Kitchen Guides
Living on Rent and on a Budget? Transform Your Unsightly Kitchen
Here are a few tips and tricks on how to do up your rented kitchen space without burning a hole in your pocket
Are you living in a rented space and the kitchen is just not up to the mark? Would you rather not spend much on an expensive renovation just yet? Rented spaces often come with several challenges, right from lack of storage to unsightly exposed drains, pipes or electrical fixtures. The real challenge lies in making budget-friendly changes within the kitchen using relatively easy and quick solutions. Here are some ideas that you can use to make this space your own without burning a hole in your pocket.
Use glass laminates
Another innovative and popular choice for splashbacks are glass panels. They give you the option of choosing your own designs rather than making do with existing patterns available in the market.
This homeowner had a lovely bit of fabric pressed against a glass panel to create a colourful and vibrant splashback next to the cooking range. Glass panels are low on maintenance, inexpensive and easy to clean.
Another innovative and popular choice for splashbacks are glass panels. They give you the option of choosing your own designs rather than making do with existing patterns available in the market.
This homeowner had a lovely bit of fabric pressed against a glass panel to create a colourful and vibrant splashback next to the cooking range. Glass panels are low on maintenance, inexpensive and easy to clean.
Add skirts
Exposed rusted and crooked drain pipes under your sink can be a turn off. It also adds to the chaos and clutter in the kitchen. So? Take it on as a DIY project! Stitch a skirt under or around the sink like this homeowner did. This can also provide a hiding space for your kitchen cleaning accessories and the ideal place to tuck away your dustbin.
Tip: Use fabric with colours that blend in with the rest of the colours in the kitchen. Shower curtains make excellent skirt fabrics as these are easier to wipe off and are a lot more durable compared to other matrials. You can get them at the nearest home supplies store or buy shower curtains online. Get your hands on industrial velcro to attach the skirt to the sink. Glue on the hooks-and-barbs bit to the sink and stitch the fuzzy bit to the pretty skirt you made – and voila! your sink is all dressed up.
Exposed rusted and crooked drain pipes under your sink can be a turn off. It also adds to the chaos and clutter in the kitchen. So? Take it on as a DIY project! Stitch a skirt under or around the sink like this homeowner did. This can also provide a hiding space for your kitchen cleaning accessories and the ideal place to tuck away your dustbin.
Tip: Use fabric with colours that blend in with the rest of the colours in the kitchen. Shower curtains make excellent skirt fabrics as these are easier to wipe off and are a lot more durable compared to other matrials. You can get them at the nearest home supplies store or buy shower curtains online. Get your hands on industrial velcro to attach the skirt to the sink. Glue on the hooks-and-barbs bit to the sink and stitch the fuzzy bit to the pretty skirt you made – and voila! your sink is all dressed up.
Celebrate pipes above the eye level
Exposed gas pipes and water pipes can become an asset to the decor of your kitchen. Think industrial chic. Here, an exposed pipe gets a copper finish and has been turned into a quirky element by hanging pretty tiny planters on to it. There are plenty of designs to choose from. If the pipes in your kitchen are dirty or rusted, use sandpaper to scrape off corrosion and apply enamel paint. You could also just wrap it with jute thread or decorative patterned cello tape.
Tip: Get S-shaped hooks to hang the planters; these are easily available at hardware stores. You can also bring in a money plant (which makes for a great indoor plant) to grow as a creeper around the pipe.
Exposed gas pipes and water pipes can become an asset to the decor of your kitchen. Think industrial chic. Here, an exposed pipe gets a copper finish and has been turned into a quirky element by hanging pretty tiny planters on to it. There are plenty of designs to choose from. If the pipes in your kitchen are dirty or rusted, use sandpaper to scrape off corrosion and apply enamel paint. You could also just wrap it with jute thread or decorative patterned cello tape.
Tip: Get S-shaped hooks to hang the planters; these are easily available at hardware stores. You can also bring in a money plant (which makes for a great indoor plant) to grow as a creeper around the pipe.
Create a vertical kitchen garden
Nothing makes a space look more inviting and wholesome than a little bit of green. And having a limited kitchen space does not mean that you can’t have your own little garden patch. Vertical gardens are practical and can transform your kitchen. Herb gardens not only make a pretty picture but are also easy and quick to grow.
