One of the most essential spaces in your home is your kitchen. After all, this is where you spend your time nourishing yourself, bonding with your family, and preparing food for guests. Because so much time is spent in this vital area, you want to enjoy yourself while creating meals or baking. You can amp up your space through decor while staying on a budget.
While it’s wise to invest both time and money into your space, setting a budget can help you spend mindfully and create a plan for your decor instead of purchasing items spontaneously. Let’s explore a few ways to upgrade your kitchen decor while working within an allocated budget.
10 Ways To Upgrade Your Kitchen Decor Without Breaking the Bank
Update Your Table Linens
We love decor that you can change depending on the season or your mood, and table linens are no exception. These linens are not only a way to add colors and patterns to your table, but they are also a functional tool for keeping your table’s surface clean.
We recommend using table linens that coordinate well with the colors in other fabrics in your room. Consider if you have upholstered dining room chairs, curtains, or pillows, and pair your linens with those fabrics. This is a small but simple detail that will help tie your room together.
Add a New Set of Curtains
Just like table linens, curtains are an easy way to add a little something extra to your kitchen. Curtains make excellent wall art while being functional furnishings. We recommend purchasing curtain panels based on your wall color and wallpaper. If you have patterned wallpaper, consider browsing some perfectly paired fabrics that will complement the wallpaper.
Privacy curtains are a mindful decision for a common space like the kitchen. They provide you with the solitude you need without completely shrouding your space in darkness or artificial light when they’re closed.
Pepper Home offers custom curtains with a variety of construction, fabrication, lining, and trim options. Our construction options include tailored pleat, grommet, pinch pleat, rod pocket, and ring top designs, while our trim choices include pom poms, tassels, rick rack, and bands. These added design elements can bring your custom design to new heights that can truly complement your existing decor or help inspire your new aesthetic.
Our Curtain Calculator and Curtain Measurement and Installment Guide can help you determine the correct curtain size for your windows and guide you through the curtain creation process from conception to installation.
Our custom curtains are sustainably made in the U.S. and ship in just seven days, so you can easily and quickly upgrade any room you desire.
Install New Window Treatments in Your House
Roman shades are another way to maintain privacy in your home while adding a dash of color. Pepper Home offers fabric by the yard that can help you craft custom roman shades. You can also pair the same fabric or complementary fabric for custom elements around your kitchen, like table linens or pillows.
If you’re having trouble deciding between curtains or roman shades, there are a few important details to consider. Roman shades are ideal for smaller windows, so they may be best for a window above the sink.
Because of curtains’ length, they are best for larger windows like in a dining room. We recommend installing a mixture of both roman shades and curtains in your kitchen and dining room, depending on the size and location of the windows.
Add Vibrant Wallpaper Above Your Backsplash
Creating a unique and iconic backsplash is extremely stylish at the moment. It’s one of the best ways to customize your kitchen and show off your personal style. There are so many ways you can do this, but we recommend using wallpaper as an easy and accessible way to create a backsplash in your space.
If you’ve decorated your kitchen relatively minimally, we recommend using a colorful pattern for a contrasting backsplash. If you have a colorful kitchen, choose a wallpaper that compliments the color scheme of the room without overwhelming the eye.
You can order wallpaper swatches to experiment with different patterns and figure out which works best for your home. Meanwhile, our Wallpaper Calculator makes it easy to purchase the correct yardage you need to perfectly install your wallpaper in your home.
Give Your Kitchen a New Look With Wall Decor
If you have blank wall space, you can start brainstorming how you want to cover it.
Some timeless trends include gallery walls, which can be made with pieces of art and photography that are personal to you and your family.
Another popular trend is to create a basket wall. These walls give a rustic feel to a space, making them a stylish choice for farmhouse kitchens and vintage themes. Baskets are also easy to thrift, making them an accessible way to add eye-catching decorations to your kitchen. Of course, you can also find decor, furniture, and more at Pepper Home’s Spice Market if you’re looking for inspiration.
