How to Update a Kitchen Without Remodelling (Budget-Friendly)

Updating a kitchen on a budget can be challenging when money only goes so far. This is why focusing on high-impact, bang-for-buck updates is the best way to make your kitchen look more modern without blowin’ the bank.

These updates include paint, hardware, affordable countertops, backsplash tiles, and more. But I’m not just giving you ‘ideas’, this blog post is full of tips and additional support to help you make the best choices for your home.

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If you have champagne dreams on a box o’ wine budget, this blog post is for you.

Heck, even if you’re made of money, there’s no reason to spend it all when you can do affordable updates and keep some cash in your hot little pockets!

So, let’s dive in to find out which kitchen updates are worth the money, blood, sweat, and beers.

1. HARDWARE – ADD IT OR CHANGE IT

Never underestimate the power of a wee piece of metal. Not only is it visually powerful, but it’s also affordable, as most kitchen cabinets can be updated with hardware for under $250.

If you don’t have any hardware, you bet getter your drill ready (always use a template – you can’t go wrong with this wee beastie from Home Depot). Pulls or knobs can add class to boring or out-of-date cabinets and older granite countertops. 

The most modern and timeless look has knobs on the doors and handles on the drawers.

• Count how many handles/knobs you need before leaving your home (count twice.)

• Measure the distance between bolt holes to know what handle size to get.

• Polished nickel is the most popular, timeless hardware choice. Black and gold are still kickin’ it to a degree, but they only suit a certain home style (and black is fading very fast).

• Not sure which hardware finishes coordinate with the other finishes in your home? Check this out – while there are definitely exceptions, this is a great SIMPLE place to start…

The Best Budget-Friendly Hardware to Update Kitchen Cabinets

Again, there are exceptions, but if you’re a beginner, sometimes simple is best!

2. INSTALL NEW COUNTERTOPS

Countertops are often the first on wishlist when it comes to kitchen updates, but not every budget can manage them.

CAN YOU UPDATE A KITCHEN WITHOUT REPLACING THE COUNTERS?

In most cases, yes, there are many ways to update a kitchen without new countertops. While many counters date your home to a certain decade, they usually look more modern with more updated surrounding finishes.

100% updated? No, but when you’re on a budget, sometimes ‘better’ is good enough for now! 

The cabinets in this next kitchen are in great shape, as is the laminate countertop. However, the wood is too strong in combination with the flooring…

After, this space looks much more updated, and the ONLY difference is paint…

How to Update Granite Counters Without Replacing Them

However, if new countertops are in your near future, you might think I’d push hard on quartz. Sure, I have mad love for quartz countertops, moreso than granite or marble.

By the way, this flooring is linoleum (sheet), a great money saver! 

And while quality quartz can be awesome-possum, cheap quartz is not.

• ‘Affordable’ or lower-end quartz brands are known for staining and scratching. This gives quartz counters a bad name, when it’s not the quartz, it’s the brand that cheaped out on their resins.
• Instead, I’d rather you save money for a quality brand, and in the meantime, install a gorgeous laminate.

LAMINATE COUNTERTOPS CAN BE AMAZEBALLS

Gone are the days of sad, old, beige Formica countertops. The new era of laminate countertops mimics the look of stone, marble, and quartz for a quarter of the price, sometimes even more!

While most of us would love to put a fancy white or off-white quartz or marble countertop in our home, once those dollars start adding up, the countertop is often the first to come off the list.

The above countertop is meant to mimic the super popular, Taj Mahal quartzite

But a new countertop doesn’t need to cost a fortune if you dig around and get creative.

For example, in designing my Mom’s new home, we tossed around quartz and laminate countertop ideas. Quartz came in at $3600 for the two bathrooms, and laminate countertops came in at a whopping $750—Biiiiiig money, honey.

The laundry room is another place to save money on countertops. This gorgeous marble-look formica below does the job for a fraction of the price and maintenance…

MIX QUARTZ & LAMINATE COUNTERS IN YOUR KITCHEN

If you have an island in your kitchen, consider a quartz countertop on your island and a coordinating laminate counter on the perimeter cabinets.

In one of our previous homes, we did this. This not only saved thousands of dollars, but it also looked pretty wicked.

By the way, talk to your local countertop company and ask if they have a boneyard. Many companies have leftover pieces from larger projects that they’re willing to sell for a reduced price or even FREE (you just pay for any cuts/install)!

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON COUNTERTOPS

• Install laminate on your perimeter and quartz or marble on the island.
• Talk to your local companies and ask if they have a boneyard for smaller kitchen or bathroom areas.
• There are ways to paint countertops that are great for the short term. I’m not well-versed in this, but some are! Just remember, a laminate countertop is surprisingly affordable and will also be hardier.
• While there are inexpensive quartz countertops, compared to higher-quality brands, they will scratch and stain, so be gentle with them!

