kitchen Guide

Have you thought about upgrading the look and function of your kitchen? If you answered yes, don’t be discouraged that the average kitchen upgrade costs almost a whopping $19,000. For comprehensive upgrades landing on the high end of our list, you can expect to fork over around $55,000. That’s a lot of money, with no guarantee that you will recoup all of your kitchen renovation investment.

Despite what appears to be an expensive home improvement project, homeowners can save a substantial amount of money by implementing seven easy ways to upgrade a kitchen.

Benefits of a Kitchen Upgrade

A kitchen upgrade represents one of the most effective ways to increase the value of your home, as well as deliver a high return on your upgrade investment. Here are some other benefits of allocating a chunk of your home improvement budget to upgrade the kitchen.

Energy Efficient

One of the first steps to take for upgrading the look and function of your kitchen involves replacing old appliances. New appliance models have the Energy Star label of energy efficiency approval, which means the appliances at least meet the minimum energy efficiency standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Adding insulation inside the walls traps heat, which allows you to lower the thermostat during the colder months of the year.

Improved Function

We mentioned the importance of function, but what exactly does that mean? It means getting the most out of every square foot in your kitchen. For example, adding a vertical row of drawers can consolidate storage space to give you more room for prepping food and entertaining guests. You can also tear down the wall dividing your kitchen and the living room to install a countertop.

More Room, More Comfort

No one likes working in a cramped kitchen. A significant kitchen upgrade on the cheap not only adds more space, it also reduces heat and odors by enhancing the ventilation system. Every kitchen needs as much sunlight as possible, and installing larger windows achieves the kitchen upgrade goal.

Enhanced Safety

More room also enhances safety for everyone working in the kitchen or enjoying a relaxing meal at the newly added countertop. Working in a cramped kitchen increases the likelihood of an accident. Changing out older appliances also improves safety.

Easy and Affordable Ways to Upgrade the Kitchen

Upgrading your kitchen does not have to eat up your entire home improvement budget. It does not even require a major overhaul that uses the services of an expensive contractor.

Here are seven easy and affordable ways to upgrade your kitchen:

Change the Color Theme

You might have inherited the color theme of a kitchen by purchasing a home that remains stuck in the 1980s. Instead of spending time and money hanging wallpaper, you can perform a major upgrade by simply changing the color theme of the kitchen, and you do not even have make the change by painting the walls. Kitchen accessories such as towels, coffee mugs, pot and pan holders, and large accent rugs can drastically change the color scheme of your kitchen for the better.

Organize Spices

Clutter is the worst enemy of kitchen appearances. Think utensils strewn all over the center counter and along the surface surrounding the sink. Organizing spices is another way to enhance the appearance of your kitchen. Store the most commonly used spices like salt, pepper, and basil in labeled jars and place the jars in a centrally located spot in the kitchen for everyone to see. Another way to organize spices is to attach a spice rack to a wall near a high traffic area of the kitchen.

Find a Home for Accessories

Does your kitchen countertop look more like a dumping ground than a spot to entertain guests? An easy and affordable way to upgrade your kitchen is to find a place to store each of the kitchen accessories. Find a home for the pressure cooker, as well as the toaster oven that is taking up too much space on the countertop. Hang accessories to optimize the open space on walls and the side of larger appliances such as the refrigerator.

Get Smart with Lighting

One of the most effective way to upgrade your kitchen, without falling deep into debt, is to improve the lighting above and around the high traffic areas. Smart bulbs connected to hanging light sources, as well as recessed lighting sources, allow you to change lighting throughout the day to account for different sun angles. Brighter lighting helps you put together a fantastic meals and when the guests arrive, dimming smart light bulbs produces a more intimate ambiance.

New Drawer Pulls and Cabinets Knobs

Vehicles owners like to spruce up the looks of their cars by making subtle, yet effective changes like adding new trim or replacing headlights and taillights. The same subtle, yet effective approach works for kitchen upgrades by replacing the worn look of drawer pulls and cabinet knobs. This is an especially effective way to bring your kitchen into the 21st century after you change the paint color scheme. You can save money on drawer pull and cabinet knob replacements by shopping online.

Add Affordable Technology

Not every kitchen upgrade involves enhancing visuals. You can also improve the look and function of your kitchen by adding affordable technology, such as an audio system that plays tunes that match your preferred entertainment ambiance. Every kitchen deserves a smart speaker, which can create grocery lists, run recipe ideas by you, and make sure very course you serve is paired with the right wine.

Additionally, with many consumers using the internet to find design inspiration, figure out budgets, and explore all the material options currently on the market, another bit of technology that could help streamline the process and lower costs are online countertop cost estimators. For instance, many natural stone distributors now have online cost estimators, which will allow prospective buyers to upload their design specs and measurements, pick materials, edge profiles, and so on, and then get a quote instantly. Using these cost estimators are a great way to save time and money in the long run.

Change Floor Coverings

Nothing says dated louder than a kitchen rug that looks like it was a prop in That 70s Show. You should match the look of any floor covering with new color schemes, as well as appliances you change out to reflect a more contemporary appearance for the kitchen. You also have the option to adding peel and stick floor tiles to improve the visual appeal of floor coverings.