The kitchen is a crucial part of every house, it is one of the first things considered before tenants or owners rent or buy a property. Whether you love cooking or not, your day most probably starts with a cup of coffee served right from your kitchen and ends with a cozy dinner prepared in it.
Nowadays in modern homes, kitchens are designed as multi-functional living spaces which reflect the character and lifestyle of the house owners. Kitchens, thus transformed from places where meals were cooked into the epicenter of every home. It is safe to say that no home is complete without a well-designed kitchen so whether you want to make the most of a small kitchen or modernize an outdated one, here are some tricks to help you redesign a small kitchen without breaking the bank.
Keep your existing layout
All renovations are costly, especially kitchen renovations. No matter how small your kitchen is, it has to have a sink, an oven, a hood, a fridge, electrical outlets for appliances and drainage points for the dishwasher. Considering all of these elements, you can only imagine how costly it would be to reshuffle their places by changing the layout. You will need to hire a contractor, provide them with plans, get approvals on construction works such as moving plumbing, electric and HVAC, and pay for all the new items including new floor and wall tiles. Let us not forget that you will spend at least one month without a proper kitchen. Thus, the first thing you need to consider before starting your renovation project is to keep the layout as is and work your creativity around it. This way you will limit the costs and number of contractors involved, and you can focus your budget on what really matters.
Upgrade Base and Wall Units
Now that you have decided on keeping the layout untouched, the next step would be to upgrade your cabinetry as they are one of the most important elements in your kitchen. Rip out the old ones and install new ones so you can feel that your kitchen has been uplifted. Working with cabinets is fun as you get to choose the color, pattern and style of the kitchen. If you like that airy look, go for light colors like white, gray and beige. If you want a more rustic look, choose cabinets with a wooden veneer. If you like to mix and match, make the base units in a dark tone and the upper wall units in a lighter one. Whatever your style is, it is important to take this opportunity to maximize the storage of your small kitchen. For example, make sure that your chosen wall units are full height so you gain storage space. As for the base units, make sure you use the corners wisely by adding integrated accessories that make everything easy to reach.
Add open shelving
If you are a fan of displaying your favorite dishware and snacks, you can opt for an affordable open shelving solution. Having an open display shelf will make your tight kitchen feel airy without losing storage space. As a nice trick, add colorful dishware and use translucent colored jars to display daily used things like salt, pepper and coffee. Another important trick to consider is adding a metal rack to the bottom of the shelf where you can hang the most used pots and pans. This way the kitchenware will function as part of the design while being easily accessible.
Buy Appliance Packages
The biggest chunk of your budget should be dedicated to your appliances. While you might think that buying new appliances is not very budget friendly, think of it as a one-time long-term investment. Good quality appliances last you for a long time with no thoughts of upgrading every few years. Interior designers suggest choosing appliances based on the design theme. For instance, a white kitchen design with white appliances would be ideal. If a dark theme was selected, complimenting it with dark silver appliances would be recommended. If a retro look was picked, colorful appliances would be the perfect addition to give the pop of color needed to elevate your space. Whatever appliances are chosen, make sure the right measurements are in place, so they can fit perfectly into their designated spaces.
Add texture, use a faux sticker tile for the backsplash
Now that you have your upgraded cabinetry, shelves and appliances, it is time to add that finishing touch to your backsplash. An easy and cost friendly fix would be to stick a faux sticker tile onto your existing backsplash. This will give it the uplifted look that compliments your new kitchen and you will not have to worry about removing the existing backsplash and replacing it with a new one.
Do not Forget the most important Part
We know that coordinating renovations is not the easiest thing to do, and while the steps may seem overwhelming, you just need to keep in mind how happy you will be when you see your uplifted kitchen come to life. Enjoy the process and make sure to snap your “before” & “after” picture from the same angle so you can always have a visual of how you re-designed your kitchen on a budget.
