Kitchen Refresh Ideas: Where to Splurge and Where to Save

With spring upon us, many feel the desire to refresh, re-energize and revamp their home. A springtime makeover can alleviate the winter doldrums, boost your mood and inspire you for the year to come.

Let’s chat about the heart of the home: the kitchen. The kitchen is where we spend a large majority of our days: brewing our morning coffee, preparing lunch, doing homework with the kids, and cooking dinner. It should be a room in which you feel comfortable and inspired.

Here are a few tips to keep your kitchen refresh, plus some pointers on areas in which you should splurge vs. the areas where it’s ok to save.

Kitchen Refresh Ideas to Splurge

First, let’s discuss the areas to invest in.

Replace Your Dining Table

Growing tired of your dining table is understandable. It’s probably the focal point of the room; you’ll see it every day, so investing in handcrafted cherry, maple, ash, or solid oak tables and chairs is a great way to give an overall feeling of luxury, quality and refinement. Further, a quality furniture set is something that you can bring with you should you choose to move at a later date.

Invest in Wall Paint

If you’re going big with your kitchen refresh and you’ve decided to paint, investing in quality paint is key. Lesser paints won’t give you an even coverage; you’ll need to apply more coats, and the walls will scuff and mark quickly. By using high-quality paint, you’ll save time as you won’t need to painstakingly apply layers upon layers, nor will you have to touch-up high-traffic areas later.

Outsource Cabinet Refinishers

There’s a multitude of videos, blogs, and online tutorials that talk about how easy it is to repaint your kitchen cabinets. While this may be the case, to ensure your cabinets are going to stand the test of time, it might be worth shopping around. See how much it would cost to buy new cabinet doors or to get a professional to refinish your doors for you.

Kitchen Refresh Ideas to Save

Now, let’s consider the areas where you could save cash while still making a statement.

New Handles on Your Cabinet Doors

As discussed, refinishing or replacing your cabinets may end up being a costly endeavor. One way to give your kitchen cabinets a new lease on life is simply replacing the handles. There are hundreds of different shapes, styles, and colors out there that will give the illusion of a mini cabinet makeover.

Visit Flea Markets for Artwork

If you don’t want to take on the task of painting your kitchen, updating the artwork in a space can make a world of difference. To get something truly unique, consider visiting thrift stores and flea markets. You’ll find framed pieces of artwork at a fraction of the cost they would be in big box stores. You might even pick up something of real value.

Thrift for Glasses, Service Ware and Mugs

This tip depends on your personal taste. Service ware can be pricey, which makes sense; it can set the tone of your kitchen. If your style allows, consider looking in your local thrift stores for serving vessels. While being affordable, you’ll most likely be supporting a local cause through your purchase.

Conclusion

Take your time in making decisions to keep your kitchen refresh. Pick up a selection of color swatches from the paint store and adhere to these as you pick out service ware, artwork, curtains, and dishtowels. Doing so will guarantee color cohesion in the space.