An affordable kitchen remodel? It's possible, with these tips from design experts

For many homeowners, the kitchen is often the first room for upgrades and they can quickly get costly, depending on your vision for heart of your home.

From 2021 to 2023, there were about 5 million kitchen remodeling projects completed across the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The price ranges for those projects can vary widely.

Homeowners spent an average of $8,000 on their kitchen renovations from 2021 to 2023, according to the Census Bureau's estimates, while Remodeling Magazine's 2024 Cost vs. Value Report projects a midrange kitchen remodel to cost anywhere from about $28,800 to $83,000 — or higher for more upscale projects — depending on your region.

If you're looking to take the leap and upgrade your kitchen — whether it's by making some minor updates or doing a full scale renovation — it's important to make sure it's money well spent. But if you don't know what you want to do or where you should start, here's what some experts had to say.

Deciding where to start

The first, and probably most important, step in a kitchen renovation is determining exactly what you'd like to do with your space. This includes the physical layout of your kitchen and the visual aesthetics of it.

Trish Lynn, founder and principal designer of Colette Interiors in New Jersey, said you should think about how you utilize your kitchen and figure out what the space is missing based on your own needs.

"As much as you're thinking about the form of the space in terms of the overall design and how everything looks, you do have to take into consideration the function," she said. "You have to imagine yourself, the flow around the kitchen and how you're going to use it. So think about things like where you'll be doing your prep work and where you'd be putting the dishes when emptying the dishwasher."

Lynn said starting with the layout and functional aspects of the project before getting into other design details is crucial because you can't go back to this step once the renovation is completed. When working with clients, she said she'll often come up with several different layout scenarios for them to consider.

This was echoed by Ryan Brining and Tom Battersby of New Jersey's White Maple Construction, who said that this is also the time to decide if you want to make the space bigger, whether it be by expanding into other rooms or doing a small addition.

It is also recommended that you hire an architect or an engineer, depending on the scale of the renovation, to help you create plans for the project. Brining said that you can also consult a design-build firm, like White Maple Construction, that has their own in-house architects and can come up with a rough estimate for the project after an on-site consultation.

And for the design aspect of the renovation, Battersby said you can look for inspiration on platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. While you may not be able to exactly recreate what you find, he said it's a good starting point for determining what your style is.

What are some current kitchen design trends?

The style of your kitchen renovation is ultimately your decision — you are the one spending the money after all. But if you want to ensure that you're developing a space that withstands the test of time, there are certain elements you should consider incorporating.

Lynn, Brining and Battersby all said that overall, going with a more neutral color palette in your kitchen is the best way to create a timeless space. This means prioritizing the use of soft white and cream shades, for example.

This isn't to say that you can't incorporate more bold colors in your home. But while brightly-colored kitchen cabinets have been trending in interior design for several years, they all recommend infusing these colors in adjoining spaces rather than in the kitchen directly.

"I like to keep a rather neutral foundation because I think it's a more timeless palette and not something you're going to get tired of," Lynn said. "However, I do love infusing colors in adjoining spaces instead like in a butler's pantry or a dining room rather than in the central kitchen."

Sticking with materials like stained wood — such as white oak and walnut — for the kitchen cabinets and natural stone, specifically variations of quartzite, for the countertops and backsplash will also create that timeless look, they said.

"Another thing we're seeing a lot, that personally I like, is differentiating the island from the rest of the cabinets," Battersby said. "So a lot of people will do white cabinets and then they'll do a stained wood for the island, and then sometimes people will do a very light countertop with a dark color for the island, or vice versa. It helps make the island stand out."

Closed-off kitchens — rather than the open-concept spaces that have been trending for years — and eat-in kitchens have also become more popular, Battersby and Brining said.

How to do a kitchen renovation within your budget

Any home renovation project is likely going to cost a pretty penny, but there are ways to stay true to your budget while still upgrading your space.

Lynn said she believes that a full kitchen renovation isn't always necessary, and that you can instead refresh the space by doing things like changing out your hardware, adding new lighting fixtures, changing out the backsplash and repainting your kitchen cabinets.

In the event that you do want to eventually redo your entire kitchen though, but you can't necessarily afford to do it all at once, Brining recommends spending as little as possible on the space until you are able to afford the whole project.

"Rather than doing a facelift that might cost $10,000 or $20,000, spend as little as you can to upgrade the space without spending too much money," he said. "Get things you can reuse in your forever kitchen like new hardware, lighting and appliances. Then when you have the money to do everything else, it'll be more cohesive than doing one piece here and there."

And when it comes to the full renovation, Battersby recommends staying consistent with your budget — as well as within the scope of your home and neighborhood — rather than splurging on certain things.

"If you have an entry-level budget, I would actually consider not really doing splurges. I would keep everything entry-level," he said. "You don't want to have really expensive appliances and really cheap cabinets or vice versa, right? Maybe the splurge can be more in the design factor instead by picking out a really interesting tile to brighten up a cheaper kitchen, or something like that."

In the same vein, Lynn said you can pick splurges based on your personal needs. For example, you can consider splurging on your plumbing system if you're someone who is washing a lot of dishes, she said.

Otherwise, Lynn recommends always investing in your countertops and cabinetry because this will ensure you get as much time out of them as possible. But Brining said you can always opt for semi-custom cabinets, rather than fully custom cabinets, for a more affordable option.

"A lot of people don't really have an understanding of what the costs are, and construction can be a lot more expensive than people think," Brining said. "So it's important to think through your big picture plan, or know when to pare back the scope of it if needed."

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Kitchen remodels can stay within budget: How to keep costs down