Are you tired of your linoleum floor and outdated countertops? Do your cabinets look like they’re from the 70’s? Perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. Remodeling your kitchen doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – there are plenty of upgrades you can do yourself without breaking the bank. Here are a few tips to take your kitchen from drab to fab.

Cabinet Crisis

Buying a brand new set of cabinets can be costly, so why not work with what you have? There are many different ways to give your current cabinets a makeover, but it all depends on the look you are trying to achieve. Painting your cabinets is an option, and a fresh coat of paint can go a long way to change the look and feel of your kitchen. If you have wood cabinets, you can also opt to strip and re-stain them with a tone that you prefer. If your cabinets are organized well, consider removing the doors and creating open shelving to display your dishware and serving pieces. Lastly, change out the hardware on your cabinets to create a traditional or modern look.

Clear the Clutter

Cabinet and drawer space is a hot commodity, and lack thereof can cause your kitchen to be less functional. Consider adding a pot rack with hooks to hang your pots, pans, and utensils. If you have a kitchen island, hanging a pot rack from the ceiling above is ideal. If you don’t have the space to hang one from the ceiling, consider a wall mounted rack, which can be purchased or homemade. A DIYed pot rack is easier than you think – simply install a stained or painted 4x4 with hooks and hang your pots, pans, and utensils from that. The bonus is you now also have a shelf for your spices and oils, freeing up yet more space in your cabinets.

Backsplash

Updating your backsplash can really give your kitchen a polished look. If you don’t want to demo your current tile backsplash, an easy solution is to simply paint it. Be aware that painting tile does require specialty paint, and prepping the tile surface prior to painting is a must if you don’t want the paint to peel off. If you do the demo or currently have no backsplash, you have many options to choose from, like peel and stick tiles, metallic paint, metal tiles, or the traditional subway or ceramic tile installation.  

Kitchen Island

If you have the space to add a kitchen island, why not do so? Again, think outside of the box.           A simple way to DIY your own island is to purchase a metal table, repurpose an old dresser, build one from wood, or use an old rustic farm table. The options are abundant when you think creatively and look into repurposing items that weren’t initially intended for a kitchen.

Add Some Seating

Now that you have a kitchen island, why not add some seating? You can add some funky stools to create an eating area around the island, or if you went the farm table route, add a few chairs or a bench to accommodate your kitchen guests. And if you need some more space while you’re cooking, simply moving the chairs to the side for a while can open your kitchen back up.

The kitchen truly is the heart of the home. Whether it be preparing meals or entertaining with some appetizers and cocktails, people gravitate to the kitchen. Giving your kitchen a makeover can be a do-it-yourself project, and hopefully these tips will make it just a bit easier.