Creative Kitchen Remodel Ideas for Any Home

Want to upgrade your kitchen? Here's some inspiration.

Creative Kitchen Remodel Ideas for Any Home

Sick of cooking in your tired-looking kitchen? Then it's time for a remodel. According to Houzz, the median cost of a kitchen remodel — which includes all the cabinets and appliances getting replaced — is $35,000. The median cost for a minor remodel for a small kitchen costs about $5,000 while a large kitchen minor remodel costs about $12,000.

Don't let those costs get you down. With a little ingenuity and DIY smarts, you can remodel your L-shaped, galley and open-floor kitchens on a budget, too.

We hunted down the most gorgeous and colorful kitchens for remodeling ideas. Whether you want a kitchen that is boho chic, rustic, farmhouse, minimalistic or just plain offbeat, you'll find something to inspire you.

Go Boho

This boho-inspired kitchen turns your backsplash into a focal point with unusual emerald green subway tiles.

Plants add depth to the kitchen and perfectly pair with the shimmering backsplash.

Think Coastally

Lots of kitchens are trending dark, but if you have a lot of natural light, you can give your space a coastal, airy vibe.

This kitchen plays off the two-toned cabinet trend to bring in cream and blue while keeping everything else mostly white to maximize the natural light.

Consider Bright Colors

This modern take on Southwest style just explodes with color, from the orange walls to the red rug to the robin egg blue fridge.

Pulling it off in your own abode is doable, too. Unlike bigger, pricey remodels, this could be your kitchen with a few gallons of paint, cement tiles, a trip to the plant store and some elbow grease.

Navy Blue and Exposed Wood Is a Match Made in Heaven

For a different take on the popular modern farmhouse look, opt for a minimalistic but creative backsplash.

Kadilak Homes swapped the white subway tiles for navy blue, giving an otherwise neutral kitchen a splash of color. To keep things simple, opt for clean lines and minimal décor.

And wood always looks good with navy blue.

Do You Need More Cabinets?

Kitchen with white cabinets and quartz farmhouse sink

Kitchen storage is in demand. According to a Houzz 2021 Kitchen Trends survey, 28 percent of people they surveyed added at least some cabinets when renovating their kitchen. That's four times higher than those surveyed in 2020. Maybe the pandemic highlighted just how important kitchen storage can be.

Storage space is certainly not a problem in this kitchen, which boasts floor-to-ceiling pearl-white cabinetry and a quartz farmhouse sink.

Doing More With Less Sapce

Want to impart a lot of impactful design in a small space? Look up. This kitchen turned a boring, ordinary ceiling into a focal point with thin wood beams. To pull it off yourself, consider thin chipboard or even peel and stick wood planks.

Check out how this makeover was one on The Sweet Escape blog.

Deep Green Paint Can Look Wonderful

Deep green kitchen with Art Deco light fixtures

This kitchen has a modern glam look that was entirely DIY. The deep green paint makes the small space feel cozy and inviting while a bright red rug draws the eye down.

But the big focal point is the Art Deco-inspired, semi-flush mount light fixtures.

Jessica Brigham designed this kitchen over the course of five weeks. The house is a 1934 craftsman bungalow. Check out the entire process on her blog.

Go Retro

Kitchen appliances take up the bulk of your space. For a while there, you had two options: white or black. Then everyone on the planet seemed to go stainless.

But if you want to stand out, think retro. These modern takes on 1940s and 1950s style appliances have all the modern features while making a big impact in your design. This place looks downright fun to cook in.

These appliances are from Big Chill's retro line.

Go Minimialist

Cut the clutter by designing your new kitchen with minimalism in mind. Pendant lighting adds a classy, finished look while open shelving adds the ability to bring color and space into the room.

A simple blue rug draws the eye down and highlights hardwood flooring.

Bring Back the Victorian Age

Victorian-style kitchen with copper table

This kitchen embraces the Victorian-era, but with a modern twist. Subway tiles are flanked by dark cabinets. The herringbone pattern elevates regular hardwood floors.

Even the farmhouse sink has a very British feel, while the wood floating shelves with rustic brass finishes give it a modern touch. The table has a copper top.

That might be a bit pricey, but you don't have to go that far.

Consider Going With a Wood Floor

Navy blue kitchen marble-topped kitchen island

If you're replacing countertops, many remodelers are opting for a clean, white marble look. While more expensive than some other options, you can save money by DIYing a few focal points. This kitchen makes use of dark navy cabinets and a few eye-catching turned-style legs on the kitchen island.

This kitchen belongs to the couple who runs Wit and Delight. They opted to swap their black-and-white tile flooring for wood because the former constantly looked dirty. That job wasn't cheap, though. It cost $5,000.

Different-Colored Cabinets Can Work

Kitchen with a honeycomb-style backsplash and pink cabinets

Want to create a vintage look on the cheap? This kitchen relies on a few vintage pieces to create a cozy feel.

The aged brass and globe pendant light is a focal point, but the room also features a touch of 1980s rattan and a few pieces of vintage art. Bringing it all together is the two surprising pink cabinet.

And check out the honeycomb-style backsplash on the kitchen island.

Cement Tile Backsplashes Are Awesome

Cement tiles are popular for a reason.

These black and white geometric tiles pop against the white marble countertops, while the black island brings the room together into a cohesive design.

The large circle light fixtures bring the light down to the island, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere.

Wood Is Good

All-white kitchens have been popular for years for a good reason: They're easy to decide on and easy to modify as your style changes.

