How to furnish a kitchen on a budget, but not at the expense of style: 7 smart tricks

What determines the cost of kitchen renovations?

Interior of a budget kitchen
Costs for cosmetic or major repairs consist of several indicators. The latter usually include the following:

Scope of work. The cost varies depending on the parameters of the room. A small-sized kitchen will be cheaper both in terms of materials and labor costs.
Options. If a major renovation is planned with redevelopment, raising the ceiling or installing a decorative arch, then this type will require a lot of time and money. However, a simple cosmetic option will be more economical.
Equipment. Finishing and building materials are produced by different companies, and accordingly they have differences in price. It should be taken into account that for a budget renovation of a small kitchen, inexpensive decorative coatings are suitable, which will wonderfully decorate the room.
Brigade. The workers' payment depends not only on the amount of work, but also on the conditions under which they will provide finishing services. You should focus on your own strengths, because sometimes you can cope without outside help.

Major repairs are the most expensive option

The right style: examples of budget designs

There is a large selection of ready-made photos of kitchen interiors on the Internet. All of them were compiled by designers and meet the requirements for comfort and ease of use. Among the styles, Provence, country, scandi and modern remain the most popular.

Provence

French sophisticated style, which involves the use of light, pastel shades. An economical option is available, since Provence is achieved precisely through a certain arrangement of furniture, but not by the presence of any special set.

Kitchen in Provence style

Country

The second name is rural or rustic style. Inexpensive wicker furniture with simple finishing and minimalist design are welcome. Designers prefer to fill the space with decorative wooden furniture and flower pots.

Scandi

Kitchens in Scandi design are spacious and bright. In most cases, this style uses modular furniture, which significantly saves space not only in the dining area, but throughout the entire apartment.

Scandi style kitchen

Modern

Beautiful shiny surfaces combined with classic minimalism undoubtedly attract the eye of every average person. This version will be less economical than the first two, but with proper use it will last for many years.

Kitchen set and other furniture

First, decide what shape you want your kitchen set to be. Here are some of them:

An L-shaped kitchen is a good option for a square kitchen. If you want to save space, then this version of the kitchen set will suit you;
U-shaped kitchen - suitable if you want to place a large number of storage drawers. The shape of the kitchen for which this option is suitable is also square;
linear kitchen - ideal for a rectangular room. For efficient operation, try to integrate the equipment into the kitchen set as much as possible.

Now let's talk about budget options for kitchen facades. The most common are chipboard and MDF.

Of the two, MDF is more commonly used for inexpensive kitchens. Easily covered with veneer, plastic, acrylic or enamel. The material is inexpensive and will last a long time. Therefore, we recommend choosing a kitchen set made from MDF.

On a note. MDF is a fine fraction, and chipboard is a chipboard.

Next you have to choose a glossy or matte surface of the kitchen unit. Glossy looks impressive, but leaves water stains and fingerprints. If you don’t want to clean frequently, choose matte options.

We recommend choosing artificial stone for the countertop. It looks no worse than natural and is not inferior in durability, but costs several times less.

An inexpensive option for a kitchen apron is tiles that suit your price range or photo printing under heat-resistant glass. The second method is suitable for creative people, since there are millions of options for pictures that can be made in photo printing.

Here are some more tips on how to save money on buying a kitchen set:

a kitchen with smooth facades in the Art Nouveau style costs much less than a classic model with a complex finish;
a standard kitchen costs about 30% cheaper than a custom-made one;
Correctly calculate the width of your kitchen cabinets. A cabinet 80 cm wide will cost less than two 40 cm cabinets - you will save about 15% on this;
cabinets with one door are cheaper than those with two;
The standard height of cabinets is 60 cm, choose them. If you choose 72 or 92 cm, you will spend about 10-20% more;
several wall cabinets can be replaced with shelves - a common technique in modern kitchen design projects;
keep track of promotions in large furniture stores - if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to buy a kitchen set with a 50-60% discount;
install expensive kitchen fittings only on those drawers that you use most often; for the rest, find similar ones, but made from cheaper materials;
Also install guides on those drawers that are opened more often.

Advice. Use special free programs to calculate the cost of a kitchen set.

You don’t have to spend a lot on a table and chairs for the dining area either. Many stores offer excellent sets - a table and 4 chairs - at affordable prices. It is better to purchase an extendable table so that there are no problems with space when guests come. For the table, buy 2 or 4 chairs and several inexpensive stools.

