10 Kitchen Renovation Ideas

There are a whole host of ways in which you can upgrade your kitchen, ranging from simple touch-ups (e.g. painting cupboards) to extensive alterations (e.g. replacing your oven, extending your kitchen, replacing several appliances or/and fixtures, etc.).

To whatever extent you hope to renovate your kitchen, this guide will provide plenty of food for thought.

Let’s dive in!

Decluttering

First and foremost, simply decluttering your kitchen can go a long way to giving this space a new lease of life.

Among the key steps of decluttering a kitchen include decluttering your fridge and freezer, decluttering your cupboards and cleaning your cupboards.

Allocating sufficient time to declutter your kitchen with a thought-out approach can not only revitalise its appearance but also act as an opportunity to improve your kitchen’s functionality.

Paint Your Kitchen Cupboards

Another relatively simple method for enhancing the look and feel of your kitchen is to paint kitchen cupboards.

That said, if considering this approach, it’s important that you know how to paint your kitchen cupboards to achieve optimal results.

You’ll also want to spend a good amount of time considering what colour to opt for, not only in terms of what you believe will look good (per your preferences) but also how the cupboards will look in relation to their surroundings (i.e. the walls, appliances, countertops etc.).

You may, for example, want to paint your cupboards in a colour that contrasts their surroundings well. Another approach is to go with a colour that complements its surroundings

New Kitchen Worktops

If you’d like to opt for a more substantial change to your kitchen (whether instead of or in addition to other smaller changes), upgrading your kitchen worktops may be the way to go.

Among the most notable types of countertops (in terms of the material used) on the market are granite, laminate, glass, solid wood, ceramic, composite, and stainless steel options.

Naturally, pricing can vary significantly depending on the type of kitchen worktop by material, type based on the quality of the design and the size of the countertop in question.

In fact, while plenty of options on the market will exceed £1,000, it’s possible to find cheap countertops (e.g. budget-friendly laminate worktops) priced at several hundred pounds. Whatever choice you go with, it’s important not to sacrifice quality, so be sure you choose a reliable, trustworthy seller.

All that said, it’s worth noting that in some cases, rather than having worktops fully replaced, some households may want to have your countertops resurfaced, covered or even painted. In some scenarios, one of these alternatives may be preferable, particularly as a way of keeping costs down. Of course, these approaches may not always be suitable.

New Lighting

This alteration can improve how your kitchen is lit, along with introducing new, visually striking lighting fixtures to the space.

Popular forms of new lighting for a kitchen include worktop and under-cabinet lighting, pendant lights, LED strip lights, a small kitchen-friendly chandelier * and smart lights.

*If going with a kitchen chandelier, you must make sure that it is suited to the room and that the ceiling is suitable for this fixture and can hold it up. Be sure to consult with a professional in advance. After all, a new lighting fixture like this must be installed by a professional electrician.

Adding a Kitchen Island

A kitchen island can prove a fantastic, functional addition to a kitchen. This kitchen idea comes with a whole host of options.

In terms of design, kitchen island choices include galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, circular, slimline, table style, mobile and appliance islands.

As for the materials used, some of the notable examples are marble, granite, wood, concrete and metal.

Full Remodel of Your Kitchen

Of course, you may want to have your kitchen fully renovated. While generally expensive, this option is a way of totally revitalising your kitchen space.

Depending on the size of your kitchen (including if the current kitchen is being expanded in some way or another), it may cost somewhere in the region of £2,500 to £11,000 but possibly more, particularly if an extension is involved.

Along with a full kitchen remodel often involving installing many new appliances and fixtures, a wide range of professionals are generally needed (e.g. kitchen installer/kitchen installation team, floor installer, electrician, plumber, painter/decorator, etc.).

A small amount of work for a kitchen renovation could be done DIY, but most will need the work of a professional. For example, once you know what’s involved and it's safe to go ahead (i.e. any work that is first needed before finalising a kitchen remodel has been completed by professionals, and they say it's okay to get to your part), you could paint or/and decorate your remodelled kitchen.

New Flooring

Having your kitchen flooring replaced is another great individual task/upgrade that can refresh your kitchen.

This kitchen upgrade can not only improve the appearance of this part of your home but also offer you a chance to have a more durable or/and lower maintenance flooring installed. This could be down to replacing your existing floor with a more durable product (but of the same type and material) or having a totally new form of flooring added.

Top flooring styles/ideas include laminate floors, vinyl floors, wood flooring and floor tiles (including natural stone floor tiles). Along with considering the material and design, don’t forget to contemplate how the colour of the flooring might impact your kitchen’s look and feel.

New Kitchen Cupboards

As mentioned earlier, you might want to paint or repaint your kitchen cupboards. With that said, replacing your cupboards could make sense in some scenarios.

Of course, in general, replacing kitchen cupboards generally goes hand-in-hand with worktop replacements.

In general, it costs about £100 to £200 to have a single kitchen cupboard replaced, although this will depend on the type of cupboard being installed.

Introduce Colour & Style with Accessories

Thinking more generally about the look and feel of your kitchen, there are many ways of adding colour and style through accessories.

This kitchen upgrade approach may include adding new, quirky interior doors, replacing the handles or/and knobs on doors and using old tins/containers for storing items at your kitchen workspace*.

*Just make sure that the tins/containers are cleaned and safe to use (e.g. that they do not come with jagged edges that someone may cut themselves on).

Make Your Kitchen Seem Larger

If you have a fairly small kitchen, you’ll be pleased to know there are many approaches to making it feel larger.

Some of these methods include:

• Opting for light colours where possible
• Featuring reflective materials
• Go with open shelving
• Limiting or avoiding strong visual contrasts
• Avoiding clutter as much as possible
• Introducing geometric patterns
• Opting for glass cabinet doors

If unsure what approaches you’d like to take (whether for this specific upgrade or another kitchen renovation idea), you may want to talk with an architect or professional designer. Of course, either of these professionals will prove expensive, but you may find that it pays off if you’re uncertain about how to approach renovating/upgrading your kitchen.