Affordable upgrades you can make to your kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in your house; cooking, preparing meals and eating with family or friends all happen there, and it may even be your home office!

When you spend so much time there it might start to seem dull to look at, and you may want to change some things around to make it feel like a new space again.

So, if you fancy a change of scenery, we’ve put together some of our top tricks on how to upgrade your kitchen on a budget.

Declutter
If you’d like to rearrange your kitchen, we recommend you start with the basics and declutter. You may have utensils you don’t use anymore that have been taking up space in the cupboards for years, such as a juice squeezer you don’t have time for, or maybe some crockery you made when you were younger. They could be taking up valuable space in your kitchen and you might benefit from rearranging and sorting out what you no longer require.

Decluttering countertops and open shelving will instantly refresh the look of your kitchen, without costing a penny. You can get dividers or organisers for your drawers and cabinets to make the best use of the space available.

Add fake plants
We are less stressed and more productive and relaxed when we are around plants - it’s a fact. If you have artificial plants elsewhere in the house, bring them into the kitchen and display them on your island or open shelves. This is a really easy way to make your kitchen a calm and positive environment without having to spend too much money.

Painting kitchen cupboards
Painting your cupboards is an inexpensive way to change the look of your kitchen, and can also make it feel luxurious. If you have the time to do this yourself you can also save a few pennies rather than hiring a decorator (as long as you don’t mind getting your hands dirty!). If you plan to paint cabinets, take the time to prime them first to ensure you get the desired look you’re hoping for.

Update handles
It can be hard to decide what hardware to change in your kitchen. Do you want handles, knobs or pulls? Think about what you currently have and how you could switch it to make it look either more modern by opting for a silver long thin handle, or if you want a traditional style, go for wooden knobs on doors.

There’s some great inspiration on Pinterest so head over there to get some ideas on what will go with your new colour scheme and style.

Install extra lighting
Having long thin lights hanging above your head in the kitchen is a great trend for this year. If that’s not your thing, try adding some extra spotlights in your ceiling to help showcase certain parts of the room, such as the sitting area or cooking space.

You could also install some spotlights under the cupboards to help create an ambient atmosphere when having guests over.

If you have the expertise, and to really cut down on costs, you could install the light fixtures yourself. Or alternatively, ask a friend/relative who has experience doing this, rather than hiring an electrician.

We would love to see if you implement any of these cost-saving upgrades in your house – send us your before and afters to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.