Principles of budget finishing

Minimum costs usually do not imply any redevelopment. The owners limit themselves only to replacing wallpaper or wall paint; in rare cases, they buy other furniture. If you still want to see something new and stylish in the kitchen, then you should follow some principles.

General principles for designing kitchen walls

Finishing work on walls can be confusing, because stylish vinyl wallpapers are expensive, while cheap paper wallpapers are inferior in quality. The solution is to use decorative paint or plaster. It is enough to casually and unevenly apply the plaster on the walls and let it dry. Then use a knife to remove sharp protrusions and cover the walls with special paint.

Decorative plaster is an excellent option for modern design, which will be unique and inimitable.

Decorative plaster on the walls in the kitchen

Budget ceiling design

You should not choose suspended ceilings for the kitchen, especially if the height of the latter is no more than 2.5 meters. This is primarily due to safety measures, because the room involves exposure to a large amount of heat. Also, stretch ceilings are an expensive choice. It is better to limit yourself to painting or use wallpaper in light shades. As an original approach, you can use a decorative film, which is attached to the surface with glue.

Budget renovation of a small kitchen

When carrying out renovation work in a small kitchen, it is necessary to select building materials for finishing the ceiling, walls and floor in light colors. This visually expands the space.

It is better to wallpaper or paint the walls. The kitchen apron is made of ceramic tiles. Water-based paint is used to finish the ceiling.

Linoleum is used as flooring. At the final stage of work, small-sized functional furniture is installed in a small kitchen.

Floor coverings

The kitchen floor is always covered in greasy stains or saturated with odors. The most budget option remains linoleum, which does not require any special care and does not react to high humidity. Laminate in dark shades or varnished wood are also good for the kitchen.

You should be careful when choosing flooring made from PVC tiles, as they can become a breeding ground for fungus.

Apron design

Difficulties may arise at the stage of choosing an apron for the kitchen, since these are the same wallpaper, only they are located directly next to the kitchen hearth, that is, in the area of the greatest accumulation of vapors and grease. Preference should be given to glass coverings or tiles. You can easily remove any dirt from them without leaving a trace.

Kitchen apron made of decorative panels

Furniture and decoration of the premises

The interior of the kitchen is based on style. You first need to decide what the room should be like: light, pastel, dark. Then just look through the photographs and works of different designers. Only after this should you start from the budget.

When choosing, you can explore the most daring and expensive options, which can easily be replaced with budget furniture and equipment.

How to make a budget kitchen interesting: step-by-step instructions

1) Choose an unusual texture for the facades

kitchen "Turino" Let's start with the design of the facades, because they form the first impression of the kitchen. Modern doors can be not only monochrome, but also imitate different textures - and so authentically that the surface is difficult to distinguish from the original. Wood-look coatings have already become a common material, but concrete-look textures are one of the hottest trends. We achieve this effect using MDF coated with PVC film - a practical and inexpensive material.

2) Create unusual color combinations

Novello kitchen
If you prefer one-tone facades, try to find an unusual shade and choose interesting color pairs to match it. We really like how in this completed project the light green shade of the facades is combined with the wood texture used to decorate the cabinets. An apron made of multi-colored tiles “collects” the entire palette used in the kitchen design. Our assortment includes 150 shades of finishes, from the most laconic to the brightest: there is a solution for any interior.

3) Add mezzanine cabinets

kitchen “Cremona”
A set with a mezzanine is not only a trendy solution for kitchens in a modern style, but also a universal way to deal with all storage issues. Yes, the third level of cabinets will slightly increase the cost of the set. But you will appreciate this solution when you start arranging your kitchen utensils and food supplies: the expense will pay off in everyday convenience and ease of care, because dust will not accumulate on the top cover of the set.

4) Alternate between solid and glazed facades

kitchen "Monte Rosa"
Some customers are afraid of glazed facades, since the transparent door requires perfect order inside the cabinet. This is also nothing more than a myth. Firstly, the door can be made matte or decorated with carvings: the decor will hide the contents of the set and allow you to see only silhouettes. Secondly, only one or two doors can be glass: behind them you can display beautiful dishes, and make all the other, utilitarian facades blank.

5) Complete the kitchen with black or dark gray elements

Portofino kitchen
Shades of black, in particular dark gray and anthracite, are one of the most fashionable color schemes in recent years. They have many advantages. Firstly, you can choose a beautiful texture for the wall panel and tabletop and accent it with lighting, as in the photo - this way the set will have a stylish feature that is impossible not to pay attention to. Secondly, dark surfaces are combined with trendy black appliances - and these elements, in turn, make the space stylish and graphic.

