Kitchens are a great place to spend time in the home, so it’s no wonder why people are so willing to pour money into them in order to make them suit their needs as well as their personalities. Of course, overtime, kitchens can grow bland and the renovation bug begins to kick in. If you don’t have a budget to support these urges, then you may find yourself hating your kitchen more and more. Luckily, there’s several DIY tricks you can try out that will allow you to create a whole new look for your kitchen without spending too much money. Before you know it, your kitchen will have a fresh look that will make you want to stay in more, which will help save even more money.

1. Switch Out the Handles
You may be surprised as to how much of a difference switching out the handles and pulls in your kitchen can make. If you have basic handles on your cabinets and drawers now, then you’ll certainly be in for a real treat when it comes to your new handles. Luckily, you can easily find a great supply of these at any home improvement or department store. They range in prices too, so you won’t have to spend an arm and a leg if you can’t fit it into your budget. Of course, new isn’t your only option here. You can easily head to a local thrift store, flea market or yard sale to see if you can find anything that strikes your fancy. There may even be online stores that sell used items. In fact, if you’re out of luck when it comes to shopping, you might want to consider refurbishing some from an old piece of furniture that you’re no longer using.

2. Hang Things Up
The beauty of the kitchen is there are so many items that can be used as decoration. One of the best things you can do is hang up your pots and pans. First of all, they will look outstanding, especially if you’re going for a quaint or even quirky vibe. Second of all, this will free up so much space in your cabinets that you might not know what to do with yourself. There’s lots of other items that can be hung up too. For instance, if you’re particularly proud of your mug collection then these items look incredible hanging from the wall. Apart from that you may want to try oven mitts, measuring spoons, spices and anything else that you think would look incredible. This will prevent you from shopping around for artwork you’re going to grow bored of and will add a livable style to your functional kitchen.

3. Redo Your Backsplash
The backsplash of your kitchen probably doesn’t get a whole lot of attention. In fact, you may have kept it exactly the same as it was the day you moved into your place. However, by redoing the backsplash, you can easily skip painting the entire room, redoing your countertops and other expensive changes. The backsplash is easily changed too, so you won’t have to hire someone to come in and fix it up. One easily solution to change it is to grab some tiles that you enjoy and apply them to the area. You can even get a little crazy here by taking broken tiles and transforming them into a lovely mosaic that will make the area the focal point of the kitchen. Apart from tiles, grafting paper and wallpaper is another fantastic option, which will save you a whole lot of time on your mini-renovation. Wallpaper and grafting paper can be incredibly cheap too, especially since you don’t need a whole lot to make this area shine. When you finish up with the job, you’ll find your kitchen will look like new.

4. Add Fresh Paint
Nothing beats the look of a freshly painted room though. So, if you really want to get the fresh look you’ve been longing to see in your kitchen then you may want to consider painting the room. If you’re really looking to save money, then choose a similar color or the same color simply to add the fresh look that will make the room look like a million bucks. Another thing to keep in mind is the type of colors you use. If you’re in a particularly small kitchen, then you might want to work with colors that will make the room look larger and more efficient. Of course, many people also love creating a warm atmosphere though, so you might want to stick with colors that make you feel comfortable or have a spicy style. You should also keep in mind the direction in which your home faces. Kitchens tend to be warmer anyway, but if you paint your home a dark color then it is more than likely going to be a sauna if it faces the sun during prime cooking hours.

5. Swap Rugs
You may be surprised by how much work a rug does for your home. If you’ve had the same rug in your kitchen for some time, then try taking it out of your kitchen for a bit. This in itself could help you feel that your kitchen is a lot different. Of course, you don’t have to go without a rug though. You might want to try to swap it for a rug from another room in the house. If this doesn’t work, then shop around for a clearance rug or check out local yard sales and thrift stores to see if something strikes your fancy. You may even want to check out DIY rug tutorials to see if you can come up with something cool with your dish towels or other fabrics. Before you know it, this easy swap will bring a whole new life to the kitchen and will help satisfy the renovation bug.

