The Best Ways to Refresh Your Old Kitchen for Cheap (or Free)

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Kitchens endure a lot. Every single day we’re in there spilling, splattering, and literally using open flames. Our kitchens are gathering spots, ersatz home offices, staging areas, and late-night snack depots, and they take a lot of wear and tear. Eventually, all that use begins to show, and the kitchen starts to look a little worn down and outdated—and your bank account begins to tremble, because kitchen renovations are expensive as heck.

If you’re not ready for a full-on reno or remodel, don’t despair: You can achieve a powerful transformation in your kitchen with a few simple changes and upgrades, without spending a lot of money (or, in some cases, any money at all). If you need to refresh your kitchen without cracking open a retirement account to pay for it, here are some ways to do it.

Upgrade your kitchen's storage, both cosmetically and functionally

Your kitchen is three things, really: A gathering place and a food prep space, sure—but it’s also where you store most, if not all, of your groceries and implements. One of the most powerful ways to refresh your kitchen is to augment or add to that storage, and you can do that in a variety of cheap or free ways:

• Remove cabinet doors. If your kitchen cabinets are a little dated and boring, you don’t need to replace them. You can get a totally new look by removing some of the cabinet doors to get an open-shelving look, and it’s totally free. The real trick is to not remove all of the doors—you want to create a visual pattern and balance the openness with the existing doors, so have a plan before you start unscrewing hinges.

• Paint cabinets. Painting kitchen cabinets is a cheap way to revitalize them, transforming old wood finish nightmares into sleek, modern monochrome. And if you remove some cabinet doors, consider painting inside the boxes for a blast of color as well. Another option is to vinyl wrap your cabinets, which can be a very cost-effective way to completely transform your cabinetry—and with the right tools, applying vinyl film like this to your cabinets is not a difficult DIY job.

• Add shelving. Whether your design runs rustic or industrial or something in between, if you have open wall space in your kitchen, consider putting up some simple shelving. It's a great and inexpensive way to increase your storage (and refresh the kitchen's look) without shelling out a lot of money.

• Upgrade storage containers. If you’re going to go with some open shelving, or if your countertops are laden with containers of food, spices, or coffee, upgrading those containers to something a bit more attractive (and in line with the rest of the kitchen’s design) is an easy way to freshen the space. From metal canisters with cute chalkboard labels to ultra-modern splashes of color, upping your container game makes open shelving pop.

• Add furniture. If you have a little space, adding a mobile island will expand your storage and give you more working space. If you don’t have the space for an island, a simple, attractive kitchen cart like this can also be a nice, affordable upgrade.

• Under-cabinet lighting. Add some mood lighting that’s also a practical upgrade with some easy-to-install, plug-in under-cabinet lighting.

• Peel-and-stick trim. If your cabinets are looking a bit bland, you can use peel-and-stick trim to augment glass cabinet doors or add panel effects to your cabinets.

• Add some pot racks. For less than $60 and some time, you can clear out your lower cabinets and make them usable storage again while creating a nice visual in your kitchen with a hanging pot rack. Of course, if you’re going to expose your pots and pans to the world, you might want to consider an upgrade there, as well.

Give your appliances a visual upgrade

Your appliances—both built-in and on the countertops—are a huge part of your kitchen’s visual appeal (or lack thereof). You can upgrade them affordably with a few simple purchases and some elbow grease.

• Decals and appliance wraps. If your appliances are older and white or black, you can spiff them up pretty quickly and affordably with things like magnetic dishwasher covers or vinyl wraps to give them a stainless steel look without buying all new appliances.

• New hardware. There’s nothing easier than swapping out old pulls and handles for new, sleeker versions—new hardware can really transform the look of your cabinetry without the cost of replacing them entirely. And if your stove is looking a little well-used, a set of new burner grates and upgraded knobs will go a long way toward making it look new again. (You'll likely need to find stove hardware that's compatible with your specific model, but there are lots of options out there.)

• Color coordinating countertop appliances. If your countertops are currently populated with a disparate array of appliances, a simple way to upgrade the look and feel of the kitchen is to replace them with a coordinated set. For example, KitchenAid makes toasters, mixers, kettles, and other small appliances in a sharp empire red, making your counters cohesive and eye-catching instead of chaotic and messy.

Refinish your kitchen's walls, floors, and countertops

Get a remodeled look without the remodel by refinishing the surfaces in your kitchen using these simple, affordable, and (often) reversible projects.

• Peel and stick. Walls, backsplashes, and even floor tiles can be completely transformed with peel-and-stick products. Wallpaper, tile backsplashes, and floor tile decals can be installed with just some cutting and measuring tools and a little patience, but the final result can look like a whole new kitchen was installed on top of your old one.

• Vinyl flooring or washable rugs. If your kitchen floor is making you sad but tile decals won’t work, you could throw a washable area rug down and cover it up. Another alternative would be some vinyl sheet flooring that you can cut to size and simply lay over your existing floor.

• Refinish or cover countertops. You can upgrade and transform your countertops pretty cheaply using a variety of refinishing kits that cost less than $100. Alternatively, vinyl wraps or contact paper can cover up dated counters pretty effectively. If you don’t have the time or patience for those projects, you could consider just buying an oversize cutting board to leave on top of the counters permanently.

• Clean up grout. Sometimes it’s not your tile that’s gotten old and tired, it’s just your grout. You might be amazed to discover how transformative an hour spent using a grout pen can be.

Replace kitchen lighting, outlet covers, and other fixtures

Just about everything in your kitchen is replaceable, including old, crusty fixtures. Swapping a few out isn’t terribly expensive, and most of these projects can be done DIY.

• Replace or add lights. If your kitchen feels sadder because the lights are old and dated (and probably dusty), even a non-electrician can swap them out for something a little more jazzy. If you just need more light, consider adding some easy, plug-in pendant lights for an instant style bump (you can also find versions that will screw into existing recessed lights).

• Change outlet covers. One of the easiest, cheapest little upgrades you can make in your kitchen is to swap out the tired old white or beige outlet and light switch covers for something with a little more pop. All you need is a few bucks and a screwdriver (just keep in mind that you shouldn’t have metal covers near water sources).

• Replace faucets. Changing out a faucet isn’t a terribly complicated job, though you might need some specific tools. Even a cheap faucet can have a lot of style and be a big upgrade from one that’s seen much better days.