Kitchen Decorating Ideas - 7 Quick & Inexpensive Tips

Does your kitchen need a bit of a pick-me-up or a couple of updated touches to make you love it again? The kitchen is the center of most households and is the most used room in the house, but it’s unfortunately also usually the most expensive to update. But, don’t fret if you’ve tired of the current look of your kitchen! You can make some dramatic changes to this important room in your home with a few easy and inexpensive kitchen decorating ideas that are easy to implement and also inexpensive, too. As you’ll see, you don’t have to break the bank in order to have a new-found love affair with the hub of your home!

One of the very best kitchen decorating ideas to consider before even getting started is this – decide what you want to change the most or what you absolutely cannot live with any more and also determine a budget within which you can work. Good planning is the absolute most important step in moving forward with updating your kitchen. You must determine your priorities and be realistic about your budget and plan, plan, plan!

If you’re not ready to take the plunge for a huge kitchen renovation (and most of us are not!), below are a few decorating ideas and home remodeling tips to make the most of what you already have, without having to spend much money or invest much effort in order to reap some solid rewards.

Here are 7 quick and inexpensive kitchen decorating ideas to freshen up the most used room in your house:

1. Paint. Like in any other room in your house, you can achieve the most dramatic changes with minimal financial expenditure with some new paint. Change the color scheme on the walls to something new and fresh and your kitchen will take on a whole new life.

2. Lighting. Lighting is one of the most underestimated of all decorating objects but makes a huge impact on a space. This is especially apparent in the kitchen. Add a few contemporary pendant lights or some track lighting in place of old fluorescent lighting and your kitchen will instantly take on a more updated look. Of course, the cost of lighting can vary dramatically, but you can get some fairly inexpensive pendant lights that make just as big a statement as some of their more expensive counterparts. Track lighting is inexpensive and has the added benefit of allowing you to focus lighting where you need it most. Under cabinet lighting can also change the look and mood of the kitchen, doesn’t cost a bundle and is easy to install.

3. Hardware. Change the knobs and drawer pulls on your cabinets for a quick and easy way to give your cabinets an updated, fresh look.

4. Declutter. Simple and streamlined is the new updated look for kitchens so get rid of some of the clutter, on countertops and elsewhere, and you’ll give your kitchen a boost. If you can’t part with some of the items that are currently housed on your countertop, find innovative ways to store the items (see #7 below).

5. Plants. Live plants add color, texture and well, life, to an otherwise dull looking space. Just make sure you can keep them alive, because nothing looks worse than a bunch of dried up, shriveled up leaves in a pot that has obviously been uncared for. Fresh herbs in the kitchen add not only visual appeal, but a culinary bonus as well.

6. Place mats & centerpieces. A quick and easy way to freshen up the look of a kitchen is with some new bold and interesting place mats left on the kitchen table, or an attractive centerpiece. Make it something that stands out but that isn’t a huge dust collector, and make sure that it can easily be removed multiple times a day when your family sits down to eat.

7. Storage. Are you storage challenged or do you just like the idea of having some items out in plain view because they are used often? Then invest a few dollars in some interesting storage items or containers and have them work with the new décor in your kitchen, rather than simply adding to the clutter. A pot rack can be an interesting addition to a kitchen space. Spices can be organized in an attractive spice rack. Canisters, boxes, bowls and baskets can house often-used accessories, while adding visual interest to the room. Make them work with the color scheme and group together for an interesting look on your countertop.

As you can see, it is not impossible to freshen up the look of your kitchen on a very limited budget. Sure, you don’t wind up with sparkling new appliances and gorgeous granite countertops, but by following these quick and inexpensive kitchen decorating ideas, you can breathe new life into the favorite room in your home. Another option not mentioned but that can also make a big impact is adding new window treatments, such as window curtains or roman blinds.  Even pre-made window treatments for sliding glass doors or bay windows can be purchased relatively inexpensively and can add visual interest to the space.

Changing the color scheme and lighting will make the biggest impact on the space and some of these other kitchen decorating ideas will add to the new look you strive to create.