Statement pieces — like large portraits or large paintings — are iconic ways to cover blank wall space as well. While custom portraits and paintings can be pricey, they’re investment pieces you’ll enjoy for many years to come.
Mount Your Cutting Boards on the Kitchen Wall
Speaking of wall decor, functional tools in your kitchen can also double as decoration — and even become a centerpiece. Cutting boards can be mounted to the kitchen walls for an impromptu gallery wall that melds well with the theme of the room. You can also take personalized cutting boards and create wall art from an item that is on brand with the theme of the room.
Cutting boards aren’t the only popular kitchen tool that you can use as wall decor; glassware, pots, and pans can be used as wall decor that doubles as easy access to these kitchen utensils. You can even make a rack (similar to a coat rack) for your pots to hang along the wall or over the stove.
Upholster Your Kitchen Chairs With New Fabric
Your dining table chairs are another untapped resource that you can use as decor while staying budget-friendly, especially if you can afford to reupholster items for a custom design.
You can reupholster your kitchen chairs with fabric that compliments other elements of the space and adds a pop of color, like our fabric by the yard, especially if you’re incorporating new decor such as curtains or wallpaper.
If your dining chairs aren’t upholstered, we recommend incorporating colors and patterns with custom pillows that pair well with the other fabrics and patterns in the room. Our Style Guides make it easy to pair your furniture with custom curtains, pillows, and more with suggestions for every color story and aesthetic.
Create a Kitchen Accent Wall With Custom Wallpaper
Another simple and affordable way to get a new kitchen look is through an accent wall. An accent wall is a wall in your room that differs from the others, usually with a bold color or detailed pattern. You can use wallpaper as an easy and efficient way to create an accent wall that contrasts with others in your kitchen.
When picking out wallpaper for an accent wall, consider the existing color scheme in your kitchen. If you’ve got a lot of solid colors, an intricately patterned wallpaper can be used as a statement piece of decor without overwhelming your space.
If you already have incorporated patterns in your kitchen through elements like curtains, a complimentary but less elaborate wallpaper might be best.
Our Wallpaper Paint Guide can help you find a complementary color scheme that matches perfectly with your Pepper Home custom wallpaper design.
Free Up Counter Space
As easy as it is to build up, countertop clutter detracts from your beautiful home and kitchen design and makes your kitchen look less open. There are several ways you can solve a clutter problem.
One way is to incorporate open kitchen shelves. Open shelving is a method of storing your kitchen utensils on shelves instead of behind your kitchen cabinet doors. This popular storage method allows you to use your utensils as home decor, much like mounting your cutting boards on your wall.
While there are pros and cons to open shelving, it’s a trendy interior design option to consider, especially if you enjoy easy access to your kitchen supplies and don’t need cabinetry.
Another easy home improvement tip for your kitchen remodel is to use mason jars as storage. If you have a counter with oats, nuts, and granola all sitting in different packages next to each other, you can instantly clean up the look by transferring them all into their own respective mason jars. This will leave your counters looking uniform and clean.
When in Doubt, Consult Design Experts
You’re never on your own when you’re decorating your home. There are countless resources at your fingertips, especially when you create custom designs with Pepper Home.
If you want design help, never hesitate to reach out for complimentary design assistance by emailing design@pepper-home.com. Our in-house design experts will respond within two business days with personalized advice tailored to your needs.
Get Ready for a Kitchen Makeover
Whether you’re remodeling your kitchen or just looking to spruce up your space, working within a budget can help you make mindful decisions as you explore your options. From adding color to your walls through curtains or wallpaper to projects like incorporating a new backsplash or open shelving, there are many ways you can easily and accessibly improve your space.
Sources:
Creating a Gallery Wall? Don’t Start Hammering Yet | The New York Times
How to Create Basket Walls | HGTV's Decorating & Design Blog | HGTV