6) Create lighting not only above the work surface

kitchen “Sorrento”
LED strip above the countertop is a mandatory attribute of a modern kitchen. But, besides it, you can also highlight other elements - for example, the interior of cabinets or even the base. In the project in the photo, the lighting of the plinth creates a contrast with the dark facade of the kitchen and seems to raise the set above the floor, making it visually lighter.

7) Combine countertop and wall panel finishes

kitchen “Amelia”
A win-win option is laminated wood-look surfaces that can be combined with any shade and material of the facades. However, plain coatings will work just as well, especially if a coating with a pronounced texture is used on the doors - for example, a concrete look.

Add gloss

kitchen "Savignon"
Glossy facades are more difficult to maintain than matte ones - for example, fingerprints are more noticeable on them. However, a reflective surface can take your interior to new heights - and for several reasons. Firstly, the gloss creates a feeling of celebration and rhymes perfectly with the elements of gilding - as in our project in the photo. Secondly, the gloss reflects the sun's rays: this means that your kitchen will become much lighter with such a set.

9) Experiment with the configuration

kitchen "Montreale"
At first glance, the kitchen in the photo from our project is corner and ends with a counter. However, its main part is linear and is located along the wall with the entrance door. By turning 90 degrees, the kitchen line “loses” some of its depth. Thus, we solved three problems:

provided easy access to the sink;
added shallow but spacious storage drawers;
got rid of the need to play around with the internal corner: complex retractable systems always increase the cost of the headset.

10) Plan a place for household appliances in advance

kitchen "Via Tenuta"
It is no secret that built-in appliances increase the cost of the kitchen. For budget projects, customers often choose freestanding models, be it a refrigerator or small items. But if space for a refrigerator is laid out at the very beginning of the design, then details like a toaster or microwave are often forgotten. To prevent the microwave from taking up space on the countertop, consider a section for it in the top line of the set. You can design a “garage” for a toaster, and a niche for a kettle - the main thing is that sockets are provided for them in advance.

11) Avoid visible handles

kitchen "Grappio"
Handles are a significant design element, but sometimes the kitchen is most decorated by their absence. This is especially important for interiors in the minimalist style: there is nothing superfluous on the facades that open by pressing - and this simplicity supports the image and makes the budget kitchen more interesting.

12) Add a breakfast bar

kitchen "Aquileia"
This solution is more likely for a kitchen-living room - not for a small room. But, if the space allows, the stand will add a hundred points to the space in terms of comfort. This solution costs almost nothing: the simplest configuration will require a tabletop and support. If you're willing to stretch your budget a little, you can turn the counter into an island and add lower kitchen bases: this technique will increase the amount of storage space.

Creating a kitchen in our company is always an individual process: the manager will take into account your wishes, give advice on configuration specifically for your room, and suggest professional life hacks for arrangement and design that most likely would not have occurred to you. We will immediately create a project for your kitchen and offer a choice of more than 150 shades of facades: order a manager to visit your home to save time and make a decision in a comfortable and familiar environment.

What you can and cannot save on

When trying to make repairs, residents of Khrushchev, luxury high-rise buildings or private houses strive to reduce costs as much as possible. However, before you give up on buying chairs or a sofa, you should familiarize yourself with the list of what is worth saving on and what is better to spend on.

What you should absolutely not cut your budget on:

Time. In psychology, there is such a concept as “time budget,” which means speeding up the process and reducing time costs. When renovating any room, you should be patient: the paint must dry completely and its smell must dissipate. The same applies to other elements of cosmetic, capital finishing.
Work crew. If your own strength is not enough to carry out repairs, then you should choose proven workers. Undoubtedly, their services will cost a little more, but this is an overpayment for quality and comfort.
Furniture. Chairs, tables, cabinets and shelves are the basis of any kitchen. Dishes will be placed on them, food and spices will be stored. Furniture must be durable and of good quality. If you don’t have enough budget to purchase such options, then it is better to give preference to decorative finishing of an existing set.