6. Stain Cabinets
If you hate your cabinets and counter tops, then you could be looking at paying a small fortune in your kitchen renovation. However, there’s a quick and easy solution that could lead you to a lovely look without all of the hard work and money spent. That is, simply staining your cabinets. Wooden cabinets are great in the sense that you can change them up to suit your preferences, unless they are not too dark to begin with. Wood stains won’t cost you a small fortune either and you won’t need a whole lot to get the job done, which is even better. Of course, you may want to look at some staining tutorials before you get started though, just so you can do the best job possible while you work on your cabinets. Before staining, you should put down something to protect the floor and tape around the area to make sure stain doesn’t end up on your countertops. Last but not least, you might want to consider wearing gloves, because stain can totally transform the color of your hands for some time.

7. Go Fashion Savvy
These days, it seems like stainless steel is out and warm bronze colors are in. This doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy all new gadgets and appliances though. Going from stainless steel to bronze is actually pretty simple and won’t cost you a pretty penny either. All you need is a bit of bronzer and something to practice on. Once you’ve worked with the bronzer of your choice, you can apply it to your appliances, faucets and anything else you’d like to add a warm burst to. Make sure you choose the right color for you though as some bronzers will create a rustic look, while others will create the popular sunburst look. When you’re finished with your project, the room will feel like you replaced everything, but your budget will still be right on point.

8. Add Lighting
You can really transform a room simply by adding more lighting to the area. One of the best forms of lighting you can add to a kitchen is under the counter lighting. It adds a sleek and sophisticated look to the room, and it will help you with your cooking preparations. If you have a lot of money to spend then you can go through the grueling process of wiring the lights into the cabinet and so on, but the simple solution is to buy a few tap lights, which are incredibly affordable, and stick them beneath the cabinets. Of course, the lighting you’ll actually be able to see can make a huge difference too. You can easily mix things up by making your own lights using old wine bottles or other recycling. This is a fun craft and will add a touch of rustic charm to the kitchen. The best thing is, you can customize the light to meet your color scheme, by choosing the right color of glass. If crafting isn’t your thing, then it might be good to look in thrift stores for vintage lights or discount home improvement stores to see if there’s a light covering or fixture that suits your needs.

9. Cabinet Doors
If you’re no longer in love with your cabinets, then one easy fix is to take off the doors. Open cabinets help create the illusion of more space, which will make your home feel a lot more comfortable. Plus, being able to see all of your lovely plates, bowls and other kitchen essentials will add a touch of charm that will make the kitchen seem even warmer and more inviting. Not to mention, with the cabinets open, it might keep you motivated to keep things organized and looking good. If you’re not a fan of open cabinet doors, then you may want to consider adding decorative mirrors to each one. This will also add the illusion of more space, while giving the cabinets an edgy look that will have your guests mesmerized.

10. Dress Up Windows
Kitchen windows are great, because you don’t always have to keep them shut for your privacy, which means they can easily become a focal point. Thus, you can easily mix things up in the kitchen by adding a new set of curtains or a simple valance to the window to make it a focal point in the room. This will also allow you to let in lots of light, which will help create a great atmosphere during the daylight hours. If you’re not into curtains, then you can simply paint some designs around the window to frame it and make it seem like part of the décor of the room. If you have more of a country or rustic style, then you might want to look around for shutters to go on the inside of the window. Another simple and cheap option is to paint designs on the glass portion of the window to create a fun look or use decals.

Adding a bit of life to your kitchen doesn’t mean you have to hire a professional or throw in a lot of money into the project. These ten simple tips won’t take you long to accomplish and will have you enjoying your kitchen without forcing you to part with your hard earned money. Plus, the cool new look will have everything to do with your style and creative side, which will make showing off your new kitchen even more fun.