Top 10 Kitchen Remodel Ideas on a Budget

Kitchen remodel ideas on a budget will come in handy when you’re looking to remodel your kitchen, regardless of the amount of money you have. Building a new kitchen or remodeling your current cooking space can be, and usually is, an overwhelming endeavor. Depending on the size of your budget, you can do many things with it, take different approaches, and implement various styles, materials, and finishes.

To be sure to make your kitchen remodel project effective and successful, explore many ways that these budget kitchen remodel ideas can help you build or transform your kitchen space without a headache. There is no need for you to invent designs if you’re not up for it. These ideas combine the latest trends and timeless styles with quality materials and finishes, all combined for maximum efficiency in the kitchen.

Tune in your imagination and imagine the kitchen from your dreams. What kind and color of cabinets it has? What do the countertops look like? Is the backsplash simple and minimalistic or flashy and attention-grabbing? Are you keeping your current flooring or do you wish to give it a facelift?

We bring you 10 kitchen remodel ideas on a budget that include low-cost materials and clever solutions that will enable you to get a brand-new, pretty kitchen, without breaking the bank.

Kitchen Remodel Ideas on a Budget

Some kitchen designers say that the easiest way to update your kitchen is to give it a few fresh coats of paint. We agree it is the easiest way to get an immediate uplift. However, simply painting your cabinets and your island won’t resolve problems you’re having with a lack of storage space or damaged cabinet doors. Outdated and cracked backsplash tiles require replacing your old backsplash with a new one. The only way to solve the problem of damaged countertops is to replace them. You can easily throw a new kitchen rug or an attractive art piece on the kitchen wall, paint the cabinets and add plants but to improve the functionality of your kitchen and make it a safe and welcoming space, you need to take care of the issues at hand and find effective solutions. We advise you to tackle these issues with our remodeling ideas that will help you crush the problems with minimal spending.

1. Update Your Cabinets

If your kitchen cabinets are in good shape, without any cracks or hanging cabinet doors, you can paint them for an immediate refresh. Since cabinets take up most of the square footage in any kitchen, and especially if you have both base and upper cabinets, painting them will make a huge difference. For the best results, make sure to get quality paint and ask for professional help if you’re not an experienced DIYer. Painting the cabinets without proper preparation can just make you do it all over again with contractor help and lose money unnecessarily. Pro tip: a diluted coat of paint should be applied first to let the pant grips the surface of the cabinets.

For cabinets that are old, outdated, or damaged, painting is not a solution. Investing in new cabinets is the best solution here. When hiring a professional for your kitchen remodel to update cabinets make sure they use cabinet cost estimating software to accurately price cabinets and quote. This allows a kitchen design firm to demonstrate better customer service, estimate your kitchen cabinet costs accurately and show customization.  For kitchen manufacturers it a must-have tool to simplify processes and automate the sales process.

Although a considerable investment and probably the greatest cost besides countertops cost, cabinets make or break the look and effectiveness of any kitchen. This is why it is important to read the signs and decide if is it time to replace your current kitchen cabinet set with a new, quality option. Kitchen remodel services are a part of the service of many of your local contractors, so make sure to check with them for painting or installing new cabinets. The cost of hiring them will save you a headache or additional spending.

2. Upgrade Cabinet Hardware

Whether you’ve decided to paint or purchase and installed a brand-new set of kitchen cabinets, updating hardware is always a great idea. The truth is, even without painting or installing new cabinets, hardware can change and completely transform the look of your cabinets incredibly. This upgrade will enable you to add a touch of luxurious, minimalist, or rustic flare to your kitchen space. As an upgrade, this is a very convenient and practical idea for budget small kitchen remodel types.

However, finding the right pulls and knobs for your cabinetry is not as easy as it sounds. It’s true that you can easily find the right finish — black, brass, silver, or something else. You can also easily find the style you prefer — something sleek and simple for a minimalist look, decorative for a traditional style, or halfway between minimalist and decorative for transitional kitchen styles. However, the tricky part is finding the right size of the hardware for your cabinets. Hardware for kitchen cabinets has a center-to-center measurement — from the middle of the hole for each screw to the other. So, when choosing hardware for your cabinets, make sure to find hardware with the same measurement center-to-center. If you need to use a different size of the handle than you’re using now, you can also, alternatively, pick hardware with a metal backplate.

