By Alena Kairys
Jul 9, 2021If you’ve spent the past several months binging home makeover shows and getting kitchen envy, you’re not alone. You might think that you need to rip out everything in your kitchen and buy all-new everything to get the same effect, but that’s not necessarily true. Get ready to be inspired with these five simple ways to upgrade your kitchen.
Walls
Repainting your walls is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to alter the appearance of your kitchen. It can dramatically change how the area looks even if you don’t change anything else. You can have all the walls be the same color or make one panel an accent wall in a different shade. If you prefer patterns on your wall, opt for removeable wallpaper to customize your kitchen. Unlike traditional wallpaper, removeable wallpaper won’t ruin your walls and gives you the flexibility to change your décor style easily. To give your kitchen a sense of whimsy, try painting a section of your walls with chalkboard paint to create a to-do board or a kid’s drawing area. Another easy way to add visual interest to your kitchen is to install a backsplash. You don’t have to limit yourself to using ceramic tile—you can use vinyl peel and stick tiles, metal ceiling tiles, wallpaper stickers, or even faux wood paneling.
Flooring
The kitchen is one of the busiest places in your home, so wear and tear can be more noticeable. When your floor is looking dull and worn out, it may be time to get it replaced or restored. When it comes to replacing your kitchen floors, don’t overlook linoleum or vinyl. Both come in a variety of styles, are low maintenance, and tend to be more affordable option. Hardwood floors are always a classic look, but they can be more expensive to replace than other flooring types. Instead of going full a full replacement, get your floors refinished instead. Refinishing involves sanding down, re-staining, and varnishing the floor, making it appear like new. You can hire a contractor to do the work, but it can be a DIY project, too.
Cabinets
The first thing you might notice when walking into a kitchen are the cabinets. While you could replace all the cabinetry, revamping it can be more cost effective. Use paint to instantly transform your kitchen to fit your style. Should you choose to paint your wood cabinets, be sure to sand, and prime the area before applying paint. Much like the concept of refurbishing hardwood floors, you could choose to have your cabinets refinished if you don’t want to paint over them. This process is more of an investment than simply adding a coat of paint, but it may be cheaper than getting new cabinets and preserves the natural wood grain. If you’re tired of dealing with cabinet doors altogether, you might just want to remove them! Open shelving can give your kitchen a more modern aesthetic and provides the perfect way to showcase a dishware collection. You can even remove one door panel if you don’t want to commit to completely open shelves. Another way to revamp your kitchen in a subtle way is to replace the fixtures on your cabinets and sink. Choosing the right hardware can really elevate your kitchen and is the perfect finishing touch for your well-loved space.
Counter
With all the activity that goes on in the kitchen, your counters can take a beating. Luckily, you can breathe life back into them without a full replacement! Countertop transformation kits are an affordable and viable option no matter what your counters are made of. Using the special paint, stone chips, and varnish that come with the kit, you can create a top layer on your counter that mimics the appearance of quartz or granite. If you’d rather have an actual stone surface for your counter, look into counter overlays. Stone overlays are thin slabs of quartz that cover your existing counters. As long as your counters are in good shape and can support additional weight, you can put an overlay on them. Counter overlays can provide the luxe look and durability of stone without the hefty price tag.
Lighting
When you’re decorating a room, you might not give much thought to how lighting can affect the mood. Instead of treating it as an afterthought, use the power of lighting give your kitchen center stage. If you want the lighting to be a focal point in your kitchen, use a pendant lamp (or several small ones) to highlight your counter. Track lighting is another great option that allows you to move and angle smaller lights to focus illumination where it’s needed. Keep in mind that the color temperature of the lightbulbs will also affect the mood of your kitchen. In addition to standard overhead lighting, consider adding brightness to under your cabinets for a sleek aesthetic. You can use LED strip or puck lighting that mount onto the cabinet with minimal installation.
The kitchen is often called “the heart of the home”, and for good reason. It’s not just a place to cook meals—it’s a place to gather and make memories. Beautifying your kitchen will take some elbow grease and plenty of creativity, but by no means does it have to be difficult or overly pricey.
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