5 Cheap Ways to Modernize Your Kitchen
If you are tired of your kitchen but haven’t budgeted for a full kitchen redesign, there are still small changes you can make that will satisfy your need for a change. Just use these five tips to quickly and cheaply update your kitchen, and you and your kitchen will be feeling younger than ever!
1. Do your best to let the light in.
Darkness can make your kitchen feel dreary, old and gloomy—so bring in the light! Remove whatever dark curtains or drapes your kitchen has and raise the blinds to their fullest, letting in as much sunlight as you can. Change your light bulbs to halogen or incandescent ones to improve the lighting. If you want curtains, try making some from light colored material that is translucent to let light in during the day.
2. Take down your old wallpaper and paint the walls.
In a weekend, you can remove most of the wallpaper that really dates your kitchen, and with a few more days you can replace it with a soft pastel paint color. Try sage green, butterscotch yellow or cream to lighten and brighten your room. If you still want wallpaper, be sure to choose something that is timeless rather than trendy. You could even use wall paper to trim the paint color.
3. Reinvigorate your cabinets by painting or refinishing them.
This will dramatically change your kitchen’s look, so be prepared! Best of all, this is something you can easily do yourself! After you paint, glaze or refinish your cabinets, you can change their hardware as well. You can get a kit for refinishing your cabinets at your local hardware store—simply follow the directions and you will end up with what looks like a new set of cabinets! Only you will know they are the same old ones.
4. Consider redoing the flooring on your own.
Tiling is a project that most people without a lot of construction experience can do, and tile is very affordable and durable. You’ll need to remove the flooring you have currently, which could reveal some surprises. There may be wood floor hiding underneath the laminate you have—particularly if you have an older home. If this is the case, try refinishing it to bring some of the original design back into your home. If not, check out the options in linoleum, tile, or wood that are within your budget.
5. Purchase a few new accessories, or update your old small appliances.
A new blender, new curtains, new floor rugs or a new kitchen table can bring that new feeling to your kitchen with minimal effort. Pick up a few new pictures to hang on the walls or set on the counters, or print some pictures of your family to frame and personalize your kitchen. No matter what you choose, you will bring some new spice to the same old place!
Check out your budget and see what you can afford— no matter what changes you can afford, you will know what is new. Make small changes a little at a time, and save up for the big ones—you’ll get your new kitchen before you know it. Now, what else can you make new?