Tip: Recycle by reusing old glass jars to make herb pots. Make sure your vertical garden gets plenty of sunshine.
Find out how to grow a vertical garden
Nothing makes a space look more inviting and wholesome than a little bit of green. And having a limited kitchen space does not mean that you can’t have your own little garden patch. Vertical gardens are practical and can transform your kitchen. Herb gardens not only make a pretty picture but are also easy and quick to grow.
Tip: Recycle by reusing old glass jars to make herb pots. Make sure your vertical garden gets plenty of sunshine.
Find out how to grow a vertical garden
Give the cabinets a makeover
With rented apartments, you have to make do with whatever comes along – open shelves, worn out cabinets or nothing at all. If there aren’t enough, investing in second-hand cupboards or cabinets like this one not only gives you affordable storage space but also the flexibility to paint or refurbish them according to your new space. If you have cabinets already, style them up with a fresh coat of paint. An interesting tweak would be to stick wallpaper or decal stickers on the cabinet fronts, and even inside.
Find more designs here
With rented apartments, you have to make do with whatever comes along – open shelves, worn out cabinets or nothing at all. If there aren’t enough, investing in second-hand cupboards or cabinets like this one not only gives you affordable storage space but also the flexibility to paint or refurbish them according to your new space. If you have cabinets already, style them up with a fresh coat of paint. An interesting tweak would be to stick wallpaper or decal stickers on the cabinet fronts, and even inside.
Find more designs here
Bring in a vinyl floor
If your flooring is all worn out with chipped off tiles or it simply does not look good, there are plenty of options for PVC or vinyl floorings. These are temporary and easy to install compared to regular tiles and all, but these too are quite durable. They come in peel-off sheets or per-square-foot tiles and are available at almost all flooring dealers. These can be installed in a day !
Here are 5 reasons to try vinyl
If your flooring is all worn out with chipped off tiles or it simply does not look good, there are plenty of options for PVC or vinyl floorings. These are temporary and easy to install compared to regular tiles and all, but these too are quite durable. They come in peel-off sheets or per-square-foot tiles and are available at almost all flooring dealers. These can be installed in a day !
Here are 5 reasons to try vinyl
Bring in pegboards
Pegboards are a great way to de-clutter your kitchen shelves and to reach out to your favourite kitchenware while you are next to the stove or work space. It also creates a good drying area, so you can do away with the unsightly pile of washed dishes next to the sink. You could also hide unsightly stains on walls or ugly kitchen tiles using pegboards.
Here’s how one designer used steel pegboards for a chic and efficient kitchen
Read More:
How to Style Up Your Small Kitchen
99 Genius Tips for Your Small Kitchen
Tell us:
Let us know how you styled your rented kitchen on a budget. Share your ideas in the Comments section below.
Pegboards are a great way to de-clutter your kitchen shelves and to reach out to your favourite kitchenware while you are next to the stove or work space. It also creates a good drying area, so you can do away with the unsightly pile of washed dishes next to the sink. You could also hide unsightly stains on walls or ugly kitchen tiles using pegboards.
Here’s how one designer used steel pegboards for a chic and efficient kitchen
Read More:
How to Style Up Your Small Kitchen
99 Genius Tips for Your Small Kitchen
Tell us:
Let us know how you styled your rented kitchen on a budget. Share your ideas in the Comments section below.
Renting out a space for a year does not mean that you have to make do with old and tasteless tiles.
Vinyl splashback tile stickers or PVC oil-proof 3D wall decal stickers are available on the market (you can order them online, what could be easier?) and come in a variety of designs. Sticker decals are not labour-intensive as these are self-adhesive wall tiles that just peel off and stick to whatever surface it is put on. Aluminium-foil stickers are oil-proof, water-proof as well as heat-proof and also offer various options in patterns and colours. Check out the online sites like amazon for buying these.
Tip: This would make a great weekend DIY project. Make sure to remove dirt from the wall and ensure the wall is clean and dry before applying the sticker.
Tiles: Traditional Spanish tile stickers, Moonwallstickers