Kitchen Makeover Ideas. 18 Ways to Improve your Kitchen Without Spending a Fortune

A kitchen makeover is a costly, challenging, and time-consuming project to embark on. Whether you’re planning to do a small kitchen makeover or a large-scale one, it is important to know the ins and outs of the process to avoid making costly mistakes.

A lot of homeowners nowadays are particularly looking to create a modern kitchen makeover on their old and traditional kitchens for it to appeal to a younger demographic of homebuyers who prefer the modern or contemporary style.

To achieve this, it takes more than just a quick kitchen makeover, however, this does not mean that it would cost you thousands of dollars to do so. Yes, you read it right. There are many ways you can do to improve your kitchen’s appearance without a fortune. But first, let’s take a look at what a regular kitchen improvement would cost considering that you upgrade all the parts of it from the floor up to the walls.

Cost Estimate of a Kitchen Upgrade

Here are the average costs for kitchen renovation works:

That’s a lot, isn’t it? But you don’t necessarily have to spend this amount to make a simple yet significant improvement in your kitchen. Below, we have outlined 18 simple kitchen upgrades you can do without spending a huge fortune. 

Kitchen Cabinet Makeover

First, let’s start with your cabinetry. Old kitchen cabinets makeover is somewhat common since kitchen cabinets need to be replaced once they become worn out and dilapidated. Here are easy ways how to makeover kitchen cabinets.

1. Repaint your cabinets

Do you have an old kitchen cabinet that you want to upgrade? A painted kitchen cabinets makeover is the ideal way to go about it. You don’t have to demolish the entire cabinetry down to transform it to achieve the new kitchen look you’re aiming for. Chances are, a fresh coat of paint might be enough to give your old kitchen cabinets a makeover.

In a traditional wooden kitchen cabinets makeover, cabinets are usually revarnished to revive their glow or repaint in white or neutral colors to make them more modern. Consider repainting for your laminate kitchen cabinets makeover and veneer kitchen cabinets makeover.

2. Updating cabinets hardware

Some kitchen cabinets just need new cabinet hardware to improve their appearance. Buying new hardware is far less expensive than tearing down your cabinetry and starting again from scratch. Inspect your cabinets and find out whether changing their hardware can do the trick. You can also do this if you’re planning to create a new interior design style for your kitchen. 

3. Redesign kitchen cabinet

Are you unhappy with the appearance or configuration of your kitchen cabinet? Redesign it by chopping off a section of it and giving it a new look. To create a much more minimalist or modern kitchen design, for example, you may open up pieces of a closed cabinet and turn them into an open shelving kitchen. 

4. Install undercabinet lighting

To add a touch of elegance and set a mood to your kitchen, install undercabinet lighting. You'll save money on your energy bill if you install under cabinet lighting in your kitchen since you'll be able to light up the workplace without turning on the lights around the room. If you use LED lights and separate the lighting areas on various switches, you may save even more money.

5. Install crown molding.

Crown molding is a simple and inexpensive method of making a kitchen seem polished and attractive while also concealing flaws. It's not a core aspect of a space, but it makes a big difference in adding elegance and value to a property without breaking the bank.

Kitchen Countertop Makeover

Let’s jump right into the kitchen counter makeover. There are tons of kitchen countertop makeover ideas you can find on the internet. But the main challenge is to find an inexpensive kitchen countertop makeover method. The tips below are how to makeover certain countertop materials you have in your kitchen.

1. Stone slab countertop makeover

Use the right primer, paint, and sealer to repaint your stone slab countertops. Do you want to create a marble effect? Or are you planning to pint it over with a solid color? Regardless of what style you’re aiming for, you can definitely paint over stone slab countertops instead of replacing them.

2. Granite countertop makeover

Granite is also a stone slab and yes, you can also paint over it. Another way to update your granite worktops and protect them is to fill the little nicks and holes in the granite with a color-matched epoxy, then let it cure. Sand and reseal the damaged area of the counter to complete the process.

