You spend a lot of time in your kitchen. So, it is only normal that you’d have great fantasies about what you’d love your kitchen to look like and how you’d re-design it yourself if you could.

Well, believe it or not, you can. There are ways to upgrade your kitchen on a budget that may make your jaw drop. In fact, some of these upgrades are so simple and cheap that you may feel like you just did something sneaky.

Gather up your sketchbook and your imagination and let’s uncover the ultimate guide to kitchen upgrades on a budget.

Cabinet Upgrades

Your cabinets are one of the first things people notice when entering your kitchen.  These tend to take up a considerable amount of space, high and low.

For this reason, the cabinets are usually one of the first things people consider when upgrading their kitchen.

To save money, there are many things you can do that can look like a complete kitchen cabinet overhaul.

Here are a few tips to consider:

• Remove the doors. Yes, you read that correctly – remove the doors. A modern take on the kitchen involves open cabinetry. After the doors are removed, remove any extra hardware. Then, consider painting the cabinets. And, of course, you will want to organize your cabinets a bit.
• If you want to keep your doors, why not change the hardware? This is a simple step that can, surprisingly, make a big change. Add new knobs and pulls on the cabinets and drawers throughout the kitchen.
• Paint the cabinets. This is a common method of upgrading a kitchen without spending a great amount of money on new cabinets. Paint them a soft color or a bright, bold color. The choice is entirely yours. A current trend is to paint the upper and lower cabinets in two different colors or a light and dark version of one color.

Don’t overlook these simple things you can do to transform your cabinets.

Kitchen Appliances

Your kitchen appliances may not take up as much space as your cabinets, but they tend to get the most attention.

They’re a focal point in the kitchen, which can be a problem over time if your appliances don’t age well. This is why most homeowners set aside a larger portion of their budget when updating the kitchen.

This may surprise you …

You can update every major appliance in your kitchen for the same price some brands charge for a single range.

Thor Kitchen offers a wide selection of professional kitchen appliances without the expensive price tag.

Today, the kitchen of your dreams is more affordable than ever before.

Add A Backsplash

Backsplashes can bring a depth of color to your kitchen space. They can be placed along one wall, behind specific areas such as the sink or stovetop, or throughout the entire kitchen. The choice is open to your discretion, based on how you’d like to update your space.

When you think of backsplashes, you may think of the hard-tiled spaces of the past. Now, there are so many options and ways to create a backsplash that can take just a few minutes of your time.

• Use the peel and stick sheets that you will find in home improvement stores. These come in a wide variety of colors and designs. The best part is that they look like real tile.
• Another idea is to use vinyl or laminate flooring in exciting designs.
• Consider using metal roof tiles to create a neat look.
• Use your imagination and provide your kitchen with color and design that will make it pop.

The Kitchen Sink

Whether you’d like it to be or not, your kitchen sink is another focal point in your kitchen. By choosing to pay some attention to it while upgrading, you can make a big impact. In fact, it is a small way to do so.

First of all, replacing a sink is hard work. And, costly. This is especially true if you aren’t a plumber or if you don’t know what you are doing. You are better off attempting to makeover your sink by keeping your same sink.

Did you know that you can paint metal? Have you ever considered painting your sink? This is a great way to make a bold statement. Paint your sink using spray paint that is meant for metal. Use a light color for a bright look. Or, if you’d prefer not to get messy with paint, you can always just change up your faucet. Buy something that fits you – something classy, elegant, bold, or funky. You may be surprised at how much this little change can affect the space.

Lighting

What kind of lighting do you have in your kitchen? For some, the lighting is outdated and may even be turning yellow or full dead bugs. Ew, gross. Update your lighting and brighten your kitchen.

Lighting is something that you can change that won’t break the bank. Check out the lighting aisle in your local home improvement store for some ideas. You can go for one large chandelier-type overhead lighting or smaller, recessed lighting – whatever works for your style.

Add An Island

Last, but not least, if your kitchen has space, adding an island can it look like an entirely different kitchen. Thankfully, to do this, you don’t need to have a permanent island fixture built into your kitchen. Instead, find yourself an island size table – preferably with drawers or underneath storage – and put it in the center of your kitchen.

Make it your island.

Try these tips to transform your kitchen into the one you’ve always dreamed of having. Save time and money by focusing on the focal points, such as the appliances, the cabinets, the backsplash, and the lighting.

Everything else will just fall into place.