To switch up this all-white kitchen, this designer used a massive chandelier in natural materials to draw the eye. Is it all you see? Yes. Is that a bad thing? Not really, especially when it's a $2,000 light fixture.

Although the massive palm leaves would last about one cooking session before someone knocked them over in our house.

Butcher Block Countertops Are Amazing

Dark blue kitchen with butcher block countertop

Bringing natural wood into your kitchen adds instant warmth and easy care. This massive island comes complete with a butcher block countertop.

In the backdrop, simple white subway tiles flank the stove while modern black hanging pendant lights catch your eye without overwhelming the room.

Butcher block countertops cost anywhere from $75 to $150 per square foot, depending on the quality, according to Remodelista.

Bring on the Copper

This rustic English kitchen relies on a classic material — copper— to pull off the look.

You can do the same at home. Copper is back and available in everything from light fixtures to faucets.

To give the room a rustic feel, stick to neutral colors and pull in wood where you can.

Go Loud

Most people opt for simple wood or painted cabinets, but if you want the room to pop, start with the cabinets.

This kitchen uses a gold Art Deco-inspired pattern on the cabinet fronts to create intriguing visual interest. Paired with gold hardware, light fixtures, and chairs with gold accents, the color is repeated throughout the room.

It's loud, sure, but you can pull some punches to suit your taste.

Brick Is Great — Even If It's Fake

There is a reason interior designers swear by brick. Adding even a small focal wall instantly brings up the wow factor in any room, especially the kitchen.

Here, a modern farmhouse kitchen is paired with a light-red brick backsplash, giving the room more depth than the all-white style popular today.

Want to pull it off at home but intimidated by redoing a wall? Try peel-and-stick brick tiles.

Mosaic Tiles Make an Impression

Mosaic tiles are so detailed, they're really all the style elements you need. Here, these mosaic tiles are used to fill the backsplash for the kitchen.

The island is painted to match, while simple gold, modern lights and hardware play off the blue-green color, keeping eyes on the back of the room.

Add a dog for a moving focal point.

Shiplap Looks Incredible in Small Kitchens

Regular old drywall is boring. This kitchen update includes floor-to-ceiling shiplap to give a small space big impact.

Want to do the same? You could rip out your drywall and cross your fingers that the old wood plank walls are still back there (not recommended), or you could take a trip to your local hardware store for the peel-and-stick variety.

Wallpaper Can Really Make a Room Pop

Wallpaper is back in a big way, and there is zero reason you can't put the modern stuff in your kitchen. While old wallpaper was, well, paper, the newer peel and stick varieties are humidity-resistant vinyl.

This kitchen uses a vintage-inspired lemon pattern paired with simple countertops and modern light fixtures to create a shabby chic look.

This wallpaper is from Perigold and goes for $3.76 per square foot.

Mid-Century Design Never Goes Out of Style

If you want a true mid-century kitchen, think clean lines, flush cabinets, bare surfaces and lots of wood. This kitchen is the pinnacle of simple, mid-century modern style.

To bring in a touch of color, the designers added a geometric tile backsplash flanking the stove.

Open Shelving Can Look Dramatic

Open shelving in a kitchen with Christmas lights

Done right, open shelving can give your kitchen a ton of style and make the space feel larger. But designing an open shelf to look Pinterest-worthy isn't easy.

Here, dark green paint is used on the walls to highlight the natural wood and cream dinnerware. For an added touch of industrial glam, hang large bulb string lights loosely around the shelves.

That's the Pinterest touch.

Use Vintage Finds for a Unique Look

Furniture with vintage furniture and objects

This kitchen feels less like a place where you eat peanut butter out of a jar and more like an art museum, maybe one of the coolest coffee shops in the neighborhood.

To pull off the same look, add vintage finds you wouldn't usually expect in a kitchen to your space. That's what Kate Pearce does.

She blends bright colors with pastels and vintage finds to create unique and wonderful looks throughout her entire home.

Small Space? Think Cozy

This woodland cabin kitchen has tons of cozy charm, perfectly fitting with the surroundings. From the pinewood floors to the red screen door and the wood enclosed ceiling, everything matches its surroundings.

For added charm, the designer included vintage touches like a curtain-covered cabinet and farmhouse sink.

Bring Intimacy With Pendant Lighting

Vaulted ceilings can make a space seem almost too expansive. To cut it down, this kitchen design uses oversized pendant lights inspired by Victorian street lamps.

To pull it off at home, look for lights that almost fill your kitchen island. Hang the lights on extended chains so they're the first thing you see.

Add Some Blue to White for a Twist

Don't want to go too big with your kitchen design? Here, this open floor plan kitchen is mostly decked in white. White countertops, white pendant lights, and a white herringbone backsplash behind the stove all blend together.

But for a surprising twist, they've added a deep blue backdrop to the kitchen island.

Sometimes less is more.

Cement Floor Tiles Look Great

To cram a lot of style into a galley kitchen, consider cement floor tiles. While more expensive than other basic options, these tiles have a ton of design potential.

Here, the geometric pattern plays off the simple painted cabinets.

Two large, modern brass pendant lights round out the room.

Consider a Sliding Barn Door

No French country kitchen is complete without natural elements.

In this kitchen, a cream-painted wood range hood takes center stage, highlighted by iron light fixtures and flanked by a sliding wood barn door.

This look is within reach, too. You can now buy wooden barn door kits at most home improvement stores.

Light Blue Is Usually a Good Choice

The English have loved eggshell blue for years for a good reason. This simple paint color adds tons of charm to any kitchen.

Here, it's paired with natural wood open shelving, white subway tiles and a classic farmhouse sink to give the space that country feel.