The kitchen is the heart of the home and I know from personal experience that the appearance, design, and functionality of your kitchen has a major impact on your daily life. I avoided this kitchen renovation project for so long because it seemed like such a daunting and expensive area of our home to update. I finally decided to save up $1,000 to put towards our kitchen and I only wish I would have done it sooner! Having a kitchen that you feel inspired in will help motivate you to try new recipes and invite family and friends over for meals. In this post I am sharing 9 easy kitchen updates on a budget.
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If your kitchen is in decent shape but needs some updating, you can completely transform the appearance with some creativity, paint, and affordable upgrades. Below you learn how I renovated our kitchen on a $1,000 budget. Make sure to check out my YouTube channel for additional information and tips on these projects!
9 Easy Kitchen Updates on a Budget
1. Remove upper cabinets
Removing some of your upper cabinets costs little to nothing and can really open up your kitchen to let in more light and make it feel bigger. We did this with the cabinets above our peninsula and I plan to hang two pendant lights from the soffit. You can attach battery operated puck lights inside the pendants to avoid the need to hardwire electricity for light bulbs. You might have to use some creativity to attach the puck lights and you will want to make sure the light isn’t see through so you can’t actually see the puck light inside.
2. Install open shelves
Open shelves or floating shelves are easy kitchen updates on a budget that provide both functionality and a space to decorate. The open shelves in our kitchen are used to store decorative items such as holiday dish ware, cook books and, of course, a few plants! You could also use your open shelves to store frequently used items such as Ball jars for cups, plates, or pretty containers filled with flour and sugar. The total cost for the brackets, pine boards, and stain was just around $70.
3.Update handles and drawer pulls
Hardware is like jewelry for your cabinets and makes a statement in your kitchen! I was surprised by how expensive handles and drawer pulls can be. Luckily I was able to find a pack of 20 for $42.99 which is an amazing deal!
4. Apply a wallpaper backsplash
Peel and stick wallpaper is one of my favorite kitchen updates on a budget! I chose this hexagon tile wallpaper which several of our guests have mistaken for real tile. This can be a bit challenging to apply, especially if you choose a pattern with straight lines. Read my tips and tricks for applying peel and stick wallpaper in this post.
5. Paint your countertops
A brand new countertop can be extremely expensive, but you can paint your existing countertop for less than $20 using this appliance epoxy paint. If you’re interested in learning more about this project, I shared my experience and review in this post.
6. Paint your cabinets
I’m not going to lie… this project seriously sucks. My advice is to use a paint sprayer if you take on this project. I used a brush and roller to paint my cabinets and you can definitely see paint drips and roller marks if you look closely. This project made our kitchen look so much brighter so I have no regrets with painting them, even if they don’t look perfect.
7. Update light fixtures
Light fixtures are a fun way to add some personality and design to your kitchen. Amazon is my favorite place to find affordable lighting options. IKEA is another place to get unique looking lights at an affordable price.
8. Install a new faucet and/or sink
A brand new sink can be a bit of a splurge, but you can find affordable faucets that look really high-end. I was expecting this to be a complicated part of the project, but the process was actually very simple. I recommend watching a few tutorials on YouTube before taking on this project if you have never removed an old sink and installed a new one before. This will give you an idea of whether you are comfortable doing this project or not. Depending on the size of your new sink, you may need to cut your countertop so keep that in mind as well.
9. Replace outdated light switches and outlets
It’s crazy how much newer your house will look after replacing outdated outlets and light switches. This is the final touch to every room makeover that we do in our house and it truly makes a huge difference! You can purchase outlets, light switches, and covers from Amazon or any hardware store for a couple dollars each, so this typically is a very affordable update to complete!
I hope this post gave you some ideas for easy kitchen updates on a budget. Before this kitchen renovation, I hated spending time in our kitchen because it always felt so dark and dirty no matter how much I cleaned it. I had always dreamed of a bright, white kitchen and I can’t believe I was able to achieve it for just around $1,000! The updates we made to our kitchen have made me want to cook more at home, which has helped us eat healthier meals and save money from not eating out as much. We are excited to host Thanksgiving in our new kitchen too! If you’ve been putting off your kitchen renovation due to cost, I hope this post has inspired you to take on one of these budget friendly updates!
Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
Xo, Ciara
