10 Ways To Quickly Improve Your Kitchen

Kacey’s back today with some genius tips on how to refresh your kitchen without spending a ton of time or money… take it away Kacey!

You can get used to just about anything, however dated, and it seems the more familiar your surroundings, like your kitchen, like less you notice it. For some, this can mean living in a kitchen that before you know it, needs some serious updating.

So how about a change of scenery? The issue is that updating a kitchen requires time and money – and usually less of one means far more of the other and vice-versa. New fittings, new walls, new floors, new tiles, new appliances and a lot of labor make kitchen renovation a particularly taxing endeavor.

So what’s the alternative? This article is going to highlight 10 ways to quickly improve your kitchen – small, easy and inexpensive actions you can take that have big effects and keep your kitchen in line with the trends without taking a sabbatical or remortgaging.

1. Change or Add Lighting

Your kitchen’s mood (and perhaps your mood) is largely dictated by its lighting. Instead of shelling out substantial cash to build a larger window or add in sliding doors, buy some beautiful new light fittings, lamp shades, wall sconces or table lights. Glow up your kitchen and banish any dark, dingy corners.

2. Paint Your Cabinets

This is one of the easiest ways to change up your kitchen and to give it an entirely new or refreshed look. Either repaint with an existing color to repair any sun-bleaching or scratches, or go for a new color entirely.

3. Add a Feature Wall

This can be an entirely DIY project, and one of the more entertaining exercises at that – you are free to express your creative side here… within reason!

If the idea of painting your cabinets for hours just isn’t doing it for you, go for an accent wall instead. The general advice here is to paint the wall two shades darker than the existing paint on your other walls.

If you want something out there, go for wallpaper that’s trendy… but also steam and heat resistant!

4. Grab a Rug

Placed in a strategic area, rugs can cover a multitude of sins – including that slightly dated carpet or flooring. Usually effective at the foot of your sink, or the central part of your kitchen, opt for a bright color or monochrome, patterned variation to bring some modernity to the space. Moreover, if you spill on it, you can just wash it or replace it!

5. Invest In a Backsplash

A carefully chosen backsplash can totally transform a kitchen, plus they’re perfect for protecting walls. Stainless is the more minimalist-friendly option but this can be expensive, so tiles may be a better bet. Furthermore, metro tiles are very “in” and can come in a variety of colors and even patterns.

6. Opt For a Cheaper Countertop

This is surprisingly less expensive than you may expect: look into investing in a cheaper laminate surface for a couple hundred dollars, or even look into marble effect options. Or you might simply cover the unsightly existing countertops with oversized grand chopping boards, or even paint them.

7. Change Up Your Handles and Cabinet Doors

This lends itself more so to kitchens that are already looking ship shape, but it can still make a difference to less pristine rooms.

If you want to simply overhaul the style or feel of your kitchen, try going for white sleek doors and metal handles for a minimalist look. If your kitchen is less sympathetic to such a vast change in style, maybe add different types of knobs for a more rustic, country feel, coupled with distressed wood cabinet doors.

8. Yes To New Fabrics

New curtains, dishcloths and table settings can bring some much needed color or consistency to a kitchen that’s been without an upgrade for some time. Bringing a room together with matching or complementing fabrics takes only one shopping trip for maximum effect and is one of the least expensive ways to quickly improve your kitchen.

9. Yes To New Accessories

This can be as big or as small as you want it to be: a new oven or a new kettle! Naturally, start small and see how it goes, and just like with a new fabric overhaul, investing in matching new appliances, mugs or even kitchen roll-holders can have a big impact on how your kitchen comes across.

10. Add New Switch Plates and Outlet Covers

Switch plates and outlet covers which have been used – and perhaps abused – can really betray the general feel of your kitchen. To make matters worse, switch plates are usually white meaning you have dingy looking and dirty or discolored covers in no time.

Go for new covers and you’ll be surprised just how much of difference they make. Note: wipe clean options are obviously preferable!

A lot of us spend so much of our time in our kitchens, so do yourself a solid and make some changes to it to make it more enjoyable. However small your budget or timeframe, choose a few of the above options to bring some new life and style into your home.

Looking for even more ideas on how to quickly improve your kitchen? Check out these tips on how to do a kitchen makeover on a budget. 

Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she frequently writes for sites like US Travel News, Thought Catalog, Porch.com, Tripping.com and more!

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