The kitchen is called the “heart of the home” for a reason. It’s where you gather as a family to eat, host your friends, make memories, and, for some unknown reason, it’s also where 90% of house parties relocate after the first half hour. In short, there are endless reasons to make it look great and implement any nifty DIY kitchen design ideas you have immediately.
Renovations can become expensive, and sometimes they don’t turn out the way you hoped. If you’re a fan of clever, hands-on upgrades that make a big impact for less, you’ve come to the right place. From lighting tweaks to storage hacks and fresh design details, even small changes can completely transform how your kitchen looks and feels.
We’ve scoured all corners of the internet and put together 20 top DIY kitchen ideas that show style, practicality, and trendiness at the same time. Whether you’re looking to refresh a tired backsplash, brighten your workspace, or add more personality to your cabinets, these projects will help you bring new energy to your home’s core.
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Ultimate Kitchen Inspiration – 20 DIY Projects You Can Start Today
💷 Price
⏰ Time required
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Lighting Upgrades
Just a few small changes to your lighting can already make your kitchen warmer and inviting. What’s even better is that you don’t necessarily need to invest a lot of money for remarkable results. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Under-Cabinet Glow
Install LED strips under your cabinets to illuminate countertops. The indirect light adds warmth to your kitchen. It also provides functional lighting for cooking while giving your space a modern look.
💷 £15–£40 | ⏰ 30–60 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
2. Pendant Lighting
Hang a statement pendant light over your island or breakfast bar — it instantly adds style and directs light exactly where you need it.
💷 £50–£150 | ⏰ 1–2 hours | ★★☆☆☆
3. Magnetic Spice Lights
“The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel. The spice is all.” – Princess Irulan, Dune
Not so sure about the space travel part, but the importance of spice cannot be denied. Here’s how you can make yours stand out: stick small puck lights under your cabinets with magnetic mounts for spice jars. Not only does this highlight your collection, but it also helps you find your basil jar faster.
💷 £20–£35 | ⏰ 30 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
Small Kitchen Design Ideas
Are you looking to make the most out of the space you have while keeping your kitchen clutter-free? Here are a few things you can do to
4. Pull-Out Pantry Hacks
Add sliding shelves to deep cabinets. This makes items at the back accessible without havint to bend or stretch.
💷 £30–£70 | ⏰ 2–3 hours | ★★★☆☆
5. Pegboard Pantry Wall
Mount a pegboard to hang pots, pans, and utensils. This frees up your cabinet space and turns storage into decor.
💷 £20–£50 | ⏰ 1–2 hours | ★★☆☆☆
6. Drawer Dividers
DIY wooden or acrylic dividers for utensils and gadgets keep your drawers tidy. This also saves you time while cooking and adds a nice symmetrical and unique look to your drawers.
💷 £5–£20 | ⏰ 30–45 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
7. Hanging Fruit Basket
A tiered hanging basket from the ceiling frees up your counter space and positions the fruits more prominently in your kitchen.
💷 £15–£35 | ⏰ 30 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
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Counter & Surface Makeovers
Make small changes that achieve a huge visual impact. Here are some examples.
8. Peel-and-Stick Backsplash
Kitchen tile inspiration: Add adhesive tape or patterned wallpaper to your backsplash as an affordable way to add personality without the cost of full renovation.
💷 £20–£60 | ⏰ 1–2 hours | ★☆☆☆☆
9. Chalkboard Counter Corner
Paint a section of your counter or wall with chalkboard paint. It works well for notes lists, and little doodles.
💷 £10–£25 | ⏰ 1 hour | ★☆☆☆☆
10. Open Shelf Refresh
Sand and repaint old shelves or install floating shelves to display your dishes and decor while brightening the room.
💷 £15–£50 | ⏰ 1–3 hours | ★★☆☆☆
11. Marble Contact Paper Upgrade
Apply marble-effect contact paper to countertops for a more luxurious look at a fraction of the cost of what a real marble countertop would cost.
💷 £15–£40 | ⏰ 1–2 hours | ★☆☆☆☆
Modern Kitchen Design – Decorative Details
Here are some tiny tweaks that will make your kitchen feel curated and cozy.
12. Herb Garden Window Boxes
Grow herbs in small pots along the windowsill. You’ll have fresh flavors on demand and added greenery indoors.
💷 £10–£30 | ⏰ 30–60 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
13. Colorful Cabinet Handles
Swap out boring, run-of-the-mill handles for fun and colourful knobs. This gives your kitchen a unique touch and makes it feel less factory-made. It works especially well with IKEA kitchens.
