9 Ways You Can Update Your Kitchen for Under $100
These budget-friendly ideas prove it doesn't cost a fortune to give your kitchen a whole new look.
The Trick to Make Old Cabinets Feel New
Photo: Lena Koller/Getty Images
Shaker cabinets have been a classic style in the kitchen for years, and their popularity shows no sign of flagging. Among the 81 percent of kitchen renovators updating their cabinets, the top choice of door style is Shaker, found interior-design site Houzz's 2016 Kitchen Trends Study. You can update flat cabinets without the help of a contractor by using these easy-to-follow instructions from Ashley, of the blog Cherished Bliss. Remove the cabinets, sand them, nail cut-to-size trim to the perimeter, fill in holes with wood filler, sand again and paint. (Here, a few tips for painting kitchen cabinets.) Remember, most local hardware stores rent tools if you don't own the needed equipment.
Estimated cost: $95 (including 1 gallon of oil-based paint)
The New Paint Trend
Photo: Johner Images - Carlsson, Peter/Getty Images
Instead of playing it safe with a coat of Decorator's White on your cherry-oak cabinets, give your kitchen a modern look by painting the top and bottom cupboards different colors. This contrasting technique was recently named one of the top kitchen trends for 2016 by the National Kitchen and Bath Association, and a flood of interior designers and bloggers have used the style in their own homes. The common thread we've noticed among most of these kitchens: One row is a neutral, like a white or a gray, and the other row commands more attention in colors like navy, pale green, emerald and matte black.
Estimated cost: $75
The Small Update That Makes a Big Impact
Photo: Brittany Cramer, Brittany Makes
Swap out your current cabinet pulls for gold, copper or rose-gold ones. The of-the-moment warm metals change the look of your space while requiring very little effort. Plus, their shine creates instant visual interest, so people will notice the luxurious-looking hardware versus the not-so-pretty countertops.
Estimated cost: $40
The Change That Can Up Your Kitchen's Efficiency
Photo: Fuse/Getty Images
Constantly forgetting what's hidden in the deep, dark backs of your cabinets? Pull-out shelves make the most of this tricky space, so you can avoid knocking over five pans before reaching the one you want. These custom gliding shelves from This Old House magazine can hold up to 100 pounds and will give your kitchen a more complete look. Follow the publication's straightforward building plan here.
Estimated cost: $50 to $90
The "Fake It Till You Make It" Approach to Appliances
Photo: Julie Blanner
Two little-known products—faux-stainless contact paper [above] and liquid stainless steel—can turn out-of-date appliances into seriously convincing contenders for the real deal.
Estimated cost: $10 for a 72- x 18-inch sheet of contact paper; $80 for liquid stainless steel
The DIY That Proves You Can Have a Kitchen Island Without Doing a Big, Gut Reno
Photo: Jenna LaFevor, Rain on a Tin Roof
Add extra work space on a budget with this custom-built kitchen island from Jenna LaFevor of the blog Rain on a Tin Roof. She used decorative molding, reclaimed porch columns and barn board to build a rustic piece. Cut costs by searching your local salvage yard for columns and reclaimed wood. Although this particular island can fit with many different design styles, if your taste is a tad less rustic, swap the porch columns for square, fir balusters; and, barn board for painted plywood.
Estimated cost: $99
The Hacks to Improve Your Organization
Photo: Andrea Dekker
Easy storage is the most valued part of a kitchen design, with 60 percent of homeowners prioritizing it over everything else, according to Houzz's 2016 Kitchen Trends Study. If you've ever been on Pinterest, you know that tips for organizing your stuff can be overwhelming. Here are our favorite clever and cost-effective ways to squeeze in a little more storage space:
• Tension rods to hang cleaning-product bottles underneath the sink
• Magazine racks nailed to the backs of cabinet doors to store garbage bags and tin foil
• Office file organizers to organize cookie sheets and baking pans
• Adhesive hooks inside cupboard doors for pan lids
• Pegboards in drawers to keep dishes in place
• Corkboard with hooks on the back of a cabinet door to hang measuring cups
• Shower caddies to wrangle spices
Estimated cost: $5 to $25
The Swoon-Worthy Way to Spruce Up Unsightly Walls
Photo: Johner Royalty-Free/Getty Images
Shiplap not only combines two hot kitchen trends for 2016, adding texture and raw materials, but it also works wonders to hide imperfect walls. The horizontal paneling can be used throughout the whole kitchen, or on a smaller scale, as a way to define a certain space, like a breakfast nook, or as a backsplash, and to create a clean-lines look similar to that of subway tile. You can create a shiplap wall by purchasing 4 x 8 sheets of plywood underlayment that are cut into enough strips to fill the area (we recommend 6-inch-wide strips). Place the planks side by side horizontally on the wall (use a nickel between each strip to make sure the rows are evenly spaced) and nail them in. Patch up nail holes and any vertical seams (if desired) with wood filler. A few tutorials to help guide you: for an accent wall; for an entire room; and, for a backsplash.
Estimated cost: $45 to $100, depending on the size of the space
The Update That Benefits You and Man's Best Friend
Photo: Caitlin Spaulding, Wouldn't It Be Lovely
According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association's 2016 Design Trends Survey, more than 60 percent of NKBA members reported homeowners and designers adding pet spaces to their kitchen projects in 2015, including built-in feeding stations, food storage and crates. Try this if you're constantly kicking over your pet's food bowl; this if you're short on space for a kitchen resting spot; or, this if you want a stylish but hidden feeding station.
