Out of necessity, my husband and I finally installed a kitchen in his apartment in Italy. But we didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. I got pretty creative, and I thought some of my tricks might help you fix up your kitchen on the cheap. Here are my best secrets:
1. Reuse stuff
My husband initially wanted to get all new furniture to store and display our dishes and glasses. Instead, I suggested taking the media unit he was using in the living room and using it in the kitchen. It was three pieces that included closed cabinets, glass cabinets, and open shelves. He emptied it, and I scrubbed it. Then, I artfully placed china, crystal glasses, and serving pieces behind the glass, put the pots and some food staples behind the closed doors, and used the shelves for all our electric appliances -- from the blender to the panini maker. It looks like a fancy piece of furniture and it was free.
2. Paint
We were lucky that the media unit was a similar color to the new kitchenette, so we just had to clean it. But we could have inexpensively painted it to get a different look or to make it blend in. We did throw some fresh white paint on the walls, which made the whole place look cleaner and brand new.
3. Double Duty
Make the most of what you have. My husband wanted to keep the table opened to its full capacity in the living room and buy another table for counter space in the kitchen. I, however, suggested keeping the table closed (for four people) unless we're having company and leaving it in the kitchen, so it can serve as table and work space for me. So far, it's working out perfectly. It's also saved us space in the living room, where we can now actually sit on the couch, kick back, and watch TV. You couldn't do that with the huge table open in the middle of the room.
The best part of this new kitchen is that the apartment seems like a real home, where we can get cozy. And it didn't cost a lot to make it happen.