Amateur cooks have become chefs in the Covid-19 world, with multi-course meals and fresh-baked bread becoming the norm in some homes. That’s right, across the United States, people are embracing their inner Julia Child, spending more and more of their free time cooking due to restricted access to restaurants, and, as a recent report from HomeLight found, making upgrades to fit this new way of living. If you are one of them, and you feel like your kitchen needs a refresh to fit your new master chef lifestyle, you could go for the full remodel — complete with a professional level range and all stainless steel appliances — or, start with some easy upgrades and then take it from there. If you are going to be cooking more meals at home, you might as well make it as pleasant as possible.
Storage for ingredients and pots and pans
One of the first items on your wish list might be adding more storage for all of the dry ingredients and spices you have accumulated. You can transform what you already have with a few modifications. If you want to create an open shelf for these items, you can add a half shelf on a wall. Or, do a serious review of your pantry and see what needs to go so you can make more room to add a spice rack to a wall or inside a cabinet door.
What about all of your pots and pans and baking sheets and lids? It could be that your drawers are becoming a disaster zone. You might be thinking upright storage and dividers, but there is an alternative DIY hack to adding new cabinets. You can place your storage in an upper cabinet and get a standup file divider from an office supply store to keep your trays and lids organized. Some kitchen supply stores also sell lid storage dividers.
Butcher’s block rolling cart
If you are dreaming of a chef’s island, consider the simpler and more cost-effective alternative: a rolling cart with a butcher’s block. A rolling cart can also add extra storage, and when you need it, you can move it around to the most ideal spot for easy access. Another advantage of the rolling cart is that it’s not a permanent upgrade and that can be attractive if you are planning a kitchen remodel.
Shelves for recipe books
Kitchens do not always come with bookcases, and if you have many recipe books, you’ll probably want shelves for them. You can turn a cabinet into a bookcase by removing a door and adding more shelves, or, if you have the wall space, consider buying a bookcase to add to your kitchen.
Cabinet revamp
You can give your kitchen a little TLC by updating your cabinets. You don’t need to completely replace them, you can repaint them instead, and add new hardware for a more cost effective upgrade.
Moving items around and adding a few tools can give you the space you need to get creative in the kitchen. If you aren’t quite ready for a full remodel this can be an excellent way to help you find inspiration.