3. Refresh Your Countertops

Besides cabinets, kitchen countertops are the most important part of any kitchen space. Food prep, serving, entertaining, doing homework with your kids — everything happens on the countertops. This is why choosing the right kind of material, the thickness of the slab, finish, and edge of the countertops is crucial for the functionality and the look of your kitchen overall. Material is the factor you should start with. Do you wish to go for a natural, one-of-a-kind option, like granite, marble, or quartzite? Perhaps a manufactured option like quartz is more suitable for your particular needs?

When choosing material, take into consideration your budget, the time you have for care and maintenance, your aesthetic needs, and your lifestyle. With natural stone options, you will need more time and money for additional maintenance like sealing, while man-made quartz is practically indestructible. However, natural options are always unique, while quartz is great for a more uniform look. However, quartz is also made to resemble natural stone options, and you can find quartz that resembles Carrara or Calacatta quartz. Choosing the right kind of countertop is one of the kitchen remodel ideas on the budget that will considerably influence the final cost of the kitchen.

4. Enhance Lighting

Kitchen remodeling often means enhancing current or adding more lighting. If your kitchen doesn’t receive enough or only moderate natural light, there should be appropriate lighting for the look and feel you wish in your kitchen. With the right lighting, you can create the right mood and put accents on countertops or cabinets, or any other details you wish. Smart kitchen lighting ideas can make a big impact on a kitchen’s look and feel.

Lighting should be smart, functional, and energy-saving. Ambient lighting in serving and entertaining area is something that most homeowners are going for. Task lights like spotlights usually go over the countertops, sink, and range. If you need to do some rewiring, consider hiring home remodeling experts. Updating lighting and adjusting it to a possibly new layout in the kitchen will create the right ambiance that enables you to do your best cooking and have great times with your family and friends. Lighting fixture design is also important for the overall look of the kitchen. When choosing the right style of lighting fixtures, make sure to adjust it to the overall style of the kitchen. Make it stand out or blend it with other elements — it’s your choice.

5. Replace the Faucet and Sink

A combo of faucets and sinks has the power to transform the feel of your kitchen and add unique character not only to the dishwashing area but to the whole kitchen. Our kitchen designers advise deciding on the right faucet-sink combination in the end phase of your remodel once you’ve already installed cabinets, countertops, flooring, and backsplash. Depending on the prevailing style of your kitchen, you’ll choose the appropriate style of your faucet and sink design.

For example, for farmhouse-style kitchens, copper or brass faucet with apron sink are the elements that will complete the picture and give a final touch to the decor. If your kitchen is contemporary and minimalist, a stainless steel or black sink and faucet will give you the modern feel you need in a kitchen like this. The sink and faucet should align with the overall look of your kitchen, put a final touch to it, or create a point of interest with their color, shape, and material.

6. Use Open Shelving

One of the most important steps to remodel a kitchen is to decide how much and what kind of storage space you need. Installing both upper and base cabinets is highly recommended in spacious kitchens where lots of storage is needed and where plenty of natural light comes in. But many homeowners don’t have large, open kitchens that are both kitchen and dining rooms, with plenty of space and plenty of light. On the contrary, many of us struggle with tiny or moderate square footage in our kitchens. This is why it is so important to decide how much space to commit to storage and come up with smart storage solutions.

In small, cramped kitchens, upper kitchen cabinets can be easily replaced with open shelving, at least in some areas. Open shelves will open up a possibility for not just storing but displaying favorite decorative pieces, special dishes, and heirlooms, and in that way imbue some originality and personality into your kitchen. At the same time, this storage and decor solution will open up the space, and make it more bright and airy. You just need to make sure to keep your open shelves organized and free of dust at all times. Stack them with your favorite items that you need and use every day. Installing open shelving is one of the most important small kitchen remodel ideas on a budget.

