I think we’ve all had the urge at one point in our lives… staring at our old, tired kitchen that’s in dire need of a makeover, we’ve all been tempted to start ripping out cupboards and knocking tiles off the walls. But we’ve only gotten as far as scouring Pinterest and mood boarding our dream kitchen.
Refurbishing a kitchen can be a very costly exercise. Even if you are working with a tight budget, it can still amount to several hundred pounds, but before you take a sledgehammer to your units and start picking out new worktops, there are a whole host of affordable makeover ideas you can try to give your kitchen a refresh without breaking the bank.
We were lucky enough to completely refit our kitchen when we moved in, ripping out the tired yellow-oak doors & black worktop that made the space feel cramped, and opting for a clean white & red colour scheme
Changing simple things like accessories or wall art also gives you a more affordable way to live with a décor scheme for a while, and help you decide if that is the direction you want to go in if you are still planning a full kitchen makeover in the future.
Tile Stickers
Removing and replacing tile splash backs can be a costly exercise, but they can make such a difference to the look of your kitchen and change the feel of your space quite dramatically.
A more affordable option is to experiment with tile stickers! Many can also be adhered to cupboard doors and walls for a different effect, and come in a multitude of designs so you are bound to find something suitable for your scheme.
Blue Moroccan tile stickers / Monochrome tile stickers / Multicoloured tile stickers
Storage
Quirky storage and open shelving in kitchens has become increasingly popular in recent years, and can be adapted to suit a variety of décor styles from shaker to minimalist and industrial. By simply recycling and repurposing various materials, you can add your own bespoke touch and create a stylish space.
Wall mounted copper and chrome piping is everywhere right now – either plumbed into taps, covering electrical wiring, or used as hanging racks for utensils, they can be mounted in various directions and made into a cool design feature.
pic: scraphacker.com / bobvila.com
Even simple storage solutions can be creative, like these cute butter knife hooks and hexagon spice rack. Personally I love the vintage food tins featuring classic brands like Pepsi Cola, Carnation and Horlicks – I’ll be on the look out for some of these when I’m rummaging around my next flea market 🙂
Vintage food cans / Butter knife hooks / Hexagon magnetic spice rack
Wine Racks
These days you can’t move for recycled pallet wine racks on Pinterest, and even though it’s sacrilege for me to say this, I really hate them! My OH and I are wine lovers, and whilst mine tends to be whites & roses that go straight in the fridge, my OH is a red drinker and treats himself to more fancier bottles (i.e. wines I can’t pronounce 🙂 ). So our wine rack is more of a display case than temporary storage, so I prefer wine racks that are a bit more attractive.
Hexagon copper wire wine rack / Vertical wine rack / Hexagon wine & glass shelves
Whether countertop, floor or wall mounted, there are literally thousands of ways to store wine, so you can find a solution no matter how big or small your space is. A simple search on Pinterest comes up with loads of solutions, some of which you can do yourself if your confident enough with a drill.
My hexagon black wire wine rack from Idaho matches my kitchen perfectly, and makes our wine collection look even more inviting
Lighting
Lighting as we know is very versatile, and in a kitchen can be used for different purposes; to illuminate the whole room, to highlight food preparation areas, or as an accent. When planning a kitchen makeover, planning your lighting scheme is also essential, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it.
Cheese grater pendant lamps / Neon ice cream light / Neon “but first coffee” quote light
As you know Abby and I are big neon fans, and I’ve recently been oohing and ahhing over buying a sign for my kitchen diner. It’s not so much where it’ll go but what it will say! Do I choose a something cute like “love” or “lets stay home”, or a funny quote (“feed me tacos & tell me I’m pretty” is one of my personal favourites).
The jury’s still out on that one, but when I find the perfect quote I’ll let you know 🙂
Wall Art
The simplest and still the most effective way of personalising your space and injecting some colour is wall art. Again you can go funny, vintage or quirky… pick whatever suits your interior style and your personality. Below are some of my favourites:
clockwise from top-left: Don’t go Bacon my Heart print / Lemon & Apple frames / Vintage Moon Pie metal sign / Humorous utensil prints
Herb Planters
Growing your own herbs are not only cheaper than buying them from the supermarket, they are also pretty and fragrant, and can be displayed in various ways.
You can buy specialist planters and pots designed to be wall mounted or hung from the ceiling, but I prefer the idea of making my own from recycled tin cans & old plastic bottles. I’ve already repurposed a broken teapot into a planter for my spring bulbs, so I’ve now got the bug and might start keeping my cans rather than recycling them.
clockwise from top-left: Recycled tin can planters / Hanging herb garden / Wall tile planters
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All this Pinterest browsing for kitchen makeovers is giving me ideas, and instead of mood boarding for my spare bedroom I find myself pining kitchen decor schemes (doh!).
Time to get back on track… just as soon as I add this neon ‘Prosecco’ sign to my basket…
…it had to be done (‘Processo’ neon sign, Hurn & Hurn)
If you’re planning either a major kitchen fit out or a mini makeover, we’d love to hear about it! You know us, we love chatting all things interior design and sharing ideas 🙂
Your Home or Mine 