Kitchens are often the most expensive space to renovate in a home. I am finding more and more homes are being purchased that have new, but very neutral kitchens. These kitchens can easily feel monotonous and sterile, not reflecting the homeowner at all.

Understandably, many homeowners want to find a ways to update a plain kitchen without a major renovation. I am going to tell you 5 ways you can update your kitchen without a full renovation!

Upgrade the Countertops

I can’t tell you have many often homeowners want to build a kitchen redesign around a countertop they don’t even like. Think about it—if you’re cooking, what is the surface you are looking at the most? The countertop! If you have decent cabinets, upgrading the countertop can make a world of difference. An average kitchen can look high-end with a beautiful unique material. Need some ideas? Check out our blog post on alternative countertop materials.

Upgrade the Backsplash

Consider your sightlines. When you can see the kitchen from another room, you see the vertical surfaces first. Take this to your advantage and use it as an opportunity to create some visual impact without renovating the entire kitchen. Backsplashes are most useful in areas that are exposed to water or food splatters. That being said, if you feel that you can’t afford to install a new backsplash throughout your entire kitchen, consider only having tile installed on the walls where it is most functional.

Check out the difference a new backsplash made on this project.

Add Lighting

You’ll find in a lot of new or newly renovated homes depend heavily on recessed lighting. I believe a space has much more substance and interest with different levels of lighting. Hand-picked pendants over an island are a great way to add light to a dark kitchen. Also, if you don’t have under-cabinet lighting, get on it. In a kitchen, you’re probably using knives at some point, it would be great to actually be able to see what you’re doing! There are great minimal LED strip systems out there now.

Update Your Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Hardware is often overlooked, but when it isn’t, people notice. Knobs and pulls are little details that can create huge impact and make a kitchen feel more high-end. The options are endless and they can compliment or completely contrast the fixtures already existing in the space.

Add or Change the Wall Color 

When I watch house hunting shows and potential buyers say, “I hate this paint color,” it drives me absolutely nuts. Paint color is literally one of the easiest and most affordable things to change in a home.

There you go, 5 ways to update your kitchen without a full renovation! Most of these small changes will make a world of difference if your kitchen is already functional.