Top 10 Affordable Ways to Update Your Kitchen

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Personally kitchens are my favourite rooms in the house. For some reason, wherever you are, somehow everyone always ends up in the kitchen. It’s definitely the heart of the house, and if you are a cook and even if you’re not, there is no need to live in a kitchen that is less than satisfying. (that is of course, if the budget permits)

Kitchens and bathrooms yield the most ROI (return on investments) if you ever decide to sell. So, rest assured that whatever changes you can afford to make will go a long way. They will bring happiness and satisfaction to you while you’re living and enjoying the space, and will wow potential buyers when it’s time to sell.

There are many ways to update the look of your kitchen. And it all comes down to your budget, time & desire as to how much you want to change in your current kitchen. I’ve come up with a list of some designer tips to help you make the best of your renovation dollar and create a beautiful space that will inspire you to cook or simply entertain!

1. Paint – Painting out the walls is one of the easiest, most affordable and impactful changes you can make in your kitchen. Do not underestimate the power of color! It has been proven through countless of studies that color has a huge impact on our mood. So choose a beautiful color that makes you happy & get painting! If you need help choosing colors, you can contact me personally, and I can help you make the choice =)

2. Paint the cabinets - There are a few ways of going about updating and resurfacing your existing cabinets. If you have the budget, then by all means, change the cabinets, but most of the time if the cabinets are in a decent condition, you can give them a second life by doing a few DIY projects. If your cabinets are solid wood, you are lucky! Because you can clean, sand & restain the cabinet doors & drawer fronts into a beautiful wood stain. A rich dark chocolate color is a personal favourite of mine for a more classic contemporary look, however, lighter wood tones can also work well. Another option is to simply paint the cabinets in a durable eggshell or semigloss finish and save thousands of dollars. You can also get them professionally spray painted in a lacquer finish, which would look great, but will cost more.

www.apartmenttherapy.com

3. Change the hardware – This has got to be one of the most affordable ways to dramatically change the whole look & style of the kitchen. There are so many amazing options to choose from right now, in all kinds of finishes such as: brushed stainless-steel, brass, glass/crystal, iron, nickel and more. Here are a few places that I like to shop at: eBay (you can find some unique stuff one there, that nobody else has), IKEA (simple, modern & affordable), Lee Valley Tools (a huge variety of all kinds of styles & price ranges)

4. Sink & Faucets – This is another easy but dramatic change. This is one of those expenses that can cost a lot, but doesn’t have to. Nowadays, you can choose from a wide variety of pretty nice things from big box stores, like Home Depot, Lowes and more.

5. Backsplash – One of my most favourite places to inject style, personality and flair is through a backsplash. The role of the backsplash is both functional & aesthetic. As far as options go, you can choose from a simple subway tile, to mosaic tiles in different materials, such as, glass, metal, stone & porcelain. Here are my 2 go to places for backsplash: Stone Tile & Saltillo Imports. Backsplash should act as a place to put together all the colors in the room, like wall colors, cabinet colors, window treatments and any other accents you might have.

http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com

6. Lighting fixtures - Don’t neglect the importance of good lighting. It is not only aesthetically pleasing, it’s also very important to have proper lighting functionality wise. Three areas to address are: Ambient lighting (main lighting), pendants (hung above an island if you have one) & accent lights on dimmers (under cabinet lights to showcase your new beautiful backsplash & also to leave on when you don’t need a lot of light)

7. Window treatments – You want to let in as much natural light as possible, but if privacy is an issue a simple roman blind is a great solutions. Again, it won’t work in all kitchens, but you can always add a bit of glamour with beautiful drapes hung on either side of the window (if applicable). Whatever you choose, don’t forget to address the windows one way or the other. Otherwise it will end up looking cold & unfinished, and you don’t want that, right?

8. Countertops – This change is a bit more costly, but again, doesn’t have to be. There are quite a few great laminate countertops available, from big-box-stores that will change the look of your kitchen dramatically. If, however your budget is a bit higher, consider investing in a solid surface tops like quartz, granite or caesarstone. Yes, they cost more, but in the long run are a lot more durable and will not wear as much as a laminate will.

http://www.europeancabinets.com

9. Flooring – Depending on the size of your kitchen it could be a pricy update. Options range from laminate, hardwood, cork, to natural stone and porcelain tiles.

10. Accessories – A few new colorful accessories can really jazz up a space. Things like a new breadbox or towel rack. Consider adding a collection of spice jars, plates, plants, or even books. This gorgeous Kitchen Aid mixer is on my Wish-List! =)

http://www.kitchencritic.co.uk/

Hope these tips inspired you to make some changes to your kitchen. If you have any specific design related questions that I have not addressed here, please feel free to contact me directly. =)