10 Easy, Low-Budget Ways to Improve Any Kitchen (Even a Rental!)

1. Add or change lighting.

I'm always so inspired by dream kitchens like this cottage kitchen in Maine or any one of these gorgeous, glamorous spaces. I appreciate the details, materials, the layout, all the finer things that make it special and swoon-worthy. But sometimes too much day dreaming can make me feel a little deflated when I walk into my thoroughly average and unspectacular rental kitchen. Has that ever happened to you? Most of us probably don't cook in our dream kitchen. Instead, we deal with our kitchens' quirks and inconveniences on a daily basis.

But your kitchen can still be a place that you love and cherish, a place you enjoy, not merely tolerate. These 10 small changes are easy upgrades, but they'll go a long way towards making you feel more organized and uplifted in your kitchen.

1. Add or change lighting. If the lighting in your kitchen is dim, or you hate the overhead fixture, change it! Switching out an overhead light fixture is much easier than it sounds. It doesn't have to be super expensive, either. I bought a vintage light fixture for $20 on Etsy, but before that I was eyeing a few options at IKEA. Don't forget about under-cabinet lighting! That might be all you need to feel like you've seen the light, literally.

How To Remove a Light Fixture and How To Install a New One (from Apartment Therapy)
Smart Solutions: Under-Cabinet Lighting
Lighting Solutions: Task Lamps in the Kitchen
Articulated Arm Lamps for Lighting Kitchen Tasks
Lightbulb Types and Their Pros/Cons for the Kitchen

2. Change drawer or shelf liners. When was the last time you changed those shelf liners? Or maybe you don't have any at all. Laying down a fresh non-stick liner will a) give you an opportunity to take everything out of your cabinets and put them back in an organized way, and b) clean the cabinet or drawer so you start out fresh. There are simply so many uses for a non-slip liner. Bonus tip: You don't have to stick with white. My favorite non-stick liner is this non-adhesive version from Duck ($11.49 from Amazon). I have it in black, and I love how it looks. For drawers, you could also insert oil cloth.

3. Add a rug. I have ugly, grey laminate floors in my kitchen (I'm a renter - no surprise there), and it made a huge difference when I first put down a red 4'x6' cotton rug a couple years ago. I've since upgraded to FLOR tiles which were easy to install. I vacuum them frequently, and they've held up well.

Colorful Rugs for the Kitchen Floor
Casual and Comfy: Rag Rugs in the Kitchen
Comfortable and Cozy: Rugs in the Kitchen

4. Replace the faucet. This is a very simple, straightforward way to upgrade your kitchen, particularly if it's a rental. Really, anyone can do it! Yes, faucets can get pretty pricey, but as Faith wrote here, you can find single-handle faucets for as low as $80, and nicer, high arched faucet spouts for about $150 - a small investment for something you use multiple times a day.

How To Replace a Kitchen Faucet
All About: Single Handle Faucets
All About: Dual or Two-Handle Faucets
All About: Pull-Out or Down Spray Faucets
All About: Restaurant-Style Semi Professional Pre-Rinse Faucets

5. Update the hardware. Switching out your old knobs or pulls for something more modern or decorative, or adding cabinet hardware if you don't have any, can really really transform the look of your cabinets, particularly if they're bland contractor-grade.

Where To Buy Kitchen Cabinet Hardware: 10 Sources for Knobs and Pulls
Contemporary to Classic: Cabinet Pulls
Should I Put Knobs and Pulls on my Cupboards and Drawers?

6. Add pull-out shelves and/or drawer organizers. Sliding shelves and organizer inserts go a long way towards making you feel a little more in control of your kitchen. A few of our favorite sources for inserts and organizers include IKEA, The Container Store, SimpleHuman, and Rev-a-Shelf.

Chris Updates His Kitchen Cabinets with IKEA Drawer Pull-Outs
How To Organize Waste in a Small Kitchen
The Best Junk Drawer Organizers
10 Kitchen Cabinet Organizing Tools (via Apartment Therapy)

7. Add more storage space with small wire shelves.. Wire shelves and under-cabinet baskets make sure you're using all the space available in your cabinets, and even your fridge and freezer. We love these double cabinet shelves ($8.49 from The Container Store) and these under-shelf baskets ($6.99 from The Container Store).

Good Product: Undershelf Baskets To Fit Any Cabinet
Need More Space In Your Refrigerator? Add an Extra Shelf!
Alice's Extra Freezer Shelf
How To Find More Space in the Kitchen

8. Get a great dish rack. I went through two replacements of a cheap wooden dish rack from IKEA, which warped and cracked both times, before I settled on a heavy duty dish rack from SimpleHuman. I've had it for a few years now, and it's held up under even the highest mound of drying dishes, which made it worth the price. As someone without a dishwasher, it makes a big difference to have a reliable dish rack, not to mention it looks nice sitting on the counter. (When I can see it, that is. As mentioned, it's often hidden under a mound of pots, pans, and dishes!)

