A kitchen remodel costs an average of $22,500, and prices usually range from $10,500 to $30,000. However, you can add value to your home and refresh the look of your space for much less by implementing some of these budget kitchen remodel ideas. Let’s take a look at the kitchen design trends that experts believe will dominate in 2025 to see where you can get the most value for your money.
1. Paint the Range Hood
Cost: $75
According to design experts, custom range hoods are going to be one of the most popular kitchen design trends in 2025. You can go all out and hire a professional to create a custom hood from $1,500, or you can paint your range hood yourself for around $75 for a more budget-friendly option. Consider matching the color to your tiles or countertops to make the space look a bit more cohesive, or go bold and make the range hood pop with color.
2. Paint Your Island a Contrasting Color
Cost: $120
A third of design experts agree that kitchen islands in contrasting colors are going to help keep your kitchen trendy and modern. If you have an island already and are willing to put a little elbow grease into your kitchen remodel, give the cabinets a fresh coat of paint. You can use the same color as your perimeter cabinets but go a few shades darker or lighter, or you can use a unique color, like forest green, to give your room a more natural, calming feeling.
3. Swap Out Cabinet Hardware
Cost: $50
It’s easy to overlook the small details in your kitchen, but things like cabinet hardware can have a surprising effect on the room’s appearance. You can choose more modern materials, like brushed nickel or matte-black door handles and drawer pulls, or you can go a bit more traditional with antique bronze, which is making a comeback in modern kitchens.
4. Add Statement Lighting
Cost: $175
Good lighting in your kitchen is crucial, especially over seating, prep, and cooking areas. Since you need lighting, why not add a statement piece instead of going with the basic hi-hats and pendant lights? About 33% of all design experts agree that a statement lighting fixture is a good way to keep your kitchen trendy and maximize the value you get while minimizing your kitchen remodeling costs. Place your lighting fixture over your sink, island, or breakfast bar for the biggest impact.
5. Install Window Treatments
Cost: $150
Window treatments are the kinds of things that often go unnoticed unless they’re missing or outdated, but they can make your room feel more complete and also give you some privacy when you’re cooking. Window blinds are the most affordable option and are super simple to DIY, but you have plenty of room to customize and personalize. Consider blinds mixed with sheers for aesthetics and light control, and go with sustainable materials like wood for a natural look and maximum value.
6. Install Floating Shelves
Cost: $60
Utility, beauty, and value: that’s what you can expect when you install modern floating shelves in your kitchen. You can buy floating shelf kits for around $60 and install them yourself to save on labor. Best of all, you can free up some of that precious cabinet space by moving plates, bowls, mugs, and glasses to your new shelves.
7. Change the Faucet
Cost: $300
Another easy way to add some beauty and personality to your kitchen is by installing a new kitchen sink faucet. This will have a major impact on the look of your kitchen if you currently have a basic faucet. High-end, luxury faucets can cost as much as $2,000, but you can still upgrade to materials like brass or brushed nickel for as little as $100 and still create a high-end look in your space.
8. Install Under-Cabinet Lighting
Cost: $50
Installing lights under your upper cabinets is a great way to modernize your kitchen and brighten up your prep and cooking spaces. It can also add some depth and ambiance if you opt for lights on a dimmer. High-end lighting under custom cabinets can cost as much as $200 per fixture, but you can get a similar appearance by installing LED strips under the upper cabinets yourself. Even beginner DIYers can tackle this project without the need for special tools, and as a bonus, you’ll also save in the long run, as LED lights use minimal electricity.
9. Incorporate Smart Storage Solutions
Cost: $500
Kitchens live and die by storage, so adding smart storage solutions to your space will have a drastic impact on your home value and kitchen utility. Best of all, you can customize this upgrade endlessly. Consider pull-out pantry shelves for easier access to items in storage, toe-kick drawers for storing those seldom-used but necessary baking and cooking gadgets, or hidden storage, like built-in seating storage in your breakfast nook. This last option is currently trending, according to design experts, especially in kitchens where space is limited.
10. Replace Your Sink
Cost: $600
Much like the faucet above it, your kitchen sink plays an important role in how your kitchen looks and feels, even if you don’t realize it. You can modernize your kitchen by upgrading to a unique material, like natural stone, or you can keep the material simple but upgrade to a farmhouse sink or even add utility by installing a multi-functional sink with built-in accessories, like a cutting board, drying rack, or colander insert. Kitchen sink installation costs an average of $600, but you could see most of that money back in value if you’re choosing a trendy material and design.
