How to Upgrade Your Kitchen for Under $20 (+ My Favorite Kitchen Accessories)
Everything you hear about living in an NYC apartment is true. They’re old, small and expensive. After 4 years of living in our one-bedroom rental in NYC, I’ve managed to make the place feel like home and look pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. There are a lot of easy ways to improve your apartment when it comes to the living room or bedroom, but with the kitchen, there really isn’t much you can do. You’re stuck with the cabinets, countertops, and appliances (of course you could ask permission from your landlord, but it’s really not worth the $$$ in my opinion).
I had almost given up on our little galley kitchen. It has limited counter and cabinet space, old ugly appliances, and I cannot stand the color of the cabinet doors. But the worst part of all was how dark it was. I absolutely love cooking and sharing my adventures in the kitchen on my IG, but it’s always tricky cropping every story to get the right light without shadows. If only we lived in a fancy apartment with under cabinet lighting I could be unstoppable!
Well, I found the perfect solution and for under $20 with this Under Cabinet Lighting Kit on Amazon! LED lighting has come a long way, even in the last few years we have lived here. When we first moved in I looked for under cabinet lighting, but they were all big ugly fixtures that looked like those old school tap lights or thick strips that looked bulky and would stick out too much. After another weekend of being frustrated with the lighting in my IG videos, I hopped on my good friend Amazon and found these LED strips that were super thin, had adhesive on the back, and could easily be slapped up under there. No screws, no tools, and it took about 5 minutes!
I didn’t do too much planning on how they would be laid out but even slapped up haphazardly, the lighting is incredible. I was able to plug them in behind the fridge, and used one of the included clips to pin the cord down the back of the fridge and hide the switch behind my vintage Saltine tin. You could easily stick the switch somewhere convenient for your kitchen or connect it to a wifi switch. I’ll eventually add it to a wifi system so my Google Home Mini can control it and I won’t have to worry about the switch. Voila, we live in a luxury kitchen and my cooking videos are going to be fire.
In addition to the lighting, there are a few kitchen items that really make me feel fancy in the kitchen. When we made our wedding registry, my #1 priority was upgrading all of our accessories, so here are a few of my favorite items I upgraded our kitchen with. They’re not all as affordable as the LED lighting, but they are worth the splurge.
Utensil Glow Up
All-Clad’s utensils have been my absolute favorite upgrade! Each utensil is linked to the image above. Their metal handles feel sturdy and heavy and luxurious AF. I went with the nonstick ends so I wouldn’t worry about scratching my pots and pans, but they have entirely stainless steel sets as well. For the spatulas, there is no beating Williams Sonoma’s silicone set. My mom got these a couple years ago and has converted our entire family. I will never go back to a wooden handle again and the mini spatula and spoonula (lol yes that’s what it’s called) will absolutely change your life. The minis are perfect for scraping out that last little bit from those hard to reach corners of a jar. What better way to store all your beautiful utensils than this marble utensil holder? While you’re at it, go ahead and get the matching wine cooler. You’ll thank me later.
There are a few other little touches that really give my kitchen a grown-up feel. All-Clad’s measuring cups are gorgeous and look like mini’s of their full-sized pots. They have tiny little rivets, even on the 1/4 cup that make them look super luxe. They have matching measuring spoons that really complete the look. My marble pastry board from Sur La Table is beautiful and I originally bought it just to take photos on, but I use it for pasta and bread making as well. The wooden carving board is a one of a kind made by my brother in law, but after using it, I will never go back to a flimsy plastic mat. Just be sure to use mineral oil after use to keep your board hydrated and have a long life. When I get another bigger one, I’m eyeing this one from Williams Sonoma. The most affordable upgrade were these dishcloths also from Williams Sonoma. We had been using ratty old towels for years and I never wanted to spend the money to upgrade, but they were totally worth the $25- plus they come in a set of 8! They go hand in hand with our matching aprons. Completing our little tableau are my steel straws and salt and pepper mills (mine are 7 inches but we refill them a lot so I’d recommend the 12-inch version).
I could go on and on about my favorite registry items after spending hours and hours scouring Zola, but I’ll cut it off there. If you want me to share more about my favorite finds, let me know in the comments! Little touches like the LED lights and these utensils can go a long way in making you feel like you’re cooking in luxury, even if it’s just a small New York galley kitchen!
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