How to Redo Your Kitchen for $100 or Less

Make a big splash in a dingy kitchen with paint.

If your kitchen is as boring as Monday’s leftovers, cook up big changes for $100 or less. Start with a fresh coat of paint on walls, stir in some bright details on the hardware and garnish with some bright accents on the floors and windows for a fresh look that costs little but makes a big impact.

Things You'll Need

• Wall paint
• Cabinet hardware
• Spray paint
• Fabric
• Throw rug

Instructions

1. Choose a new color to paint your kitchen. Select a color that blends with the wood of your cabinets and flows naturally into adjoining rooms. Don't forget the ceiling. If it's dingy or the kitchen is small, use bright white.

2. Unscrew cabinet hardware. While replacing or refacing cabinets won't fit in a $100 kitchen remodeling budget, new or refurbished hardware will. Prep, prime and spray paint hardware a contrasting or complementing color to your new kitchen walls. If there's money left at the end of your project, buy new, brushed nickel pulls.

3. Give light fixtures a new lease on life with a fresh coat of matte paint. If your lights have a bright or rubbed brass finish that date your kitchen, sand down the finish, prime and paint for a sleek, updated look.

4. Add a fresh window treatment for as little as the cost of remnant fabric that can be crafted into simple tab curtains. Look for fun and unusual vintage printed tablecloths for inspiration.

5. Finish your ceiling to floor makeover with brightly colored throw rugs. Don't limit yourself to traditional kitchen prints; consider bold stripes or geometric prints to tie the colors in your kitchen together.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint is an inexpensive solution to refreshing your living space. If you don't like how the kitchen looks in a few weeks, repaint!

References

• Sunset: The $30 Kitchen Makeover