If you’re looking to make your kitchen look more expensive at an affordable price point, this blog post is for you! I’m sharing my top 9 ideas for making your kitchen look for expensive, some require a bit more financial commitment than others, but they’re all pretty budget friendly proportionately to the impact they make!
Hide Eye Sores
First thing’s first, put away anything that isn’t doing the space any favors. Kitchen tools that are eye sores should be tucked away in an organized fashion in your cabinets or pantry. Not only does this allow more negative space to show, which elevates the kitchen, but it also allows you to display more items that complement your space. Consider designating a specific appliance cabinet like the photo below from @blueashbuilding.
Coordinate Tools that Must Be Displayed
If you don’t have the storage space, consider investing in some more aesthetically pleasing tools. There are quite a few dupes for high end kitchen tools. Check out the affordable ones I’ve linked below for inspiration!
Mini Coffee Bar or Mini Wet Bar
Believe it or not it doesn’t take too much space on the counter to add in a designated area for a coffee bar or mini wet bar. In some cases you can even set up the whole thing on one wood or marble pedestal. Especially if you already have a coffee maker out on the counter, you might as well dress it up and curate it to complement your kitchen. Even something simple and subtle like this coffee corner below from @beige.ceremony is a charming twist on a coffee maker on the counter.
Quality Rug
Invest in a quality rug (there are tons of affordable high quality options). Kitchen see a ton of wear and tear, foot traffic etc. so it’s important to bring in a rug that will endure the test of time. A nice kitchen rug also makes the kitchen feel more styled. Additionally, rugs are the perfect way to bring your kitchen color palette together in one cohesive element. My preference personally are washable rugs. I’ve linked some washable kitchen rugs below for inspiration!
Swap Out Knobs & Pulls
While swapping out knobs & pulls in the kitchen can be a little bit of an investment, the investment feels pretty minor in comparison to the impact it provides. For a boring builder grade kitchen, super unique knobs & pulls can add a lot of character. Likewise, for an old kitchen that needs a modern freshen up, knobs or pulls with crisp clean lines or shapes can do the trick for minimal price & effort. Check out the luxurious knobs & pulls I’ve linked below from CB2.
Add More Plants
One of the cheapest way to immediately elevate your kitchen is by adding in more plants. Plants help make your kitchen feel more expensive by giving them a more curated vibe. Bringing the outdoors in with decorative plants can help reduce stress, purify the air and add beautiful vibrant colors to your space. You can reflect your personal style in the vessels that you choose for your plants and even the types of plants you choose. Typically kitchens get plenty of natural light, making them an ideal place for your plants anyways!
Collect Coordinating Plates, Drinkware & Flatware
Begin this step by getting rid of all mismatched plates bowls and cups etc. This idea is an an investment, but feels well worth it when you don’t have tons of mismatched mugs and bowls everywhere. Your kitchen will immediately feel more clean and organized, suddenly doing the dishes will become more of a breeze and hosting people at your house will be done with more ease. This can even be done overtime to be more budget conscious. Just make sure the set you are looking to collect is one that the store typically carries and isn’t just a seasonal or temporary item. These sets I’ve linked below from Joss & Main are the perfect combination of modern and charming.
Consider a Hanging Light Fixture
Hanging light fixtures can definitely help make your kitchen look more expensive & add in tons of character. The kitchen is no exception. Hanging a light fixture in the kitchen is yet another opportunity to reflect your style in the kitchen and incorporate elements that tie your space in together; ie a brass pendant to compliment your brass cabinet hardware. I know firsthand this project can be done at a very low price point. Check out our blog post ‘DIY (No Hardwire) Basket Pendant Under $85’ to find out how!
Keep it Clean & Tidy
Last but not least, a clean home always looks more luxurious and expensive. I prefer using Grove products in my kitchen as they are natural face products and smell incredible. Additionally their line of cleaning tools are very crisp & modern! I’ve linked some of my personal Grove favorites below. I always recommend coming up with a system that works for you. Having a cleaning schedule will keep you on track and remind you not to neglect deep cleaning appliances that may require that such as the dishwasher, microwave, fridge or oven.
