7 Inexpensive Ways to Spruce up your Kitchen

It’s no secret that the costs of a complete kitchen remodel average at around $50,000, but don’t despair; we have some inexpensive options for you. Some upgrades and fixes can be achieved on a very small budget, while others may require you to be somewhat handy, but overall it will still be far less than a complete kitchen remodel.

Replace existing cabinet hardware.
Depending on the amount of doors and drawers you have, this could be the most economical and easiest upgrade. If you have pulls (handles), stay with the same hole to hole size, it avoids having to do any patching on your cabinet door or drawer front. Don’t be afraid to be a little wild and bold in your choices.

Change the Faucet.
Probably your second most inexpensive upgrade is the kitchen faucet. Being the most used item in the kitchen means it’s to constant use and does show its wear and tear more so than any other fixtures. When picking a faucet, pick something that fits or enhances the specific theme you have in mind for your kitchen. For traditional style kitchens you may want to look at bridge faucets, or if you would like something more functional, Kingston Brass has a few pull out kitchen faucets with a traditional style. If you are more on the contemporary side of the scale, you may want to consider a spring spout kitchen faucet, which is a residentially optimized version of the pre-rinse faucets commonly seen in restaurant settings. If you want to save a little on your budget you may also opt for a pull-down or pull-out kitchen faucet; these 2 options are a good compromise of form, function and budget.

Replace or remove doors.
If your cabinets doors are looking a little worse for wear it may be a good idea to replace them, and you can find a variety of manufacturers that will make doors to your specific size and color. Also don’t be afraid to just remove some doors entirely, you may have to paint the inside of the cabinets, but it will give your kitchen a more open feeling.

Spruce up your backsplash.
This is where you can let your creativity run wild, the choices are truly infinite:

• Faux finish: All it takes is some paint, inexpensive supplies and a bit of patience.
• Batten board or tile board: These panels come in 4’ x 8’ and can be applied to your wall with any ordinary construction adhesive.
• Stainless steel veneer: It comes in a peel and stick roll, you can also use it to cover up your appliances and it’s easy to maintain.
• Small pebbles: It’s somewhat laborious but it may make a great weekend project to get the children involved: I recommend that you seal them with a good Poly-Urethane sealer as a last step to make cleaning easier.
• And of course there is just good old fashion paint. A splash of color will do wonders; you may even paint a faux subway tile pattern to add some style.

Look at your lighting.
Sometimes minor adjustments can yield major results:

• Add or replace some of your light fixtures or bulbs. Full spectrum fluorescent lights are a huge improvement over the old fashion cool white, unless you’re going for that operating room ambiance.
• Add pendant lights.
• Add under cabinet lighting.

Paint your cabinets.
In this case, buying the right paint and tools is essential. My advice is to keep the colors light and basic; you can always add splashes of color with the accessories or cabinet hardware.

Upgrade your counter tops.
Depending on the size of your kitchen, this might become the biggest investment.

• Prefabricated Granite: The good news is that you can find prefabricated granite countertops at very good prices in most metropolitan areas. If you do decide to go with granite, you may want to use this opportunity to change your sink to a stainless steel under-mount sink or any under-mount sink for that matter. Not only does it give your kitchen a much cleaner look, it actually makes it easier to keep clean. You may even want to consider a farm house sink which would give your kitchen a more traditional look.
• Re-grout Tile: If you have a tile counter top and the tiles are in good condition, re-grouting the tile will help bring the tile back to its original grout color or you may even want to change grout color.

You don’t need to do a complete overhaul to get a new kitchen. Fix or replace any hardware or appliances that really need it, and after that simple upgrades and new accessories will make a world of difference in a tired kitchen.