Beautiful Kitchen Makeovers On A Budget

Having a brighter, more beautiful kitchen doesn't have to break your budget. The following tips can provide a recipe for inexpensive, kitchen makeover success.

• You can update cabinets without replacing them. The easiest update is to refinish or paint them. New knobs and hinges can help pull together a new look. Replacing just the door is less expensive than replacing the whole cabinet. Or you can remove the doors and go for a "country kitchen" shelving look.

• Freshen up your walls with a new coat of paint. A painted or wallpapered border can define your kitchen's look or you might want to add some molding to give a bland kitchen more detail.

• Not ready to replace appliances? You may be able to replace the fronts of some dishwashers and refrigerators to match your cabinets. Or you may be able to paint your appliances with appliance paint.

• A color theme is an important part of making kitchen elements seem less haphazard. If you're handy with a sewing machine you can start by making curtains in an appealing fabric and use the same fabric to make other accessories. Keep decorative elements and cookware - from your tea kettle to your tea towels - in the same color theme.

• An inexpensive do-it-yourself flooring option is self-adhesive tiles. They're easy to install and come in a wide range of colors.

• For less than $10, you can get burner covers in a dozen patterns and colors. You can even change your burner covers to reflect the changing seasons.

Just a few simple ideas to give your kitchen a fresh, new look!