Kitchen Remodeling and Décor on a Budget

If your kitchen could use an update but your remodeling budget has regressed, check out these six low cost kitchen remodeling approaches. Just one or two decor tweaks to your existing space can add ease for cooking and entertaining, bump up home value and keep your bank account in the black.

1. Build a better island. In kitchens of any scale, a wisely sized and well-organized kitchen island provides additional prep space, storage for serving pieces and equipment, and a comfortable place for kitchen visitors to park. Retrofit an existing island by reorganizing storage, adding a bar-size sink or resizing and resurfacing the top. If you don’t have an island, look into adding a clever cart-style cutting surface that can take its place wherever you need it and go mobile as a roving entertainment center.
2. Clear cabinets and open shelving. Both of these storage styles continue to turn up in modern kitchens and are great ways to add visual interest. To get the look on a budget and without a complete cabinetry remodeling, replace doors on a few key cabinets with glass-fitted models, or remove doors altogether and repaint shelf faces and surfaces for a fresh, clean look. For even more spark, line kitchen cabinets with patterned papers, fabric or a color-pop of paint.
3. Layered lighting. Maybe all your kitchen needs is a few changes to its lightscape. Plan additions to improve utility as well as play up its best features. Add stylish pendants over an island, replace an existing central fixture with one that’s multifunctional, and consider solatube skylights to bring natural light into tight spaces, or add dimmer switches to maintain the mood as well as energy savings. And look into efficient, high-impact LED lighting products to spotlight a standout backsplash or illuminate cabinet interiors.
4. A fabulous faucet. High-arc faucets are graceful, add ease to kitchen chores and contribute a contemporary focal point to your kitchen decor. You can have faucets in a your budget range with all types of finishes, plus integrated features like pull-out sprays for that added convenience.
5. The universal kitchen. Applying universal design principles and the improved access they create to your kitchen remodeling project can help you enjoy your kitchen through every life stage. Thoughtful changes like easy-to-grasp handles and knobs, auto-open drawers, work surfaces that allow the cook to be seated and wheelchair-accessible workflows ease the transitions of age and also help you welcome family members into cooking endeavors. Installing molding along the edges of counters can also help make them stand out for those with weaker vision.
6. Go green. Earth- and human-friendly materials are only becoming more stylish and affordable, so take the time to investigate your kitchen remodeling green product options whether perusing the paint aisle or shopping for flooring. Know where materials come from, what’s involved in their manufacture and whether or not they contain chemicals that could be released as VOCs once installed. You can also work high-style recycling decor into your kitchen remodeling project with repurposed furnishings and sculptural architectural salvage trimmings.