Easy DIY Kitchen Updates That Are Almost Free
UPDATED 11/18/20
People may look at beautiful kitchen photos and decide that they would like to change something about their current kitchens. Sometimes, just getting new appliance products can help. All kitchen appliances will eventually get old and start to break down, and people may not always be able to get them repaired. New appliances can already change the way a kitchen looks, and people can solve more than one issue at once by changing their appliances.
Some of the awesome kitchen ideas in the best kitchen magazines seem like they will be expensive to effectively put into practice. However, many of them will actually be less expensive than a lot of people might think. Something as simple as a natural stone countertop can change the way an entire kitchen seems to fit together. People might not have to make a lot of other changes to their kitchens in order to make them seem like entirely new household rooms.
Plenty of other kitchen renovation strategies are even less expensive than that. People might just need to redecorate their kitchens slightly, and they can already seem as if they have new kitchens. A lot of small factors can influence the appearance of a kitchen.
The kitchen is easily the most important room in your house and the center of everyday life. Not only is it where the food is, but often it’s where families come together to celebrate, laugh, and play.
However, kitchens also happen to be one of the rooms that get dirty, dingy, unorganized, and messy very easily and very often. For this reason, people spend a tremendous amount of money, sometimes up to $30,000 remodeling their kitchens. Most people don’t want to spend or just don’t have that kind of money to spend on their home. Luckily there are lots of DIY kitchen updates you can make that will hardly cost anything.
Make an Island
One of the best diy kitchen updates to add counter space, storage, and beauty to your kitchen is with an island. Kitchen islands are great for keeping you organized and keeping everything in its place. They can also be a great place to gather around, keeps kids occupied and leave goodies to rest. Built-in islands are often the home of cooktops or contain the p, plumbing for sinks and dishwashers.
The best part is an island isn’t all that difficult to make yourself. Realistically all you need is a table, desk, dresser, or another piece of furniture with a work surface and storage that sits high enough to not strain your back when you stand over it for a long period of time. If you choose to use a table you add storage by putting shelves under the main tabletop and/or add hooks to the underside of the tabletop.
If you don’t have something that can be converted, it isn’t difficult to make one yourself with some cheap wood, and paint. Another option is to look for discount furniture or used furniture that you can convert. Either way, you can finish your island with a butcher block or a DIY concrete countertop, and coat of paint. The best part about a DIY island is the ability to move it around as necessary, allowing you more kitchen freedom.
Walls and Floors
Another really easy to spice up your kitchen is with a quick coat of paint, or a roll of wallpaper, which makes for simple and cheap DIY kitchen updates. You could paint the walls a different color or add some interest with a nice accent wall in a bright color. Or you can use wallpaper to achieve the same effect. Cabinets can also be updated with a coat of paint or some wallpaper.
You can create a lot of interest very easily if you cut wallpaper to fit the inner panel of your cabinets or just apply it to the top cabinets. Paint is also a great solution if you have a lot of stained surfaces. You even buy paint that is meant to be more stain-resistant for your kitchen.
Kitchen floors can quickly become scuffed and dirty. Luckily if you grow tired of your floor you can buy peel and stick tile to replace what you have. If you don’t want to replace the flooring, you make your floors friendlier with throw rugs and cushioned mats. If you want to you can even use specialized to paint and stencils to add designs to plain colored floor tiles or even add a large design to a wooden floor.
Better Backsplashes
Designed to protect walls from food and water damage, getting a backsplash installed can be both expensive and time-intensive. Luckily there are a lot of ways to make your own. If you just want to keep it simple stain-resistant paint or wallpaper coated with a stain-resistant sealer can be used.
However, if you want something a little more interesting you can use dollar store glass beads and grout, peel and stick tile to make your own more decorative black splash. If you’re really artistic or inventive you can use glass and ceramic tiles, or pieces from broken dish and glassware to create a DIY mosaic for a backsplash as well.
If you already have a backsplash but it’s old, stained, or boring stencils and paint, or cutouts from wallpaper sealed with hodge-podge or artist’s clear coat can add decorative details that can really spice up your backsplash.