11. Use Sheet Vinyl for Kitchen Flooring
Cost: $950
A kitchen flooring upgrade for under $1,000? It’s definitely possible if you go with sheet vinyl, which is one of the least expensive flooring materials that will still hold up to water and moisture. Sheet vinyl won’t last as long as luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or ceramic tile, but it can mimic the look of other flooring types, including wood planks and natural stone. Go with a professional installation for this one unless you have experience installing flooring.
12. Try Contact Paper Over Old Countertops
Cost: $30
If your laminate countertops have seen better days, installing contact paper over them is one of the easiest ways to get a fresh, new look on a budget. You can install this upgrade yourself for maximum savings, and for between $0.50 and $2 per square foot, you can achieve the look of granite, natural wood, ceramic tile, high-end marble, and much more. Contact paper won’t last for more than a few years, even if you buy waterproof paper, but with such a low cost, it’s a hard upgrade to pass on.
13. Add Peel-and-Stick Backsplash
Cost: $3 per square foot
A similarly easy DIY project that can have a major impact on your kitchen’s appearance is a peel-and-stick backsplash. You can go with real tile, which comes in sheets of tiles that have a pre-made design on them. Rather than using thinset to install them, they have adhesive on the back that makes installation a breeze. You can also choose vinyl or even metal squares for a more custom look. Around 30% of design experts say that a natural stone backsplash is going to be the most trendy in 2025, so consider going with a peel-and-stick backsplash that looks like stone tiles for maximum impact on modernity and home value.
14. Paint Your Kitchen Walls
Cost: $800
Painting your home’s interior is one of the best ways to add value on a budget, so it’s no surprise that painting your kitchen is one of the most popular kitchen remodel ideas on a budget. Experts suggest that color drenching your kitchen creates a sleek, modern, clean appearance that will boost value, so consider matching your wall colors to your existing backsplash or floor tiles, or match your furniture or even your cabinet color for the most cohesive and calming look possible.
15. Use Contact Paper on Cabinets
Cost: $120
Replacing your kitchen cabinets costs an average of $8,000, and even painting your kitchen cabinets costs $1,900 to have a pro do the work for you. How about spending just $120 and getting a similar look? That’s possible if you install contact paper on your cabinets to “refinish” them. You’ll pay just $0.50 to $1 per square foot, which comes out to an average of around $120 for the typical 30 linear feet of cabinets in a kitchen. It’s easy to install and remove, so nothing is permanent, and you can mimic the look of expensive hardwood or go fully custom by making your cabinets look like marble, metal, or virtually any other material.
FAQ
A full kitchen remodel averages around $22,500, on average, but you could get the work done for as little as $8,000 if you choose budget-friendly materials and reuse or refinish some of what you already have installed. You can help keep your total low by refinishing cabinets rather than replacing them, keeping your existing flooring, and going with a more affordable countertop material, like solid surface or quartzite over granite and marble.
Redoing a kitchen on a low budget is possible if you focus on cosmetic changes over structural ones or full replacements, like refinishing cabinets over replacing them, installing a new backsplash, and upgrading cabinet hardware, lighting fixtures, and plumbing fixtures. You can also save around 50% on your kitchen remodeling costs by DIYing what you can, like installing a peel-and-stick backsplash or going with contact paper over your countertops instead of replacing them.
The lowest most homeowners will pay for a full kitchen remodel is $8,000, but you can make some impactful upgrades for $5,000 or less that add to your home value and drastically improve the look of your kitchen. Focus on cosmetic upgrades and DIY projects, like painting your range hood, refinishing your cabinets or countertops with contact paper, and upgrading plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, and cabinet hardware.
Dan was a property manager from 2015 to 2020, during which time he managed and oversaw the upkeep and repairs of over 2,000 residential properties. He uses that experience, as well as his extensive DIY knowledge, to bring reliable information to homeowners about renovations and home-related projects. Since 2020, he has been using his experience to write about home improvement, and his work has appeared on sites like USA Today, CNN, Angi, and Today’s Homeowner.