You don’t need to spend a pretty penny for an impressive kitchen. From door handles and appliances to fresh paint and splashbacks, these easy, creative and cost-effective kitchen hacks will transform your space.
Add a splash of colour
Add a lick of paint to your door frames, cupboards, splashbacks or even a few bold accessories like a bright red wall clock. Paint, or colour, can instantly brighten your space and transform the look and feel of your kitchen. Use bright colours for energy and a fun or quirky feel. Softer pastels tend to create a sense of calm, whereas warmer tones like terracotta and earthy tones create a welcoming and warm ambience.
Overhaul your kitchen with a brilliant benchtop
The three most popular materials used for benchtops are laminate, timber and stone. But, laminate is around a third of the price. Even better, it’s hard-wearing, durable, water resistant, easy to wipe down and clean, and you can get anti-bacterial and finger-print proof finishes – great for grubby little fingers eating afterschool snacks! It also contains little to no silica.
Today’s laminates come in a whole spectrum of finishes, from mattes to glosses, marble and mineral looks to woodgrains, metallics and a plethora of accent colours to suit – and transform – any kitchen space.
Incorporate feature cupboard door panels
Swapping out kitchen cupboard doors is a cost-effective way to revamp your kitchen minus the complete cabinetry fit-out – a great solution of water-logged chipboard doors ruining your kitchen look. Today’s doors come in a range of widths, allowing you to create skinny broom cupboards from awkward corner spaces, as well as materials, finishes, textured looks and colours.
You can update the door frames, opt for frosted glass doors, and use wire-mesh, timber or metals, and even paint your own doors!
Go for statement door handles
This small detail can have big impact! Cupboard door handles and drawer pulls can bring cohesion to a kitchen look, add quirk, personality or interest, and make a style statement.
You can choose art deco handles, urban-industrial look clamps in galvanised steel, hand-painted porcelain and fine China knobs, kooky motifs, metals from contemporary brushed black metal to shiny silver, rose gold and aged-look bronze and more.
Upgrade your kitchen with open shelving
Not much space or budget to work with? Use open shelves to express your personality or to feature your favourite collectables – from your teacup collection to fine china and spoons collected from worldly travels. Or, make it more practical! With utensil holders, knives and hung saucepans.
Replace your kitchen splashback
Who would have thought that splashbacks would become a style statement? The oil splatter-catcher?! The spaghetti bolognese sauce canvas? But it is! That wall, which frames all those fancy (and expensive) kitchen appliances is, in fact, a feature wall that can transform the look of your kitchen. Laminates that are easy to wipe down and clean. Glass splashbacks. Bright colours like read, blue or green. Marbles featuring veins, mineral-effects. For a contemporary look, try reflective surfaces – black glass or stainless steel.
Illuminate with sconce lights
Lighting can totally transform space. And we’re not just referring to the brightness of the globe here.
Pendant lights can make a huge impact, but you can still have a lot of fun with flush-mount lights (in the ceiling) and wall sconces. If you don’t want to commit to new lighting, consider adhesive LED strip lighting that can placed under overhead cupboards.
Hang art in your kitchen zone
Don’t just relegate artworks to living rooms and hallways (although, they work well there too). You can make an otherwise utilitarian kitchen feel more personal and a bit bougie with some much-loved pieces.
Treat yourself to chic benchtop appliances
While they’re often concealed in a butler’s pantry, designer appliances, such as kettles and toasters, are made to be seen.
Often a permanent benchtop feature, you can get tabletop appliances featuring artworks, retro-style designs and a rainbow of colours including pastel pink, powder blue, cream, mint green, bright red and electric blue.
