The kitchen makes a big difference to your house. It’s not only the ‘heart of the home’ where you want to enjoy cooking, socialising and relaxing, it’s also a big factor in determining the value of your property. After all, a kitchen that looks outdated or poorly maintained will devalue a house, whereas a clean new kitchen boosts the asking price.
So, even though this type of home improvement project can be costly a few simple changes in your kitchen – a new wall colour or a few trendy décor pieces – can add value to your home with very little outlay. Here are some more design ideas to effectively update your kitchen without overspending…
WORKTOPS
The worktops are a crucial part of the kitchen – they’re where you prepare meals and can also be where people eat and socialise. Worktops are therefore seen as a focal point because they can completely change the style and mood of your kitchen, so updating the worktop can make a huge difference. When I revamped my kitchen, I kept the same cupboards but just got a new worktop.
This freshened up the space, made it look cleaner, and modernised the existing cabinets, all for around £100 outlay. Choosing a sparkly white quartz effect made the whole room brighter too, without making any changes to the walls or windows. When looking for a worktop material you should think about both the appearance of the material AND your daily activities in the kitchen to make sure it’s going to work for you and your family.
Limestone is a natural stone composed of coral, shells, algae and calcium carbonate. It’s an inexpensive alternative to marble or travertine as the average cost per square foot of limestone is around £55 – a lot less than marble. This material is a great choice for kitchens, with neutral grey and brown limestone being popular colours that add warmth to the kitchen and are very easy to pair with your existing flooring and cabinets. Limestone surfaces are cool even in the summer (great for baking) and it’s a durable material. That said, it is porous so it’ll require professional sealing at least once a year to protect it against spills and stains.
FLOORING
Flooring can vary wildly in price depending on what material you choose for your kitchen. Hardwood flooring is still one of the most attractive and high end looks in home design however, this type of flooring can be very expensive. There’s no need to spend an enormous amount of money on hardwood flooring when there are other flooring options available that are equally as attractive and more affordable.
Laminate flooring is considered to be very eco-friendly and the low cost of the material and easy installation means it can cost 50% less than hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring is an extremely durable, scratch resistant surface that’s able to withstand the high traffic of a kitchen without showing any signs of damage. I’ve used laminate in my living room, bedroom and office, and after 2 years of daily use I’ve had no problems with it so far.
Vinyl flooring is a durable, waterproof and inexpensive flooring alternative. It’s available in tiles or sheets, which create a seamless look across your entire floor.The advantage of vinyl sheets as opposed to tiles is that the sheets can create the look of a more expensive material without the seams showing. Vinyl can be cleaned with soap and water, making it easy to care for if you have pets or kids.
CABINETS
Cabinets are an aspect of your kitchen that can be really expensive to replace. Everyone loves the look of a beautiful hardwood cabinet however, by choosing MDF cabinets you can still have a beautiful kitchen without the high costs. These days MDF cabinets can easily be mistaken for real wood cabinets (at a more reasonable price!) and MDF doesn’t warp or crack and comes in a large variety of styles and grains. Also, its smooth surface is very easy to paint so you can change your decor in the future without spending a fortune to update the cupboards. I painted my existing kitchen cabinets with turquoise spray paint and the result has transformed the room!
DECOR
Sometimes just adding a few décor pieces can transform the look of your kitchen and make it a much more inviting space. By adding solid colour design elements (such as the kettle, toaster, even the fridge) you can refresh up your kitchen and make it pop. Lighter colours can also make your kitchen seem more spacious and clean. Personalise the space with signs or artwork, or your could create a gallery wall and hang up some fun family photos on a blank wall to give the kitchen a homely touch.
APPLIANCES
Old appliances can ruin the look of your gorgeous new kitchen. Ovens and refrigerators are the most expensive items so before buying any appliances, you should research them and see if the brands have a good reputation. You want to ensure that you’re buying appliances which will last you for years to come and are reliable. Also you should make sure they do what you want them to do – I bought what I thought was an electric oven with gas hob but it turns out that only the grill is electric and all the rest is gas. Not quite what I was expecting but it works well and looks good in the kitchen nonetheless!
No matter how you decide to remodel your kitchen, you should always set a budget and stick to it! This may man you have have to wait for something to go on sale or choose lower-price materials, but at least you won’t overspend. By having the patience to replace, repair or restore things over time as well as the perseverance to stick to your budget you will end up being rewarded with a beautiful kitchen that hasn’t cost a small fortune.
Let me know how you’ve updated your kitchen on a budget in the comments below and please share your tips for revamping what you already have.
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