15 Ways To Make Your Kitchen Look More Modern For Cheap

Kitchens are one of the most commonly used rooms in the home. It’s where most people start their morning, and usually one of the last rooms a person leaves at night. So you must enjoy your kitchen - how it looks, and how the space makes you feel. If you have an old drab kitchen you are probably already considering some upgrades. But a kitchen remodel is likely to cost at least $10,000, and can easily cost upwards of $50,000. This is likely having you wonder if there are any DIY ways to make your kitchen look more modern for cheap.

To give your kitchen a more modern look on a budget, try painting the walls a new color or painting your old cabinets to make them look new. Swap out old hardware for sleek new ones, and change out old light fixtures for impressive new ones. Find modern materials to cover ugly counters and floor tiles, and try cutting down on clutter to give the room a clean minimalistic look.

If you want to give your kitchen a more modern look but don’t think you have the funds to do it then keep reading. There are tons of easy, affordable, and effective ways to transform a dull kitchen into a modern one. Even if you can’t afford to do a full kitchen makeover, there are lots of great DIY projects you can accomplish to breathe new life into any kitchen.

12 DIY Ways To Make Your Kitchen Look Modern For Cheap

1. Switch Up The Paint Color With Something Bright

One of the most effective ways to breathe modern life into your drab kitchen is with a new paint job. A new paint color can make a boring kitchen exciting. If you choose the right color it can even make an outdated kitchen look modern.

So consider a clean, sleek, and bright color, whether it is a type of white, a shade of grey, blue, or another color that will help the rest of the kitchen pop. A new coat of paint is an inexpensive way to give the room a facelift. This is especially true if you paint it yourself. Kitchens are bound to get dirty over time, so a new coat of paint also helps remove the unsightly stains that build up in a kitchen over time.

2. Add Some Easy-To-Install LED Lights Under Cabinets

Some additional lighting is also a nice way to give your kitchen a more modern look. While professional lighting can be rather costly, you can purchase some easy-to-install LED strip lights underneath your upper kitchen cabinets for cheap.

Adding this hidden lighting under your cabinets is fairly straightforward. This lighting allows you options and makes your kitchen look more dynamic. Any time you have the chance to add some mood lighting in a kitchen means you can give it more diverse looks and vibes.

3 Cover Your Ugly Countertops With Something Sleek

If you have an old boring kitchen that needs a major overhaul, one of the most unsightly elements in the room is most likely the countertops. If you have a kitchen with ugly and cheap-looking linoleum countertops, you might want to think about covering them.

You can purchase adhesive wallpaper or cabinet covering material for fairly cheap. Best of all, if you are renting the property, you can easily pull off this adhesive when you leave. This allows you to modernize your kitchen without the risk of losing your security deposit.

4. Buy A Modern Light Fixture Or Chandelier

One easy and effective item you can swap out to make a kitchen look more modern is a light fixture or chandelier. A light fixture, especially a well-designed one, is likely to capture a lot of attention. If your light fixtures are a bit outdated, then swapping them for modern and elegant ones is a cost-effective way to upgrade the space. It is an affordable and easy DIY project most people should be able to do easily themselves.

5. Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets To Make Them Look New

If your kitchen cabinets are looking rundown you are probably hoping to replace them, until you see how much new cabinets cost. But just because you can’t afford brand-new kitchen cabinets doesn’t mean they have to look old. You can paint your existing kitchen cabinets a new color to give them new life. You will be surprised at how much newer your kitchen can look after you paint over old cabinets.

6. Swap Out Old Knobs And Handles For Chic New Ones

Another simple DIY project to make your kitchen look more modern for cheap involves your kitchen hardware. Most kitchens have a dozen or more cabinet knobs and drawer handles. If this hardware is bland or old, you can swap it out for new sleek hardware for fairly cheap. In most cases all you need is a screwdriver and you can modernize your kitchen with new hardware in just a few hours.

7. Introduce An Elegant Plant To The Kitchen

Adding some plant life to your old kitchen is another way to give it a fresh and invigorating feel. If you want to make your kitchen look more modern, stay away from messy and untidy plants like vines and spider plants. Instead, opt for some sleek and elegant plants like bamboo, orchids, or other plants that have a nice look and tend to grow in a neat vertical fashion.

This is a great and cheap way to improve the overall look of your kitchen. Even if your kitchen gets limited sun, there are ample plants you can put in your kitchen windowsill that don’t require much light.

8. Put Your Aesthetically Pleasing Kitchen Tools On Display

If you’ve got nice kitchen utensils and appliances, then flaunt them. Use hooks or hanging storage to show off your stunning pots and pans. If you have nice stainless steel appliances, then have them on display, and hide the less attractive-looking ones. This is an easy way to give your kitchen a little upgrade.

9. Use A Washable Carpet To Cover Unsightly Linolium

New kitchen floors are expensive. A quality and modern-looking washable kitchen rug, on the other hand, is quite affordable. If your kitchen floor is making your kitchen look uglier or older than it needs to look, then try covering it. There are tons of washable rug companies to choose from, and you should have no problem finding one that fits your space well.

10. Create An Accent Wall With Sleekly-Designed Wall Paper

If painting your entire kitchen doesn’t sound like an appealing option, then you might want to consider an accent wall. You can paint one wall a bright color. Or you can opt for a funky or modern-designed wallpaper to give your kitchen an exciting new look. An accent wall provides a “wow” factor, and is highly effective at transforming a bland space into a spicy modern one.

11. Install a DIY Backsplash

Nothing says chic and modern like an intricate and breathtaking backsplash. Unfortunately, professionally-installed backsplashes can cost thousands of dollars. But if you have a bit of patience, you can install a backsplash for a fraction of the cost. You can use less-expensive subway tiles, or even a roll-on backsplash that gives the appearance of tilework. Either way, a DIY backsplash is a fun way to make your kitchen look more modern.

12. Achieve A Minimalist Look By Removing Clutter

Perhaps the best and cheapest way to improve your kitchen’s look is to get rid of the clutter. Cleaning off your counters and creating a clean and empty feel to the kitchen helps you achieve a minimalist look. The less clutter you have, the cleaner and more modern your kitchen is likely to look. Furthermore, a clean and minimal kitchen allows every small detail you add, like a light fixture or a plant, the opportunity to shine and pop.

Concluding Ideas On Making A Kitchen Look Modern For Cheap

Just because a full kitchen remodel is very expensive, it does not mean you can’t make major improvements on a budget. If you want your kitchen to look more modern, start by reducing the clutter. Try painting the kitchens clean and new color, and paint the cabinets if they look old. You can swap out light fixtures and hardware to give a more modern look. You can even add an accent wall if you don’t like painting but are looking for a fun way to add modern drama to the space.