7. Update the Backsplash

Once you have cabinets, countertops, and flooring in place, it’s time to reconsider your backsplash. Does it still flawlessly protect your walls? Are all the tiles whole? A cracked or broken backsplash means that it needs to be replaced. Some homeowners will replace a perfectly good backsplash only if it doesn’t fit with a new style of their kitchen. But not all homeowners can afford to change and install new backsplash because of style. Luckily, updating the backsplash is one of the cheaper costs compared to cabinets and countertops.

When deciding to update your kitchen backsplash, you can choose a standard height or install it all the way to the ceiling. The latter option is great for kitchens that have open shelving instead of upper cabinets. A full-height backsplash will give a special flare not to that particular area of the kitchen but to the whole room. Also, feel free to experiment with various finishes, colors, shapes, and materials. Even though this is one of the cheapest budget small kitchen remodel ideas, the backsplash is often an accent point that turns heads as soon as someone walks into the kitchen. It is also important as a way to tie the look of cabinets and countertops by blending between them or creating a focal point.

8. Change Flooring

Kitchen flooring is one of the largest surfaces in your cooking and very possibly, entertaining space. Flooring is the base for each of the elements that make a kitchen a safe, efficient, and pretty place. This is why it is so important to make the base solid, durable, and resilient. If you can also add “pretty” to all the other qualities, all the better. We always advise installing the floor before installing cabinets, island, and placing cabinets. Putting good quality flooring will give a great base for the whole kitchen remodeling project and allow you to save where you can.

When it comes to materials for kitchen flooring, choices are endless. From real stone and wood to inexpensive vinyl, wood-looking porcelain tiles, or stone-looking ceramic tiles, there are kitchen flooring options for any budget. Real, natural materials like stone and wood are always a great idea. When installed professionally and with a high-quality finish, they will give you a first-class experience. On the other hand, if you need flooring kitchen remodel ideas on a budget, tiles with natural finishing and look will give the feel of a real thing with great durability, safety, resilience, and ease of maintenance that is also inexpensive. Ceramic and porcelain tiles can also give your kitchen a one-of-a-kind personality without compromising on quality. Kitchen flooring should be slip-resistant, heat-resistant, moisture-proof, and soft just the right amount under your feet. Keep this in mind when choosing the right option and solution for your kitchen.

9. Display Wall Art

When you have the layout, materials, colors, finishes, and style all defined and set up, it’s time to think about decorative details. Is your backsplash standard or does it go all the way up to the ceiling? Do you have both base and upper cabinets or did you choose open shelves instead of upper cabinets? These last two questions will define how will you use and decorate your kitchen walls. Wall art plays an important role in the overall look and feel of your kitchen.

Walls are in general the surface that catches the eye the most and usually defines the overall look and feel of a room. If a kitchen is small, there may not be enough space for a poster or a picture on the wall. However, wall art is a great way to present your personality and your aesthetics. It’s also always a great way to add a personal, unique touch to a kitchen. With kitchen wall art, you can be playful, retro, cheerful, gloomy, or glamorous. Bring bold and bright colors against a white or neutral base for accent and drama in the kitchen. You can also choose pastel colors for more tranquil and serene interiors. Feel free to mix, match, and combine different pieces of art for the most attractive and beautiful results.

10. Replace Outdated Appliances

Old, outdated, and non-functional or barely functional appliances are items that should not have a place in your new kitchen. Even if you’re not changing or replacing anything else, kitchen appliances that don’t work properly and cannot be restored should be replaced with new ones. The only thing you need to make sure is that new appliances fit between the cabinets and into the current kitchen layout.

In case you are remodeling the entirety of your kitchen, choosing new appliances is easier. Now you can finally make a perfect fit for the cabinets, countertops, and backsplash you have chosen. New appliances are now made in a wide variety of colors, finishes, sizes, and even shapes. They can transform the appearance of your kitchen solely. However, when combined with all the other fresh and new elements in a kitchen, new appliances can give a completely new sparkle to the kitchen. Whether you want a brightly colored appliance, like a red or orange fridge, or you would rather keep your appliances enclosed behind a cabinet door, the truth is that a kitchen appliance can be a real game-changer in many ways when you decide to remodel your kitchen on a budget. For a sustainable future choose appliances that are beautiful but also power-saving.