💷 £15–£50 | ⏰ 30–60 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
14. Decorative Tray Display
Use a stylish tray to group oils, salts, and small jars. In a small kitchen, this inspiration can help you organize your items while adding a visually pleasing focal point.
💷 £10–£25 | ⏰ 15 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
15. Wall Art With Plates
Mount decorative plates or cutting boards as wall decor and turn everyday items into an art statement.
💷 £20–£60 | ⏰ 1–2 hours | ★☆☆☆☆
Functional Tweaks
Looking for ways to Improve usability and comfort while keeping your kitchen chic? These kitchen design ideas will help you do so.
16. Sliding Cutting Board
Install a pull-out cutting board in unused cabinet space. Not only does this add prep space, it also keeps the counters free for other things.
💷 £20–£40 | ⏰ 1–2 hours | ★★☆☆☆
17. Magnetic Knife Strip
An absolute favorite that can be found in kitchens of shared student flats to professional restaurants. A magnetic strip on the wall for knives frees drawer space and keeps knives more accessible.
💷 £10–£25 | ⏰ 30 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
18. Lazy Susan Corner
Add a rotating tray in corner cabinets in order to use your space efficiently and make hard-to-reach items easy to grab.
💷 £15–£50 | ⏰ 1 hour | ★★☆☆☆
19. Pull-Out Trash Bin
Install a slide-out trash and recycling bin inside a cabinet. This way, you can hide bins and keep the kitchen looking sterile.
💷 £25–£60 | ⏰ 1–2 hours | ★★☆☆☆
20. Drawer Lid Organizer
Create dividers for pot lids to reduce clutter. This makes lids easy to find and prevents toppling piles.
💷 £5–£15 | ⏰ 30 mins | ★☆☆☆☆
Budget & Planning Checklist
Because even small upgrades can take up a lot of time and funds, it helps to plan ahead. Use our mini cheat-sheet to prioritise your next weekend project and make the most of your budget and free time. Please take into account that these are estimates and the metrics can vary depending on what kind of kitchen you have.
| Project | Estimated Cost | Time Required | Skill Level | Impact |
| Replace cabinet handles | £25–£75 | 1 hour | Easy | High |
| Repaint cabinets | £150–£300 | Weekend | Medium | Very high |
| Install LED under-cabinet lighting | £40 | 30 minutes | Easy | Medium |
| Add floating shelves | £60–£120 | Half-day | Medium | High |
| Update backsplash (peel-and-stick) | £50–£100 | 2 hours | Easy | High |
| Create a coffee station or mini bar | £40–£90 | Half-day | Easy | Medium |
| Refresh walls with a new colour | £60–£150 | Weekend | Medium | Very high |
| Install new tap or faucet | £70–£150 | 2 hours | Medium | High |
| Organise storage with containers & labels | £30 | 1 hour | Easy | Medium |
Pro Tip:
Pick two or three high-impact ideas and start with those. Small and simple kitchen designs that deliver big visual results, like repainting cabinets or updating handles. Once you see the difference those make, motivate yourself on to larger projects.
Final Take – DIY Kitchen Design Ideas
One clever idea is all it takes to give your kitchen a more unique look or feel about it. While a larger budget will surely take your kitchen a step further than no budget at all, you don’t necessarily need to blow a hole in your savings for a full-scale renovation. You can create a space that feels fresh, welcoming, and uniquely yours with little to no money as well. The right DIY kitchen ideas can completely transform your home – all it takes is a bit of creativity, planning, and the willingness to start.
Whether it’s a new backsplash, better lighting, or simply adding warmth through colour and texture, each small change builds toward a kitchen that truly lights up your home.
FAQs
If you’re new to DIY, start small with projects like replacing cabinet handles, adding LED under-cabinet lighting, or applying peel-and-stick backsplash tiles. For this, you’ll need minimal tools, low budgets, and less than an hour of your time.
Focus on high-impact, low-cost changes such as repainting cabinets, swapping out handles, or refreshing your walls with a new colour. Even adding greenery or open shelving can make your kitchen feel brand new for under £100.
For compact kitchens, think vertically. Install pegboards for hanging pots, add pull-out pantry shelves, and use tiered fruit baskets or magnetic strips to free up counter space. These ideas improve function without crowding your space.
Yes. Simple upgrades like updated lighting, modern handles, or a refreshed backsplash can instantly make your kitchen look newer and more appealing to buyers – often without professional renovation costs.
That depends on the scale of your project. Many small upgrades cost between £25–£150, while medium weekend projects like repainting cabinets can reach £300. You can easily achieve a visible transformation for under £500 total.