When you walk into your kitchen, does looking at the faded flowery wall-paper hanging on the wall suppress your appetite? If so, I know how you feel. Over the last few months, I remodeled my sad outdated kitchen. Without a huge budget or the aid of interior designers and contractors, I was forced to do my own research and spend my money wisely. The results are amazing. Small updates can really make huge differences. Below, you will find some inexpensive design ideas for a kitchen remodel.
Remove Outdated Wall-Coverings
While some types of wall-paper are making a come back, the pastel blue and pink floral pattern in my kitchen screamed the early 1990s. After taking the wall-paper down, my kitchen already looked bigger and better. Don’t believe the myth that wall-paper is torture to take down or that taking it down will irrevocably damage your walls. Invest a relatively small amount of money in a wall-paper steamer and let it do the hard work for you. When the wall-paper is gone, choose a paint color that is cheerful, but neutral enough to fit with your over-all design scheme.
Add or Replace a Backsplash
If you can’t afford to replace your kitchen cabinets and countertops, adding or replacing a backsplash is an inexpensive way to update your kitchen. Backsplashes come in many designs, colors, and materials. While backsplashes made of ceramic or porcelain tiles are timeless, glass mosaic and even plastic backsplashes are becoming increasingly popular. For the novice do-it-your-self kitchen designer, Smart Tiles , a plastic adhesive backsplash, is a good option. I chose one of this company’s mosaic patterns for my kitchen backsplash and am extremely satisfied with the results. Everyone who has visited my house since the remodel thinks my backsplash is made out of real tiles.
Change Cabinet Hardware
Updating your kitchen cabinet hardware is an easy inexpensive way to give old kitchen cabinets new life. I never liked my kitchen cabinets until I changed the hardware on them. Unable to afford new kitchen cabinets and countertops, I figured that I’d still be unsatisfied with my modest kitchen remodel. After replacing my corroded outdated hardware with some satin nickel pulls, I was surprised at the difference. My new kitchen cabinet hardware matches my stainless appliances perfectly and looks amazing with my mosaic backsplash. Updating the hardware on your tired kitchen cabinets gives them a fresh new look.
Accessorize
Updating your kitchen frugally can be as easy as choosing a few new kitchen accessories. Do your dish towels look like they’ve seen better days? Has Grover chewed through the corners of your rugs? Are you tired of using your old hand mixer and chipped mixing bowls? Replacing these worn items in your kitchen may have a bigger effect than you can imagine. Many modern kitchen design ideas consist of bold bright colors. Think about subtle ways that you can add color to your kitchen remodel with accessories. For example, purchase a new red mixer or multi-colored mixing bowls. Besides making your kitchen look better, the color may cheer you up while you are bogged down in daily kitchen chores.
