Unless you want a new, fully-fitted kitchen there are many ways you can upgrade one of the most used rooms in the home without it costing you the contents of your bank account…

Give your cupboard doors a makeover

Change the colour of your cupboard doors and drawer fascia by giving them a coat of paint, but be sure that you use a good brand like Earthborn, to get a good finish. The secret is in the preparation. Sand them down before painting to get the best results. Don’t be afraid to use bold colours, as these can brighten up your kitchen no end.

While you’re dealing with the door and drawers, put new handles on them as well. Anyone visiting will think you have a brand new kitchen.

Change your window dressing

If you have curtains at your kitchen window, swap them for a roller blind. They’re easy to fit, easy to use and can give a totally new look to your room. You can buy them in such a huge variety of colours and materials that you should have no trouble at all finding something that goes with the colour you’ve painted your cupboards.

Repaint the walls and ceiling

If you’ve opted for a bright colour for your drawers and cupboards you should put a pale shade on the walls and ceiling so that it does not become overwhelming. You can take any blandness away by hanging a few nice pictures and maybe a calendar, which is always useful.

All of the things mentioned so far you’d be able to buy at a local DIY store or via online sites without a problem. You should aim to keep the cost down by watching out for promotional offers, like these AO voucher codes, that they all make available from time to time. You often find these are valid for three months or more. That gives you plenty of time to decide how you want to upgrade your kitchen.

Replace small appliances

Kitchens often have several small appliances in them, some of which aren’t used very often. The ones that only get occasional use you should put away in a cupboard, and the others, like toasters and kettles, consider replacing so that they fit in with your new kitchen. Having less of them sitting on work surfaces will make it easier to keep your kitchen clean and tidy, giving you an effortless minimalist look, and the ones that you do replace will become part of your new décor.

What’s left?

Everything in your kitchen has now been replaced or refreshed with the exception of two things, the work surfaces and the flooring. Any good DIY store will cut you some work surfaces to fit, but they’ll be using your measurements so you have to be accurate. This might not be as expensive as you think and is well worth looking into to see if it’s within your budget.

The flooring can be changed by adding a rug or two but a word of caution here. You need to firstly ensure that they’re none slip and secondly, be very careful in what part of the kitchen you put them. For instance, they should never be near the cooker as if someone trips over a rug and onto the cooker that could be disastrous.

Time for a change?

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