Is your kitchen boring you? If it is, you’d probably want to add new fixtures here and there, change paint color or get a whole new counter. You have got big plans! The only problem is, you’re on a tight budget.Who says you can’t liven up your old kitchen without spending your kids’ trust fund? It’s a shame that some people go on a spending frenzy over decorative items without giving it much thought. This is non debatable if you have gazillions of money to spend and you’re just looking to burn them any way you can. But for us regular people with mediocre earnings, we have to be smarter and be more creative in the way we adorn our homes. And luckily enough, it’s truly not difficult to achieve. Because of the economic downturn, more people have learned to compensate economics issues with passion, resourcefulness, and creativity. Add environmental awareness and your plans could be executed with reasonable costs and earth-friendly means. The outcome is a more practical, more “green”, and oftentimes, a unique piece that becomes a priceless work of art.

Budget Ideas, Anyone?

We’re not kidding. You can decorate your kitchen without losing an arm and leg. All you need is a bit of ingenuity to fire up some inspiration. Here are a few tips to fire up your kitchen’s personality.

1. Go Natural

You don’t need to look further to find decorations for your kitchen. Look to your garden for all the wonders of nature that you can use. Flowers and other plants create a fresh look and add color to your kitchen. On a whim, you can design depicting a different personality every day while the flowers and plants are in bloom. Plus, plants absorb odor coming from your cooking and other toxins for that matter, so your kitchen gets the “freshening up” it needs day in and day out.

2. Redesigning Old School

Don’t be too quick to send old things to the trash. Used items can be made to perform different functions. An old bottle can turn into antique lighting. Old dishes can become wall decors with just a touch of paint on them. An old wok, when “engineered” can be used as a lighting fixture that makes for a good conversation piece. Whatever these old items are, you can discover a multitude of uses for them in and out of your kitchen. Let your imagination run wild and don’t be afraid to explore. “Junk” may prove to be priceless pieces after all.

3. Score Items Online

You can’t imagine how many treasures there are on the internet. Hey, it’s the age of online retail! There’s almost nothing that you cannot find on the internet and at a steal. There are online stores that sell reused or recycled items. My sister even got a whole living room package for free because another homeowner just wanted to get rid of excess items on her home. Stores such as Craigslist.com, eBay, and local online auctions offer a variety of items for sale and at dirt-cheap prices even! You can talk with sellers online, negotiate, and deal! Browse to your heart’s content and haggle if you can!

4. Incorporate Items on Installment

Instead of redoing the whole kitchen, why not add things phase by phase? Kitchen renovations cost a hefty sum, and if you intend to do it in one blow, chances are, you’ll be left with a huge hole in your pocket, buried in debt, and without the necessary stash come rainy days – which you can’t risk. Start with your kitchen cabinets, then your countertop, and then your backsplash and then finish up with wall treatments. Make sure there’s breathing room for you in terms of finances before you start with another project so that you can certainly implement what you have envisioned without compromising quality. Remember, affordable doesn’t mean poorly constructed. And if you’re going to redesign your kitchen every 10 years or so, you have to make sure that the design you have chosen is something you can live with for as long.

5. Research for Alternative Materials

If you can’t afford a full granite ensemble on your kitchen counter, settle for faux materials that look and feel like granite but costs a lot less. You could settle for quartz which doesn’t need yearly maintenance, letting you save significant costs compared to when you choose granite. You can also settle for tiles. This way, you get the thousand-dollar look at 1/10th of the cost.

6. Paint for Drama

If you want drama in your kitchen, consider paint jobs rather than fixtures replacements. Do a paint-embossed look or textured paints so your walls won’t appear flat and bare. If you have the talent, let the walls be your canvass and paint to your heart’s content. This is a great alternative to hanging fixtures or expensive paintings. It just might be the drama that you’re looking for at just around $5/can.

7. Bottled Up

If you’re one of the many who may have accumulated a number of wine or liquor bottles, instead of throwing them out, put them to good use by transforming them into works of art. All you need to do is give them a good, clean wash, remove labels and caps. Paint them over using matte for a rustic, antique-y look; or use something shiny like gold or silver paints to have a variety. Manually draw stencils over painted bottles or have half parts painted with a different color. There are no rules so you can work your imagination and get crazy. Psychedelic, retro or antique, this bottle collection can bring life to your once-drab kitchen and definitely catch attention!

8. Pottery and Glassware

Incorporating pottery and glassware is another way to furnish your kitchen. You can use glass vases to hold flowers from your garden or store pasta, marmalades, spices, or fruit and which can double purpose as a decorative accent. It is recommended that you use fruits and other content that have vibrant colors. If you have a rather rustic-looking kitchen, potteries are more advisable. Display potteries in varying shapes and sizes. If you have a large kitchen, you can make an inexpensive water pot fountain. It doesn’t only add that wow factor to your kitchen but also gives you that calming “zen” vibe as you and your family enjoy dinner.

So if you’re worried that your kitchen is too bland, too white or too monotonous, carry out these inexpensive tips that will surely boost your kitchen’s appearance. Let your creative mind run and explore the inner Picasso in you. Once you have successfully transformed your kitchen, then you can start planning upgrades on the rest of the house applying the same budget-friendly principles.