How to Make Your Kitchen Look Expensive Without Breaking the Bank

Kitchen remodels are famously pricey endeavors, but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to give your kitchen a new and improved look. With these hacks for how to make your kitchen look expensive, you’re just a few affordable purchases and a day or two away from a brand-new kitchen that looks more pricey than it actually is. Before you decide to save or splurge on your kitchen remodel, consider these nine ideas to find out if you even need to spend at all. 

1. Update Light Fixtures

When it comes to light fixtures, it’s not hard to find an economical option with the look and feel of something more expensive. Changing the lighting in your kitchen may not seem like the massive overhaul you’re looking for, but it’s a great way to decorate your kitchen on a budget and have a big impact. And since it's relatively easy to DIY, it won’t necessarily require any back-breaking work on your part or professional assistance.

For example, stick-and-peel under-cabinet kitchen lighting is reasonably priced, easy to install, and will make your work space brighter and clearer than it’s ever been before. On the flip side, investing in one stylish, moderately-priced pendant light to hang over an island won’t break the bank but will add a hint of luxury to the environment. 

2. Switch Out Hardware

Replacing your kitchen cabinet hardware is another small but mighty kitchen element that doesn’t require a complicated DIY or money to improve. Freshly polished knobs or handles will instantly make your space glimmer and sparkle as if it were brand new. 

Aside from simply updating your hardware, consider coordinating it with the other metal elements in your kitchen. Doing so creates balance and symmetry in your space and makes everything in it feel more intentionally curated—almost as if you had the budget to hire an interior designer. 

3. Upgrade Your Faucet or Sink

Between all the food prep and dishwashing, avid home cooks know that the majority of time spent in the kitchen is over the sink. Looking at the same basin day in and day out can quickly make your environment feel tired, old, and in need of a revamp. Fortunately, switching up your sink or faucet is among the more budget-friendly kitchen improvements you can do. 

While sink replacement is less expensive than large-scale kitchen renovations—like building new cabinets from scratch or investing in a custom island—it’s not as inexpensive as some of the other solutions on this list. The cost to install a new kitchen sink is $400 on average and the cost to install a new faucet ranges from $160 to $345. But if these are the only projects you’re doing, you’ll still spend less than you would on a total kitchen overhaul—and you’ll notice the difference whenever you do the dishes! 

4. Paint, Paint, Paint

Painting is an inexpensive kitchen decorating hack that can have a big effect. That’s because so many kitchen elements could benefit from a new coat of paint, from cabinets to walls and even certain appliances. Plus, painting is one of the fastest ways to make an old space feel like a new one, and certain kitchen paint color ideas (like gold paint, for example) can lend the luxury touch you’re looking for. 

5. Add Window Treatments

The type of window treatment you already have might even be the culprit preventing your kitchen from being its best self. Evaluate your space to determine what kind of window treatment is best for it, and make the change accordingly. 

In addition to switching your window treatments, think about how you can use them to create certain effects. For example, raise curtains slightly higher than the windows to create the illusion of higher ceilings or switch to shutters for a French-door look. 

6. Resurface Your Countertops

Don’t have the budget to replace your current kitchen countertops? Resurfacing involves adding another layer to an existing surface. It’s a relatively inexpensive alternative that doesn’t require demolition or new construction yet produces equally appealing results. 

Exactly how much you’ll pay depends on the type of countertop surface you already have, with laminate being the cheapest to resurface at $3 to $7 per square foot and marble being the most expensive at $4 to $20 per square foot, according to HomeAdvisor. Similarly, you can DIY vinyl countertop resurfacing, but you’ll likely need to hire a local countertop repair pro for more expensive countertop materials. 

7. Declutter Your Counters

If your countertops are brimming with appliances, ingredients, and the like, simply moving all these things to a different place will instantly make your kitchen feel more calm, coordinated, and expensive as a result. Limit what you keep on the counter to the bare essentials. And for everything you can’t part with, consider farmhouse kitchen ideas like plenty of open shelving for easy access. 

Transfer your spices to uniform jars and store them on a stylish spice rack. Remove all appliances except those that can double as design statements (like a limited edition stand-mixer or an Italian espresso-maker). And make sure to keep anything with a label in your pantry or fridge when it’s not in active use. 

8. Replace Your Backsplash

Revamping your kitchen backsplash is another project that seems like a huge undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be. So many stylish and wallet-friendly peel-and-stick options don’t require extensive labor to install and look surprisingly like the real deal when applied. You can find options that mimic almost any material, like marble and terrazzo, and make your kitchen look expensive at the same time. 

9. Install New Molding

Wall moldings of any kind—from crown molding to skirting—can make your kitchen feel more cohesive and carefully crafted. Installing molding yourself is relatively easy to do and significantly less expensive than hiring someone to do it for you. For example, the cost to hire a pro to install crown molding in a single room ranges from $300 to $800 on average, and you can save up to 25% of those costs by going the DIY route. However, if you’re uncomfortable doing it yourself, call a carpenter in your area who can handle the job.