Kitchen Remodeling Ideas on a Budget FAQ

• What is the cheapest way to update a kitchen?

The cheapest way to update a kitchen is to replace only the elements that are no longer working, that are broken, or extremely outdated. Considering the fact that kitchen cabinets take up the most space in any kitchen, updating or replacing cabinets is one of the most effective ways to update the look and function of the entire kitchen. Hiring professionals to update your kitchen saves you money in the long run and spares you future headaches. Spending money on working with professionals today brings safety, premium function, and beauty for many years to come.

• How to redo kitchen cabinets on a budget?

To redo kitchen cabinets on a budget, without replacing them, is easy with professional help. You can simply paint your kitchen cabinets or completely refinish them. If you’re considering painting your cabinets, then most likely you would like to simply refresh their look or old paint is chipping and cracking. If this is the route you would like to go, make sure to choose high-quality paint and hire professional help. Repainting your cabinets often means first stripping your cabinets from the old paint and making sure the first coat of paint bonds well to the cabinet surface. Refacing your cabinets does not have to mean adding only new paint but adding a new varnish or a new stain as well.

• How can I make my kitchen remodel project more cost-effective?

To make your kitchen remodel project more cost-effective, make sure to have a detailed and realistic plan, in tune with your budget. Decide what are the priorities that you can not do without and what are nice-to-have possible splurges. Ask for contractor recommendations to choose professional help in line with your possibilities and needs. When discussing your project with your contractor, ask for advice on the most cost effective and highly functional solutions. When it comes to kitchen cabinetry, countertops, tiles, light fixtures, hardware, and other furnishings and finishes, make sure to choose long-lasting solutions that are not difficult or expensive to maintain and care for.

• Are there affordable options for updating my kitchen appliances?

When choosing affordable options for updating your kitchen appliances, the most important thing is to shop around. An estimated average cost of kitchen appliances is about 15 to 20 percent of your overall kitchen remodeling budget. However, there are ways to decrease this percentage and save on appliances. Shop around your local kitchen remodeling stores and showrooms, ask for recommendations from your contractor, and actively look for deals. There is a possibility that your contractor may find you a special price or that your local showroom will give you a discount if you’re shopping for all of the kitchen remodeling items with them. Shopping during the special seasons and holiday time may also bring you some very special prices.

• Are there affordable options for updating my kitchen sink and faucet?

Affordable options for updating your kitchen sink and faucet can go anywhere between $700 to $2,000. This average price estimation for the kitchen sink and kitchen faucet includes the price of brand-new items and installation labor price. Prices of kitchen sink depend on the shape, size, and brand of the bowl, as well as on the material it was made of. The price of the kitchen faucet depends on the brand, the material it is made of, shape, finish, and any special features. Prices of both the sink and faucet will also depend on the complexity of the installation.

• How can I incorporate open shelving into my kitchen remodel?

If you wish to incorporate open shelving into your budget kitchen remodel, it is possible that you want to save on upper cabinets. This is a great way to save if you don’t need the kind of storage space upper cabinets can provide, especially having in mind the possibility for upper cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling. Open shelves provide an effective kind of storage space as well. With open shelving, you can display often-used items, items that are very dear to you, family heirlooms, or your favorite decorative pieces. To achieve the most effective balance between pretty and valuable, make sure to mix practical and decorative pieces. To get the right balance of style and substance be sure to mix both practical and decorative items. Our favorite kind of open shelving these days is those that are made of pure white quartz. It is so easy to maintain and care for, and very easy to clean.

• How can I improve the lighting in my kitchen without spending much?

