6 WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR KITCHEN WITHOUT REMODELING
Updating your kitchen doesn’t have to include a full makeover. You can make a difference with a few simple upgrades. Here are the six best ways you can do a kitchen update without remodeling. These tips can work for any budget, big or small!
When we moved into our rental home the kitchen was straight out of the 90’s…and not in a good way 😉
Oak cabinets, countertops with a wood trim (whyyyy?) Wavy pulls on the cabinet doors and drawers, terrible light fixtures…
Luckily, the flooring was an imitation wood laminate, so things could have been worse there.
Needless to say, we weren’t in love with it.
But, it had a decent layout and the cabinets were amazing–on the inside!
EASY WAYS TO UPDATE KITCHEN
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Most people would want to rip things out or make changes. I totally get that.
But what about simply working with what you have and making it look better?? (I talk more about that in my Styled Home Guide. You can find it here.)
That can be tricky, but it’s very doable.
(Especially when you have no choice because you’re renting ha.)
So.
We decided to do just that: we worked with what we had and made 5 changes: the pulls, backsplash, lighting, curtains, rug. Bonus change: wax cabinets.
HOW TO UPDATE KITCHEN CABINETS WITHOUT REPLACING THEM
KITCHEN UPDATE #1
The BIGGEST thing we did, in my opinion, was to change out the pulls on the cupboards and drawers.
They were sliver and wavy-not my taste at all.
I wanted something bold and beautiful with lots of style + something that would go with oak cabinets.
So I chose large, black pulls with clean lines and cup-pulls for the drawers. You can find them here and here.
The impact was HUGE.
More than I was anticipating, actually.
If you could only do one thing in your kitchen, I would say, change the pulls.
They are literally everywhere throughout the space, and it’s relatively inexpensive to switch them out.
After they were in, I suddenly liked my cabinets!
I realized that I could be ok with leaving them how they are!
Gasp.
Who would have thought?
KITCHEN UPDATES BEFORE AND AFTER
KITCHEN UPDATE #2
The next thing we did was add a backsplash.
We were renting so we couldn’t do anything “real”.
I found this gorgeous removable wallpaper that looks like subway tiles and knew it would be perfect.
I’m not going to lie to you.
It’s time-consuming to put it up, but it is FULLY WORTH THE EFFORT.
My husband is a perfectionist and did a great job. You just want to make sure things line up and there are no bubbles. (We used 2 tubes for our kitchen.)
And what an impact it made!
Do I love the countertops and wood trim?
Nope.
Is it ideal?
Nope.
But is it better now?
Heck. Yes.
HOW TO UPDATE A KITCHEN WITHOUT RENOVATING
KITCHEN UPDATE #3
Lighting.
Oh boy.
Another area you can make a big impact.
We had this lovely light over the table and I got permission to paint it.
I walk through how I did that here. (Make sure you get a trained electrician, I did not remove or hang the light myself!)
The “new” light really updated the space and we are so happy with it.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY KITCHEN UPDATE IDEAS
KITCHEN UPDATE #4
Another simple way to update your old kitchen is with window treatments.
I added these very simple curtains…
(I made them myself, sometimes it can be cheaper to do that. If you can sew a straight line you can do your own curtains!)
Hem all the edges and fold down a larger hem for the rod to go through.
Easy.
When you are trying to add style to a space, this is a really simple way to do that.
KITCHEN MAKEOVER ON A BUDGET
KITCHEN UPDATE #5
The last thing we did was add a rug under the table and by the sink and back door.
This is great also if you hate your floor and want to hide it ha.
Rugs add style, texture, color, interest, and pattern…all on their own!
They’re amazing.
HOW TO UPDATE KITCHEN WITHOUT REPLACING CABINETS
BONUS TIP
Ok, here’s a bonus tip. Did you know you can wax your wood cabinets and it will help darken them? You can find some here.
(I learned this from Jane at In Between Chaos.)
Super awesome for those extra orange-y wood ones.
We didn’t do this to ours for a couple of reasons.
First, I was pregnant and just couldn’t bring myself to do it, ha.
The second was because the pulls actually made such a big difference that I didn’t feel like I needed to anymore.
We also did the same kitchen update without remodeling in the home we rented in St. Louis a few years ago. They make such a huge difference and made the space livable for me 🙂
Guys, we should love the home we live in!
And it’s possible to do it without having to make major changes.
As much as I love design shows on TV, you really don’t have to change flooring, rip out countertops or tear down walls to love your home.
I created a decorating cheatsheet (that I mentioned above) to help you understand how to decorate your home with things you already have.
Use what you have, just do it better with a little guidance.
If you haven’t done so yet, check it out here.
Start loving the home you have!
KITCHEN UPDATE RESOURCE LIST
Subway tile removable wallpaper
White brick removable wallpaper (the one we used in St. Louis)
Other articles about the kitchen you might like:
10 Ways to Decorate Above Your Kitchen Cabinets
The One Thing That Kept Me Having an Organized Fridge
Never Write a Grocery List Again!