Best Dish Racks and Drainers 2012 (from Apartment Therapy)
DBA Dishrack: Is This the Dish Drainer of Your Dreams?

9. Swap out the switch plates. Faith and I have both swapped the dirty, dingy white switch plates in past and present kitchens for stainless steel ones. As Faith wrote here, there's something really effective about this small change. "The stainless steel plates are easier to clean, and they often lie flatter to the wall than the old plastic ones." If you want to go fancy, you can find decorative switch plates from places like Anthropologie, or you could DIY a decorative switchplate with pretty washi tape.

Small Rental Kitchen Upgrade: Swap Out the Switch Plates

10. Cover ugly countertops. Putting in brand new countertops is not a small change. So to improve on what you have, try one of these tips: if you're a renter and can't make any permanent changes, top a portion of your countertop with a big, handsome cutting board. It's functional and good-looking! If you're more ambitious, you can try painting your countertops.

Ugly Countertops: A Few Solutions
How To Paint Ugly Laminate Kitchen Countertops

Bonus tip: Buy something pretty: a bouquet of flowers, a new tea towel, a watercolor print for above the stove. Treat yourself and your kitchen to something nice.

What small changes have you made to make your kitchen better?

Related: New Beginnings: 8 Ways To a Neater, Cleaner, and More Organized Kitchen

(Images: 1. Elizabeth Passarella, Emma Christensen; 2. Gracewood Design; 3. Faith Durand; 4. Faith Durand; 5. Chris Perez; 6. Chris Perez; 7. Martha Stewart; 8. SimpleHuman; 9. Faith Durand; 10. Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan)

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Look! A Hand-Carved Cabinet Design Kitchen Inspiration

Aren't these kitchen cabinets striking? The owners hand-carved the tree pattern using an electric router. Stunning!

As we read in Dwell, the cutouts actually serve two purposes: they're decorative (and quite so!) but they also eliminate the need for cabinet pulls, which would jut out and break the clean line.

Read More: Pole Position at Dwell Magazine

(Image: Andreas Meichsner for Dwell)

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Get the Look: Classic Farmhouse Kitchen Style & Renovation Resources

From the 1950s Chambers stove to the lovely pale green hue of the kitchen cabinets, the classic look and feel of this kitchen is super cozy. Love the look? Want to emulate some of it in your own kitchen? Here are sources to help you get the look. Fill in the blanks in the comments!

Classic Farmhouse Kitchen Sources

Cabinets: Custom-made by Austin craftsmen
Cabinet Hardware: ______________
Countertops: Soapstone
Faucets: ______________
Flooring: ______________
Lighting: Vintage lights from Star Antique
Paint Walls & Ceiling: Walls are "Pure White" by Benjamin Moore. Lower cabinets are a custom color modeled on Auracana chicken eggs.
Range: Chambers, circa 1953; Hood is custom made custom by Austin artisan Carlo Niece.
Sink: ______________

See More of This Kitchen

Full Kitchen Tour: Glenn and Paula's Farmhouse Kitchen
Photographer: Chris Perez

(Image: Chris Perez)

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Glenn and Paula's Farmhouse Kitchen Kitchen Tour

When Glenn and Paula Foore decided to start a small community garden in their East Austin back yard, little did they know that within one short year it would manifest itself fully as Springdale Farm, a small yet vibrant urban farm taking up less than 5 acres just 3 miles east from the state Capitol in Austin, Texas. Just as unexpectedly, their kitchen became a place for passionate chefs to whom the farm now supplied farm-to-table offerings to transform fresh ingredients into healthy meals. At Apartment Therapy last week we toured this couple's beautiful pier-and-beam style farmhouse, and today we'll get a closer look at the very heart and soul of their home: the cozy kitchen.

See Full Slideshow

The classic look and feel of the kitchen has a way of making you feel at home, and the size is neither too large for a private meal nor too small for a community event. The 1950s Chambers stove (original to the home) provides the kitchen with an everlasting charm. And the lovely pale green hue of the kitchen cabinets? The color was inspired by the farm's Araucana chicken eggs.

The kitchen also packs in a few clever organization tricks, like the narrow pull-out spice drawer, the behind-the-door pantry storage, and a corner cabinet Lazy Susan. A built-in checkerboard butcher block is the primary preparation surface, and a knife block crafted from the same reclaimed pine of the hardwood floors houses the essential tools.

You'll spot cans full of home-ground spice mixes and pickled vegetables (preserved from the season's harvest) colorfully arranged in the space and on the plates of their meals. There's plenty of outdoor seating as well if the billowing smoke from a smoker crafted by Glenn's father beckons a few unexpected visitors for dinner.

