Budget kitchen makeover ideas

Give your kitchen a complete facelift with six affordable decorating ideas. This budget kitchen makeover works well in an old kitchen that needs a little love and care, or in an old-fashioned kitchen that could use a little modernizing. So roll up your sleeves and prepare to give yourself the kitchen you always dreamed off.

1. Add a modern mantle shelf over your kitchen window
In many older kitchens the kitchen cabinets stop abruptly to make room for a kitchen window. To bridge the gap between your kitchen cabinets with a budget kitchen makeover idea, consider hanging a mantelpiece shelf over the window (at the same height as the top of your kitchen cabinets). You'll find mantelpiece shelves at home improvement stores. Once up, the shelf can be used to display kitchen decor.

2. Faux paint your kitchen cabinets
For a high impact budget kitchen makeover idea, consider painting your kitchen cabinets with a faux finish. To prepare the old surface, simply paint it with water-based primer, which looks like white paint. Once the primer dries, use a sea sponge to dab on three shades on to your cabinets, such as sand, taupe and plum. Feel free to streak the contrast shade (plum) with a paint brush, going up and down.

3. Spray paint your old kitchen hardware
Instead of replacing old kitchen hardware, consider painting it with metallic paint. Spray paint primer on to the hardware first, to prepare the surface. Next, complete this budget kitchen makeover idea by choosing a shade of metal paint that matches your kitchen (I chose copper). And if the screws show through your kitchen hardware, be sure to spray paint them as well.

4. Paint your old fridge with stainless steel paint
If you wish to give your old fridge a modern look, consider painting it with stainless steel paint. Unlike other paint jobs, however, this budget kitchen makeover idea requires precision. Follow this step-by-step guide to painting your fridge with stainless steel paint. Once finished your fridge will look completely transformed.

5. Create a PVC kitchen backsplash
If your old kitchen backsplash is chipped or simply old-fashioned, consider covering it with modern PVC tiles. This budget kitchen makeover works just as well if you don't have a backsplash at all. Look for a set of self-adhesive wall tiles that complement the colors and design of your kitchen. Once up, your PVC backsplash will look like a real tile backsplash.

6. Make kitchen wall art
Using craft store frames, you can make your own kitchen wall art at home. There are many ways to implement this budget kitchen makeover idea, but my favorite items to frame are kitchen towels. Be sure to choose brand new towels depicting a pastoral scene, like wine bottles or a herb garden. Remember that you can paint your frames to match your faux kitchen cabinets.