6 Small Kitchen Makeover Ideas

Looking for creative and budget friendly small kitchen makeover ideas? We’re here to help! Updating a small kitchen is a great opportunity to get more utility out of the space. And, because you’re not working with a lot of square footage, it’s also possible to make big changes without needing a big budget. Read our tips below for small kitchen improvement ideas that will offer a simple, but major transformation. 

How to Do a DIY Kitchen Updates on a Budget

Move over HGTV, these tips will help you with your DIY kitchen updates on a budget—no contractor required.

1. Install under-cabinet lighting

Let there be light! Under-cabinet lighting strips and press-on LEDs are a super quick way to light up your counter space and get more visibility when you’re cooking. And while traditional, professionally installed under-cabinet lighting can run in the thousands of dollars, these options are cheap to purchase and a cinch to install.

2. Swap out your faucet

Anyone who says that your kitchen faucet isn’t a major part of your space clearly hasn’t tried doing dishes with a faucet that is less than ideal. For a couple hundred bucks (or less, if you’re extra thrifty!) you can remove your current faucet and upgrade it to one that both looks better and offers a lot more utility. Swapping them out is easy to DIY too—just be sure to turn off the water valve first.

3. Redo your cabinets

Getting entirely new kitchen cabinets isn’t possible in a budget-friendly kitchen makeover, but you can totally fake it by giving your current cabinets a brand new look. All you need is paint and painting supplies, new hardware, and some time, plus a good tutorial to walk you through the process. Want to get extra creative? Go for a two tone look, with white cabinets up top and a color of your choice on the bottom cabinets. If you’re looking to change up the interiors of your cabinets, we suggest going with some kind of rev-a-shelf solution. These products can help you get better use of your available space, reduce clutter and stay organized. 

4. Install a smart smoke alarm

While it does cost a bit more than a traditional smoke alarm, a smart smoke detector is one of the best upgrades you can bring to your kitchen, especially if your current alarm has a habit of going off anytime you do so much as boil a pot of water. These devices can be controlled through your phone, so that when your alarm does go off unwarranted, you can simply press a button instead of frantically waving a towel in front of it until it stops beeping.

5. Add a stick-on backsplash

A kitchen backsplash can tie the entire look of the space together, and it’s easier and more affordable to install than you might be thinking. Skip the separate tiles and shop for stick-on backsplashes, which give a similar look while adhering to the wall with very little effort. Already have tiles and want to change the look? Check out a tutorial on how to paint ceramic tiles and give your backsplash your own creative spin. If you are trying to add a backsplash (or actual tile), be sure to check out our tile leveling kit that will help you create a seamless, flush appearance against the wall. 

6. Put in new pendants

Pendant lighting is a focal point of your kitchen, and when the space is small, it’s extra important that your pendants stand out in all the right ways. Fortunately, pendant lighting is quite inexpensive, and it’s easy to find looks that blend into your current kitchen, regardless of your aesthetic.

Embrace your small kitchen and give it a whole new look without a total renovation. The ideas above are a great place to start, and don’t require much in terms of either effort or cost. Devote a couple weekends to your makeover project and voila—you’ll have a small kitchen that looks and feels like it’s a brand new room. As your complete kitchen wholesale distributor, we provide a range of products from leading brands.

Start your project today!