Some Killer Kitchen Improvements For A Small Budget

One of the many beautiful kitchens by Custom Bench Tops (CBJ) of Australia

If your kitchen has started to fade and you tend to keep the door closed when guests are visiting, maybe it is time to remedy the situation. If your finances are a tad strained, you can take comfort in the fact that there are some inexpensive ways in which you can give your kitchen a fantastic facelift.

But How?

A kitchen rebuild can cost many thousands, but this is for some very obvious reasons. If you replace the cabinets, worktops and white goods, you will need serious cash. You can save a lot by keeping your remaining cabinets and just upgrade certain parts of the kitchen.

Keep The Main Structure

You will not be replacing the main body of the kitchen and this will make the job far simpler as well as cheaper. Once you start to reshape the room, you need to consider plumbing and electrical work as well as the purchase costs.

Lighting

Instead of a more expensive recessed light option, you should consider a more decorative unit. As well as being considerable cheaper, these will be able to support a far higher wattage light bulb. The results of a one hundred and eighty watt lighting unit will make the kitchen look like a million bright dollars.

Flooring

Vinyl flooring is a very cost conscious option, but it can also be visually stunning. If you think about a classic two tone tile effect, you will be on the right track. Just consider the color scheme for the rest of the kitchen before deciding on a final choice.

Right: Kitchen floor – It’s vinyl! – Photo Courtesy: publicprivate

Painting

It is amazing the effect a fresh coat of paint can have on your kitchen. You should think about the whole color scheme before your final choice however.  A citrus theme always works well particularly in a smaller kitchen. It gives the impression of a clean larger space and will always cheer you up when you enter the room. Choose a washable type of paint as you never know when the cooking may get a bit lively!

Cabinet Doors

Instead of shelling out for a new set of cabinets, you can get a similar effect by upgrading the doors. Try to match these with the new paintwork or try for a contrasting but tasteful option. Before buying your new doors you should check the condition of the cabinets. It would be a shame to upgrade the doors only to find out that the cabinets were on their last legs.

Laminate Counters

You can obtain some very stylish looking laminate counter tops for a reasonable price. A favorite choice these days is the granite effect laminate pattern. They look nearly as nice for less than a twentieth of the price premium. For that finishing touch you need only add some contrasting edge dressing, chrome effect always does the trick!

Accessories

A new cooker or fancy fridge are safely out of the equation here, but you can still pick up some nifty accessories for small change at your local home improvement centre. Think about some hooks for your pots and pans or maybe some tasteful prints for your new walls. Just remember that nobody ever need know that you redesigned your lovely kitchen for less than the price of a month’s food shopping!

Margaret Benson is an interior designer and specializes in designing kitchen benchtops. Being a lady, she has a special affinity towards the kitchen and tries her best to design the kitchen in the best possible manner. She also gives useful tips on her blog and talks about making some inexpensive changes to the kitchen in today’s post.