How to Update an Outdated Kitchen

If you’ve been living in your kitchen for a long time, or if your cabinets and appliances are starting to wear out, it might be time to update your kitchen. Improving your kitchen can come at a price, though. A full renovation runs $27,828 on average nationwide, coming out to roughly $150 per square foot. A kitchen update is a more economical solution. Unlike a complete renovation, a kitchen update only requires you to take a few simple steps to freshen up the space and breathe some new life into your kitchen. You can update your kitchen using a few high-quality tools like drills and saws and a little creativity. Explore several cost-effective redesign solutions that can turn faded to fresh and dated to trendy.

Update Fixtures and Hardware

The parts of your kitchen that date and age the fastest are your fixtures and cabinet hardware. Hardware and fixtures in new homes are sometimes of low quality, and fixtures in older homes are often dated. Dated fixtures like faucets or cabinet handles can bring down the look of your entire kitchen, so replacing these elements can update your space.

You can update your faucet, cabinet handles, and doorknobs to match your style to change the look and feel of your kitchen. Put in a touch-activated faucet to bring your sink up-to-date. Replace your cabinet handles and knobs with sleek brushed aluminum to give them a fresh, clean, modern look. You can install most hardware and fixtures in minutes and for much less cost than replacing the cabinetry.

Change the Lighting

You don’t need to cut out a new window to add more light to a kitchen. More straightforward and cost-effective solutions can often add light to even the dimmest kitchens. Under-cabinet lighting adds a soft glow to a kitchen. Under-cabinet lights are simple to install and inexpensive. Many brands offer stick-on LED lights that you can place above or under your cabinets to add extra light and save money on your monthly electricity bill. If you like your current light fixtures, adding energy-efficient bulbs is a quick upgrade that will save you money. Newer LED bulbs fit your existing lighting fixtures but use only a fraction of the energy many traditional bulbs require. LED bulbs are available in traditional-looking designs, the perfect combination of old-school design and modern technology if you want to keep your existing rustic style. A color-changing LED light bulb is a fun way to set the color of your kitchen to match your every mood. Non-lighting solutions like adding a mirror on one wall can also help amplify natural light sources and give a sense of depth to smaller, compact kitchens.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Sometimes all it takes to update a kitchen is a change of color. Instead of ripping out old cabinets and islands, paint them with fresh color to make them look new. You can choose from thousands of hues and color combinations. Go with dark green for a trendy kitchen design or modern, clean white for a classic favorite. A good tip is to bring home some color samples and look at them throughout the day. Watch how the color changes with the lighting in your kitchen and pick a color that looks stylish under different lighting.

Painting your cabinets and kitchen walls can be time-consuming. Many DIYers report that a complete kitchen repaint takes three days on average. However, a quick paint refresh can change the look of your kitchen for a fraction of the cost of tearing out and replacing all the cabinetry, giving you the same effect for much less.

Add a Backsplash

If your kitchen needs a touch of color or a unique visual element, consider adding an updated backsplash to transform your kitchen from dated to beautiful. A tile backsplash is a popular way to add an eye-catching pattern to your kitchen. While working with tiles may seem intimidating, you can quickly learn how to apply tiles for a backsplash mosaic. Most home DIYers can easily cut and place tiles themselves. If you have a good set of tile tools, you can cut tiles to fit your kitchen’s specifications.

Choose from almost any color and style to create a unique tile pattern for your home. You could create a simple two-tone pattern in complementary colors like blue and white or a complex pattern with varied shapes and designed tiles. You can even write words such as your family name with smaller mosaic-style tiles. A wide range of tile shapes and sizes are available for your kitchen, from small mosaic style tiles to large format tiles. Map out a design in advance using computer software like Mosaically or Mosaic 2012, and build your pattern on the floor or a table to ensure the pattern looks like your preferred design.

Add New Decorations

Adding wall art, photographs, lamps, and house plants can give your kitchen an extra bit of style while making it a more pleasant place to spend time. Your kitchen should be more than just functional. Add the following to create a cozy atmosphere, utilitarian look, or baker’s paradise by  adding the following elements to match your preferred aesthetic:

• Art
• Paintings
• Photographs
• Maps
• Plants
• Wall sconces
• Decorative objects

In many families, the kitchen is the focal point of daily life. Filling your kitchen with the objects you find beautiful or pictures to remind you of that special someone, family, and friends can positively affect your mood and make your kitchen a warm, welcoming space. 

Hide Your Power Outlets

Every modern kitchen requires power outlets for plugging in kitchen tools and equipment like refrigerators, mixers, blenders, and food processors. Unfortunately, electrical outlets are an eyesore, and ungainly cords can make a kitchen look disorganized and chaotic.

Relocating your outlets to inside your drawers or cabinets can keep them out of sight and help the cords stay organized. It is a good idea to add extra outlets in your kitchen to ensure you always have enough for all your cooking gadgets in the future. It is not difficult to move or add more outlets, but it could be dangerous if done improperly. It is crucial to handle electrical wires with caution. Improperly installed outlets can cause fires or bodily harm. Call a professional electrician to move your outlets for the safest option.

If moving your outlets is not possible or is out of your budget, adding an attractive outlet cover is a good alternative. Choose a stylish cover to add to your kitchen’s visual design and keep children and pets safe while in the kitchen.

A Simple Way to Make a Big Change

A kitchen update is a quick and easy project, but the effects are transformative. Update your kitchen with a fresh coat of paint, some new fixtures, improved lighting, and personal touches to see the difference a few small changes can make to the look and feel of your space.