Your kitchen hosts a variety of important daily tasks, so it’s crucial that it’s not only beautiful to look at, but highly functional as well! Whether you’re spending your time in the kitchen cleaning, cooking, entertaining or feasting away, you want the space to be enjoyable. Thankfully, with thoughtful kitchen design, you can make this happen. If your kitchen could use a good refresh but a total overhaul isn’t feasible at the moment, don’t worry! I have put together 6 budget-friendly kitchen design hacks that will help create a space you love in no time.

1. Utilize storage space

When approaching any and all kitchen renovations, I always consider where things will be stored. I’m the type of person that enjoys knowing that everything in my home has purposeful space to be stowed away. By incorporating a coffee nook or pull out cabinetry in the kitchen to hide bulky kitchen appliances, this will provide you with enough space to easily utilize all of your countertop space. Not only will your kitchen be that much more organized, but it will also give off the illusion of a larger space. You may even store your bulkier kitchen appliances such as a coffee machine or blender in a deep pull out drawer. The more drawers, the better!

2. Strategically plan lighting ahead

Lighting is essential in any space and it’s one of those things that definitely needs to be planned out ahead of time. You should make sure to consider the following when planning lighting in the kitchen: Where are your work spaces (open counter top space or the sink)? Do you want under cabinet lighting? Do you have an abundance of natural light or do you need to augment it by adding additional lighting? Do you prefer pendant lighting? How many pendants would fit appropriately in the space, and where would they be placed?  How many potlights are you adding to the space and where (if any)? All of these are very important questions to ask yourself before you close in the walls! However, if you’re looking to add additional lighting to refresh the space, you can easily do so by adding new pendant lights with bright white eco-friendly bulbs. The right kind of light not only helps in food prep and cleaning, but also encourages people to congregate in the kitchen to create the heart of the home.

3. Make your kitchen uniquely yours

Every space in your home will feel much more unique to you if you add small personalized finishing touches. In the kitchen, this can be done through different things including, but not limited to, adding unique cabinet knobs, patterned wallpaper, funky light fixtures or modern plumbing fixtures that add a unique feel to your space. Looking to add artful accents? Hang new and/or existing pieces of art to reinvigorate the space! This will make the space uniquely yours based on your personal tastes and preferences. Tip: capture a decor win by taking an artistic approach to your cabinetry colors!

4. Invest in professional and durable appliances

It’s so extremely important to consider quality and efficiency when buying your appliances and fixtures. Not only will this make cooking, cleaning and prepping that much easier, but it will also pay off in the long run by adding value to your home! From energy-saving appliances to water-saving fixtures, there’s a wide range of sustainable products that you can incorporate into your kitchen design. American Standard’s Beale MeasureFill Touch Kitchen Faucet is not only sleek and stylish, but water-saving as well! With the unique MeasureFill feature that delivers a set volume of water when you need it, you no longer need to waste time guessing when baking and cooking. Another reason why I absolutely love this faucet is because of the two spray functions. With both a regular stream and powerful spray, this makes all of my kitchen tasks an absolute breeze.

5. Install a pot-filler

Are you tired of carrying those heavy water-filled pots from the sink to the cooktop? Well, then you definitely need a pot-filler! My favorite one, hands down, has to be the Studio S Pot Filler from American Standard. With an adjustable two-piece arm that folds back, you never have to worry about it getting in the way when using your cooktop. With three beautiful finishes in Polished Chrome, Matte Black, and Stainless Steel, the Studio S pot filler is sure to look great in any kitchen space.

6. Introduce splashes of color

There are so many options when it comes to incorporating colour into your space. What colour is your cabinetry? Are your lower cabinets the same colour as your upper cabinets? Do you have an island? Don’t be afraid to mix it up and change the colour of your island as a focal point. This goes with fixtures as well! American Standard has a beautiful Studio S Kitchen Collection featuring Matte Black fixture finishes that truly stand out in any space. 

I hope that these kitchen design hacks have provided you with some home reinvigoration inspiration! Thank you American Standard for creating beautiful, sustainable, and long-lasting products that allow all of us to create our dream homes!

HGTV star, Kate Campbell, is a skilled tradeswoman and builder, who is passionate about her carpentry, electrical and plumbing projects.

Check out her latest projects here!