Glenn and Paula try to take everything that comes at them in life all in stride, one day at a time. It's a philosophy that serves itself not only in the kitchen, but out on the farm, and it's certainly what has guided this kitchen to become a place that nourishes not only themselves, but the local community.

See Full Slideshow

10 Questions for Paula and Glenn (and Their Kitchen)

1. What inspires your kitchen and your cooking?
When we started farming, we would bring home farm fresh vegetables by the bushels. We learned to prepare them in simple ways that let the freshness speak for themselves. I think there is nothing more beautiful than a just picked eggplant, or beet, or red onion. We get those vegetables spread out all over the counters and fill up the kitchen. Kitchen space was a must have for us. We opted out of a dining room, incorporated lots of countertop space, and installed two sinks; one for prep and one for cleanup. Plus we both like to cook, so we wanted room for us, too!

2. What is your favorite kitchen tool or element?
We use the built-in butcher block for every meal.

3. What's the most memorable meal you've ever cooked in this kitchen?
Well, I have to say, being in the food industry exposes us to some amazing chefs. Our most memorable meals here have been things that real chefs have prepared. One that stands out in my mind was right after we moved in. The then-executive chef of the East Side Show Room came and prepared a personal five course meal, one course being homemade ravioli. There was flour everywhere! It was an amazing dinner, and the kitchen stood up to the test!

4. The biggest challenge for cooking in your kitchen:
The 1950s oven is a little quirky. But we love it.

5. Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
We wish you could test out faucets before you install them. Not possible, but we might have picked different faucets.

See Full Slideshow

6. Biggest indulgence or splurge in the kitchen?
It would definitely have been the soapstone counter tops. Our designer found them for an amazing deal here in town.

7. Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
Right now it's all working for us.

8. How would you describe your cooking style?
Simple.

9. Best cooking advice or tip you ever received:
Use herbs! Mix and match and experiment.

10. What are you cooking this week?
Lettuce has just come in season. We are having a big salad tonight with lots of colors of fresh lettuce (and leftover Richardson Farms grilled steak...yum). Later in the week I (Paula) will fix my mother's Hamburger Soup recipe except we use ground venison.

Visit Glenn and Paula's website and farm: Springdale Farm Austin

See Full Slideshow

Featured Resources

Stove: Chambers, circa 1953
Hood: custom by local artisan Carlo Niece
Fridge: KitchenAid
Dishwasher: Bosch
Microwave: Sharp Drawer
Cabinets: Local Austin craftsman
Flooring: Reclaimed pine
Paint colors: Walls are Benjamin Moore Pure White, Lower cabinets are colored after Auracana chicken eggs
Countertop material: Soapstone, sueded
Vintage lights: Star Antiques, Wimberly, TX
Chandelier: Pottery Barn

Thank you so much for letting us peek into your kitchen, Glenn and Paula!

Share your own kitchen renovation or improvement!
We're always looking for real kitchens from real cooks.
Show us your kitchen here!

(Images: Chris Perez)

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Grant & Mark's Dream Kitchen Redo Kitchen Spotlight

When Grant and Mark moved into their Faircrest Heights, Los Angeles house, it was a rundown mess. But the couple saw it as a unique chance to make things entirely to their taste, particularly the kitchen. As Grant tells Apartment Therapy in this recent tour, "After toiling away for years in a kitchen only slightly larger than a phone booth, my gift to myself when we bought this house was a dream kitchen."

The couple's proudest DIY are the hand-painted, custom-made kitchen cabinets, which were made "using a very tedious multi-step, wet-sanding technique that my father strongly encouraged," Grant says. The Viking stove and refrigerator were also huge, but worthwhile indulgences.

Personally, I love the kitchen's view into the living room area. It's so inviting!

For a exhaustive list of this kitchen's resources, check out the full post below.

See the Full Tour: Grant and Mark Transform a Neglected House Apartment Therapy

Related: 10 Inspiring Kitchens with Wood Cabinets and White Countertops

(Images: Marcia Prentice)

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Small Kitchen Storage: Put Baskets Above the Cabinets!

If you have empty space above your kitchen cabinets, and your kitchen is small, then here's a storage idea for you. Last Fall I had an epiphany and bought three 12"-by-10" storage baskets to serve as extra storage above my kitchen cabinets. They serve two purposes:

First, they hold my lesser-used kitchen tools and appliances, and so free up by main cabinets, and second, they fill in some of that dreadful empty space between the top of my cabinets and the ceiling. I deliberately bought baskets sized to line up with the edge of my cabinets (meaning, the cabinets are about 12" deep, and so is the basket) so the whole look is fairly flush.

Do you have basket storage above your kitchen cabinets?

Related: How Can We Effectively Use the Space Above Our Cabinets?