Here are a few of my laminate countertop blog posts…

• The New Era of Laminate Countertops and Why They Rock
• 3 Laminate Countertop Ideas: How to Save Money On Countertops
• The Best Laminate Countertops on a BUDGET!

Here are some blog posts on more expensive countertops…

• The Best White & Off-White Quartz Countertops
• Marble: How to Get the Look for Less
• The Best Warm Quartz Countertops
• Taj Mahal: The Quartzite that’s Rocking the Countertop World

3. UPDATE YOUR BACKSPLASH

One of the best ways to update an old kitchen is with a new backsplash, ideally, subway tile. While it can be tempting to do something fun and creative, subway tile is the best bang for your buck and the most timeless.

3 IDEAS: How to Update Your Granite Countertop Without REPLACING It

My next client wanted to keep their beautiful oak cabinets. While they splurged on a new quartz countertop, the simple subway tile backsplash was the perfect touch…

I’d rather see simpler/less curvy handles on the cabinets. 

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY WHEN DOING A BACKSPLASH

• Subway tile is, hands-down, the most affordable, timeless backsplash application.

• If you aren’t inclined to do it yourself, expect a professional tiling job (for a full-height backsplash) to cost between $1000 and $2000 (depending on kitchen size, prep work, and tile layout).

• Have questions? I’ve got subway-tile related answers. 

Need help finding a subway tile to coordinate with your cabinets? Check out The Best White Subway Tiles.

Here are a few more specific, ‘creative’ backsplash ideas…

PAINT YOUR BACKSPLASH TILE

Remember, everything is paintable (toenails and all – yes, I’m talking to you, Gary). It’s all in the prep and the products, so do your research to find out what works best for your situation.

My next client painted her outdated 4 x 4 tile backsplash using three subtly different shades to create the Zellige look…

The cabinets are painted Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

You can even update an outdated travertine tile backsplash with a coat of paint, but rather than doing a solid coat, consider whitewashing it. Of course, I have an awesome photo of this somewhere, but I can’t find it. Stay tuned.

DRAW IT ON…

In this next kitchen, my client kept her original wood cabinets (mad love) and laminate countertop and painted a subway tile pattern right on her drywall…

Ideas to Update an Outdated 1990s Home

Here are my favorite tile-related blog posts…

• The Best White Subway Tiles
• 4 Subway Tile Ideas for Your Kitchen or Bathroom
• Backsplash Tile Trends: Zellige, Subway Tile, Herringbone

4. PAINT YOUR CABINETS

You HAD to see this one coming. Painting your cabinets is the biggest bang for buck idea, especially if you do the painting yourself.

• Painting your cabinets is the best way to update your kitchen without having to replace everything.
• Painted cabinets add value to a home if the original cabinets are outdated or worn out.

WHAT PAINT COLORS MAKE A KITCHEN LOOK UPDATED?

While the easy answer would be white (as it relates to cabinets), the best color for your cabinets is the one that coordinates with your backsplash and countertop.

In the ideal world, for the most ‘updated’ look, yes, white is usually the answer, but not every kitchen can support white cabinets. In which case, a carefully chosen off-white or darker shade is needed.

This kitchen would look brighter and more updated with a warm off-white/light color on the walls. That’s not to say the green isn’t pretty. 

As for walls, the most updated colors usually include warm shades of off-white, but again, this TOTALLY depends on the cabinet color, countertop, backsplash, and flooring.

Check out this next kitchen with its golden maple cabinets and granite countertop…

With good prep and a few coats of paint, it’s like a whole new space…

While I’d rather round, simple nickel knobs on the doors, it still looks great

PAINT YOUR ISLAND OR UPPER CABINETS ONLY

To save even more money, consider leaving your main cabinets wood and just painting your kitchen island or upper cabinets!

While not every kitchen can pull off wood lower and painted white uppers, this gorgeous old, updated farmhouse kitchen sure as heck does…

Look at those glorious old farmhouse floors! 

But how do you know what color is best for your cabinets, or more importantly…

Does your kitchen even SUIT painted cabinets?

Well, the answers are blog posts unto themselves…

• Should You Leave Your Cabinets Wood or Paint Them? A QUESTIONNAIRE
• How to Choose the Best White Paint Color for Cabinets (& Walls, & Trims)
• Should You Paint Your Cabinets White? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

5. UPDATE YOUR LIGHTING

If you have golden, ombre-tinted glass shades from the early 2000s or small, narrow ones, you might consider installing more modern, updated versions.

TRENDY PENDANT LIGHT CHOICES

• Clear or open, cage-style shades are still popular, but many opt for white glass or fabric (myself included – I don’t love clear glass or exposed bulbs).

• Edison-style bulbs are no longer in style.

Here are my top lighting-related blog posts…

• Kelvins: How to Use Lighting to Improve Your Paint Colors
• Light Bulbs & CRI
• How High Should Your Light Fixtures Hang?

