11 Ways to Update Your Kitchen Without a Sledgehammer
Give your kitchen a new look by making small improvements that have big impact
Judith Taylor
December 3, 2019
OK, so you have a perfectly good kitchen. The layout works and the cabinetry is solid, but it just needs a little uplift. There are plenty of relatively minor changes you can make that don’t involve restructuring your life or your house. Here are several you can try.
1. Repaint Your Cabinets
A fresh coat of paint can transform a kitchen from dark and dingy to light and airy. If you are a few years away from that big kitchen renovation, this is a great time to have some fun with color.
Find a contractor on Houzz
A fresh coat of paint can transform a kitchen from dark and dingy to light and airy. If you are a few years away from that big kitchen renovation, this is a great time to have some fun with color.
Find a contractor on Houzz
2. Upgrade Your Countertop
Changing a dated countertop will give new life to your entire kitchen and add immediate value.
Contact a countertop installer
Changing a dated countertop will give new life to your entire kitchen and add immediate value.
Contact a countertop installer
3. Install a New Backsplash
If your cabinetry and countertop work nicely but your room lacks pizzazz, a new backsplash can add loads of personality and really boost your kitchen. A bit of texture, sparkle or gloss will give simple cabinetry plenty of presence.
Shop for tile on Houzz
If your cabinetry and countertop work nicely but your room lacks pizzazz, a new backsplash can add loads of personality and really boost your kitchen. A bit of texture, sparkle or gloss will give simple cabinetry plenty of presence.
Shop for tile on Houzz
4. Make a Statement
New jewelry always picks up a mood, and it can do wonders for your kitchen, too. New hardware can dress up plain cabinets, while standout lighting fixtures can add a surprising wow factor.
New jewelry always picks up a mood, and it can do wonders for your kitchen, too. New hardware can dress up plain cabinets, while standout lighting fixtures can add a surprising wow factor.
5. Change Your Faucets
A detachable spray hose comes in handy for so much more than just giving a bath to the toy poodle. Try a spout with a flexible braided water-supply hose. It looks better than a plain black rubber hose and will last longer.
A detachable spray hose comes in handy for so much more than just giving a bath to the toy poodle. Try a spout with a flexible braided water-supply hose. It looks better than a plain black rubber hose and will last longer.
6. Expand Your Horizons
Need more surface area?
You may not need to start from scratch. If you have an island, you can introduce a different material, such as wood, on an added eating counter either below or above the island level.
The standard countertop/island height is 900mm. A nice option, like you see here, is to add an extension at dining table height (about 760mm is typical). The great thing about adding an extension like this is that regular kitchen and dining chairs will pull up to the counter comfortably. If you prefer a higher surface, you could opt for bar height (900-1200mm).
Need more surface area?
You may not need to start from scratch. If you have an island, you can introduce a different material, such as wood, on an added eating counter either below or above the island level.
The standard countertop/island height is 900mm. A nice option, like you see here, is to add an extension at dining table height (about 760mm is typical). The great thing about adding an extension like this is that regular kitchen and dining chairs will pull up to the counter comfortably. If you prefer a higher surface, you could opt for bar height (900-1200mm).
7. Consider Refacing
New cabinet fronts and doors can provide a welcome facelift if the layout already works and the cabinetry boxes are solid.
How to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets
New cabinet fronts and doors can provide a welcome facelift if the layout already works and the cabinetry boxes are solid.
How to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets
8. Rethink the Uppers
Open shelving offers an opportunity to display collections or just keep frequently used items accessible. Wine and oil bottles are great for showing off.
Open shelving offers an opportunity to display collections or just keep frequently used items accessible. Wine and oil bottles are great for showing off.
9. Add Cozy Touches
A runner is a great addition to a galley kitchen floor. I don’t know why we are disciplined to treat our kitchen like it has a different set of rules when it comes to decor. For example, I’m all for adding a table lamp for an unexpected element in a kitchen.
A runner is a great addition to a galley kitchen floor. I don’t know why we are disciplined to treat our kitchen like it has a different set of rules when it comes to decor. For example, I’m all for adding a table lamp for an unexpected element in a kitchen.
10. Add a Floating Island
If a new bank of cabinetry is beyond the budget, try a ready-made freestanding piece to add extra storage and a surface for working and eating.
Why not add a new top to a freestanding piece of furniture and extend the edge for an eating counter? The minimum overhang would be 25-30cm, but there are a few considerations to note when extending the top. Take care not to shift the balance of weight so much that the piece is unstable (people love to rest their elbows, adding weight to the surface). Also you may need to add brackets to support the overhang.
If a new bank of cabinetry is beyond the budget, try a ready-made freestanding piece to add extra storage and a surface for working and eating.
Why not add a new top to a freestanding piece of furniture and extend the edge for an eating counter? The minimum overhang would be 25-30cm, but there are a few considerations to note when extending the top. Take care not to shift the balance of weight so much that the piece is unstable (people love to rest their elbows, adding weight to the surface). Also you may need to add brackets to support the overhang.
11. Add a Showstopper
A simple kitchen with simple cabinetry is downplayed by a showpiece range hood. Playing up one feature is a great way to detract from less interesting elements.
More on Houzz
Read more about kitchen design
Find a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
A simple kitchen with simple cabinetry is downplayed by a showpiece range hood. Playing up one feature is a great way to detract from less interesting elements.
More on Houzz
Read more about kitchen design
Find a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
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Engine99, unless you're a very experienced cabinet person, it could be really difficult to move the cabinets yourself without damaging them.
engine99 - had same issue with outdated layout and cherry cabinets too. They unfortunately yellowed due to the poly factory finish. We pulled down all the cabinets ourselves then sent them out to be sprayed, and we put them back up. No cabinets were damaged. Highly recommend SW emerald urethane - needs about a month to fully cure so had to be careful but now no issues at all, they look perfect. We also upgraded to soft close.
We tweaked the layout, used most of the existing cabinets and had to purchase a few new ones that we also had painted to match. A new sink went in where the old one was, and while the stove location stayed the same we did change to a 36”. We moved the fridge, got a 2nd oven, beefed up the molding, and totally reconfigured our island. We saved enough to splurge on a Danby marble countertop for the island. We kept the granite on the perimeter and the countertop fabricators made adjustments for us.
It was a lot of work but well worth it. The kitchen and the island is so functional now, and current.
We agree with show stopping range hoods!