Despite this, there are interior elements that you can save on:

Lighting. It is better to use energy-saving backlighting. Eating in bright light can be uncomfortable, especially when it comes to dinner. A budget option would be to purchase a headset with a built-in backlight.
Apron and decorative elements. Naturally, beauty in the kitchen will be expensive, but this is only relevant when a person strives to buy the “best” everything. If you order some decorative items online, you can not only save money, but also find original design options.
Tools. It is unlikely that you will need tools for cosmetic or major repairs in the near future. Most likely, they will gather dust on the balcony or in the far corner of the garage. Avoiding such costs is very simple: just ask your friends or neighbors for tools. There will only be a minimum to buy: nails, screws, brushes for varnishing.

Comparison of costs of different projects

An important decision will be to compare the cost options for kitchens in different furniture manufacturers. Advertising is advertising, but you can always get reliable information specifically about your kitchen only on an individual basis. This is due to the fact that each individual room may have its own nuances. This also applies to the preferences of the customer himself, his view of the project, what details he wants the kitchen to be filled with.

What you need to save on kitchen furniture by comparing prices from different companies:

Have a clear idea of the future headset.
You already have some kind of preliminary calculation, a drawing, or at least a sketch.
A list of basic materials and fittings has already been compiled (it is usually called a “specification” by furniture makers).
Make calculations in different companies.
Please study catalogs and price lists. Compare prices even for individual items.
Take an interest and read the quality certificates for the products.

Since each furniture manufacturer can use different materials, you also need to clarify who manufactures and supplies chipboard, edges, and fittings to the company’s warehouse. For example, if you see that drawer guides are offered by the Austrian brand “BLUM”, then you can rest assured that the specialists are competent. The products of this company are in the category of the highest quality and high-quality materials.

Inexpensive options for decorating kitchen areas

Now you can find many interesting solutions and materials for cheap and beautiful kitchen renovations with your own hands. The most budget-friendly ones include:

Dividing the kitchen into a cooking area and a dining area. This will help delimit the space and use minimalism in the interior.
Modular furniture is also a great solution for a small budget. It fits well into almost any design, saves work space and saves costs.

Metal and plastic can be a wonderful solution for floors or walls, unlike expensive wallpaper or parquet.

Preliminary sketch of the kitchen after renovation

Design features of a budget kitchen option

Kitchen design on a budget is not a difficult task. The first tip: do not clutter the kitchen with decorative items. They collect dust and are not fun.

Five ways to create a stylish interior without spending a lot of money:

Several inexpensive shelves. Two or three will be enough. Place them above one of the work surfaces and arrange glasses and beautiful bottles of alcohol on them. You can buy beautiful jars and bottles and fill them with cereals and oils. They cost pennies, but they look interesting.
Candles. If you know how to do it yourself, use your skills. They are inexpensive and will add coziness to the kitchen.
Small vases with artificial or fresh flowers. Place them on the windowsill along with candles and don’t forget about the dining table.
Stickers. Home improvement stores sell decals for walls and kitchen fronts. Inscriptions, butterflies, flowers – there are a lot of options.
Paintings or posters. Choose a theme you like and hang a few on empty walls. We will also include photographs here. Print and place in beautiful frames.

There are an unlimited number of options for making a budget kitchen design. It is enough to show your imagination and find ideas for inspiration.

Sequence of repair work

Each type of repair involves sequential actions that will help quickly and efficiently transform the room. In total, experienced craftsmen distinguish several stages:

Compiling a list of events. Budget kitchen renovation necessarily begins with thinking through a plan that takes into account the cost of all the necessary materials. With a full calculation of costs, it will immediately become clear where the owner can save money and where he should increase the budget.
Rough and preparatory work. It is much easier to renovate a room when you have a rough sketch that clearly shows what the result will be.
Decorative plaster is an economical option. It will fit perfectly into the interior at an affordable price.
Installation of the door leaf. Doors should be installed at the last minute, even if renovation work is carried out in the countryside, as they can easily be scratched during the finishing process. If you do not plan to replace the doors, then the existing ones should be wrapped in several layers of film.

In a village or apartment, the kitchen should be cozy, filled with natural light and homely warmth. The best time for renovation is the summer season, which is already coming. Making a budget cosmetic transformation of a room is simple and even a beginner in the construction business can do it.

Design

Looking at photos of economy class kitchens, you can find many lively and interesting designs, but of course, you won’t find any unique elements there.

These are just normal kitchens that will not cause any negative emotions, and if the rest of the room is properly decorated, they will even make you happy.

Such kitchens differ only in the color and design of the cabinets, and the desired color can be ordered directly from the factory.

Do-it-yourself kitchen renovation - stages of renovation and expert advice on how to decorate your kitchen stylishly