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If you want to upgrade your home but are working with a small budget and need to make sustainable choices, the area where you can get the most for your money is the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of many homes. It’s one of the rooms that gets used the most and where loved ones gather together. The kitchen is also where functional design can make the most difference to your daily quality of life, and to the value of your home. You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on making improvements to your kitchen, especially if the one you have is in good condition but is perhaps just a bit cramped and dated. You need to be creative and strategic to make your kitchen more functional and inspirational.
Upgrade Your Lighting
This small update can make a big difference to the way your kitchen looks and feels, and make it a lot easier to work in. Look for light fixtures online or locally that are modern but still affordable. Some of the best upgrades to make that will be both visually appealing and more functional are adding pendants over your kitchen island, adding a gooseneck sconce or a dramatic pendant over the sink, or adding puck lighting or a string of small white lights underneath your cabinets to illuminate your counter for working and to add ambiance.
Visually Open Up The Space
Removing some of the upper cabinets can completely change your kitchen. With less stuff on the walls, it will feel lighter, more modern, and could even be more functional, even with slightly less storage. Look at kitchens online to buy open shelving, which can be a very good way to display things like stacks of everyday dishes that you use all the time, cookbooks, serving platters, and fresh herbs. This is actually a lot more convenient for grabbing what you need quickly and putting away things where they belong when you’re done. You don’t have to lose storage to make the room feel lighter and larger.
Invest in some stacks of everyday dishes and glassware that are all in the same color and shape, so you have stacks out in the open that won’t feel like visual clutter. This will also push you into simplifying what you have by getting rid of anything that doesn’t match or that you don’t use.
Two options that can work well for most kitchens are removing the upper cabinets completely and replacing them with open, floating shelves, or you could just remove the doors and hardware from a few of your existing upper cabinets.
Add A Backsplash
Adding a backsplash can do a lot to boost the personality of your kitchen. It feels modern, even if you simply add a white subway tile with older oak cabinets. For something that is more fun, you could choose patterned ceramic tiles, especially if you only have a small space or one wall that could be used to make a big impact. You could also try shiplap or wainscotting panels which are an affordable but beautiful backsplash option.
Change Out Your Hardware
Upgrading your cabinet hardware and faucet can make a lot of difference without much investment of either your money or your time. You could opt for sleek, polished chrome in black for a modern look or a bolder brass option, even if you currently have stainless steel appliances. Mixed metals can create a very modern look.
Update Your Island
Refresh your island by painting the back or adding some corbels to add some character. You could also consider extending out your island if it doesn’t currently have seating. To do this, buy a new countertop with an overhang, and add legs. The new piece doesn’t have to match your current counter.
Add Some Elegance
Instead of worrying about tiling or painting, you could amp your kitchen by simply adding some interesting and elegant decorative touches, such as a piece of art, a lamp on the counter, a cool mirror, a rack of copper pots and pans, or a silvery tray to put your cooking oils on.
Paint Your Cabinets
This is a classic option. If your wooden cabinets are in good condition and you just don’t like the out-of-date color, you could paint them instead of buying a new set. You could choose a classic white, a soft, gray, or a two-toned look. You could even be brave and choose an unexpected color.