Estimated cost: $50 to $75
Photo: Lena Koller/Getty Images
Shaker cabinets have been a classic style in the kitchen for years, and their popularity shows no sign of flagging. Among the 81 percent of kitchen renovators updating their cabinets, the top choice of door style is Shaker, found interior-design site Houzz's 2016 Kitchen Trends Study. You can update flat cabinets without the help of a contractor by using these easy-to-follow instructions from Ashley, of the blog Cherished Bliss. Remove the cabinets, sand them, nail cut-to-size trim to the perimeter, fill in holes with wood filler, sand again and paint. (Here, a few tips for painting kitchen cabinets.) Remember, most local hardware stores rent tools if you don't own the needed equipment.
Estimated cost: $95 (including 1 gallon of oil-based paint)
The New Paint Trend
Photo: Johner Images - Carlsson, Peter/Getty Images
Instead of playing it safe with a coat of Decorator's White on your cherry-oak cabinets, give your kitchen a modern look by painting the top and bottom cupboards different colors. This contrasting technique was recently named one of the top kitchen trends for 2016 by the National Kitchen and Bath Association, and a flood of interior designers and bloggers have used the style in their own homes. The common thread we've noticed among most of these kitchens: One row is a neutral, like a white or a gray, and the other row commands more attention in colors like navy, pale green, emerald and matte black.
Estimated cost: $75
The Small Update That Makes a Big Impact
Photo: Brittany Cramer, Brittany Makes
Swap out your current cabinet pulls for gold, copper or rose-gold ones. The of-the-moment warm metals change the look of your space while requiring very little effort. Plus, their shine creates instant visual interest, so people will notice the luxurious-looking hardware versus the not-so-pretty countertops.
Estimated cost: $40
The Change That Can Up Your Kitchen's Efficiency
Photo: Fuse/Getty Images
Constantly forgetting what's hidden in the deep, dark backs of your cabinets? Pull-out shelves make the most of this tricky space, so you can avoid knocking over five pans before reaching the one you want. These custom gliding shelves from This Old House magazine can hold up to 100 pounds and will give your kitchen a more complete look. Follow the publication's straightforward building plan here.
Estimated cost: $50 to $90
The "Fake It Till You Make It" Approach to Appliances
Photo: Julie Blanner
Two little-known products—faux-stainless contact paper [above] and liquid stainless steel—can turn out-of-date appliances into seriously convincing contenders for the real deal.
Estimated cost: $10 for a 72- x 18-inch sheet of contact paper; $80 for liquid stainless steel
The DIY That Proves You Can Have a Kitchen Island Without Doing a Big, Gut Reno
Photo: Jenna LaFevor, Rain on a Tin Roof
Add extra work space on a budget with this custom-built kitchen island from Jenna LaFevor of the blog Rain on a Tin Roof. She used decorative molding, reclaimed porch columns and barn board to build a rustic piece. Cut costs by searching your local salvage yard for columns and reclaimed wood. Although this particular island can fit with many different design styles, if your taste is a tad less rustic, swap the porch columns for square, fir balusters; and, barn board for painted plywood.
Estimated cost: $99
The Hacks to Improve Your Organization
Photo: Andrea Dekker
Easy storage is the most valued part of a kitchen design, with 60 percent of homeowners prioritizing it over everything else, according to Houzz's 2016 Kitchen Trends Study. If you've ever been on Pinterest, you know that tips for organizing your stuff can be overwhelming. Here are our favorite clever and cost-effective ways to squeeze in a little more storage space:
• Tension rods to hang cleaning-product bottles underneath the sink
• Magazine racks nailed to the backs of cabinet doors to store garbage bags and tin foil
• Office file organizers to organize cookie sheets and baking pans
• Adhesive hooks inside cupboard doors for pan lids
• Pegboards in drawers to keep dishes in place
• Corkboard with hooks on the back of a cabinet door to hang measuring cups
• Shower caddies to wrangle spices
Estimated cost: $5 to $25
The Swoon-Worthy Way to Spruce Up Unsightly Walls
Photo: Johner Royalty-Free/Getty Images
Shiplap not only combines two hot kitchen trends for 2016, adding texture and raw materials, but it also works wonders to hide imperfect walls. The horizontal paneling can be used throughout the whole kitchen, or on a smaller scale, as a way to define a certain space, like a breakfast nook, or as a backsplash, and to create a clean-lines look similar to that of subway tile. You can create a shiplap wall by purchasing 4 x 8 sheets of plywood underlayment that are cut into enough strips to fill the area (we recommend 6-inch-wide strips). Place the planks side by side horizontally on the wall (use a nickel between each strip to make sure the rows are evenly spaced) and nail them in. Patch up nail holes and any vertical seams (if desired) with wood filler. A few tutorials to help guide you: for an accent wall; for an entire room; and, for a backsplash.
Estimated cost: $45 to $100, depending on the size of the space
The Update That Benefits You and Man's Best Friend
Photo: Caitlin Spaulding, Wouldn't It Be Lovely
According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association's 2016 Design Trends Survey, more than 60 percent of NKBA members reported homeowners and designers adding pet spaces to their kitchen projects in 2015, including built-in feeding stations, food storage and crates. Try this if you're constantly kicking over your pet's food bowl; this if you're short on space for a kitchen resting spot; or, this if you want a stylish but hidden feeding station.
Estimated cost: $50 to $75
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