One day it will be so exciting to renovate, but for now here are my tips and tricks for loving my kitchen right now. Today I’m not talking about knocking down walls, ripping out tiles or even painting cabinets — just some little things on a budget that anyone can do that make a big difference.

Our kitchen is a little dated, has some warped and peeling laminate cabinets, all the ledges you could ever want, a weird peninsula, and feels kind of closed off from the rest of the main living area. But hey! The countertops are nice and I’m grateful there’s space for three stools for my kids.

Paint

The kitchen was white when we moved in — and I see why. It doesn’t have a window and is sort of walled off here in the middle of the house.

I tried stenciling the backsplash and moulding all the way to the top for some personality and pattern. I liked it for awhile and then it kind of got to me and I painted it back white. That’s the beauty of paint! It’s inexpensive and changes the look of a space completely.

I figure you can’t go wrong with Alabaster white. It has some warmth to it when compared with stark white and brightens up a whole space. With everything white now, I’m hoping the ledges blend in a little bit??

I thought about doing a medium gray faux lime wash painting technique on this architectural detail here and backsplash, but 1) I think when something is already hanging onto the 90s, maybe simple is best and 2) it’s really high up there! I’m not a big fan of heights.

This is my one-day inspiration photo. We don’t have all the space that this kitchen has, but I love the idea of utilizing all the space up top and opening up the wall to the main living space with a kitchen island.

It would be fun to try peel and stick tile here, but we have way too many outlets. Only one out of four works on this wall. I have no idea why.

And by the way, you can paint tile backsplash if your current color isn’t working for you. I know it’s controversial — every time I post about it people comment to let me know. This photo is from our last house, but my painted tile is still doing well in this house after five years. So that is an option.

I also painted the side of my fridge using the same technique — Stix bonding primer and oil based enamel. It was dark charcoal gray and painting it white eliminated the big gray box effect and hopefully gave it a more built in feel. I get some crazy ideas sometimes.

I painted the bar area Sage Wisdom to match the mural on the adjacent wall to break up all the white.

---

Declutter

I think the fastest and cheapest way to elevate your kitchen’s look is to declutter. Take down packaged food and random stuff on top of the refrigerator, put away colored plastic containers and piles of stuff.

I have three kids and I cook a lot, so there are often lots of dishes lining the sink. I love the look of cozy vignettes on countertops, but there isn’t much space in this kitchen, so I prefer to keep a pretty clean counter without decor — just fruit and frequently-used appliances. And I’m a paper towels out in the open kind of mom, haha! I bought an inexpensive paper towel holder that just sticks onto the underside of the cabinet to free up space. If I had more space or kitchen island I’m sure I couldn’t resist decorating it, but at this stage simple seems to be best for us.

I have tried adding decor the the ledges above. I ended up putting two faux olive trees up there and it added some height that open area, but eventually took them down.

Anyway, if I do decorate a big space like this I would prefer fewer, but bigger items like here on yet another ledge in our living room. I’ve seen someone do a large piece of beach wood or a few large vessels or baskets, but I personally would skip lining the top with collections or small knick knacks.

---

Appliances

Do I think less appliances on the counter looks cleaner and more elevated? Of course! But these are appliances I use every day and don’t have storage for them even if I wanted to. Now some may think this is boring, but my solution was to choose white options to hopefully visually simplify the countertops.

If you have more than a few appliances out, maybe try storing a couple and see if it gives your space a little breathing room.

---

Shelving

We have all these ledges, but they’re not functional to reach (and like I said, I don’t really love decor up there), so I added two little white shelves on the side of this cabinet for a few (prettier) items to be easily accessible.

Above the door frame is often an overlooked area to add shelving for cookbooks or extra dishware. This kitchen doesn’t have a lot of storage, so I also added a shelf above the door where I am storing some extra pitchers I don’t use all the time. I’m hoping by choosing all white items it will make them more cohesive and blend in. I’m always experimenting with this spot. I debate whether it competes with the stupid ledges but it’s there for now.

---

Functional decor

While in this kitchen I seem to prefer simplicity, there are a few touches I like to do to add warmth and personality, but also make sense in a kitchen.

Radio/bluetooth speaker

I have the cutest little radio/bluetooth speaker ($16!) on the shelf. I love to listen to music or podcasts while I cook and clean. I spend a lot of time in here these days!

Displays

I like to group like items, like I said, on this shelf above the doorway. It’s fun to group all pitchers, like I’ve done here, or you could do baskets or vases. If you have open cabinet shelving you could display dish or glass collections.

Pretty brushes and soap dispenser

You could buy more neutral brushes and pretty soap dispenser that sit out all the time. I’ve seen prettier setups than this, but this looks nicer than the bright blue brush and plastic soap bottle I had out before.

Rugs

We have too much foot traffic and food spilling going on in this tight space for a nice rug, but I do love the look of rugs in kitchens! I opted for these anti-fatigue mats that resemble rugs instead and wipe off easily.

---

Lighting

It’s always cozy to have a small lamp on in the kitchen at nighttime. Counter space and outlets are limited here, so I chose to add a battery sconce here on the side of the cabinet and used the matching one in the hallway. But a little lamp by a window if you have one would be so pretty.

You could also do a rope light or LED strip underneath cabinets for a soft nighttime glow as well.

You could swap out pendants or fans if budget permits. We swapped out the dated white fan here for a simple $70 stainless steel fan.

We used an Ikea drum light to replace the very ’90s fixture that was here previously. You know the one ;)

---

Plants

Live plants give a space life. It’s always nice if items in the kitchen are functional as well, so herbs or produce would be perfect.

There’s too little natural light for that here, but I did stick some faux succulents on the side of the fridge with these fun magnets I found on clearance at Target years ago.

Vases with large tree trimmings would work great too to add character and freshness to the space.

---

Hardware

The obvious one is to replace the hardware. It sure does a go a long way to update the space though! These were updates I did in my in-law’s house next door.

Our hardware was updated before we moved in and I like them fine. They match the tone of our broken faucet ;)

---

Art

Artwork is a great way to add character or introduce color if you have a blank wall. Or tuck a favorite piece in an unexpected place. It’s my favorite thing to thrift.

---

Furniture

Swapping out barstools giving them new paint or upholstery is an easy update. I’m always eyeing Marketplace to maybe replace these as they’ve seen better days.

And finally, I love love love when there is space to add a sofa, use an old table for an island or a hutch. A piece of furniture that is not a traditional cabinet adds a nice charm.

This refinished hutch is off to the side of the kitchen and I like to use it to display my spring or Christmas dishes.

---

The kitchen truly is the heart of the home and I cherish all our memories here. I hope my kids remember delicious smells wafting through the house and sitting at the stools telling me about their day.

How about you? What are your favorite things about your kitchen or it’s little quirks that you work around. OR if you have any advice on how to reconfigure THIS kitchen in a few years, I would love to hear it!