Check Out These Great Kitchen Upgrade Ideas!

32 Easy Kitchen Upgrades

This collection of step-by-step guides will help transform your kitchen into tip-top shape

By the Editors of ThisOldHouse.com // Photo by Wendell T. Webber

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/32-easy-kitchen-upgrades

Build a Butcher-Block Island

If you're going for homey and cozy in your kitchen, skip the built-in cabinet-base island and opt for a butcher-block counter instead. These thick wood-slab tops resist warping and nicks better than laminate and almost as well as stone. They're perfect for toning down the coldness of stone counters and metal appliances in modern cook spaces. Plus, you can construct a 19th-century worktable-style prep island from easy-to-buy materials.

Install a Solid-Surface Backsplash

Think installing a traditional tile backsplash feels a little out of your DIY league? Putting up one made from a single sheet of inexpensive solid surface material—available in a range of colors and patterns—may just be your saving grace.

Find out how to do it in How to Install a Solid-Surface Backsplash.

Paint Kitchen Cabinets

A kitchen makeover doesn't necessarily mean replacing those gloomy boxes with all-new cabinets. As long as the frames and doors are structurally sound, you can clean them up with some strong cleaner and brush on some new paint‚ and within a weekend take that kitchen from dreary to sunny. This transformation will brighten up your kitchen without significantly lightening your wallet.

Get all the tips and tricks in How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets.