181Your kitchen is most likely one of the most used rooms in your home. After cooking thousands of meals, it might start to look a little worn. If you don’t have the $19,000 that the average homeowner spends on a kitchen remodel to fix it, follow some of the updates below to brighten your kitchen for cheap.

Consider a spot of color, $200

Small amounts of bold color draw the eye away from the less appealing features. Furnishings like bar stools, small appliances and accessories in bright hues. Don’t forget the often-overlooked kitchen window is an ideal place to add color and pattern

Install a focal-point fixture, $100

Choose a prominent place for a fixture, such as over the kitchen island, and replace it with something spectacular. Find something eye-catching with bold color or the sparkle of crystal.

Add an island, $250

A custom-built island combines style and storage to get exactly what’s missing in your kitchen. Make sure you have enough room to fit an island comfortably before you start. You should have a 36- to 48-inch wide clearance on all four sides.

Update the hardware, $100

Updating knobs and pulls is probably the easiest cabinet update. Make sure you measure the distance between the holes to avoid having to fill a bunch of screw marks after you remove the original hardware, and then choose new styles that match that size.

Paint high-impact areas, $100

You could give old cabinets new life with a pretty new finish, but that can be a painstaking project. So before you commit, especially if you’re hoping to transform your whole kitchen, think about focusing the power of color on a single area. Choose an unexpected color for one section. It could be around the sink, on an island, or both. This will make a surprisingly big impact, with a lot less work than tackling an entire room of cabinets.