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9 (Totally-DIYable) Kitchen Ideas That'll Get Insta-Love

Personalize your kitchen with design ideas like painting your floor instead of using tile.

A white contemporary kitchen with blue and white glazed tile

Image: Laura Lakin Design, designer/Juliet Murphy Photography, photographer

A new year, a new opportunity to make your kitchen swoon-worthy. Whether your most-used room is in need of a total refresh or a few simple tweaks, make this year, the year that you fall in love with your kitchen all over again.

Let these nine stylish (and doable!) ideas serve as your inspiration for a kitchen that's more "you" this year.

#1 Go Retro

A bright poppy-colored kitchen backsplash with teal cabinets — Image: Anna M Campbell

Yesteryear's color palette has made a comeback. Whether it's avocado green or mustard yellow that speaks to you the most, give your backsplash or cabinet doors a vintage feel with a kitchen color palette that takes inspiration from your chic grandma's house.

#2 Opt for Slide-Out Shelves

Clear jars in a pull-out drawer in a kitchen cabinet

Make it easy on yourself already. With pull-out shelves, you can see exactly what you have (and how much of it) without having to tear apart your kitchen to find your red lentils.

#3 Use the Inside of a Cabinet Door for Storage

A kitchen cabinet door painted with chalkboard paint

Put the tools you use most right where you need them — no more rifling through a cluttered drawer to find the right measuring cup. A handy painted chalkboard chart, like this one, can make double-checking your measurements a breeze.

#4 Wallpaper the Inside of Your Cabinets

White kitchen cabinets with glass insert

You love your dishes. Why not give them a backdrop? A budget-friendly idea for updating blah, boring kitchen cabinets: Add decorative glass to cabinet inserts, then line the interior with whimsical wallpaper.

#5 Add Colorful Knobs

Teal knobs on white cabinets in an eclectic kitchen

It's all in the details. An inexpensive way to transform the overall look of your kitchen in under 15 minutes: Swap out cabinet knobs and drawer pulls for something with a little more spunk. These teal ones tie the kitchen's color palette together.

#6 Switch to Sleek, Long-Handled Cabinet Hardware

Blue gray kitchen cabinets with gold bamboo-style pulls

Bye, builder-grade hardware. Put your kitchen cabinets' best face forward with contemporary kitchen hardware that look and feel fancy. They're easy to clean and easy to grab — especially when your hands are full and in the throes of cooking up a feast.

#7 Maximize Your Storage Space

Cabinets running out of room? Look up. Not only does open shelving up high let you show of your shiny, new pro mixer, it lets you take advantage of every square inch of storage space your kitchen has to offer. And a rolling library ladder makes it easy to access all your beloved cookware.

#8 Put Spices in a Drawer

If spice racks have failed you, and organizing your kitchen cabinets feels next to impossible, move your spices to a drawer so that they're easy to locate. No more fumbling around in a dark cabinet for the spice you need.

Related: Kitchen Ideas That You'll Instantly Regret

#9 Give Floors a Pop of Color

Say "goodbye" to boring, worn-out kitchen floors once and for all. Show your surfaces some love with a paint project, like the one below, that is easy on the budget and the eyes.

Blue and white checkerboard painted kitchen floor

Or swap out your dingy floor tiles for something a lot more durable and cool. Dress up an all-white contemporary kitchen with glazed ceramic tile floors that'll stand the test of time.

A white contemporary kitchen with blue and white glazed tile — Image: Laura Lakin Design, designer / Juliet Murphy Photography, photographer

Related: 9 Gorgeous Kitchen Materials That Are Practically Indestructible