Improving the lighting in your kitchen without spending much is possible if you think strategically about it. Lighting kitchen remodel ideas on a budget cover three types of lighting — task lighting, accent lighting, and ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is important for setting a certain mood and when entertaining guests or relaxing with your family. Use accent lighting to bring a certain part of your kitchen, a showcase waterfall island or a remarkable art piece on the wall into focus. Task lighting is necessary when prepping food, cooking, and serving. Be prepared to have all three types of lighting in your kitchen but make sure to place them strategically for the best results.

• Are there any budget-friendly countertop options for low-cost kitchen remodel?

Budget-friendly countertop options for low-cost kitchen remodeling are tile, aluminum, recycled paper, or butcher block. These are the cheapest countertop surface options you can find. However, for greater longevity of a countertop and better performance, our kitchen designers recommend low-cost solid stone options. Natural stones like granite, marble, and soapstone are the most expensive options. However, this is not always the case. There are different stone colors, patterns, more and less popular colors, and different finishes. Some designs and colors of granite, for example, are less expensive than others. Slab thickness and your edge profile choice will also affect the price of the countertops. Often, your local stone fabricator will run specials and sales that can bring down the cost of the overall kitchen remodel considerably.

Are there any cheap flooring options for kitchen remodel?

Among all other elements that affect kitchen remodel, the choice of flooring may come as an afterthought. However, flooring has a great effect to the overall kitchen look and feel. Because it takes a considerable amount of space and square footage, flooring should be both beautiful and durable, resilient and easy to clean, tough on years, and wearing out but soft underfoot. Whether you’re gathering small kitchen remodel ideas on a budget or large kitchen remodel ideas on a budget, flooring ideas will be very important. The cheapest and most durable kitchen flooring options are porcelain and ceramic tiles but also hardwood, vinyl plank, vinyl tile, bamboo, and parquet wood.

What are the tips for maximizing the storage in a small kitchen remodel on a budget?

The best tips for maximizing the storage in a small kitchen remodel on a budget are surprisingly simple. Both upper and base cabinets will maximize storage space but can add to the feeling of cramped and minimal space, especially if the cabinets are dark colored or cover the whole height and length of the walls. Installing open shelves can add to the feeling of openness and invigorated, airy, and breezy space while still providing some storage space. Smart kitchen storage solutions for small kitchens are shelves and drawers placed wisely in the corners of the room, above the doors, etc. particularly great as bonus storage solutions.

Hire Deon Design to Update Your Kitchen on a Budget

If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen on a budget, Deon Design Custom Builders will be thrilled to help you. With many years of experience in kitchen building, construction, remodeling, renovating, and updating, we know all the kitchen remodeling ideas on a budget that will make your dream of an ideal kitchen come true, even on a reduced budget.

Take a look at our projects, both residential and commercial, to see what is it that we can do for you. And please know, these are only the possibilities. Our kitchen remodeling experts are all about going over and beyond, making sure to excel and reach the maximum with each new project for our clients. You may want a transitional kitchen remodel because you want to change your kitchen’s style, look, and feel, or you may need a kitchen remodel after a fire damage restoration. Whatever the reason for starting the project with us, we will make sure to work within your budget and give you plenty of budget kitchen remodel ideas.

Conclusion

Kitchen remodel ideas from Deon Design Custom Builders experts are sure to make your next kitchen renovation project a smashing success. Whether you need a complete makeover with a full overhaul of the space or just a couple of updates for a big visual and functional change in your kitchen, you can count on our budget small kitchen remodel ideas and budget big kitchen remodel ideas.

We have budget-friendly remodeling ideas for small, big, and medium size kitchens. Hiring a reputable contractor with suiting home remodeling services offer will help you save both at the time of the kitchen remodel and in the long run. The choice of materials, finishes, smart appliances, energy-saving lighting, choosing a better, more functional kitchen layout, and functional cabinets and countertops, all at lower prices will change not only your kitchen but your life.

Don’t waste your time shopping around for a kitchen remodel that you are not sure how to make it happen. Contact us, your trusted kitchen remodeling professionals who turn dreams into reality by applying expertise, skill, knowledge, and professionalism that goes beyond all levels.