Are you looking to update your kitchen, but you're not ready to commit to major renovations? There are a lot of methods a homeowner can use to add much-needed touch-ups without breaking the budget. Try these five easy ways to modernize your kitchen.

1. Add a Touch of Paint

Paint can do amazing things to your kitchen – brightening and updating the space. Choose a warm and inviting color, as you and your family will spend a lot of time in this room preparing and eating meals together. When selecting paints, remember the finish varies on a scale from low to high gloss. This scale can help you determine which paint is most appropriate for your project.

When choosing paint for your kitchen walls, select satin or eggshell-based paint, as both provide durable and stain-resistant finishes – wise decisions for a kitchen setting. If food stains your paint job, you should be able to wash the mess from your walls quickly and without removing the color.

If you decide to paint your kitchen cabinets, choose a high-gloss or semi-gloss paint option. Both paints are highly durable and stain-resistant. Before you paint your cabinets, ensure you prepare them properly. Caulk as necessary and sand away imperfections, because the high-gloss and semi-gloss paints have a reflective finish showing most defects.

2. Revamp Your Cabinets

After you’ve painted your cabinets, you can consider purchasing different types of hardware to complement the new cabinet colors you’ve selected. Think about mixing and matching knobs and pulls to give your cabinets a unique feel. Hardware comes in various styles – antique, modern, country, and nautical – it’s all up to you to decide what’s the best look for your kitchen.

Another option to consider for your kitchen is to add variety to your custom kitchen cabinets. One way to do so is by swapping some of your closed cabinets for open cabinet space. This gives your kitchen a relaxed, clean feel. You can also display beautiful glassware or china in your new open cabinet space. Converting your existing cabinet space into this new unit is a relatively simple makeover when you follow a few simple steps. First, remove the existing cabinet doors. Then apply putty in all holes. Next, caulk and paint as needed.

3. Cover Your Countertops

After you’ve overhauled your cabinets, you might find your countertops lacking – the color might not match, or you may find the material stands out. Thankfully, there are quick and easy ways to fix your countertops. One option is to cover a section with a beautiful slab of marble or a large cutting board.

Another option, if your counters are laminate, is to paint them. To paint your countertops, you'll first need to clean them thoroughly. After that, fill in any holes and sand it, so everything is smooth. Then you can apply your layer of primer and paint. You can get creative and paint your countertops to look like granite or marble to modernize your kitchen.

4. Upgrade Appliances

At the moment, you might not have a lot to invest in for significant renovations, but one sure-fire way to modernize your kitchen is by upgrading your appliances. One way to do this is to look around your kitchen and list the machines you need to replace based on their age or how they work. You can then prioritize based on your budget when you should replace the appliance.

Know that if your refrigerator is over 10 years old, you can likely save money over time by upgrading to an approved Energy Star appliance. Energy Star helps you calculate the savings, most of which is made through the device being more energy-efficient and requiring less power to run.

If your appliance still is in good working order but looks a little worse for wear, consider giving it a good clean. You can also purchase panel kits to give your washing machine or refrigerator a makeover or match your new cabinet color. The panel kits come in a variety of colors and even stainless steel.

5. Alter the Lighting

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars, but consider adjusting your kitchen lighting to update your look. You can easily add LED battery-operated lights to apply beneath your cabinets to add a soft glow to your kitchen, giving the space a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Bring in table lamps to add character to your space and give off some ambient lighting. You can place the table lamps on a counter or on either side of an island. Include mirrors in your kitchen to catch the light and amplify the luminosity. All these features will contribute to the unique and beautiful qualities of your kitchen.

Update Your Kitchen Today

When you apply any of these five simple methods, you’ll save money as you go about modernizing your kitchen. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

Guest Contributor: Rose Morrison