Designing A Budget Friendly Kitchen With High Design Elements

I love high design on a budget, especially in kitchens. Here’s how to design a budget friendly kitchen with high design elements. 

There’s a running joke in our house, mainly between Sean and the kids, that I’m painting and redesigning the kitchen.

Again.

There really is some truth to that joke, though I’d like to think of it all as enhancements. Tastes change and evolve, and I’m a firm believer that everyone should embrace that; go with what makes you happy and all that good stuff. Decor is never set in stone, am I right?!

Just as a refresher, and to show those that are new here, this is a photo of what our kitchen looked like the day we got the keys to the 1820. Dark cabinets with bird’s nests printed wallpaper border on every wall, and ugly linoleum tiles on the floor.  (And, total aside, that sweet little girl in the photo is now driving. Sigh.)

Our kitchen has seen its fare share of changes. For a couple years, I went with an all white kitchen. At the time, I wanted to brighten things up in there, mainly because light bounces off white, obvi, hence it was a good background for photographing my recipes, etc. They’re pretty, white kitchens, with the option of temporary pops of color here and there. When I sat down to create my design board for our kitchen, I was forced to ask myself, do I want to keep it white just for photography sake, or do I want to create the look, the mood, the moment of what I strived for our kitchen to become.

Design has become more mature; more interesting. No more all white rooms. Style is always evolving. It seems to be in my DNA that I’m always looking forward to that next goal, next design; doing something different while still having the basis of good design.Designs that are appropriate and accurate for our 1820.

Designing A Budget Friendly Kitchen With High Design Elements

My goal for our kitchen is understated British elegance. Bring on high design and bring it down to a level that we can afford, along with some very interesting design elements. Brooke approved. Because, after all, it’s the small elements that can make a room feel super luxe.

I’m honored to tell you that I’ve been named a Brand Ambassador for Lick Home! I collaborated with them previously on our Primary Bedroom Makeover, and when we Transformed Our Dining Room. Lick has now challenged me to two more total room makeovers; our kitchen and my office. The kitchen comes first.

After pouring over design books and Pinterest with British elegance in mind, a darker, moody blue is designated for the cabinets, and ivory walls to keep things neutral and clean. I’m brining in two interesting and very unexpected design elements; a vegan leather valance to tie the cabinets together over the sink, and a new screen door for our walk-in pantry. Instead of a regular grey screen like we had on our old door, I’m going to install a brass screen. Both are high design that will bring in that understated British elegance and will also fit into our modest budget.

So let the fun begin! Painting is underway, and there’s a valance to create and brass screen to attach to a door. Stay tuned, because this time next week I’ll show you the reveal along with a video, so you can get a true perspective of our new kitchen design!