your sink – you might find one with a large double bowl or an integrated drainer is more practical if you don’t have a dishwasher.

5. Update Your Flooring

If your current kitchen floor is letting the scheme down, you don’t need to go through the hassle of taking it all up as you can lay new flooring on top. Most kitchen designers will advise that you can simply run it underneath the plinths, instead of wall-to-wall, which cuts your costs further.

6. Change the Knobs and Handles

Does the painting seem too restrictive? The makeover of your kitchen also requires detailed work, like knobs and door handles.

Colorful, classic, or original. You choose how you want to customize your kitchen furniture based on cost.

There are many outlets, especially online (Etsy, for example) that have amazing custom-made accessories that can suit your decor while fitting your budget.

7. Make a DIY Plate Rack

Want a better way to store your plates? Building in your own plate rack could make the storing task simpler and less stressful – and help revamp the look of the room. You’ll need some suitably-sized poplar dowels. Once you’ve measured the dimensions, drill small holes, spaced evenly, where you’ll slot the dowels in to create the rack.

Get inspired by these ideas and give a new life to your kitchen this year.