Make your kitchen look like a million bucks—or at least more expensive than what you really paid for these updates. We’ll show you how to achieve a high-end look for a lot less.
18 Cheap Kitchen Updates That Look Expensive
![Kitchen Updates: Swap Out Light Fixtures](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/17oct85_673179370_09.jpg)
Kitchen Updates: Swap Out Light Fixtures
![Kitchen Updates: Paint Tired, Old Cabinets](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kitchencabinets_fhdja10_504_51_143.jpg)
Kitchen Updates: Paint Tired, Old Cabinets
![Kitchen Upgrades: Lay Down Luxury Vinyl](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DFH17APR002-shutterstock_126295289.jpg)
Kitchen Upgrades: Lay Down Luxury Vinyl
![DFH17APR002-shutterstock_374567068-1](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DFH17APR002-shutterstock_374567068-1.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Upgrades: DIY Faucet Install
If you have enough in your budget to splurge on a new faucet or sink (or both!), install it yourself to save money. We’ll walk you through how to replace a kitchen faucet step-by-step.
![Kitchen Updates: Open Kitchen Shelves](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/shutterstock_185909885.jpg)
Kitchen Updates: Open Kitchen Shelves
![display storage shelf](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BA_055_FH05OCT_462_56_103_notext-cabinet-molding-after.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Updates: Dress Up Cabinetry
Create an attractive display shelf for the empty space above your kitchen cabinets. This project requires only basic carpentry skills, and you can build it in a day. We’ll walk you through how to add shelves above kitchen cabinets step-by-step.
![higher ceiling illusion](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/shutterstock_109293533.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Upgrades: Give the Illusion of Higher Ceilings
If you can’t raise your roof, literally, you might consider raising your window treatments, says Keysha Jillian, lead interior designer and owner of K. Jillian Designs, based in Tampa, Florida. Jillian suggests raising window panels to create an illusion of height and give it a grander feel. “Window treatment is often underrated and clients commonly overlook the impact it has on a space,” she says. “An inexpensive way to achieve this tip is to simply add fabric to your existing panels. Once you find the perfect complimentary fabric, simply take it to your local seamstress to have him/her add the fabric at the top, middle, or end of the fabric.”
![Kitchen Updates: Replace Hardware](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/dfh17jun047-6-shutterstock_165595076.jpg)
Kitchen Updates: Replace Hardware
![Kitchen finishes](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cabinets-floor.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Updates: Don’t Match Finishes Perfectly, Coordinate Them
Certain stains and finishes play well with others (for example, cherry wood marries well with oak, and hickory blends tend to work well with almost everything), but the vast majority do not. If you’re looking to match your floor to your cabinets, or your faucets to your doorknobs, go for an exact match, or make a real contrast; aim for at least three shades darker or lighter. An almost match has the tendency to look cheap.
![Kitchen Updates: Peel-and-Stick Backsplash Tiles](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/17oct107_10.jpg)
Kitchen Updates: Peel-and-Stick Backsplash Tiles
![Centerpiece](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/51-Things-That-Can-Make-Your-Home-Look-More-Expensive-17.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Upgrades: Add a Centerpiece
No need to wait for a dinner party to elevate your usual table setting. Something as simple as fresh-cut flowers can make it seem like you’ve put time and effort into your dinner table, says Drew Henry, founder of design firm Design Dudes.
![Kitchen Upgrades: Wood Countertops](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ikea-wood-countertop.jpg)
Kitchen Upgrades: Wood Countertops
![kitchen laminate countertops cutting board](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH11JUN_519_52_351.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Updates: Resurface Countertops
Did you know that you can resurface your countertops? You can! It’s no more difficult than a painting project, so basic tools and skills are all you need. Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to renew kitchen countertops.
![molding](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/51-Things-That-Can-Make-Your-Home-Look-More-Expensive.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Upgrades: Add Molding
If your kitchen walls are bare besides the occasional artwork, consider adding molding to the baseboard, chair rail or ceiling. “It doesn’t even have to be a gaudy, Victorian-style molding—a simple and single-shape, single-depth piece of molding will do the trick,” says interior designer Erica Leigh Reiner, owner of E. Leigh Designs.
![FH10JUN_KITROL_21](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH10JUN_KITROL_21.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Upgrades: DIY Cabinet Organizers
The space under sinks is often overlooked, but it’s prime real estate for rollouts, which can transform that ‘I’m not sure what’s under there’ storage space into an organized and efficient location for cleaning supplies that lets you see everything you’ve got in one glance. Here are a few ideas to upgrade your apartment kitchen without losing your deposit.
![Reupholster Dining Chairs](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH15MAR_556_54_100.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Updates: Reupholster Dining Chairs
Turn your ho-hum dining chairs into showpieces by reupholstering them with stunning fabric. This is a simple DIY project that can make a big impact. Here’s how to reupholster a chair step-by-step.
![Silverware](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/shutterstock_524694220.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Pick Basic Dishes
Shelling out on fine china isn’t the only way to create a stunning table setting. “White dishes … have a low price tag with a high impact,” says Henry. Pair them with gold flatware for a trendy, high-brow look.
![tips for organizing your home under cabinet wine rack](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FH17ONO_582_53_037_hsp.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Kitchen Upgrades: Customize Cabinets
There’s a lot of usable space below many upper kitchen cabinets, and it’s the perfect place to store your favorite vintages. This easy-to-build wine rack requires just two 1x4s the length of the under-cabinet bay and a strip of 3/4-in. plywood that same length and 8 in. wide. Click here to get the full project plans.