Affordable Kitchen Upgrades

Every homeowner has a dream kitchen in mind. If you can’t afford the one you’d love to have today, you can learn to love the one you’ve got.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your kitchen look like a million bucks. With a little money, inspiration and elbow grease, you can transform your kitchen from ho-hum into hot tamale!

Before you even pick up a paintbrush or screwdriver, decide how you want your kitchen to feel. Do you crave cottage coziness or something more modern? Old-world or exotic? Flip through home design magazines, Web sites and blogs and notice what draws you in. Then think about how you can mimic those design elements.

Splash on Some Color

Let your personality shine through the colors and textures of your kitchen. Pick a color scheme for the room – including a base color and several complimentary accent colors – that goes with the overall theme.

The easiest place to add color is on the walls. Use semi-gloss paint, which is more wipe-able, and paint at least two coats. You can paint all of the walls the same tone for a more soothing look or spice things up with an accent wall. And to keep your paint job from looking flat, make sure the walls are properly textured before you begin.

Don’t neglect your backsplash. It can complement your wall color or make a statement of its own. You can create a work of art over the stove with beautifully designed accent tiles. By focusing on making one small area really stand out, you can afford to splurge a little on those one-of-a-kind tiles that make you weak in the knees.

Give It a Facelift

Your cabinets can make a major statement – in a good or bad way. It’s fairly easy to update even the strangest or plainest cabinets for little money. If you have real wood cabinets, you can sand them down and stain them a rich, warm brown. Another easy option is to paint your cabinets. Crisp white gives a clean look, but you can also experiment with color. For the best adhesion and a harder, more durable finish, choose an oil-based paint for wooden cabinets. Sand the paint down in key areas for a distressed look that works well in cottage or country-style kitchens.

If your cabinet doors are one solid flat piece of wood, you can frame them with wood to give them some dimension – then simply paint or stain the whole thing to match. Or if your cabinets have a middle panel, you can replace it with frosted or clear glass to show off your prized dish collections.

By far the easiest thing to change on your cabinets is the hardware. You can find a variety of styles and finishes in any hardware store. Match the hardware finish to your stainless steel appliances for a sleek, modern look. Or search antique stores and flea markets for mismatched hardware for a more eclectic feel.

Renew It

If you don’t have the money to buy new, repurpose what you have.

You don’t need to install a fancy new island. If you have an old table or dresser that’s close to the same height as your kitchen countertops, you’ve got an island. Think creatively about the piece. Stain or paint it and top it with butcher block, granite or other counter top material. You can splurge a little on the material since you won’t need much of it.

Mismatched appliances can be an eyesore. If you don’t have the money or you’re not ready to commit to all new stainless steel appliances, recover yours instead. You can buy appliance panels in finishes from faux stainless steel (which looks like the real thing) to chalkboard. The panels usually come in a roll and are easy to apply. Just cut, stick, smooth and enjoy. Certain manufacturers even make appliances with changeable front panels.

"We've seen a lot of people who have customized their appliances to match their cabinets,” said Paul Berry, Director of Operations at Mr. Appliance of San Antonio, Texas. “The manufacturer can give you the correct dimensions for the front panel, then you just get a matching piece cut to fit and replace the factory panel with it. It gives your kitchen a seamless look so you don’t even notice the appliances are there."

Light It Up

Good lighting makes all the difference in the mood of any room. Plus, it’s easier to see what you’re cooking, so you can tell when your homemade toffee is about to cross the line from gorgeous golden to burnt brown.

You can find modern pendant or chandelier lighting that’s easy on the wallet and the eyes at almost any hardware or home décor store. Go with simple, sleek lines in a modern or traditional kitchen. If you’re craving a bit more whimsy, opt for a chandelier.

Under-cabinet lighting illuminates your countertops for an easy, high-class feel without breaking the bank. Major hardware stores sell a variety of under-cabinet lights from stick-on LED to hardwired halogen lights. Most come in a kit and cost $50 or less.

It’s better to be safe than sorry – so hire an electrician to change out your light fixtures if you don’t have experience with the process. For around the price of a night out on the town, your kitchen will be all a glow.

Reward Yourself

With all that money you saved sprucing up your kitchen, you might have a little extra for yourself. Why not buy something that will give back to the environment and save you tons of money in the long run?

According to ENERGY STAR, their refrigerators and freezers save 30 percent more energy together than brand new ones not bearing the ENERGY STAR logo. What’s more, their approved dishwashers save about eight gallons of water per cycle more than other dishwashers. “If someone has a dishwasher that’s more than five years old, they’re missing out,” Berry said. "Not only do they save tons of water, you can hardly hear them. Our old dishwasher used to wake me up at night. Now my wife and I can’t even hear our new one running."

So, if a kitchen makeover seems out of reach, consider this: you might be able to afford a new renovation after all with the money you could save on energy—just by buying ENERGY STAR appliances.