(Images:1. Angus Fergusson for House & Home June 2009; 2. Better Homes & Gardens; 3. Donna Griffith for House & Home June 2011, via Markova Design; 4. Domino; 5. Harry Gils for House & Home Condos 2009 issue)

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Would You Put Wallpaper in the Kitchen?

We've talked about wallpaper in the kitchen before, showing vibrant, pretty kitchens decked out in paper; as well as smaller installations, like above the cabinets and in a storage niche. And now we're curious: Would you ever put wallpaper in the kitchen? Or does the idea make you shudder? If the latter, you might have your mind changed by something unusual about the wallpaper in the photo above.

This lovely kitchen is from a home in Colorado, where the owner knew she didn't want an all-white kitchen. So there are serious splashes of color in the island and wallpaper backsplash. The wallpaper is actually custom and hand-painted (hello, spendy!!) and the designer protected the paper with a ProSeal coating. Supposedly this protects the paper and makes it completely impermeable to stains and splashes almost as good as a tile backsplash.

I'm not familiar with this coating, but if it's as good as it sounds, it does make wallpaper a slightly more practical option. Heck, it could even be cheaper than tile or stone.

More about the kitchen pictured above: "Home of the Year" Kitchen at Houzz

Do you have wallpaper in your kitchen? Or does the very thought make your skin crawl?

More Wallpaper in the Kitchen
10 Examples of Wallpaper in the Kitchen: Just a Splash, Used Well
Lots (!) More Wallpaper in Kitchens
Look! Wallpaper in the Kitchen
Before & After: Wallpapered Kitchen Niche
Glow In The Dark Kitchen Wallpaper
Design Inspiration: Josef Frank Wallpaper in the Kitchen
Pretty Kitchen Idea: Hang Wallpaper In the Wasted Space Above Kitchen Cabinets

(Image: Emily Minton Redfield for Andrea Monath Schumacher & OInterior Design)

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A Modern Model Kitchen Kitchen Spotlight

Scott, a real estate broker and design lover on the side, used his "curating and sourcing skills" to stage a 3-bedroom model unit on the ground floor of a new condo building in Long Island City, New York. He chose a more traditional style for the apartment, while the kitchen remains fairly modern, with shiny white cabinets. The standout element, though, is the wallpaper above the kitchen cabinets. It almost looks like a hand-painted mural!

Related: Pretty Kitchen Idea: Hang Wallpaper In the Wasted Space Above Kitchen Cabinets

See the Full Tour: Long Island City: Modern Living at the View at Apartment Therapy

(Images: Jill Slater)

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Chris Upgrades His Kitchen Cabinets with IKEA Drawer Pull-Outs Kitchen Improvement Project

It is essential to be organized in the kitchen. Cooking can be stressful enough as it is. Who needs the extra frustration of shuffling through cabinets searching for the next ingredient? My wife and I solved our own storage dilemma once and for all by converting all of our lower kitchen cabinets originally outfitted as cabinets with regular doors into cupboards made of drawers. Now finding things couldn't be easier.

My wife and I are big organizers in our home, always looking for ways to make the process of finding and using things more streamlined. We of course brought this philosophy into our kitchenhaving a cabinet for the flours, and a cabinet for the oils and vinegars,and so onbut it wasn't enough. The problem was the lower kitchen cabinets themselves, as they required you to crouch down and take the cooking ingredients through a few rounds of musical chairs before finding what you needed. There's the sherry vinegar!

We deliberated on the best way to change all this until we finally got the idea of converting all our lower kitchen cabinets into pull-out drawers. Having kitchen cabinets from IKEA made this conversion simple as we just had to invest in some RATIONELL extending drawers. We were able to keep all the original doors intact, by swapping in hinges with a wider door opening angle to give the drawers the freedom to pull out.

See the IKEA products Chris used:
RATIONELL Drawers
RATIONELL Drawer Fronts
INTEGRAL Hinges
DROPPAR Jars
IKEA 365+ Jars
KRUS Jars

That solution wouldn't work for a cabinet door sandwiched between the oven and the fridge, however. So we mounted that door directly on the drawer, in place of a drawer front, to allow it to simply slide straight out.

To complete this project, we also purchased several storage containers plastic ones with flip top lids for sugars and rice, larger glass ones for flours, small square ones for noodles. Our cart was loaded, as it all too often gets at IKEA, and we inevitably had to take a few more trips to get everything we needed but the result is marvelous.

We feel as if we're cooking in an industrial chef kitchen now. When we slide open the drawers everything is in sight, ready to use, ready to put back. It's definitely been one of our more rewarding investments and anyone who spends a fair amount of time in the kitchen could save some time by doing it as well. Do this for all your lower cabinets to add a little more joy to your kitchen experience.

Related: Make the Most of Kitchen Drawers By Organizing Diagonally

(Images: Chris Perez)

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