Updating Your Kitchen on a Tight Budget

Full blown kitchen remodels can cost thousands of dollars, and you may feel you are going to be stuck with an ugly kitchen for years. But simple changes can make a powerful impact and go a long way towards bringing new life to a run-down look, while remaining budget friendly.

Renovate Outdated Surfaces
Due to the upgrades the design world has made to paint and painting effects, it is now possible to use faux-painting techniques to clean up and mirror higher end counter top surfaces. Your local home decor or arts and crafts store has books and videos and even live classes on different painting techniques that will create the layered look you need, so take advantage of this expertise and get a whole new look.

Out With the Old, In with the New: Window Treatments
If you have become numb to the out of date, tea pot print fabric you have adorning your kitchen window, wake up and take them down so you can replace them with a new window treatment that is more in tune with your new style. A general rule is to keep it simple. Let in as much sunlight as possible by using light airy fabric, and stay away from heavy material or conflicting color schemes.

Reinvent the Walls with Color
One of the fastest ways to achieve a new look is to paint the surface of the walls and or the back-splash. This applies to using the same color you already have, or trading up to a new shade you may have never tried before. Choose a color pallet that is in keeping with the counters and cabinets you will ultimately end up with, and experiment with different techniques till you achieve a look that makes you happy.

Change out the Kitchen Jewelry (Knobs, Fixtures, and Hinges)
This very easy, cost effective way to update the kitchen is still the most overlooked, underused technique around. Take all knobs and hinges on the cabinets and change them out in keeping with your new style choice, as well updating the faucet, plug, and light switches.

Dress It Up (A Look at Accessories)
What you choose to display on your counter-tops can go a long way towards enhancing a worn out, tired look. Place colorful, pleasing accessories such green plants or jars filled with items that are kitchen specific (sugar, pasta, cookies) to spruce up the surface area. Home decor stores have come out with beautiful kitchenware lines that offer painted cutting boards that might add a nice accent while still remaining functional. Display what resonates with you.

Flooring
If you can not afford to replace your existing flooring, give it a good cleaning and dress it up with the use of a new kitchen area rug to pull in additional colors and themes. Make sure that it can be laundered if necessary, and enjoy the extra cushion while cooking.

Resurface the Kitchen Cabinets
In much the same way that paint can fix any of the design problems you may be facing if you do not have a lot of money to put into decorating your kitchen, it can also be turned towards the kitchen cabinets. Just be sure to take the cabinet doors off the hinges before you start, create a system for marking which cabinets go back up and where, and prep by cleaning and sanding. Preferably you want to stay away from an ordinary paint brush and sick with the roller or spray gun to obtain a high end effect.

Shelving Presentation
Instead of focusing on painting and maintaining all of your cabinets, choose a well placed area to remove one of the cabinet doors all together in order to act as an open exhibit. You may use dramatic paint color in this area to draw the eye in, or you can paper the area instead to accomplish the same purpose. Display plates and cups or well chosen keepsakes that match your individual style.