5 Classic Ways to Update Your Kitchen on a Budget

The kitchen is that one room all homeowners crave to keep updated. It’s typically the central gathering space for everyone in the household and visitors too. It’s usually a focal point of the main level and a cornerstone of the home’s design style.

Unfortunately, upgrading the kitchen can be pricey, leaving many property owners to neglect this central room for far too long. Luckily, there are plenty of classic ways to update a kitchen on a modest budget. Here are five ideas to get you started:

Cabinet Refacing

One of the first things that you see when you step into a kitchen is the cabinets. Having old and damaged cabinets will only bring the look of your kitchen down and the value of your home down as well. 

For a quick fix, you can hire a company for cabinet refacing. 

Cabinet refacing is when you change out the doors of the cupboards, or the “fronts”, but leave the boxes in place. This provides a tremendous savings because you don’t have to pay for new cabinet frames and also avoid the labor costs of cabinet demo and installation.

You can then stain or paint the cabinet doors a new color. You'll be surprised how a fresh coat of paint can change a room.

Countertop Resurfacing

Your countertop should be one of the main things in your kitchen that you keep looking nice and new. This is because you don't want to prep your food onto a countertop that's already broken or chipping. 

Having a bad-looking countertop that lost its gloss won't look good in any kitchen. This is why you should try countertop resurfacing. 

Countertop resurfacing is when a professional refinishes the existing countertops with a lasting acrylic glaze that will make it look like its stone. This is typically done to fabricated countertops, like Corian and Formica.

Get Some New Appliances

Sometimes changing the kitchen is not necessary for a whole kitchen upgrade. Sometimes all you need is to splurge yourself on some new and upgraded appliances. 

This would be a great thing to do if you have some ancient appliances in your kitchen. For example, if you still have a microwave that is over ten years old and doesn't heat food properly, it might be time to get a new microwave. 

You can find some appliances at a discount in the clearance sections of stores or the unboxed sections of appliance stores. 

Repainting

Over time paint will start to look dull, worn out, outdated or even peeling. That’s when it’s time to refresh the walls.

Having a new coat of paint placed on the kitchen walls, trim and ceiling will significantly brighten the look of your kitchen and breath new life into the entire space. 

Replace the Décor

Art can elevate the look of any room. While you might not associate a kitchen with art and decor, you’re probably overlooking just how many accessories and trinkets you have lying about this room. From wine racks to wall clocks, chalk board menus and vases, your kitchen is full of artistic elements that can quickly date the entire room if they are out of style.

You don't have to spend millions on these pieces. Instead, you can find new art or décor for very affordable prices in home decor stores, thrift stores and antique shops.

If you're unhappy with your kitchen or want to start new but don't have the funds for a floor-to-ceiling remodel, try these ideas to give your kitchen a new look for less.