7 High End Kitchen on a Budget Updates

 7 High End Kitchen on a Budget Updates kellyelko.com

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

7 High End Kitchen on a Budget Ideas- get a custom look for less! kellyelko.com

As you can see by my before kitchen, I was handed some mega sized lemons (see my kitchen renovation here)!

Before Kitchen - you have to see the stunning after!

High End Kitchen Updates on a Budget

1) Glass Cabinets (or open shelving)

They’re perfect for showing off favorite collections, add a custom look and break up the expanse of closed cabinets.

7 High End Kitchen Updates on a Budget kellyelko.com

2) Built In Furniture

Stock cabinets can look like a built in piece of furniture.  Add chunky moulding to get the look of a piece you found at an antique shop. Show off favorite collections like these glass cloches and cake domes from HomeGoods.

Built in kitchen cabinets - and more budget friendly kitchen ideas

3) Tile to the Ceiling

This is my favorite tip anyone can do.  Wrap tile around doors and windows and up to the ceiling.

Marble Herringbone Tile HERE.

Tile a wall to the ceiling for a custom look and more budget friendly kitchen ideas kellyelko.com

4) Add a Focal Point.

My red stove is the show stopper in my kitchen and a real conversations piece.  You won’t see this in your neighbor’s house!  In fact, I saw a red stove at Home Depot the other day.

A statement making red stove kellyelko.com
5) Large Scale Lighting.

Forget tiny pendant lights and think big and bold whether it be an antique crystal chandelier or a giant lantern.

Similar lights HERE.

Drama with demijohn lights in this gorgeous kitchen kellyelko.com

6) Mismatched Hardware

Why settle for one kind of knob when you can have cup pulls, latches and handles.

Latch HERE.

Cup pull HERE.

Kitchen latches for a vintage look kellyelko.com

Kitchen cup pulls for a vintage look kellyelko.com

7) Vintage Touches

A few one of a kind pieces (this step stool was $1!) can customize any kitchen.

Don't forget vintage touches in your kitchen kellyelko.com

Check out more ways to update and refresh your kitchen and start making a huge pitcher of lemonade!

See my entire home tour here.

Love the curb appeal of this old house - the dormers, the porch, the railings, the windows! kellyelko.com

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40 Comments

  1. Initially, I just glanced at the title and thought it said “getting high on a budget” and thought your blog had taken a whole new turn.
    Another way to save is to cut your kitchen in half (like mine) and then you don’t have to buy as much. (Oh, PS–how do you like your marble countertop?)

  2. Wow Kelly – I’ve never seen the before pics of your kitchen. What a transformation! Love all your tips. It kills me when I see these shows where people spend a huge amount on a kitchen redo when I know they could do it for so much less and still get the same fabulous result.

  3. The transformation you guys gave your kitchen is incredible, Kelly (I can’t believe the “before” shot)! And, your use of awesome lighting … gorgeous tiles … fabulous red stove and eclectic elements truly make it one of THE coolest kitchens ever!

  4. I love the tile to the ceiling look. I hope to eventually redo our kitchen and having a large wall of just cabinets is in the plans. I pinned your wall of cabinets as well. I’ve been planning on doing this but hadn’t come across anything “pin worthy” yet.

  5. Adore the red stove! What an awesome pop of color! I had never decorated with red until we did our den makeover What an amazingly cheerful color. Your kitchen looks amazing and I know you must love being in there. We’re slowly getting our kitchen done one piece at a time.

  6. Love, love, love your kitchen – especially that red stove! I need to ask forgiveness for coveting! Red is my favorite color and I have splashes of it in my kitchen, including a red highchair that belonged to my grandmother when my mom and aunt were young!

  7. Well done! I think most of us would “kill” for that red stove! But there are so many ways to spruce things up, without spending a fortune. Paint and hardware can move mountains!
    Cheers!
    Barbara at The Treasured Home

  8. Your kitchen is amazing! I also have a step stool like yours, it was my grandmas and one of my favorite things.

  9. Your kitchen is just gorgeous Kelly! Amazing how you transformed it! i’m on the verge of having my kitchen renovated over the summer, and I think I have a lot of your suggestions in mind already, however, choosing the right tile, countertop is just a real conundrum for me! Love your marble backsplash, I really, am thinking about doing marble countertops with a mother of pearl backsplash…hmmm… we’ll see, I’m a long way off, still trying to decipehr kitchen cabinets. 🙂

  10. Seriously what is wrong with me???? All that lovely stuff to look at and I find myself squinting to see what kind of candy ‘ya got in your bin!

    Bliss

  11. Wow, Kelly! What a beautiful, beautiful kitchen. It just look great! Guess what? I have one of those old stools that I pull out when the girls are “working on” something- xo Diana

  12. I never get tired of tours of your kitchen. NEVER! I am having stove jealousy all over again. When we were building this house, the Home Depot Show store (can’t remember what it was called) was still open. I used to look at this giant Red Viking Stove and tried to conceive of every possible way I could get it into my kitchen. It didn’t make it, unless we added a lot of cutting of pipes and such to the whole area. I so love that cabinet hardware. I must put that on something I make one of these days.

  13. Beautiful kitchen and GREAT tips! We’ve been doing a good bit of remodeling lately and our kitchen is in the planning stages…can’t wait to get her done!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

  14. i love it and how bright it is. i am on the hunt for a stool like that…..but i can’t find it for $1! your kitchen is stunning : )

  15. Thanks for sharing your kitchen. It is beautiful!! I would love to know the details about your tile. It is exactly what I want for our backsplash. I also haven’t found drawer pulls I love but yours are perfect! Now I’ll be hunting around 😉
    Kate

  16. I Love the look. What happened to the second window from the before picture? Is it from a different angle, or did you do some serious remodeling?

  17. Can you tell me where you got the latch and handle door pulls for your cabinets are the name they are called. I would love to add these to our kitchen.

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