Cabinets and Hardware
Kitchen Cabinets are the lifeblood of the kitchen but there are plenty of easy and simple DIY kitchen updates to make them a little more interesting. Removing a couple of cabinet doors and leaving open shelves decorated with wall or contact paper can be a great eye-catching update.
You could even new cabinets made of old lockers, crates, or even a bookcase. Installing new shelves can add tons of storage for pots, pans, and especially drinking glasses, especially wine and champagne glasses.
You could also try replacing some of your cabinet doors, either upper or power, with a different wood or style, like barn doors. Other, more creative kitchen cabinet door alternatives include curtains, wire mesh, and even chalk or whiteboards. You could also use paint or specialty chalk/whiteboard wallpaper to cover your cabinet doors. This will give you space to jot down when your child is getting their braces and what to grab from the grocery store.
Another solution to add interest to your cabinet is by adding frames and trim. This can make cabinets look more interesting and intricate. Baseboards or toe-kicks can also be used to catch the eye with a coat of paint or wallpaper. You can even DIY drawers to fit into those spaces if you’re really tight on space.
The handles, drawer pulls, hinges and knobs on your cabinets and drawers have a huge impact on your kitchen’s impression and style. You can revitalize your kitchen space just by upgrading these small details with a trip to the hardware store.
Cabinet hardware comes a variety of styles and hardware stores may have different styles depending on the store size and location. If you don’t have the money to buy new hardware, you still upgrade without worry. If you’re creative and know how to use a drill, a lot of objects can be used as pulls: your kid’s old dinosaur toys, stones, marbles and more.
You can even use oven-dry clay and screws to make your own pulls in whatever shape you want. If you like your style but want them to feel new, pick up a can of spray paint and give your hardware new life that way. Even a change from silver to gold can make a huge difference.
The Kitchen Sink
Arguably one of the most important parts of your kitchen, your kitchen sink can have a huge impact on how your kitchen looks and can be the source of some creative DIY kitchen updates. First, if your sink hardware, like your faucet and handles, is looking worn and old, a coat of spraypaint will breathe new life into them. Just be careful when disconnecting them from the plumbing.
Another cheap and effective way to make your kitchen feel more orderly is by organizing your sink cabinet. First, before storing anything under any sink, check for leaks, loose drains, and any other water issues like mold, mildew and existing water damage. Note that if you have to place temporary heating under the sink to thaw or prevent frozen pipes during winter, you may end up causing a great deal of condensation in your cabinets which can lead to mold and mildew build-up. If you notice anything wrong, call a local plumber for help with cleaning and drain repair.
Once you feel comfortable storing things under your sink, make sure you clean it thoroughly, including doing any pipe or drain cleaning. When storing things inside, make sure you keep the cabinet accessible and organized. You can use bins or boxes to store cleaning supplies, hang up towel rods for paper towels or trash bags, and use a curtain rod to easily store spray bottles. Finally, add a child-lock if you have curious kiddos or animals who might try to get in.
Storage and Organization
There is a lot to keep put away and organized in a kitchen. But there are also a lot of easy DIY kitchen updates to help you get organized and keep it that way.
A lot of fo times it’s the smaller objects like measuring cups and spoons and spices that can get in the way. An easy solution is to hang up small hooks for them on the inside of your cabinet doors or along with your backsplash.
Utensils can also get organized and confused easily. You can keep them in check with organizers for your drawers and storing the ones you use the most often on your counter in an old flower pot, large vase or even a little bucket. If you don’t want to take up counter space, consider using a metallic strip, or a hang a shudder on the wall with hooks on the panels to hang your tools from.
A lot fo other organization comes down to personal preference but a few other DIY kitchen updates include making a hanging storage rack for pots, pans, tools, etc. from PVC pipes, which you find wherever plumbing supplies are sold and spray paint. There are a lot more organizational solutions you find to help make your kitchen into the perfect place for you and your family.
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Finally, the best update you make is by adding new accessories and artwork to make space your own. Don’t overcrowd your counters and try to keep things simple.
If you’re struggling in your kitchen, don’t hesitate to make some DIY kitchen updates and transform the space into something you enjoy. Like it or not, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen so it should a place you and your family can love and enjoy.
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