Looking for a way to transform your kitchen on the cheap? Here are a few products that will help!

Giani Stone Paint for Countertops

This product allows you to give basic laminate countertops a fresh look without a lot of fuss or investment. I’ve never used this myself but I’m dying to try it in our bathrooms.

New Lighting

Swapping out builder-basic lighting is an easy and inexpensive way to add character to your kitchen. These semi-flush mount lights from Lowe’s have the look of more expensive lights but only cost about $29!

Grout Renew

Replacing the peachy-colored tile in our kitchen is on my dream list of projects to someday tackle but in the meantime, I will be cleaning up the grout with this well-loved product, Polyblend Grout Renew.

Chalk Paint

I get a lot of emails asking about our painted kitchen cabinets and how they have held up with kids. I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Duck Egg Blue and Old White. This was a more expensive upgrade (a quart will set you back nearly $40) but the paint goes a long way since you thin it with water. I was able to paint all of our base cabinets and several pieces of furniture on one can of Duck Egg Blue paint. I ended up repainting the top cabinets after a year because the Old White was a little too creamy and I wanted a white-white.

The benefit to using chalk paint is that you don’t have to do much else in the way of prep besides a good cleaning. You do have to wax (this is critical) to protect the paint and every few months, I do touch-ups of wax. This is easier than it sounds and just keeps the cabinets looking nice. I particularly love the richness of the color you get with matte finish paints. Using chalk paint is a great way to dress up builder-basic cabinets.

New Hardware

Swapping out or simply adding hardware to builder-basic cabinets can make a dramatic difference in a kitchen. Some of my favorite places to snag inexpensive hardware are Ikea, Hobby Lobby, Amazon and Ebay. Hobby Lobby usually has their hardware (which is often the same or similar items you’d find at Anthropologie) half off at least once a month.

We bought our pulls here on Amazon and paid about $25 for a 10 pack.

What do you want to makeover in your kitchen? Cabinets? Countertops? That peachy-tile. I hate our peachy-tile!