Have you ever walked into a kitchen and thought, “wow, I want a kitchen like this?” What was it that made you ask that? Was it the cabinets or perhaps the layout? Did they have cute glass jars full of food on their counters? What was it that made you want their kitchen?
Most of us don’t have the money to completely redo our kitchen to make it look like the kitchen our dreams. So we have a compiled a list of unique kitchen decor items and DIYs to help you transform your space on a dime.
Seriously, kitchen decor is bigger than it has ever been, and we’re not using hyperbole on this one.  There are so many great ideas for decorating your kitchen, and can be really simple.  You don’t have to do a complete kitchen renovation, a refresh of decor can give your kitchen a brand new look!
1. Declutter and Organize
If you’re anything like me you’ve taken every possible cabinet and storage space and filled it to the brim with stuff. Some of it you need, some of it you don’t (think that bread maker you bought with the best of intentions, that now takes up 2 and half cabinets and was used to make one loaf of “okay” bread.)
What you do need to keep, you can organize. Here’s 29 insanely easy tips you can use to get organized.
2. Personalize Your Space
Nothing says fancy like having your stuff labeled. If you’re looking to impress guests, have a personalized touch on your kitchen is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Now I know what you’re thinking, we’ve all been to the house where the family has the painted portrait of everyone wearing white shirts and khaki pants on the beach, in an ornate gold frame towering over their dining room table.
Your personalized touch could be more subtle if you prefer. Picture a mango wood cutting board with an inset medallion featuring your initial, being used to serve your guests a cheese sampler or other hors_d’oeuvres.
3. Embrace Your Vintage Kitchen
Don’t let anyone tell you your kitchen is outdated. There are way to many buzzwords flying around to protect you from the thought that you kitchen needs a renovation. Your kitchen isn’t old. It’s retro, rustic, vintage, an homage to simpler times.
Embrace your kitchen’s quirks by adding accent design pieces or serving utensils to detract from the fact that your cabinets are the color of barn wood.
If you’ve decided your kitchen is best labeled as rustic, try out this serving bucket, that can be functional, or the perfect base of a rustic accent piece.
If you’re still using an ice chest, and haven’t yet graduated to a refrigerator, vintage might be the perfect term for you. And if your guests are going to that vintage ice chest to retrieve their beverages, let them open them in vintage style with these unique bottle openers.
Remember it’s much easier on the wallet to embrace your kitchens quirks, then to start fresh.
4. Make It Functional
One of the biggest issues facing kitchen owners can be a lack of functional space. There are endless tutorials out there that can help you make use of your current space.
You can use organizing racks to keep your pans from piling up and consuming your cabinets.
You can add a riser to add more levels of organization to your cabinets.
One place that is often overlooked is utensil drawers. We’ve all put the plastic dividers in our drawers, but they look tacky, and fall apart when you attempt to integrate the third set of mismatched silverware.
Check out this tutorial on a functional and beautiful DIY alternative.
5. Make Your Table Pop
In every home there is a table. That table is the place where people will eventually gather. We spend thousands of dollars getting stainless steel appliances to impress those who enter our kitchen, but often we neglect our kitchen tables.
When was the last time you and your guests sat around the stove and discussed the latest movies, while enjoying a delicious dinner?
The table, that is where the magic happens. Why not give it a little pop. You can find countless tutorials to refinish your table in any style you would like. However if you’re not handy, or artistic, consider a personalized table runner. It’s the perfect way to easily transform a table in a unique way.
6. A Coat of Paint Can Make A World of Difference
You don’t have to buy new cabinets, to have the feel of brand new cabinets. A coat of paint and some new drawer pulls can make a world of difference.
Don’t know where to start, no worries, Home Depot has put together this amazing tutorial to help you.
This one may take a little time, elbow grease, and if you’re like me could start a small fire, but the results can absolutely transform your space.
So grab a paint brush, and bring your cabinets from 1983 to the present.
7. Add A little Sass To Your Decor
It’s ok to have fun when you’re decorating. If your personality is sassy, let it shine through.
There’s no reason to hide behind stark, modern design just because the latest issue of “Stark Modern Kitchen Design” says you should. The most important part of rethinking your kitchen is adding elements that you love, and that reflect your personality.
For me that includes this helpful sign, that replaces my thrice-daily required apology.
If you don’t have the money to completely renovate your kitchen, you don’t have to live in despair.
Find some pieces that are unique to you, organize, declutter, and start loving your kitchen just the way the builder intended you to in 1974.