5 Designer-Approved Ways to Update an Outdated Kitchen Without Breaking Your Budget

If you can easily nail the decade in which your kitchen was designed, chances are it’s outdated. Almost all of us desire to have a timelessly beautiful kitchen, but not everyone has the time or funds to remodel such a big-ticket space.

Fortunately, according to professional designers, there are a few smaller or piecemeal projects that you can undertake to update your kitchen’s look on a shoestring—and to hold you over until you’re ready for a full renovation.

Replace the Lights

According to Shannon Ggem, owner of Shannon Ggem Design, your existing kitchen lighting might be what’s dating the room. Many outdated kitchens have 6-inch recessed lights or a big fluorescent fixture on the ceiling, for instance.

Or maybe your kitchen has a traditional version of the dreaded “boob” light. Consider replacing them with decorative flush-mount lights, clean-lined sconces, or even pendants (the latter especially over an island).

Unless you’re handy, you might still need to hire an electrician to swap the luminaires, but it’s a small price to pay for changing the look of your kitchen and, quite possibly, enhancing the light you need to prep and cook.

You can get the most bang for your buck by hiring through sites like TaskRabbit or by finding a local electrician. Rewiring will, of course, impact the cost substantially.

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Swap Out the Faucet

Replace a dated faucet with a more current product or sport a fresher finish. Believe it or not, kitchen faucet swaps are very DIYable, and you can find a lot of video tutorials online.

Depending on your aesthetic preferences, opt for a double-handle, bridge, or single-hole, single-handle faucet.

Whichever the style, lose the baseplate.  It will look much more streamlined and clean without it, says Ethan Greenfeld, founder and principal designer of Ethan Charles Design.

He also recommends updating a faucet with a finish that’s more “today.” Polished chrome or brass may have been all the rage in the 90s, but brushed brass or polished nickel are the choice finishes now.

“I love combining the two: the polished nickel pulls from the warm tones in brass,” he says.

Refinish the Cabinets

Staining or painting your cabinets can be done on a budget—and make a huge difference.

When it comes to choosing new colors or wood tones, “I usually like to stick to a neutral palette, but anything that feels fresh and cohesive with the rest of the home is a good option,” says Greenfeld.

He adds that if you have more wiggle room in the budget, consider refacing the cabinetry for a completely new look.

Staying on cabinetry refacing, Ggem points out “the traditional overlay is a style that begs for an update.”

This is when the cabinet doors and drawers are not flush to the cabinet frame. She recommends refacing the cabinets with a full overlay (where the doors cover the frame completely) or a flush-inset style (where the doors and drawers sit inside the frame).

Switch Metals

Although it’s a classic, brushed nickel isn’t as popular a finish for kitchen hardware nowadays. So, if you want to be more on-trend, Ggem says opt for polished nickel or unlacquered brass (which will patina over time).

Door and drawer pulls and knobs are among the easiest things you can switch out on your own. Just make sure to measure holes and gaps precisely before shopping for the new pieces.

Hone the Stone

Many dated kitchens have a granite or other natural stone countertop that’s polished and ultra shiny, according to Ggem.

“Knock down that shine. Matte it out!” she says.

Stone finishers can hone the countertop in place, but know that this project does require a bigger budget (expect to pay anywhere between $4 and $10 per square foot for the labor, and depending on stone type and condition).