6. REPLACE YOUR CABINET DOORS – KEEP THE BOXES

While this idea costs more money, it’s more affordable than a gut-job.

If your cabinet doors have an outdated profile or frame style or are in rough shape, you can save a BUTTLOAD of money by keeping the boxes and replacing the doors.

Before this kitchen layout needed minimal improvement. However, the cherry red stain on the cabinets and cathedral-style doors means it’s a great contender for a refacing…

The Best Paint Colors to Go With Red-Stained Woods

While the homeowners did WAY more than just new cabinet fronts, the result is supported by the new, shaker-style cabinet doors…

However, many of my Online Color Consulting clients want to keep their cabinets as they are. In this next kitchen, we kept the cabinets and just threw on a few coats of paint…

Notice that she’d already updated the countertop and backsplash and needed the perfect paint color for her cabinets…

Benjamin Moore White Dove | The Best Green Paint Colors for Cabinets

7. KITCHEN UPDATE IDEA: NEW FAUCET

When breathing new life into an old kitchen, nothing jazzes things up like new hardware or a kitchen faucet (and Comet your stainless steel sink while you’re at it).

I love this kitchen but find the ‘chef’s style’ faucets tough as they aren’t easy to clean.

• Stick with chrome for budgetary reasons. You might find a black faucet on special, but you can often get a higher-quality chrome for that same price. Chrome is often 20-30% less expensive at specialty stores than stainless/nickel/oil rubbed/black. I won’t lie—I love the contrast and impact a black faucet makes, but it a) has to suit the space and b) is a trend (create a timeless home).

• While gold is gorgeous, it’s a trend, and I’d rather keep it to smaller accents.

• Don’t pay more for a faucet that comes with a soap dispenser. Invest in a small $10 soap dispenser on your countertop and call it a day.

• Go to your local specialty plumbing supplier (not Home Depot or Home Hardware) and ask about floor models and clearance items. You’ll likely get a far superior product for a great price (compared to the big box selections).

• Did you know plumbing suppliers (i.e., American Standard/Moen) make different versions of the same faucets? The faucet at the big box store and the boutique store may look the same, but you can almost guarantee that the inner workings of the pieces at the boutique store are of higher quality and will last longer. You do get what you pay for…

Next are a few of my favorite budget-friendly faucets. However, you won’t see me buying a faucet brand with a bad reputation. I stick with the big names like Moen, Delta, American Standard, Grohe, and Kohler.

Bellera Touch Faucet by Kohler

Genta by Moen

And the most budget-friendly, good-looking black kitchen faucet I could find (I prefer a cleaner look, but I couldn’t beat this price)…

Delta Kitchen Faucet

And please, for the love of God, avoid these. Functional? Yes. Affordable? Yes. Fugly? Also yes.

And a bonus tip…CLEAN UP THE CLUTTER

It’s time to clear those countertops completely; it will feel so good. Then, only put back items you use three times a week or more, with the rest finding a space in a cupboard or pantry. If there isn’t space to do so, you’ve got more than just your countertops to worry about, and you may need a deep clean and reorganization!

Visual clutter is mental clutter—Lord knows there’s enough mental stuff going on in my house (and brain), so my countertops are daaaamn clear.

THINGS THAT ARE FORGIVEN

• Those things with whirlygigs on the end. I don’t bake, can you tell? Fancy mixers look fab when out on display. Older styles look honky.

• Coffee Makers. Forgiven.

• Knife Blocks. Forgiven. Only because I know it’s IMPOSSIBLE to find the right type of space in a cupboard for these butt-ugly beasts.

• Wine Bottle. Preferably half-empty.

The other thing to declutter is the front and side of your fridge. Take it ALL off, baby, and see how good it feels to breathe easily. I know your fridge probably holds precious tidbits of kids and grandkids, but don’t worry—there are always other places for those things, like corkboards and picture frames—use your creativity!

SUMMARY (TL;DR)

If you want to make a big impact without breaking open the piggy bank, here are the best ways to modernize your kitchen…

1. Replace older hardware with a new style and finish
2. Update with affordable and trendy laminate countertops
3. Install a simple, subway tile backsplash
4. Paint your cabinets or kitchen island
5. Install new pendant lights (or flushmount fixtures)
6. Replace your cabinet doors, and keep the boxes
7. Install a new kitchen faucet
8. DECLUTTER!

READ MORE

How to Update Your Oak or Wood Cabinets – 4-PART SERIES

How to Update Your Granite Countertops Without REPLACING Them! 

4 MORE Ideas: Update Your Outdated Kitchen

Home Update Ideas: 6 Budget-Friendly Ideas

Get the best color & update advice with Kylie M’s Online Paint Color Consulting Services

Updated for fresh content and ideas for 2026