Updating Your Kitchen on a Budget

The kitchen, a place where roast dinners are prepared, where families sit and chat about their day, where we pop the kettle on for a catch up with friends. It’s a room we should take good care of, cleaning and whatnot. After all, we spend hours on end in the kitchen over our life time.
With busy lifestyles, kids and pets, there isn’t always time to keep on top of all the household jobs. Maybe your kitchen looks a little dated and needs a refresh or perhaps there’s a cabinet hinge that just isn’t working like it used to. Well don’t sweat, read our top tips on updating your kitchen on a budget!
Starting Point
First things first, decide what improvements need to be actioned and prioritise them based on their importance. Remodelling can be a rather expensive and time-consuming task, but with smart decisions and plans in place, you’re sure to get the best results. The size of a kitchen space is an important factor to consider when renovating. Colours, textures and finishes can make or break the interior and effect the visual depth of the room. This is something we’ll touch on in the blog. As a starting point, we’ll focus on a few primary areas that you need to consider. That being flooring, walls, cabinets and drawers as their aesthetic can make a huge difference!
Flooring and Walls
Vinyl flooring is a relatively low-cost option compared to genuine stone or ceramic tiles. With this option you can choose from a variety of flooring effects and finishes. It’s a popular choice for many interior design enthusiasts who want the wood, tile or concrete aesthetic without breaking the bank!
Make sure to choose a tone and style that complements the design idea you have in mind. When working with colours, consider selecting a colour temperature that flatters the size of the room. Using a warm colour, such as red and orange, in a tight room can cause the atmosphere to feel claustrophobic. Correspondingly, using cool shades, such as blue and green, in a spacious room can leave it looking bare.
When sieving through the range of floor finishes, identify the undertone of the colour and hold up the sample next to your paint swatch to see how they match. White, beige and sand paint shades have a neutral undertone which means that they can pair with either warm or cool hues.
The great thing about paint for walls is the versatility it offers for when you decide to switch things up again in the future. It’s a cost-effective solution that can be trialled and updated with ease and simplicity.
Cabinets and Drawers
They’re used every day, but we often neglect them. We put clean plates, cutlery and cups back into them but realistically, how often do we clean these spaces? It’s about time we give them a bit attention and an overdue cleanse.
Start by removing all the contents of the cabinets and drawers. If space is an issue, work from one cupboard to the other, removing and storing items as you progress. Take a bowl with warm water and pour in some washing up liquid. Using a sponge, wipe down the inside and outside of each surface and door. Use a tea towel to dry the damp area and open a window to facilitate the quick drying method.
Fitting new doors or drawer fronts to your cabinets and drawers will make them appear good as new without splashing out on new kitchen units. For smaller kitchens, you will want to keep the space light and airy, choose a light colour to distract the eye from the size of the space. Alternatively, larger kitchens can look a little stark without colour, so in this case, you can be daring and choose either a dark or warm colour for your cabinet and drawer fronts.
If you like the colour that you already have, you can try something similar by updating the cupboard handles and hardware. Not only does this assist in altering the aesthetic of your interior but also helps with function. Repair that faulty cabinet with a new set of drawer runners, zinc finished cabinet hinges or for a stylish, eye-catching feature in contemporary homes, opt for knurled cabinet handles in either matte black, polished brass or satin nickel finish. Alluring, these handles are easy to fit, low maintenance and sure to withstand frequent use for years to come.
We hope to inspire your home improvement projects and offer a variety of high-quality products that excel in both aesthetic and performance. For more interior inspiration, check out our previous blog Stay on Trend Without Breaking the Bank to find out how you can continue saving your coin!