3. Old countertop makeover

Most people think old countertops are hopeless cases. But it’s not entirely true. In fact, there are still ways to revive an old countertop and make it look as clean and good as new. One of the most common ways is to paint it. Another option is to cover it with a variety of materials such as wood veneer, tile, or metal.

4. Tile countertop makeover

Paint or decals is not enough to repair if your tile slab is extremely outdated. You don't have to tear it out and replace it, though. Instead, cover the entire surface with self-leveling concrete to give your countertop a smooth, contemporary appearance.

kitchen backsplash Makeover

Of course, we can’t possibly talk about kitchen improvement without tacking kitchen tiles makeovers. Here are 5 backsplash tiles makeover ideas you can do for your budget-friendly kitchen improvement project.

1. Install a new tile pattern

Tired of your old backsplash? Start a new decorative tile backsplash makeover! Decide on a new pattern to replace your own one. It could be herringbone, mosaic, chevron, or running bond.

2. Paint tile

For a professional effect, paint your backsplash a solid color, apply a stencil to add yet another style, or even use a paint pen and a laser level to create the impression of imitation tiles.

3. Laminate backsplash makeover

If the laminate backsplash has square edges instead of molded or rounded edges, you can tile over it. Cleaning and drying the backsplash to eliminate any debris or oil is the first step. Sand the laminate with sandpaper ideally with (50-80 grit) to ensure that the tile glue sticks to it.

4. Backsplash glass tile makeover

Perhaps one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to update a glass tile backsplash is to paint it. Acrylic enamel, acrylics specified as suited for tile or glass, and specially designed solvent-based paints are all acceptable for use on glass.

5. Make use of old backsplash tiles and mix them with new ones

Mixing complementing tiles for texture and effect is one of the coolest kitchen backsplash tile ideas. You may combine diverse shapes and patterns of the tile while maintaining a cohesive appearance by integrating the material consistently. So, if you have old backsplash tiles, see if you can recycle them to create a unique pattern or style.

Kitchen island Makeover

Kitchen islands are commonly considered the centerpiece of a kitchen's interior design. So, don't forget about your Kitchen island when upgrading your kitchen because it can either make or break the layout and design of your kitchen. Here are 4 Kitchen island makeover ideas to look into. 

1. Farmhouse Kitchen island makeover

When we hear the word farmhouse, the first things that would come into our minds are country vibe, reclaimed wood, barns, vintage, and rustic-chic decors. If you want to achieve the rustic farmhouse look for your kitchen, then opt for a farmhouse Kitchen island. How? Simply gather reclaimed wood, polished it, assemble it into a big table, and use it as your Kitchen island.

2. Kitchen island molding makeover

In traditional kitchens, Kitchen islands normally have moldings or trims on their edges. If you have this type of Kitchen island and are looking for ways to enhance its looks and revive the details, scrape the old paint off of the moldings, sand it, and apply a fresh coat of paint over the moldings with the color of your choice.

3. White Kitchen island makeover

While Kitchen islands are popular in contemporary kitchens. White looks clean, sophisticated, elegant, and versatile. It is perhaps the most utilized paint in interiors because white just makes good backdrops. The challenge here though is in keeping it in pristine condition. Aside from repainting, wiping the Kitchen island with a clean microfiber cloth can make it look spotlessly clean.

4. Kitchen island makeover with beadboard

A beadboard is basically long, continuous vertical grooves and elevated beads spread every 2 inches. A beadboard is common in Kitchen islands because it adds texture, depth, and visual play to the Kitchen island. There are various ways to make a beadboard stand out. One of which is to paint the edges of the Kitchen island in a bold contrasting color or paint the entire beadboard with a solid color to maintain elegance and minimalism.

Budget-Friendly Cost Estimate of a Kitchen Upgrade

From a very expensive cost estimate, we’re now down to this. If you plan to DIY and use whatever materials you have available, you can do it too as long as you know the process and the things to expect before fully embarking on a kitchen improvement project.