Renovating your kitchen can be one of the most expensive rooms to renovate in your home. However, there are several ways where you can save your money! Believe it or not!
In this article, we will be reviewing the top cost-saving tips for kitchen renovations.
Changing out the color and finish of your cabinetry is the easiest way to renovate your kitchen, giving it a whole different appearance without the major headaches of construction. Plus, when you paint cabinetry, you have the chance to change the hardware by filling in the existing holes and selecting from a wide array of decorative hardware. Imagine going from dated oak cabinetry to this… a striking new paint color like this deep charcoal highlighted by beautiful brass hardware. This is the fastest most efficient and cost-effective way to transform your kitchen.
You can replace the cabinetry, change the countertops and the backsplash and still keep the layout to minimize the renovation budget. Maybe the best way to dress up your kitchen is to add something to it and we’ve got some great examples of what to add and where.
- First off, we love the idea of adding architectural elements to cabinetry. This is a corbel or a decorative bracket. It looks great under upper cabinets like this and adds an element of sophistication to your cabinets at a very low cost.
- Secondly, why not add some decorative feet to the toe kick area of your cabinets. This is so easy to do and it makes it look like you’ve got furniture pieces instead of stock cabinetry. Let’s say you have standard flat panel drawers or stock cabinets in your kitchen. You can create the illusion of a shaker door by adding trim to the doors and painting it all out or you can add this great X detail with flat trim to the ends of your kitchen island. It looks fantastic and doesn’t cost a lot of money. It’s a big impact for a small budget.
- The latest trend in kitchen renovations is to have your cabinetry extend all the way up to the ceiling. In many instances, cabinetry falls short of the ceiling, leaving a gap between the top of your cabinets and the ceiling of your kitchen. One way to deal with this gap is to fill it in! A good cabinet maker may be able to add small cabinets in this space, but perhaps the less expensive option. Since we’re talking cost savings here, a good option is to fill the space with just some plywood boards, trim, and crown molding. This will lead your eye up to the ceiling making your kitchen feel taller and giving it the update we’re after. Paint it all out to the same color as your cabinetry and you’ll have the look of new cabinetry for a very low cost.
Using appliances that do double duty means you have fewer appliances and fewer appliances means more room for cabinets storage and work surfaces. Instead of having a microwave take up valuable space, why not consider a combination microwave and over the cooktop vent. Manufacturers are making this particular appliance look great so save the extra appliance and locate it above the stove.
Another example is using a slide-in stove instead of purchasing a cooktop and a separate built-in oven. Isolating the space below the cooktop for a separate appliance brings up your appliance cost but also adds costs to the specialized cabinetry needed for this configuration. Plus, the slide-in option is usually less expensive than buying these two items separately. Let’s face it. Cabinetry is expensive! Perhaps you can forego some cabinetry? Having open shelves gives you easy access visually and physically to all of your kitchen needs but it also helps your bottom line.
Simply put, less material means less money, so if you can cope with having all your plates and cups exposed, go for it! Save on upper cabinetry.
Every kitchen needs a backsplash and it can really define the overall look of your kitchen and your new kitchen renovation. But it can also be a costly addition to your budget. So instead of cutting out that beautiful design element altogether, consider adding it in small doses. We love the idea of consolidating your bang for your buck by installing a great backsplash tile at your stove. It’s a great focal point and it means you can add a less expensive option to the rest of the kitchen without sacrificing design. The key here is to splurge for a small area instead of nixing the whole idea.
Sometimes the biggest challenge isn’t your kitchen cabinetry but the flooring it sits on. In any home renovation project, flooring can be a difficult and costly element to renovate. For instance, let’s say the flooring continues into the dining room or is open to a living room and removing the floor in the kitchen means your kitchen renovation is now a main-floor renovation. All of a sudden, your project just got bigger. So why not ignore the floor altogether, by adding a large beautiful rug to the floor in your kitchen so that now your focus is no longer on the ugly tile below but how warm and inviting your kitchen is with a great area rug!
Okay, so there’s a recurring theme here. Cabinetry is expensive! A new kitchen island is a great way to add character and save money by repurposing some other type of furniture. You can incorporate an old harvest table or a chest of drawers maybe even some low bookcases with a common top for a work surface. There are lots of ways to incorporate other pieces of furniture and if you’re handy and a thrift shopper, you can create a pretty awesome kitchen island like no other.
So there you have it… our top cost-saving tips for kitchen renovations. You can save money and still have the kitchen of your dreams. You just have to be creative and splurge in the right places.
